Fourth generation

2003 Toyota 4Runner towing capacity

Max towing, 20037,300 lb

Maker3,311 kg

The 2003 Toyota 4Runner tows up to 7,300 lb (4.7L i-Force V8 4x2 with the Weight-distributing hitch, per the 2003 Toyota 4Runner Owner's Manual).

The lowest rating is 5,000 lb, for the 4.0L V6 4x2.

2003 Toyota 4Runner Owner's Manual (OM35820U, from Apr. '03 production)

Configurations: 4
GCWR: 9,599–12,000 lb
Tongue: 500–730 lb

01 / Ratings

Every 2003 Toyota 4Runner configuration

4 configurations Toyota sells, each with the ratings Toyota publishes for it. A package that changes a rating gets its own row.

2003 Toyota 4Runner

Grade not specified

Makerin pounds

2003 Toyota 4Runner towing capacity, GCWR, payload and tongue weight by configuration, in pounds
Configuration	Max towing^{source 1} lb	Max tongue^{source 1} lb	GCWR^{source 1} lb	GVWR lb	Axle^{source 2} ratio	Tow check
4.0L V6
4x2	5,000	500	9,599	Not published	3.91	Check load →
4x2with Weight-distributing hitch (hitch receiver type)	6,700	668	11,098	Not published	3.91	Check load →
4x4	5,000	500	9,599	Not published	3.91	Check load →
4x4with Weight-distributing hitch (hitch receiver type)	6,400	639	11,098	Not published	3.91	Check load →
4.7L i-Force V8
4x2	5,000	500	9,749	Not published	3.73	Check load →
4x2 Mostwith Weight-distributing hitch (hitch receiver type)	7,300	730	12,000	Not published	3.73	Check load →
4x4	5,000	500	9,749	Not published	3.73	Check load →
4x4with Weight-distributing hitch (hitch receiver type)	7,000	699	12,000	Not published	3.73	Check load →

“Not published”: the maker doesn’t print it. —: not in the documents we hold yet. A number by a column’s name is the source of its figures that have none of their own. Scroll the table sideways for every rating.

SourcesMakerThe small number by a figure says which document it is from.

How Toyota rates towing: maximum gross trailer weight (trailer plus cargo), weight-carrying hitch; maximum gross trailer weight (trailer plus cargo), weight-distributing hitch.

Documents last checked Oct 9, 2026. How we read them and what the marks mean: how we source the numbers. A figure doesn’t match its document? Report a wrong number.

The 2003 Toyota 4Runner belongs to this generation; every configuration, its clearance, angles and weights are on its page.

Toyota 4Runner 4th gen (2003–2009): full specs

02 / Why

Which one tows the most, and why

Each figure below is the gap between two of Toyota’s own ratings for configurations that differ in one thing only.

What moves the rating

Maker

Tows the most: 7,300 lb

4.7L i-Force V8 4x2 with the Weight-distributing hitch. Without it the same configuration is rated 5,000 lb.

Package
Weight-distributing hitch (hitch receiver type)
+1,400 to +2,299 lb
Same configuration otherwise · 4 pairs in the table

Best rating by engine

4.7L i-Force V87,300 lb
4.0L V66,700 lb

The line is the highest rating on this page. Each bar is that engine’s best configuration.

03 / By year

Toyota 4Runner towing by model year

The highest rating each model year, from that year’s documents. Years rated the same in every configuration share one page.

04 / Next

Check it against your load

Towing calculatorPut your trailer and cargo against a 2003 Toyota 4Runner’s ratings and see what’s left.Check my load GVWR, GCWR & payloadWhat each rating limits, and why the trailer number alone isn’t the answer.Read the guide Toyota 4Runner specsClearance, angles, weights and the rig builder for every configuration.Open the spec plate Toyota 4Runner tire sizesStock tire and wheel sizes by trim, and what bigger tires change.See tire sizes All towing capacitiesEvery truck and SUV we cover, side by side, sortable.Compare vehicles

05 / FAQ

Questions people ask

Which 2003 Toyota 4Runner configuration tows the most?

The 4.7L i-Force V8 4x2 with the Weight-distributing hitch, at 7,300 lb.

Which package unlocks the 2003 Toyota 4Runner’s 7,300 lb rating?

The Weight-distributing hitch: Toyota rates the 4.7L i-Force V8 4x2 at 7,300 lb so equipped. Without it the same configuration is rated 5,000 lb.

What is the max tongue weight of the 2003 Toyota 4Runner?

500–730 lb by configuration; the most is 730 lb, for the 4.7L i-Force V8 4x2 with the Weight-distributing hitch. Tongue weight is the trailer’s downward push on the hitch; it counts against payload.

What is the GCWR of the 2003 Toyota 4Runner?

9,599–12,000 lb by configuration; the most is 12,000 lb, for the 4.7L i-Force V8 4x2 with the Weight-distributing hitch. GCWR is the most the loaded vehicle and its loaded trailer may weigh together.

Has the Toyota 4Runner’s towing capacity changed by year?

Highest rating by model year: 2026, 6,000 lb; 2025, 6,000 lb; 2024, 5,000 lb; 2023, 5,000 lb; 2022, 5,000 lb; 2021, 5,000 lb; 2020, 5,000 lb; 2017–2019, 5,000 lb; 2016, 5,000 lb; 2015, 4,700 lb; 2014, 4,700 lb; 2011–2013, 5,000 lb; 2010, 5,000 lb; 2006–2007, 7,300 lb; 2004, 7,300 lb; 2003, 7,300 lb.

Does the engine change the 2003 Toyota 4Runner’s towing capacity?

Yes. Best rating by engine: 4.7L i-Force V8, 7,300 lb; 4.0L V6, 6,700 lb.

These are Toyota’s published ratings, not a weighbridge. Your own vehicle’s GVWR and axle ratings are on its certification label, and only a scale tells you what your loaded rig weighs. Found a figure that doesn’t match the document? Tell us.