2002 Toyota Highlander Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Highlander years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 301 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Toyota Highlander. That ranks 5th out of 30 Highlander model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is visibility (123 complaints, 41%), typically at around 61,230 miles. Complaints mention 24 crashes, 6 fires, 25 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 301owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 24complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Toyota Highlander 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility problems | 123 | 41% | 61,230 | “sun visor” (52%) | $1,000 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 31 | 10% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 24 | 8% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 23 | 8% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 16 | 5% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 14 | 5% | 107,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 5% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 13 | 4% | 75,872 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 13 | 4% | 103,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 12 | 4% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 3% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 7 | 2% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 1% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 3 | 1% | 49,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 1% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 136,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 167,630 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 0% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 105,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Toyota Highlander recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles have a child protection lock (cpl) system on both of the rear side doors. When an operator of the vehicle closes the door very hard with the cpl lever set to the lock position, there is a possibility that the lever may contact the body panel, causing the cpl lever to move into the unlock position.
Risk: This condition could allow the door to be opened with the inside while the operator believes that the cpl was activated. If the door were opened from the inside while the vehicle was in motion, an occupant could fall out and be injured.
Fix: Dealers will shorten the cpl lever. Owner notification began may 7, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting
Problem: On sport utility vehicles, there is a breather hose that attaches to the nozzle of the on-board refueling vapor recovery (orvr) valve, which is located on the topside of the fuel tank. The breather hose is attached with a clamp, whose "tabs" face in the upward direction. When the vehicle was crashed under the new car assessment program (ncap) test (i.e., 35 mph frontal barrier crash), the clamp "tabs" contacted the underside of the body due to movement of the fuel tank, causing the nozzle to break.
Risk: In the worst case, nozzle breakage could result in fuel leakage if the vehicle rolls-over after a high speed frontal crash.
Fix: Dealers will rotate the specified clamp. Owner notification began september 23, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should 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.
My air bag lite keeps poping on
I saw someone steal my car and told them they hacked. Windshield wipers would slow up and down. Burning of the electrics when try to charge. Car stopping in the middle of the road. Car going on and off. The middle of the road, turning back on. Speed control messing up. Security warning going up and…
ACCELERATOR STICIKING. VEHICLE ACCELERATES AT 4000 TO 5000 RPMS HAD VEHICE TOWED TO TOYOTA OF BEDFORD [redacted]
While driving home the car accelerated on it,s own and was unable to stop without rearending another car withall the damage to my car as a mechanic i repaired the body on my own after making repairs i was able to drive the car from the shop i work at to my house the car was idling a little high .i…
Driver side visor has 2 positions only. Down or up. Cannot adjust for taller drivers.
Other Toyota Highlander years
← 2001 Highlander · 2003 Highlander →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Highlander | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 Highlander | 10 | 4 |
| 2024 Highlander | 43 | 7 |
| 2023 Highlander | 186 | 9 |
| 2022 Highlander | 262 | 5 |
| 2021 Highlander | 531 | 4 |
| 2020 Highlander | 320 | 4 |
| 2019 Highlander | 495 | 3 |
| 2018 Highlander | 268 | 4 |
| 2017 Highlander | 270 | 3 |
| 2016 Highlander | 111 | 2 |
| 2015 Highlander | 192 | 1 |
| 2014 Highlander | 136 | 4 |
| 2013 Highlander | 207 | 3 |
| 2012 Highlander | 182 | 2 |
| 2011 Highlander | 181 | 5 |
| 2010 Highlander | 216 | 10 |
| 2009 Highlander | 134 | 9 |
| 2008 Highlander | 404 | 11 |
| 2007 Highlander | 124 | 4 |
| 2006 Highlander | 278 | 7 |
| 2005 Highlander | 224 | 6 |
| 2004 Highlander | 286 | 5 |
| 2003 Highlander | 258 | 2 |
| 2002 | 301 | 2 |
| 2001 Highlander | 137 | 3 |
| 2000 Highlander | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 Highlander | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 Highlander | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 Highlander | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota Highlander problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota Highlander?
Owners most often report visibility, vehicle speed control, structure problems. The top one, visibility, accounts for 123 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Toyota Highlander?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Toyota Highlander a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Highlander model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.