The Lemon Index
The 4.0 L V6 in the Toyota Tacoma, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota FJ Cruiser and Toyota Tundra, model years 2003–2024. Owners filed 5,757 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 7% name the engine, #38 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
None of the issues people usually talk about stands out in this engine's complaints to NHTSA.
Also often talked about, but not standing out in complaints to NHTSA: head gaskets (21 of 5,757, 0.4%, peers 0.1%). That doesn't mean it never happens, only that owners rarely file it with the government.
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 45/100 across 22 model years, from 158 videos about this engine and its cars (#109 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- Toyota 4Runner- Everything You Need To Know | Up To Speed 3,204,824 views
- Here’s Why You Need to Buy a Toyota FJ Cruiser 1,977,943 views
- Why Toyota Killed The FJ Cruiser 1,967,005 views
- Should you get a Toyota 4Runner Now? Or Wait for the New One? 1,701,238 views
- Here's Why You Need to Buy a Toyota 4Runner 1,312,734 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
- Toyota 4Runner2003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
- Toyota Tacoma20052006200720082009201020112012201320142015
- Toyota FJ Cruiser20072008200920102011201220132014
- Toyota Tundra200520062007200820092011
Model years from NHTSA VIN decoding of owner complaints. Only years we have a car page for.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older cars have had longer to collect them, and popular cars draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car rate. Compare the shares below instead.
By car
| Car | Model years matched | Complaints | Name the engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Tacoma | 2005–15 | 2,767 | 8% |
| Toyota 4Runner | 2003–24 | 2,150 | 6% |
| Toyota FJ Cruiser | 2007–14 | 761 | 2% |
| Toyota Tundra | 2005–11 | 79 | 13% |
“Name the engine” = the share of that car's VIN-matched complaints that list the engine as a problem area.
What owners complain about
Share of this engine's complaints that name each area (one complaint can name several).
What owners write
| Complaints that | Count | Share | Median, other everyday engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 231 | 4.0% | 14% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 166 | 2.9% | 3.2% |
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 68 | 1.2% | 2.9% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 45 | 0.8% | 1.2% |
| Mention a head gasket | 21 | 0.4% | 0.1% |
| Mention an oil leak | 18 | 0.3% | 0.6% |
| Mention a lifter, rocker or ticking | 16 | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Mention a misfire | 11 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the car, not only the engine). A share, not a failure rate.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 22,188 and 114,000 miles; the middle report was at 65,000 miles (3,892 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 0
No NHTSA recall on these cars and years names this engine.
NHTSA recalls on these cars and model years whose text names this engine (its size or name). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each car year's page.
In owners' words
The vehicle was involved in an accident resulting in a roll-over (1.5 times) stopping inverted, on the roof. All the airbags deployed but the engine continued to run until manually shut off approximately 5 minutes after the accident.
2024 owner · NHTSA complaint 11767046
The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The vehicle was towed. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed the vehicle with heavy rust throughout the subframe. The failure mileage was 95,342.
2007 owner · NHTSA complaint 11766081
I have a 2016 Metallic Gray Toyota 4Runner and there appears to be a clear-coat defect on the hood and roof.
2016 owner · NHTSA complaint 11761113
Against the other everyday engines
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Stalled or lost power | Burning oil | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 EcoBoost | 2014–25 | 5,622 | 66% | 15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 6.2 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 7,219 | 65% | 24% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2.4 Theta II | 2010–22 | 21,551 | 51% | 20% | 8.1% | 8 |
| 2.4 Ecotec | 2010–17 | 6,096 | 51% | 21% | 18% | 0 |
| 3.0 EcoDiesel | 2014–23 | 2,871 | 50% | 24% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 3.3 Lambda II | 2013–21 | 3,254 | 50% | 17% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2.0 EcoBoost | 2012–25 | 9,735 | 48% | 12% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 2.0T Theta II | 2011–22 | 3,325 | 44% | 18% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1.4 Turbo | 2011–22 | 3,926 | 39% | 17% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2.4 Tigershark | 2014–22 | 9,631 | 35% | 34% | 4.5% | 5 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2016–25 | 4,471 | 33% | 27% | 0.3% | 1 |
| EA888 2.0T | 2009–25 | 7,443 | 29% | 16% | 3.7% | 5 |
| A25A | 2018–25 | 2,979 | 26% | 12% | under 0.1% | 1 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2017–22 | 6,390 | 26% | 14% | 0.2% | 0 |
| J35 V6 | 2003–25 | 24,038 | 24% | 14% | 0.9% | 4 |
| Skyactiv-G 2.5 | 2014–25 | 2,631 | 22% | 11% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 2.7 Turbo | 2019–25 | 1,090 | 22% | 12% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 2AZ-FE | 2001–09 | 7,176 | 22% | 3.7% | 8.6% | 0 |
| 5.4 Triton | 2005–14 | 3,952 | 21% | 15% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 5.7 HEMI | 2003–24 | 23,895 | 19% | 23% | 0.1% | 6 |
| QR25DE | 2002–20 | 16,161 | 19% | 14% | 1.5% | 4 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 13,191 | 18% | 13% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 3.6 Pentastar | 2011–25 | 34,634 | 18% | 16% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2.3 EcoBoost | 2015–25 | 3,975 | 16% | 9.9% | 0.1% | 12 |
| 3.8 Lambda II | 2020–25 | 4,423 | 16% | 8.0% | 5.6% | 0 |
| FB20 | 2012–25 | 2,336 | 15% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 0 |
| 3.6 V6 | 2009–23 | 14,214 | 14% | 14% | 0.1% | 1 |
| K24 | 2002–19 | 15,062 | 14% | 5.1% | 1.6% | 0 |
| 2GR-FKS | 2016–24 | 3,758 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 3.5 Cyclone V6 | 2007–19 | 21,313 | 12% | 11% | 0.1% | 0 |
| VQ35 V6 | 2002–25 | 12,613 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 3UR-FE | 2007–21 | 1,377 | 12% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0 |
| FB25 | 2011–25 | 9,853 | 11% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 0 |
| 2AR-FE | 2009–18 | 4,673 | 11% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 2GR-FE | 2005–18 | 8,680 | 10% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0 |
| 3.8 V6 | 2007–11 | 7,877 | 9% | 17% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) | 2007–14 | 9,241 | 8% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0 |
| 1GR-FE | 2003–24 | 5,757 | 7% | 4.0% | under 0.1% | 0 |
| 4.8 V8 | 2007–13 | 726 | 6% | 4.8% | 0.1% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often engines break.
Quick answers
Is the Toyota 1GR-FE 4.0 V6 reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 5,757 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 7% name the engine, #38 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
What cars have the Toyota 1GR-FE 4.0 V6?
In our data: the Toyota Tacoma, Toyota 4Runner, Toyota FJ Cruiser and Toyota Tundra, model years 2003–2024, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 1GR-FE problems?
In owner complaints to the government: body structure, suspension, airbags.
How many recalls name the 1GR-FE?
0 NHTSA recalls on these cars name it.
Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under each car's own NHTSA names (the same ones its car pages count), all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (displacement, cylinders, engine model, turbo, hybrid) and the engine maker's model years; a VIN that doesn't decode to exactly one engine is left out. Older cars have had more years to collect complaints, and popular cars draw more because more were sold. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261111; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (batch); NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and model years: Toyota.