2002 Toyota 4RUNNER Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other 4RUNNER years
- Far more complaints than other years 9th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 225 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER. That ranks 9th out of 32 4RUNNER model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is structure (88 complaints, 39%), typically at around 142,500 miles. Complaints mention 19 crashes, 3 fires, 20 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 225owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 19complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structure problems | 88 | 39% | 142,500 | “excessive rust” (11%) | — |
| Suspension | 49 | 22% | 128,265 | — | — |
| Power Train | 33 | 15% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 30 | 13% | 144,030 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 12 | 5% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 5% | 158,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 11 | 5% | 55,850 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 5% | 113,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 4% | 172,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 9 | 4% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 4% | 27,900 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 2% | 155,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 1% | 55,779 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 91,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 44,777 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 1% | 100,001 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 139,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 105,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Toyota 4RUNNER recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower ball joint
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint may have been scratched. The ball joint may eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort.
Risk: The lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing loss of steering control and a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints free of charge. The recall began on july 5, 2005. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Frame corrosion (DP18002) — opened Aug 17, 2018, closed Mar 18, 2022.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle lost power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The failure initially occurred without warning; however, the VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) message was displayed with an audible beeping sound coming from…
THIS IS FOR TIRE SIZE P265 75 16. To start, I've seen multiple other complaints describing the same scenario and type of incident. Driving along the highway at appropriate speeds, I hear a whoosh/deep pitch rumble, then my vehicle began to vibrate violently. I was luckily able to pull over but had…
Frame rot
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while inspecting underneath the vehicle, he noticed that there was a hole in the subframe and that the subframe and sway bar were corroded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The…
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated while pulling the door handle to unlock the doors, the auto unlock function failed to unlock the doors. The contact had to press the unlock button to unlock the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the dealer…
Other Toyota 4RUNNER years
← 2001 4RUNNER · 2003 4RUNNER →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 4RUNNER | 7 | 2 |
| 2025 4RUNNER | 60 | 1 |
| 2024 4RUNNER | 9 | 1 |
| 2023 4RUNNER | 32 | 1 |
| 2022 4RUNNER | 39 | 3 |
| 2021 4RUNNER | 36 | 1 |
| 2020 4RUNNER | 33 | 1 |
| 2019 4RUNNER | 65 | 4 |
| 2018 4RUNNER | 58 | 5 |
| 2017 4RUNNER | 36 | 5 |
| 2016 4RUNNER | 79 | 8 |
| 2015 4RUNNER | 86 | 9 |
| 2014 4RUNNER | 77 | 7 |
| 2013 4RUNNER | 36 | 6 |
| 2012 4RUNNER | 96 | 8 |
| 2011 4RUNNER | 163 | 10 |
| 2010 4RUNNER | 146 | 12 |
| 2009 4RUNNER | 22 | 6 |
| 2008 4RUNNER | 96 | 5 |
| 2007 4RUNNER | 154 | 5 |
| 2006 4RUNNER | 381 | 5 |
| 2005 4RUNNER | 425 | 5 |
| 2004 4RUNNER | 678 | 2 |
| 2003 4RUNNER | 695 | 3 |
| 2002 | 225 | 1 |
| 2001 4RUNNER | 185 | 1 |
| 2000 4RUNNER | 483 | 0 |
| 1999 4RUNNER | 330 | 0 |
| 1998 4RUNNER | 250 | 1 |
| 1997 4RUNNER | 261 | 1 |
| 1996 4RUNNER | 161 | 2 |
| 1995 4RUNNER | 172 | 1 |
See all Toyota 4RUNNER problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER?
Owners most often report structure, suspension, power train problems. The top one, structure, accounts for 88 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other 4RUNNER model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.