Best Running Boards for 2010–2024 Toyota 4Runner: 7 Picks, Limited vs SR5 and TRD Fit

Westin's HDX Drop 56-13835 is the best-documented fixed step for the larger half of the 4Runner range. The Amazon title lists it for the 2010–2024 4Runner Trail Edition, SR5, TRD and TRD Pro and excludes the Limited, Nightshade and TRD Sport. Westin's own fit list is narrower on the early years: SR5 from 2014, SR5 Premium 2018–2024, Trail 2014–2016 and 2021–2022, TRD Off-Road 2017–2024, TRD Pro 2015–2024, Venture 2020–2021 and the 2023 40th Anniversary. Westin does not list a 2010–2013 Trail or SR5, so an owner of one should confirm with the seller.

Westin describes a one-piece steel bar with a notched profile, heavy-duty removable die-stamped foot plates and more than 2 in of extra toe and heel room compared with competitors. etrailer lists the bar at 69 in long with two steps per side, each 16-1/2 in long and 4-2/5 in wide, bolting to existing holes with no drilling. Westin lists the pair at $654.99 and etrailer at $638.78, with a 3-year warranty. The drop steps are the lowest fixed point on the side, so this is a pavement and gravel step. etrailer's page also carries reviewer reports of rust within one to two years and of unclear instructions, and a customer service reply saying rust is not covered. The stainless 56-138352, with a 5-year warranty, is in our product list.

Limited owners have fewer choices, because most 4Runner steps exclude the grade by name. Westin's PRO TRAXX 4 Oval 21-23585 is the brand-name tube step made for it. The Amazon title lists it for the 2010–2024 4Runner Limited and the 2010–2013 SR5 and excludes the Trail Edition. Westin's fit list names the 2010–2024 Limited, the 2020–2021 Nightshade and the 2022–2023 TRD Sport. It does not name the 2010–2013 SR5 or a 2024 TRD Sport, so owners of those should confirm on the listing.

Westin describes 4 in oval steel tubing, e-coated and finished in black powder coat, with 30 degree factory-style bends, fully welded dome ends and 4 in wide injection-molded polymer step pads. It bolts on with the included mount kit, and Westin says no drilling is required on most applications. Westin lists the pair at $375.00 with a 3-year warranty, and says the bars are designed and engineered in San Dimas, California. A straight oval tube sits closer to the rocker than a drop step, so the step is higher but less hangs down. If your Limited has Toyota's automatic running boards, ask the seller what has to come off before these go on; Westin's page does not say. Westin's polished 304 stainless PRO TRAXX bars carry a lifetime warranty, and the 5 in polished 21-53580 is in our product list.

Rough Country's Power Running Boards are the only power-retracting step we found in a listing that names this generation. The Amazon title lists them for the Toyota 4Runner (2010–2024) and describes dual-motor electric retractable side steps with LED lights. Rough Country's page for the kit, PSR621510, adds what the title leaves out. It says the boards do not fit 2010–2024 Limited models, 2010–2013 SR5 models or TRD Sport models, and that models with X-REAS need a controller bracket modification. The Amazon title names no grade, so treat Rough Country's list as the rule.

Rough Country lists 6 in aluminum boards with an anti-slip textured coating, a 660 lb weight capacity per side, LED lights that come on when the boards deploy, a safe-stop function if a board meets a blockage and an interior bypass switch. It calls the install easy and no-drill, and lists the kit at $1,399.95. The page we read gives no warranty term, drop distance or wiring method, so read those on the listing. A power board tucks under the rocker when the doors close, which matters on a 4Runner that Toyota lists at 9.6 in of ground clearance in four-wheel-drive form. The costs are the price, the wiring, and motors and linkages that live under the rocker in salt and slush. Rinse them through winter, and let a frozen step thaw before you force it.

Cali Raised's Step Edition is a rock slider you can also step on. The Amazon title lists the bolt-on sliders for the Toyota 4Runner (2010–2024). Cali Raised's page describes 1.75 in DOM tubing with a .120 in wall, a full frame plate design with front and rear clamping support, gusseted construction and Grade 8 bolts. The Step Edition has a flat, 0 degree profile with top plates, where the company's Trail Edition is angled up at 25 degrees for more clearance. Cali Raised quotes about 45 lb per side, or 90 lb a set.

The company calls the install 100 percent bolt-on with no drilling or cutting and estimates 1.5 to 2 hours. It says the sliders suit both KDSS and non-KDSS models, are not compatible with Limited or TRD Sport models unless X-REAS and the side moldings are removed, and that 2010–2013 4Runners need a trim panel at the rocker taken off. Prices on Cali Raised's site start at $909.99, with options for a kick-out, filler plates and a raw, powder coat or bed liner finish. It lists a 2-year warranty against manufacturing defects, US manufacture and a lead time of up to four weeks. A slider sits higher than a drop step, so short passengers get less help from it. The Amazon title names no grade and no options, so confirm on the listing which finish and kick-out you are buying.

TAC's 4 in drop side steps are the second drop step we found titled for the SR5 and TRD grades. The Amazon title lists them for the 2010–2024 Toyota 4Runner and excludes the 2022–2024 TRD Sport, the 2020–2021 Nightshade Edition, the 2010–2024 Limited and the 2010–2013 SR5. That is the same split Westin's fit lists show, written out by year, which makes the title easy to check against your own grade.

The title is the only source we have for this part. We did not open a TAC page, so we are not quoting a material, finish, step size, load rating or warranty. The 4 in in the name is the title's own figure, and the title does not say whether it measures the drop or the step, so read the listing for that. Before you order, check the listing for the number of brackets per side, whether drilling is needed and the warranty term. Compared with Westin's HDX Drop, you give up a maker fit list and a written warranty that we could read. Compare the live price on the button with Westin's before you decide. Drop steps hang lowest of the fixed types, so this is a step for a 4Runner that stays on pavement and graded roads. A 2010–2013 SR5 owner is excluded by the title and should look at the Limited group parts.

A flat running board gives the widest place to put a foot, and this TAC set is the one we found titled for the Limited group. The Amazon title lists it for the Toyota 4Runner 2010–2024 Limited, the 2010–2013 SR5, the 2019–2022 Nightshade Edition and 2022–2024 TRD Sport models, and describes aluminum black side steps. Note the Nightshade years. This title says 2019–2022, TAC's drop-step title says 2020–2021 and Westin's fit list says 2020–2021. If you own a Nightshade, ask the seller to confirm your year.

As with TAC's drop steps, the title is our only source. Aluminum and black are the title's words. Width, load rating, bracket design, drilling and warranty were not read and should be confirmed on the listing. Aluminum does not rust, though road salt can still corrode it, so rinse the boards in winter. A flat board suits the Limited's role: Toyota's 2020 release says the Limited places extra focus on everyday comfort and pavement handling. A board also gives kids and older passengers an easier target than a tube. If your Limited has Toyota's automatic running boards, ask the seller what must be removed first. APS's 6 in boards titled for the 2010–2024 Limited are in our product list as an alternative, and Westin's PRO TRAXX 4 is the pick if you want a maker fit list and a written warranty.

Hooke Road's tube sliders are the low-cost way to put steel along the rocker of an SR5 or TRD grade. The Amazon title lists the rock sliders for the 2010–2024 Toyota 4Runner 5th Gen and excludes the Limited, Nightshade, TRD Sport and 2010–2013 SR5. Hooke Road's own page for its tube sliders, HE.9801-S, carries the same exclusions in its title. We could not confirm that the Amazon listing is that exact part number, so compare the photos and the part number on the listing.

Hooke Road's page lists steel tubing 1.9 in across with a 0.06 in wall, a textured black powder coat with e-coating inside, a weight of about 39 lb and a price of $289.99. It says the sliders bolt on with no drilling, using factory bolts and stock connecting points. Set that beside Cali Raised's .120 in wall DOM tube and frame plates: the Hooke Road tube has half the wall thickness, and its page does not say whether the 39 lb is for one side or the pair. The page gives no load rating and no warranty term. Treat it as a rocker guard and a small step for gravel and light trails, not as armor to drop the 4Runner's weight on. A reviewer on Hooke Road's page calls it a small step, so do not expect a full foothold. Hooke Road's 7 in drop-down step version is in our product list.