I also inquired in GD.  Anyone have input about installing a performance chip in my 2012 4 Runner?  Will it make a difference?  Void my warranty?  Blow the thing up???

Thank you in advance

Someone else can chime in but IMO it wouldn't be worth it.

If you were installing some engine mods or turbo you'd need your ECU tuned for those new mods but for a stock daily driver I fail to see the point.

Probably not going to blow it up but it will Damn sure void your warranty.  I will tell you from experience that modding vehicles is best left when it's paid off and never while under warranty.  Take it for what it's worth a lot of folks do it but I lot feel the burn too.....

Toyota Racing Development (TRD ) manufacturers superchargers that retain the factory warranty.

Their website hasn't been updated recently so check out your local dealer.

Won't hurt your engine,  unless it's a no name ebay chip. Might not make the difference you're expecting though; they usually work better in conjunction with other mods. A good dyno tune from a reputable shop would give you  more of a difference IMO.
 

I don't know if anyone is doing custom tunes on the 4-Runners (especially such a new model), but that is definitely the way to go. A custom tune will give you the most performance for the money. The canned chips tend to cost more and aren't as effective, since they're designed to be a "catch-all" tune for any vehicle.

And yes, it's worth doing, even on a stock engine. I've owned/driven a few tuned trucks, and love them. A custom tune will be the first mod to every vehicle I own from now on. It improves drive-ability, mileage and can be tailored specifically to your driving needs. You don't need a bunch of mods to see a big change in drive-ability, they can do a lot with just tweaking a factory engine.

As far as warranty, there's nothing to worry about. You can't just void an entire car warranty for modifications anymore, laws have been passed preventing that. Unless they can prove that your modification was the cause of the specific failure, they can't deny your warranty claim. They may try to pin some issues on the modified computer (like a transmission failure because the shift points have been changed), but even that's unlikely. A tune isn't going to cause any damage to the vehicle and they'll have no leg to stand on when it comes to warranty work.