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Reliability report · 2022 Toyota 4Runner · Updated July 2026 · ~$3,650/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

A durable late-generation 4Runner whose one loud pattern is spontaneous sunroof shatter — inspect the glass, and you've handled its biggest quirk.

The 2022 is a late fifth-generation 4Runner with the proven 4.0-liter 1GR-FE V6 and A750 five-speed automatic — no expensive drivetrain pattern, and a small 39-complaint file. Its three recalls are a driver's-side high-beam wiring fix (after accessory fog-light installs) and two regional-distributor load-label items, all free and none touching the mechanicals.

The one theme that stands out this year is spontaneous sunroof shatter — 'sounded like a gunshot,' glass blowing outward — reported repeatedly, with one dealer citing eight cases in two weeks. There's no recall; comprehensive insurance is the backstop. The rest is familiar 4Runner homework: the highway shimmy, soft brakes with an occasional real master-cylinder failure, X-REAS suspension on Limited trims, and the salt-belt frame check.

Evidence: 39 NHTSA complaints · 3 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Chirping

What that means: 39 federal complaints and three recalls — a headlight-wiring item and two accessory load-label items, none of them a drivetrain defect. The 4.0-liter V6 and five-speed automatic remain bulletproof. The 2022 file's standout theme is spontaneous sunroof shatter (a dealer reported eight cases in two weeks), alongside the generation's steering shimmy and the soft-brake pattern.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

39

Federal complaints

3

Recalls

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2022 Toyota 4RUNNER SUV 2WD (NHTSA VehicleId 16639)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

Sunroof spontaneous shatter

moderate

The standout pattern in the 2022 file: the sunroof shattering with no impact at highway speed — 'sounded like a gunshot,' glass typically blowing outward, occasionally cutting occupants when the shade was open. One owner's dealer said he'd seen eight cases in two weeks. It appears across the generation and there is no recall; comprehensive insurance coverage is the practical backstop. Inspect the glass closely and ask about any prior glass claim before buying a moonroof-equipped 2022.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 4Runner

Highway steering-wheel shimmy and differential groanmoderate

The generation's signature shimmy at 50–70 mph persists on 2022 cars, with owners suspecting a front-differential needle bearing and dealers calling it normal. Toyota's tech tips tie much of it to the factory tires; mechanics say a body-on-frame truck on aggressive tires is inherently prone to it, best improved with better tires and a road-force balance. A related front-differential groan (a known, inexpensive needle-bearing fix in 4WD trucks) can drive it. It's a test-drive item, not a safety defect or a drivetrain failure.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 4Runner · NHTSA recalls and manufacturer communications (shimmy/tire and front-differential TSBs) · Independent mechanic/owner channel transcripts (5th-gen 4Runner, incl. Car Care Nut)

tire-shop pricing

Road-force balance / better tires

not expensive

Front needle-bearing replacement (per mechanic)

Soft brakes and master-cylinder failuresmoderate

The generation's brake story on a 2022: soft, nose-diving pedal feel by design, plus real low-frequency failures — one owner's brake master cylinder was replaced under warranty at 12,600 miles after the pedal sank and the truck wouldn't hold, and another reported an internal brake failure. Caliper and slide-pin seizing with fast rear-pad wear round it out. Most is characteristic and maintenance; a pedal that sinks while stopped is the outlier to chase. Test braking from 30 mph and confirm a firm hold at rest.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 4Runner · Independent mechanic/owner channel transcripts (5th-gen 4Runner, incl. Car Care Nut)

$0 in-warranty

Master cylinder (one owner, under warranty)

routine

Caliper service / pads (maintenance)

X-REAS suspension, oil-filter housing, and ADAS quirksminor

Lower-frequency items on the 2022. On Limited trims, the X-REAS hydraulic suspension can fail (one owner at 36k) — expensive if it goes, so drive over rough pavement. A few owners report the plastic oil-filter housing cracking and leaking oil, fixed with an aluminum replacement. And the ADAS — a suite of driver-assist features — draws scattered reports of phantom pre-collision braking and the system disabling itself in rain or snow. None is a deal-breaker, but check each on the test drive.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 4Runner

one owner: part + labor

Oil-filter housing (aluminum replacement)

Frame and rear-hatch rust — the universal checkmoderate

The generation-wide inspection: salt-belt frames rust, and a rotten frame is a walk-away because replacing it costs more than the truck. The rear hatch rusts under its plastic trim. A 2022 is young, but a northern-climate example still deserves an underside look before you assume it's clean.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2022 4Runner · Independent mechanic/owner channel transcripts (5th-gen 4Runner, incl. Car Care Nut)

more than the truck is worth

Frame replacement

The dealer's service advisor told me he had eight customers with this same sunroof issue in the last two weeks.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Toyota dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 21V-963Southeast Toyota Distributors: driver's-side high beam may be inoperable after a dealer accessory fog-light install on certain 2022 4Runners (FMVSS 108). Free updated wiring harness.open
  2. 22V-310Gulf States Toyota: load-capacity modification labels may fade and become illegible on 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, and Highlander (FMVSS 110). Free replacement label.open
  3. 22V-480Southeast Toyota Distributors: incorrect load-capacity label on 2020–2022 4Runners with dealer-installed 20-inch Black Gunner Wheels (FMVSS 110). Free replacement label.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2022 4Runner

Four sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

17 MPG combined (16 city / 19 highway) for the RWD, 4.0L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 44437 (4Runner 2WD).
Other builds EPA lists: 4WD, 4.0L 17 MPG · AWD, 4.0L 17 MPG.

$3,650/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Crash losses

Insurers lose about 32% less on this vehicle than on the average car. Lower collision losses tend to show up in what you pay for coverage.

Source: HLDI — the insurance industry’s loss-data institute — HLDI collision losses, 2020–22 models, published April 2023 (report R-23). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota 4Runner 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Toyota 4Runner 4dr 77, where 100 = average.

68 vs 100

32% below average

Theft

Stolen about 58% less often than the average vehicle. One less thing to price into coverage.

Source: HLDI — HLDI whole vehicle theft losses, 2022–24 models, published May 2025 (report WT-24). 100 = the all-vehicle average. Series read: Toyota 4Runner 4dr 4WD.
Other series: Toyota 4Runner 4dr 26, where 100 = average.

42 vs 100

58% below average

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Road-force balance / better tirestire-shop pricing
Front needle-bearing replacement (per mechanic)not expensive
Master cylinder (one owner, under warranty)$0 in-warranty
Caliper service / pads (maintenance)routine
Oil-filter housing (aluminum replacement)one owner: part + labor
Frame replacementmore than the truck is worth
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Inspect the sunroof glass closely and ask about any prior glass claims — spontaneous shatter is the standout 2022 pattern and it's not covered by a recall.
  2. 02Drive at 50–70 mph and feel for steering-wheel shimmy; plan on a road-force balance or better tires rather than assuming a broken part. Listen for a front-differential groan in two-wheel drive on 4WD trucks.
  3. 03Test the brakes from 30 mph and confirm the pedal holds firm at a stop; a sinking pedal points to a master-cylinder issue.
  4. 04If it's a high-beam-recall (21V-963) truck with accessory fog lights, verify the wiring fix; the two label recalls apply only to trucks with those specific dealer accessories.
  5. 05On a Limited with X-REAS suspension, drive over rough pavement and feel for uneven damping; check for an oil-filter-housing leak and test the pre-collision system.
  6. 06If it lived in a salt-belt state, inspect the frame from underneath and the rear hatch under its plastic trim for rust.

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