18 complaints reported

1992 Toyota 4Runner Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
18
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

May 2016

MADE A NOISE STARTING IDLING WEIRD HADN'T EVEN WARMED UP THE CAR YET JUST DROVE UP THE STREET TO STORE REAL QUICK WHEN CAME BACK. SOUNDING LIKE POOP AND CHECKED EVERYTHING MILKY OIL A SIGN OF A HEAD GASKET. PS IT HAPPENED ON MY BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR. IT REALLY

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2015
Nov 2008

MYSTERIOUS COOLANT LOSS, PRESSURIZED SYSTEM FOUND NO EXTERNAL LEAKS. WATCHED PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A MONTH, KEPT TOPPING UP COOLANT. DRIVING HOME LAST NIGHT SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER ON FREE WAY TEMPERATURE SPIKE, ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT GETTING OFF FREEWAY. HEAD GASKET FAILURE. TOWED. CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN DONE, TOYOTA DEALER WILL NOT HONOR LABOR OR EVEN THE PART, AND IT IS QUITE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL FAIL SOONER THAN LATER. MY NISSAN HAS OVER 300,000KM ON IT AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM. FLAWED DESIGN IN HEAD OR BLOCK. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Nov 2008
Jan 2007

I HAVE A 1992 4 RUNNER. I PURCHASED IT IN 1997. I TOOK IT IN FOR THE RECALL ON THE HEAD WHEN I BOUGHT IT. I NOW HAS ANOTHER PROBLEM, ON OF THE CYLINDER IS ONLY PRODUCING 20% COMPRESSION. MY MECHANIC SAID THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH A PROBLEM WITH THE HEAD. IS THIS COVERED UNDER THE RECALL ALSO? *NM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2007
Jul 2005

1992 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER, 3.0 LITER, V-6, 4 WD TRUCK IN SHOP FOR BLOWN HEAD GASKET & POSSIBLE CRACKED BLOCK. I UNDERSTAND THIS VEHICLE HAS A DESIGN FLAW WHICH CAUSES HEAD GASKETS TO BLOW OVER AND OVER IN SPITE OF SO-CALLED GASKET "FIX" BY TOYOTA WHICH I HAD AFTER 50,000 MILES. TOYOTA SHOULD MAKE IT RIGHT TO THEIR CUSTOMERS BY EITHER FIXING THE FLAW OR REIMBURSING FOR COSTS TO REPAIR, TOW & RENT REPLACEMENT VEHICLE. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 2005
Nov 2004

2ND ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILURE @ 94,000 MILES ON 12/06/2004, REPAIRED @ ORIGINAL DEALER, @ OWNER'S EXPENSE OF $1400. 1ST FAILURE @ 33,000 MILES ON 09/12/1996, REPAIRED, INCLUDING NEW ENGINE BLOCK, @ ORIGINAL DEALER AS PER TOYOTA TSB # SSCV06 SPECIAL CAMPAIGN & TSB # SPAP9610 SPECIAL CAMPAIGN. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: May 2004
Nov 2004

I HAVE A 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER WITH V6 3VZE ENGINE WHICH TOYOTA KNOWS HAS A BAD HEAD DESIGN AND HEAD GASKET FAILURE. THEY HAVE A RECALL FOR ONE TIME ONLY REPLACEMENT WHICH WAS DOEN IN 97 AT 51K MI. BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER. LAST DEC. I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS AND THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DID NOT ADVISE ME THAT I HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. THEY WANTED TO CHANGE OUT FUEL INJECTORS SINCE IT WAS RUNNING ROUGH. THE ROUGHNESS WAS FROM COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE CYLINDERS. AFTER RESEARCH I FOUND ALL THIS INFO. OUT. AT THE TIME I WAS IGNORANT AS TO THIS PROBLEM. FRED HAS TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE BEEN UP FRONT WITH ME AND ADVISED ME F THE SITUATION INSTEAD OF MAKING ME PAY FOR SOMETHING I DIDN'T NEED. AS THEY HAVE DONE TO ME IN THE PAST. THE EXHAUST GASES ESCAPING INTO THE COOLANT SYSTEM ARE OVER PRESSURIZE MY SYSTEM AND IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE IT BLEW THE BOTTOM HOSE OFF THE RADIATOR. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A PARKING LOT OR EVEN MY OWN FAMILY WOULD HAVE BEEN STANDING 15 FEET IN FREON OF THE VEHICLE THEY WOULD HAVE HAD 3RD DEGREE BURNS. THUS, I HAD BEEN DRIVING IT SINCE DEC AND LEARNING OF WHAT MY PROBLEM IS. IT WAS A SLOW LEAK AT FIRST , BUT GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. IT STARTED OVERHEATING ON ME SO I CHANGED THE THERMOSTAT, FAN CLUTCH. RADIATOR, AND RADIATOR CAP. PAID ALL THAT MONEY TO FIND OUT THAT DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THE EXHAUST GASES OVER PRESSURIZE THE COOLANT SYSTEM DUE TO THE BLOWN HEAD GASKET. TOYOTA HAS STOOD THEIR GROUND AND SAID THEY'VE LIVED UP TO THEIR ONE TIME ONLY RECALL. IM SURE YOU ARE ALREADY AWARE OF THIS "MASSIVE" AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THEIR HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. I JUST WISHED TOYOTA VALUED CUSTOMER SERVICE/LOYALTY. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 2004
Jun 2003

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 1992 4RUNNER. THE HEAD GASKET IN THE ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING OIL AND WATER TO BASICALLY GET MIXED. WE TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER IN OUR AREA (KENDALL TOYOTA IN MIAMI FLORIDA). WE TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THEM WHAT IS LISTED ON YOUR WEB SITE AS KNOWN DEFECT IN OUR CAR'S MODEL AND YEAR. HOWEVER THEY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT. WE ENDED UP SPENDING $2896.62 AT THE DEALERSHIP SHOP TO FIX THE ENGINE PROBLEM. CONSIDERING THAT PROBLEM IS A KNOWN DEFECT AS PUBLISHED ON THIS WEB SITE. IS THERE A WAY YOUR OFFICE CAN HELP US RECOVER SOME OR ALL OF OUR MONEY THAT WAS CHARGED BY THE DEALER INAPPROPRIATELY. *NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 2003
Mar 2003

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE HEAD GASKET BLEW. ANTIFREEZE WAS BURNING AND CAUSED THE FUMES TO COME INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. *NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Mar 2003
Jul 2001

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ONCE CAR WAS STARTED WHITE STEAM CAME OUT OF TAIL PIPE DUE TO A BLOWN ENGINE GASKET. HEADGASKET REPAIRS WERE DONE IN 1997.*AK *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 2001
Mar 2001

VEHICLE LEAKING, POSSIBLY DUE TO FAILURE OF ENGINE HEAD. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Oct 2000

TOYOTA ISSUED A SPECIAL RECALL ON HEAD GASKET WAS TO BE NO CHARGE. I HAD TO PAY. ENGINE BLEW BLUE SMOKE AGAIN NO OIL PRESSURE VEHICLE CAN'T ACCERTERATE WHEN NEEDED QUICKLY . TOLD THE DEALER I WOULD PAY FOR A NEW ENGINE AND DID. ENGINE BLOWS BLEW SMOKE AGAIN DEALER INSTALLED 5-6 ENGINES ALL RECALLED JUNK. THEY STILL REFUSE TO FIX THIS ENGINE TOYOTA CALLS THIS A SPECIAL CAMPAIGN V06 ON ALL V6 'S '1990-1996 YET I HAD TO PAY OVER 10,000. IN CASH . I HAVE BRIDGESTONE DEULER AND THEY ARE CRACKING AND THE SAME DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO TALK TO US THE TIRES ARE NEW. PLEASE HELP. *AK (TIRESIZE: 31 X 10.50)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 31 X 10.50 )

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 1994
Sep 1999

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 TO 65 MPH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE ENGINE PISTON BLEW OUT, AND THE ENGINE BLOCK CRACKED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jul 1999
Sep 1999

I WAS GOING UPHILL AND HEARD A CLOCKING SOUND AND SPEED WAS SLOWING DOWN..SHIFTED TO 2ND GEAR AND HEARD A BIG SNAPPED...AS I WAS GOING TO THE SIDE CURVE, THE ENGINE SEIZED ON ME (ENGINE BLOCK). DEALER SAID THE ROD IN THE ENGINE BROKE AND SOME INTERNAL STUFF. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE THAT A 6YRS OLD W/ A 109,000 MILES CAR WOULD JUST GIVE UP ON ME. I PREVIOUSLY HAD TOYOTAS THAT LASTED A LONG TIME W/NO ENGINE PROBLEM. I EVEN HAD MY OIL CHANGE PRIOR TO MY TRIP SO I CAN'T SAY I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OIL.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Dec 1998
Mar 1999

DEALER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT HEADER MALFUNCTION BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRATION AND CLAIMED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. NOW THE VEHICLE IS WELL OVER THE WARRANTY AND PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GET AN ESTIMATE TO GET THE EXHAUST HEADERS REPLACED, THEY QUOTED ME AT OVER $800.00 TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Jul 1998

ENGINE IS NOT KEEPING OIL PRESSURE. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THREE TIMES. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Jun 1998

ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD/ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Jan 1998
Jan 1996

ENGINE HEAD GASKET BLEW AT 85K MILES. TT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Aug 1996
Apr 1995

RADIATOR DEVELOPED PIN HOLES . PLEASE EXPLAIN. TT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1992 TOYOTA 4RUNNER, Manufacturer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Incident: Apr 1995

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1992 Toyota 4Runner has 18 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.