1993 Toyota 4Runner

Watch out for

Reputation: what owners and the press report. Tap one to see what to check.

Head gasket failure V6

What to check: Ask for records of head gasket work and which gaskets were used, and look for signs of past overheating. Members say a dealer can look up by VIN whether Toyota's head gasket work was done.

Trail4Runner calls it a common 3.0 problem.

Sources ^1,2,3,4
Rust in the tailgate and body All years

What to check: Look over the tailgate, the area around the rear glass and the body panels.

Two members in two threads say the bodies rust badly, one naming the tailgate and the area around the rear window. Trail4Runner says there is little factory support left for body parts.

Sources ^2,4,1,5
Rear window that drops or sticks All years One source so far

What to check: Run the tailgate glass all the way down and up a few times.

Five members in one thread offer causes. Three point to a failing motor or worn gears between the motor and the regulator, one cured theirs by lubricating a dry track, and one suspects the relay.

Sources ⁶
Slow engagement into reverse Automatics One source so far

What to check: Shift from park and from neutral into reverse, and feel for a delay.

Consumer Guide blames weak springs inside the transmission.

Sources ⁷
Clutch judder 4WD manuals, 1990–1994 One source so far

What to check: Pull away from a stop and feel for judder.

Consumer Guide says Toyota fitted a larger clutch to 4x4 models because of it.

Sources ⁷
Heavy oil use from sludge 1993–1995 One source so far

What to check: Ask how much oil it uses between changes.

Consumer Guide blames sludge on the cylinder heads and says Toyota extended the warranty. It does not say which engine.

Sources ⁷

Recalls

05V389000 1989–1995
Repeated hard steering, such as full lock while stopped, can crack the steering relay rod until it breaks.^{8,9,10,11,12,13,14}

Checked against NHTSA records on 21 October 2026.

Complaints

Owners filed 53 complaints about the 1993 with NHTSA.

4 said there had been a crash and 2 a fire.

The parts named most

Engine and engine cooling 20
Service brakes, hydraulic 7
Steering 7
Electrical system 5
Tires 4

and 9 other parts

Counted from NHTSA's complaints on 23 October 2026. These are owners' own reports, counted by the parts they named; one complaint can name several. NHTSA's list

Crash-test stars

1993 Toyota 4Runner 4-DR. 4x4 Front: driver 1, passenger 4.

These stars come from NHTSA's tests before the 2011 model year. NHTSA says never to compare them with stars from its newer tests. Where NHTSA says so

Copied from NHTSA's ratings on 23 October 2026.

Watch out for

Recalls

Complaints

Crash-test stars

Sources