2002 Toyota Prius Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Prius years
- About as many complaints as other years 12th of 27 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 167 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Toyota Prius. That ranks 12th out of 27 Prius model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (80 complaints, 48%), typically at around 90,200 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 4 fires, 11 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 167owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Toyota Prius 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 80 | 48% | 90,200 | “steering rack” (15%) | $4,450 |
| Electrical System | 18 | 11% | 88,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 18 | 11% | 23,600 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 14 | 8% | 41,781 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 7% | 42,240 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 11 | 7% | 77,255 | — | — |
| Power Train | 9 | 5% | 68,500 | — | — |
| Suspension | 8 | 5% | 25,837 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 2% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 3 | 2% | 52,909 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 1% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 241,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 166,914 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 1% | 4,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 129,441 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Toyota Prius recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2003 prius passenger cars manufactured from january 28, 2000, through may 30, 2003. The steering linkage may loosen, resulting in reduced electric steering assistance when making a left turn.
Risk: Loss of power steering, particularly when an operator is actively intending to steer the vehicle, may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will replace the nuts in the steering linkage free of charge. The safety recall began on july 8, 2011. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, due to improper molding of the resin body of the crankshaft position senor installed on the engine block, engine oil may penetrate the seal and enter the sensor wiring connector. The wire harness connector may not be sufficiently attached to the locking tab of the sensor wiring connector.
Risk: Engine oil inside the sensor wiring connector could cause expansion due to the heat of the engine and could deform the sensor wiring connector. The connector may become disconnected, which could cause the engine to stall while driving and not be able to be restarted increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the crankshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on july 26, 2006. 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
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving on the 91 freeway west exit ramp to merge into the 57 freeway in Orange County ca. when suddenly I lost all power steering on the car . We managed to get out the freeway on the first exit
Anti-lock brake failure. Failing to pressurize.
Driving speed less than 25mph on familiar surface street with need to stop for a car about 75 feet (estimate) in front; should have been an easy stop; applied brakes but car accelerated (i think only electric motor); further brake pressure did not stop the car, continued to accelerate (estimate 30…
Driving up and down a slight incline, power steering suddenly goes out. Only happened twice so far but i don't know what would prevent it from happening again. Probably going about 15-20mph uphill and maybe 20-25mph downhill. Happened on a city street.
I was driving on the highway and felt a jerking at my steering wheel a few months back, i thought ok maybe the steering wheel loose or something, i was going around 65 mph. Fast forward to two weeks ago and the steering wheel completely locks up on me driving to a dr appointment i had to go to. I…
Other Toyota Prius years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Prius | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 Prius | 16 | 2 |
| 2024 Prius | 27 | 4 |
| 2023 Prius | 20 | 4 |
| 2022 Prius | 24 | 1 |
| 2021 Prius | 6 | 0 |
| 2020 Prius | 14 | 0 |
| 2019 Prius | 30 | 3 |
| 2018 Prius | 37 | 1 |
| 2017 Prius | 91 | 3 |
| 2016 Prius | 155 | 5 |
| 2015 Prius | 166 | 1 |
| 2014 Prius | 208 | 3 |
| 2013 Prius | 412 | 3 |
| 2012 Prius | 424 | 6 |
| 2011 Prius | 521 | 6 |
| 2010 Prius | 2,823 | 10 |
| 2009 Prius | 502 | 6 |
| 2008 Prius | 1,497 | 4 |
| 2007 Prius | 2,003 | 4 |
| 2006 Prius | 1,439 | 6 |
| 2005 Prius | 1,051 | 6 |
| 2004 Prius | 610 | 6 |
| 2003 Prius | 99 | 1 |
| 2002 | 167 | 2 |
| 2001 Prius | 165 | 3 |
| 2000 Prius | 4 | 0 |
See all Toyota Prius 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 Prius?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, tires problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 80 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Toyota Prius?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Toyota Prius a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Prius 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.