2002 Toyota Tundra Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2002 Toyota Tundra, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 89,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear differential” (16% of reports).
- 51power train complaints
- 89,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 35%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rear differential: mentioned in 8 of 51 complaints (16%)
- Shift lever: mentioned in 7 of 51 complaints (14%)
- Steering column: mentioned in 6 of 51 complaints (12%)
- Spare tire: mentioned in 5 of 51 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 47 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 3 an injury.
Toyota Tundra power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tundra | 8 | 25% | — |
| 2025 Tundra | 36 | 26% | 2,700 |
| 2024 Tundra | 85 | 25% | 3,600 |
| 2023 Tundra | 87 | 21% | 28,000 |
| 2022 Tundra | 104 | 24% | 11,000 |
| 2021 Tundra | 1 | 4% | 48,000 |
| 2020 Tundra | 3 | 7% | 1,855 |
| 2019 Tundra | 1 | 1% | 5,500 |
| 2018 Tundra | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2017 Tundra | 6 | 8% | 17,450 |
| 2016 Tundra | 5 | 4% | 10,600 |
| 2015 Tundra | 1 | 2% | 168,000 |
| 2014 Tundra | 5 | 5% | 22,000 |
| 2012 Tundra | 21 | 13% | 87,065 |
| 2011 Tundra | 18 | 13% | 70,000 |
| 2010 Tundra | 19 | 12% | 48,048 |
| 2009 Tundra | 11 | 29% | 20,250 |
| 2008 Tundra | 46 | 14% | 42,700 |
| 2007 Tundra | 73 | 19% | 60,000 |
| 2006 Tundra | 23 | 4% | 69,001 |
| 2005 Tundra | 35 | 9% | 62,500 |
| 2004 Tundra | 46 | 10% | 110,140 |
| 2003 Tundra | 35 | 9% | 86,670 |
| 2002 Tundra | 51 | 11% | 89,000 |
| 2001 Tundra | 30 | 7% | 89,000 |
| 2000 Tundra | 51 | 5% | 87,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2002 Toyota Tundra. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My original owner 2002 Toyota Tundra Truck was being backed up in reverse with a utility trailer attached up a very, very moderate incline on a driveway pushing the trailer onto a gravel pad ALONGSIDE (parallel) the driveway. As it started to spin gravel the truck was put into a 4 wheel Drive LOW…
Rear differential is leaking oil due to faulty metal used in manufacturing. Diff. Is leaking thru rust holes in housing metal and not thru seals.
The rear axel and differential housing/casting is corroded thru such that oil is leaking through the differential hub onto the roadway and resulting in a loss of gear oil within the differential and axels. After driving on the highway this oil was observed on the spare tire (mounted under the bed)…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Toyota Tundras have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about power train for the 2002 Toyota Tundra (11% of the 482 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Toyota Tundra power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 89,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2002 Toyota Tundra?
The most frequent phrase is “rear differential”, in 8 of 51 complaints, followed by “shift lever” (7).
Other 2002 Toyota Tundra problems
See all 2002 Toyota Tundra problems or power train problems across all Tundra years.