Used Toyota 4Runner Buying Guide: 4.0 V6 vs 2025 Turbo, Frame, Recalls

A used Toyota 4Runner is usually a fifth-generation 2010-2024 truck with a 270-hp 4.0-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic, or a 2025-and-newer sixth-generation truck with a 2.4-liter turbo four (and an i-Force Max hybrid on some trims). The fifth gen is old, simple and expensive for what it is. Before you pay up, confirm the Takata and fuel pump recalls by VIN, look under it for frame rust and trail damage, check any dealer-installed accessories against their own recalls, and read the title history.

We decoded 4Runner VIN patterns in NHTSA's vPIC decoder on October 13, 2026, and every pattern, from a 2010 4x4 to a 2025 hybrid, came back built at Toyota's Tahara plant in Aichi, Japan. Our 2010 through 2024 patterns all returned the 1GR-FE 4.0-liter V6, and our 2025 patterns returned the T24A-FTS 2.4 turbo, with vPIC tagging one of them as a hybrid. Our Toyota VIN decoder guide covers the other positions.

Fifth gen vs sixth gen

The fifth-generation 4Runner ran for 15 model years with very little change, which is both the appeal and the problem. On its 2024 4Runner page, Car and Driver says every one used a 270-hp 4.0-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic, with rear-drive or either part-time or full-time four-wheel drive, on a separate truck frame, and it calls the powertrain outdated and slow. That age is why you can judge a 2014 and a 2022 almost the same way. For the sixth generation, Car and Driver's current page lists a 278-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter four and an eight-speed automatic, with a hybrid version making more power and offered on the more extreme off-road trims. A 2025 is still close to new money, so most shoppers in October 2026 are looking at fifth-gen trucks.

Frame, underside and TRD use

Body-on-frame trucks hide their problems underneath, so get under it with a flashlight. On salt-belt trucks, look at the frame rails, the rear crossmember, brake lines and the spare tire area for scale that flakes when you push on it. Light surface rust on an old frame is normal; holes and swelling are not something to negotiate around. Our post on frame rust and title brands explains why frame rust and a branded title are separate questions, so a clean title says nothing about the steel. On TRD Off-Road and TRD Pro trucks, look for skid plate gouges, bent rock rails, fresh alignment work and mud packed in the frame, then ask how the truck was used. A lift kit and big tires are not a problem by themselves, but ask for receipts and check that the door-jamb load label still makes sense, since several 4Runner recalls were about wrong load capacity labels after accessories.

Recalls to confirm by VIN

The 4Runner's factory recall list is short, and two campaigns matter most on fifth-gen trucks. Recall 19V-741 covers about 928,000 Toyota and Lexus vehicles, 2010-2016 4Runners included, that had Takata frontal air bag inflators replaced under an earlier recall with inflators of the same design. Those can explode after long exposure to heat and humidity, so a truck that was "already fixed" may need a second repair. Our Takata recall check covers that in more detail. Recall 20V-682 covers about 1.5 million Toyotas and Lexuses, 2018-2019 4Runners included, whose low-pressure fuel pump may fail; dealers replace it.

Sixth-gen trucks have their own. Recall 25V-595 lists the 2025 4Runner among about 591,000 Toyotas and Lexuses whose instrument panel may fail to show speed and warning lights at startup; the fix for non-plug-in models is an over-the-air software update. A tiny label recall, 26V-571, covers 2026 4Runners with a wrong load capacity label, and Toyota expects to mail those letters October 18, 2026.

Something odd shows up in NHTSA's 4Runner list: many recalls were filed by the regional distributors Southeast Toyota and Gulf States Toyota, for accessories they or their dealers installed. Those include exhaust tips on 2010-2015 trucks, hood scoops on 2011-2016, billet grille overlays on 2015-2018, a TFORCE roof rack on 2016-2017, and steering and suspension parts that may not have been tightened on some 2018-2019 trucks. So if the truck wears dealer add-ons, run the VIN through our guide to checking recalls by VIN or Toyota's recall lookup.

History, title and price

A 4Runner's asking price is reason enough to check the history twice. Read the history for salvage, flood or rebuilt brands, odometer gaps, and accidents, and order the report yourself instead of trusting a seller's PDF, which can be edited. CARFAX says its reports can show title brands, odometer readings, ownership and reported accidents. As of mid October 2026, a CARFAX report through us is about $5.50 as a guest or about $4.50 as a member, and a CARFAX plus AutoCheck bundle is about $6.75, versus roughly $39.99 to $44.99 at retail. Confirm at checkout. We are a licensed CARFAX and AutoCheck reseller, not affiliated with CARFAX, AutoCheck, or Experian. Cross-shopping? See our used Toyota Tacoma buying guide and used Jeep Wrangler buying guide.

Sources

• NHTSA vPIC VIN Decoder
• NHTSA: Toyota recall report 19V-741 (Takata inflators)
• NHTSA: Toyota recall report 20V-682 (fuel pump)
• NHTSA: Toyota recall report 25V-595 (instrument panel)
• Car and Driver: 2024 Toyota 4Runner
• Car and Driver: Toyota 4Runner
• Toyota: Recall lookup
• CARFAX: Vehicle History Reports