2002 Toyota Avalon Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Avalon years
- About as many complaints as other years 12th of 28 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 116 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Toyota Avalon. That ranks 12th out of 28 Avalon model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (35 complaints, 30%), typically at around 159,500 miles. Complaints mention 32 crashes, 2 fires, 16 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 116owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 32complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Toyota Avalon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 35 | 30% | 159,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 | 22% | 83,555 | — | — |
| Steering | 18 | 16% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 7% | 94,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 6% | 72,350 | — | — |
| Tires | 7 | 6% | 20,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 6 | 5% | 137,594 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 4% | 187,915 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 3% | 118,177 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 3% | 27,404 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 3% | 115,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 3% | 25,550 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 3% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | 202,509 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 2% | 99,931 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 2% | 76,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 1% | 94,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 191,187 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 55,150 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Toyota Avalon recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2000-2004 avalon vehicles. Due to improper casting of the steering lock bar, there is a possibility that a minute crack may develop on the surface of the lock bar. Such a crack may expand over a long period of repeated lock and unlock operations, and eventually the lock bar could break.
Risk: Should the steering lock bar break, the steering wheel would lock and the driver would lose the ability to steer the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the steering interlock device free of charge. The safety recall began on september 7, 2010. 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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Airbag is pushing out of the passenger side dashboard and also on drivers side wheel. There is now a quarter inch gap where we can see behind it on the passenger side. There were VERY loud popping noises. There is a recall for this exact car model but for the following year, 2003-2005 (4?) but not…
Bosch ABS anti skid, anti lock brake moduled failed. No brakes. Toyota US has no replacements parts available. Bosch no longer produces. Called Toyota Customer Service three times. Got to the management end and Senior Advisor told me, warranty expired, norhing we can do. I said, there are a bunch…
Headlights failed to operate correctly, resulting in taking the car to fix problem , service advisor told me that this veh vin number shows this car should not havve automatly controled headlights, the car is being serviced at cedar rapids toyota , steve lemke is the servvice advisior
The 2003-2004 model avalon's have a recall for the airbags when exposed to certain frequencies and noises. My 2002 avalon has the same issue and toyota needs to include this model year as well. I've had no problems out of this car ever, but as soon as it hit 140,000 miles the air bags light came…
I was in a car accident where i lost control of the vehicle due to slippery roads. I was exiting i5 on to highway 7 in tacoma washington. The vehicle wouldn't stop, slid and hit a cement wall on highway 7. Upon impact i hit my head on windshield and none of the air bags came out upon impact. I…
Other Toyota Avalon years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Avalon | 8 | 0 |
| 2021 Avalon | 21 | 2 |
| 2020 Avalon | 10 | 3 |
| 2019 Avalon | 71 | 4 |
| 2018 Avalon | 24 | 2 |
| 2017 Avalon | 14 | 2 |
| 2016 Avalon | 23 | 3 |
| 2015 Avalon | 41 | 2 |
| 2014 Avalon | 96 | 4 |
| 2013 Avalon | 137 | 4 |
| 2012 Avalon | 30 | 4 |
| 2011 Avalon | 106 | 1 |
| 2010 Avalon | 46 | 7 |
| 2009 Avalon | 91 | 7 |
| 2008 Avalon | 349 | 6 |
| 2007 Avalon | 243 | 6 |
| 2006 Avalon | 360 | 7 |
| 2005 Avalon | 228 | 7 |
| 2004 Avalon | 205 | 3 |
| 2003 Avalon | 293 | 2 |
| 2002 | 116 | 1 |
| 2001 Avalon | 134 | 2 |
| 2000 Avalon | 173 | 2 |
| 1999 Avalon | 92 | 1 |
| 1998 Avalon | 178 | 1 |
| 1997 Avalon | 125 | 1 |
| 1996 Avalon | 109 | 0 |
| 1995 Avalon | 80 | 0 |
See all Toyota Avalon 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 Avalon?
Owners most often report air bags, vehicle speed control, steering problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 35 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Toyota Avalon?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Toyota Avalon a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Avalon model years, the 2002 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.