So first off I had a Ford Escape and one day it wouldn’t crank up and started beeping loud so I called and got it towed it sat in the shop for 3 days and they told me it was fixed they fixed the abs lights and was told it was ready and I didn’t even make it out of shop and the car was running hot and als realized the miles had been docked back a lot and had to be towed again a week came around and the fan stopped spinning and they said they offer me a trade in because they didn’t know what was wrong well I got this 2003 4 runner and these both were under warranty 3 months in and both had to be taken into service this one for radiator busted only to go into service had it towed and then additional problems they put a new wheel hub and brakes without my authorization and also the gear clip / gear shift was broken and they were trying to fix that and told me my car was ready today went up there and they told me they didn’t even test drive it and that if it started running hot that to bring it back to service I felt unsafe and left the car and not only that the ABS lights and TRAC and maintenance and other lights were illuminated and it wasn’t that way when I brought it in I didn’t feel safe so I left it at service and I’m done dealing with this company . I want a resolution this is unsafe and I’m not the only one who has been done wrong . I have picture proof of the miles . Also the radiator fan shroud was left in the back of the car as well when I went to pick up. This is absolutely ridiculous!
Toyota 4RUNNER abs comes on
132 of the 5,876 owner complaints about the Toyota 4RUNNER describe aBS light or ABS activating, most of them for the 2004 model year.
- owner complaints
- 132
- worst model year
- 2004
- typical repair cost reported
- $3,100
- typical mileage
- 96,000
By model year
Often reported together
Brake failure 25Grinding brakes 5Harsh shifting 3Check engine light 3Warning lights 2Power steering loss 2Fire or smoke 2Battery drain 2
Trouble codes mentioned
C1223 3C1256 2P0456 1C1252 1C1251 1C1241 1B1152 1B1150 1
What owners say
On August 29, 2026, I was stopped at a red light with my foot on the brake when I noticed the vehicle moving forward even though I was pressing the brake pedal. I immediately entered a nearby parking lot at very low speed. I had significant difficulty stopping and used the electronic parking brake to help keep the vehicle stopped. While still inside, I noticed a strong burning smell and smoke. After exiting, I saw smoke coming from the passenger side. I walked to that side and saw flames coming from the area near the passenger-side tire. I attempted to extinguish the fire with a small amount of water. I then opened the hood and observed fire in the same general passenger-side area, including near the tire and around the battery area. The heat/fire was severe enough to crack and damage the windshield. I called 911, and the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an authorized Toyota dealership, where it is currently available for inspection. The cause has not yet been determined. After the incident, the Toyota app displayed 9 active alerts, including Brake System Malfunction, ABS Malfunction, Low Brake Fluid, Parking Brake System Malfunction, Vehicle Stability Control System Malfunction, Secondary Collision Brake System Malfunction, Smart Stop System Malfunction, and Drive-Start Control System Malfunction. The vehicle had approximately 13,310 miles. There were no injuries or collision.
Today while I was driving home from work, in a snow storm, suddenly a low braking power notification and ABS malfunction popped up on my console with loud beeping and my brakes completely stopped working. In order to avoid hitting the car in front of me I had to swerve to the shoulder and come to a stop.
Brakes ABS system failure affect the rear traction not feeding the brakes rear lines could be related to the proportioning sensing valve or other devices and the dealer says that the part it’s discontinued and service center says that the part cost around $2,000 plus labor. It’s very dangerous that someone have this issue on the road.
My vehicle is throwing the ABS light and slamming my breaks. I’ve taken it to Toyota, it’s not showing any codes so they can’t diagnosis it to fix the issue. It may go two weeks and drive fine, and then it does it again. Whether I’m going 10mph or 55mph, it will do this. Very scary and very unsafe.
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the ABS and the brake warning lights illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal humming sound coming from the dash. The contact stated while approaching another vehicle, he depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond, nearly causing a crash into another vehicle. The contact immediately shifted into neutral(N) and veered to the side of the road while continuously depressing the brake pedal, and the vehicle stopped. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS pump had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 350,325.
Abs lights and and Trac light on by itself without reason.
While driving at full speed on the freeway, another vehicle stopped suddenly in front of me. My brake pedal was soft and went down almost to the floor. Rapid pulsing of brakes, as would be expected with the ABS (antilock brake system), did not occur. I pulled around to the shoulder and barely managed to stop in time to avoid a collision, which was quite a frightening experience. I have had a few similar incidents since then, and have noticed that the brake pedal is a bit soft until pumping the pedal a few times. A local dealer diagnosed the problem and said the "ABS actuator assembly" has failed and needs to be replaced. The part itself costs >$2900, making this with labor a ~$3800 repair. (please see attached) 1. This part is not subject to normal wear and tear. 2. Although beyond the 3/36 warranty, this vehicle is relatively new (2019) with only ~55K miles on it. This part should not fail after so relatively few miles. 3. Failure of this ABS part causes the entire brake system to fail, since the ABS is tied in to the brake system. 4. Failure of this part represents a severe hazard, risk, and safety concern, with significant potential to cause injury or death of driver/passengers/pedestrians, or persons in other vehicles. 5. The cost to repair this is not trivial and represents a major expense. I feel that in light of the above, Toyota should accept responsibility for failure of this part. Thank you, [XXX] San Diego INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The battery died unexpectedly (about 3 years old) and when we replaced it and tried to drive it, there was a loud continuous beep from the dash and no brakes. We replaced the ABS fuse, which blew again immediately. We had to have it towed to the shop and it was confirmed it was the brake module. This exact issue just happened with our 2013 camry and it was replaced under a manufacturer warranty. I drive my kids in this car. We could have died.
Started with shaking while driving, then they say they couldn't reproduce the same feeling. Then the front car would squeak like and old coil, they say they can't reproduce that. Now they said I needed new brakes and then the ABS, brake, and skid control lights keep coming on and off which coincides with a coil/click feeling under the brake and gas pedal. Car still shakes and squeaked. Toyota keeps saying my car is fine.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Toyota 4RUNNER abs
Why does the abs come on in the Toyota 4RUNNER?
Owners who report it most often also describe brake failure, grinding or squealing brakes and harsh or hard shifting, and the codes they mention most are C1223, C1256 and P0456.
Which Toyota 4RUNNER years have aBS light or ABS activating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2004 (27 complaints), 2003 (24 complaints) and 2007 (10 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ABS light or ABS activating on the Toyota 4RUNNER?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $3,100 (median of 30 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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