The New Toyota 4Runner No Longer Fits Three Car Seats Across
What Car Shoppers Need to Know
- The 2026 Toyota 4Runner earned overall lower grades than the previous generation due to a different seat and buckle design.
- The current-generation 4Runner no longer fits three car seats, unlike the last model. The 4Runner SUV was redesigned for the 2025 model year.
The Toyota 4Runner was redesigned for 2025 as the first all-new 4Runner in 15 model years, so it makes sense that it sees some big changes, such as a turbocharged four-cylinder replacing the old V-6 and a hybrid option joining the lineup. There’s a big change for the backseat, too: The new 4Runner no longer fits three car seats across its backseat.
Related: The 2026 Toyota RAV4 Performed Worse in Our Car Seat Check Than the 2025
How Does the 2020 Toyota 4Runner Fit Car Seats?
The previous-generation 4Runner not only fit three car seats across its backseat, but also got straight-A grades thanks to ample backseat room, easy-access lower anchors and top tether anchors, and tall, stable buckles that kids in boosters could grasp and use independently.
To test if a car fits three car seats across, we install the infant seat in the second row’s middle position with the booster and convertible in the outboard seats. A child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle, and all three seats need to be at proper angles for safety — no wedging them in.
Read the 2020 Toyota 4Runner’s Full Car Seat Check
Toyota 4Runner Car Seat Check Comparison
| Category | 2020 4Runner Grade | 2026 4Runner Grade |
| Latch | A | A |
| Rear-facing convertible | A | B |
| Forward-facing convertible | A | A |
| Infant | A | B |
| Booster | A | B |
How Does the 2026 Toyota 4Runner Fit Car Seats?
Meanwhile, a change in seat design caused the 2026 4Runner to earn slightly lower grades. Although the model got an A grade for its easy Latch anchors, we needed a bit more backseat space for our front passenger to be comfortable in front of our infant and rear-facing convertible seats, so they earned B grades. In addition, the booster also earned a B grade this year because the 4Runner’s buckles will likely not be easy for kids to grasp and use independently as they are sunk into the seat bottom cushion.
Also, although the 4Runner’s backseat is wide, heavily bolstered seat cushions and the placement of the buckles more toward the middle spot prevent the middle seat from being wide enough to hold a car seat.
Read the 2026 Toyota 4Runner’s Full Car Seat Check
Related Video:
About Cars.com’s Car Seat Checks
Editors Jennifer Geiger and Jennifer Newman are certified child safety seat installation technicians.
For the Car Seat Check, we use a Chicco KeyFit 30 infant-safety seat, a Graco Contender 65 convertible seat and Graco TurboBooster seat. The front seats are adjusted for a 6-foot driver and a shorter passenger. The three child seats are installed in the second row. The booster seat sits behind the driver’s seat, and the infant and convertible seats are installed behind the front passenger seat.
We also install the forward-facing convertible in the second row’s middle seat with the booster and infant seat in the outboard seats to see if three car seats will fit; a child sitting in the booster seat must be able to reach the seat belt buckle. If there’s a third row, we install the booster seat and a forward-facing convertible. Learn more about how we conduct our Car Seat Checks.
Parents should also remember that they can use the Latch system or a seat belt to install a car seat, and that Latch anchors have a weight limit of 65 pounds, including the weight of the child and the weight of the seat itself.
Read More About the Toyota 4Runner:
- Run 4 the Trails: All-New 2025 Toyota 4Runner Gains Turbo and Hybrid Power, Trailhunter Trim
- 2025 Toyota 4Runner Review: Time for Some Soul Searching
- We Bought a 2025 Toyota 4Runner Hybrid, And It Wasn’t That Hard
- Diverse 2025 Toyota 4Runner Lineup Priced From $42,220 to Nearly $70K
- Add Cars.com as a Preferred Source on Google
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
