The first year past the Takata airbag recalls — a clean, bulletproof 4Runner whose loudest complaint is a rare soft-brake-pedal scare.

A distinctive 4Runner annoyance surfaces on 2017 cars: door-lock actuators failing one after another — one owner reported replacing locks more than ten times, with three of four doors dead at once. It's roughly a $200 part each, out of warranty once the bumper-to-bumper expires, and owners reference a class-action over the pattern. Not a safety defect, but a nagging, recurring bill. Test every door lock from the fob and the switch before buying.

As on other years, rodents chew the soy-based wiring insulation, taking out injector or knock-sensor wiring within days of purchase in some reports, for repairs around $500 that warranty declined as rodent damage. Toyota has a bulletin guiding whether to repair or replace a chewed harness. It's a parking-and-storage issue rather than a design failure, but factor it in if the truck sits outdoors, and inspect the harness on any car with electrical faults.

Reported across the fifth generation and present in the 2017 file: the sunroof (or a side window) shattering with no impact — 'sounded like a gunshot,' glass usually blowing outward. There is no recall. Comprehensive insurance is the practical backstop, and a moonroof-equipped truck is worth a close look at the glass and any prior claim history. Annoyance-and-startle grade, not a mechanical fault.

Every fifth-gen 4Runner earns the same salt-belt inspection: the body-on-frame steel rusts, and a rotten frame is a walk-away because replacing it costs more than the truck. The rear hatch also rusts under its plastic garnish trim. A southern 2017 sidesteps this; a northern one needs the frame checked from underneath, not judged by the shiny bodywork.