Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
17 mpgcombined; city 16, highway 19; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$19,110U.S. average; Ohio $17,070 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2021 4Runner. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 36 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 4Runner. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Steering
13
0
0
0
Suspension
10
0
0
0
Service brakes
6
2
0
1
Wheels
4
0
0
0
Electrical system
3
0
1
0
Exterior lighting
3
0
0
0
Back over prevention
2
1
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
2
1
0
1
Unknown or other
2
0
1
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Air bags
1
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
1
0
0
0
6 more parts
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Power train
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
1
0
1
Visibility
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2021 4Runner over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2020-2022 4Runner vehicles equipped with 20-inch Black Gunner Wheels. The load carrying capacity modification labels are incorrect. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead to unintentionally overloading the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: SET will mail replacement labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 4, 2022. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 954-429-2000. SET's number for this recall is SET22A.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 128 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2021 4Runner, the latest on Aug 10, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (43), electrical system (32), structure (32), air bags (8), unknown or other (8).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2021 4Runner.
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 3 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
4Runner Rear-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S5)
Regular Gasoline
16 / 19 / 17
4Runner Part-time 4-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S5)
Regular Gasoline
16 / 19 / 17
4Runner All-Wheel Drive
4.0 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S5)
Regular Gasoline
16 / 19 / 17
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data