2004 Toyota 4runner — V6

The 2004 Toyota 4Runner sits at the very top of the federal complaint arc, with 678 complaints — the second-highest figure in the entire dataset and only narrowly behind the 2003 launch-year spike of 707, which marks the introduction of the fourth generation. Complaints had risen sharply from 251 in 2002, and the 235 TSBs logged for 2004 are similarly elevated, second only to 2003's 249, suggesting an early-production cluster of refinements and service advisories rather than a single systemic defect. After 2004, the trend turns decisively favorable: complaints fall to 424 in 2005, 380 in 2006, and just 154 by 2007, indicating the issues identified in 2003-2004 were largely addressed in subsequent model years. The 2004 record is dominated by Structure complaints (214 of 678), followed by Unknown/Other, Suspension, and Air Bags, and the 28 crash-flagged complaints are worth noting, though the data does not specify root causes for any of these categories. Recalls are modest at 2, but two open investigations and the high TSB count point to a vehicle still in early-cycle resolution. As a used buy, 2004 is a defensible but not ideal choice — it offers much of the fourth-generation refinement at a discount, but a pre-purchase inspection focused on suspension and structural components, plus a VIN check for recall and investigation status, is strongly advisable over the cleaner 2005-2007 alternatives.