TOYOTA 4RUNNER · model year

2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

261 NHTSA complaints, 15 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002TOYOTA4RUNNER carries 261 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 15 crashes, 2 fires, 18 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 4RUNNER is structure:body with 74 filings, followed by suspension (35) and unknown or other (30). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle, the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2002 4RUNNER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

261
Complaints
15
Crashes
2
Fires
18
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

261 filings

Crashes Reported

15 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume, review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:BODY74
SUSPENSION35
UNKNOWN OR OTHER30
POWER TRAIN24
SERVICE BRAKES10
STEERING9
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS8
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC5
ENGINE5
AIR BAGS5
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS5
TIRES3

Recalls (3)

06E04900024/05/2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO.

06E02600023/03/2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE D

05V22500017/05/2005

SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT

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

Recent Complaints

20240617TIRES

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 to swerve to regain control of my vehicle once the rumbling and vibration got too severe since it happened so quickly. Witnessed my driver side rear tire completely shredded, no damage along tread material, only on sidewall with multiple tears/punctures. This was a center lane on the highway with no debris. I'm now noticing other similar "tear/wear" signs on my other 3 tires on the vehicle. All specifically on the sidewall along the aggressive tread that the AT3W tires were known to have for extra grip. It just seems to be separating over time.

20230713STRUCTURE:BODY

Frame rot

20230713UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Frame rot

20230519STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Mileage: 160,000

20230519STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

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 manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Mileage: 160,000

20230309LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

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 stated that a failure was not found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 150,000.

Mileage: 150,000

20220901STRUCTURE:BODY

Frame is excessively rusted. The recall that already exists for this issue only covers certain frames from Japan made with this steel. However, the same frames were imported to America and a large percentage of 4Runners were made with the same steel and didn’t receive a recall. Mine is one of them.

20220528UNKNOWN OR OTHER

frame rust saftey hazardous? midas mechanic pointed out to me while work being done on exhaust march 2022

20220418STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH through a slight right curve, the vehicle independently shifted from side to side without warning nearly causing the vehicle to flip. The contact had an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle and the mechanic discovered severe corrosion throughout the entire subframe of the vehicle. The mechanic informed him that the entire subframe needed to be replaced to ensure safe driving. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Mileage: 115,000

20220418SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH through a slight right curve, the vehicle independently shifted from side to side without warning nearly causing the vehicle to flip. The contact had an independent mechanic inspect the vehicle and the mechanic discovered severe corrosion throughout the entire subframe of the vehicle. The mechanic informed him that the entire subframe needed to be replaced to ensure safe driving. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Mileage: 115,000

20220222UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Frame rusted through from the inside out. There isnt even any surface rust where the hole started. Its just a hole in the middle of clean metal. The rest of the frame rail is solid. Rear suspension arm mount is also rusted out and starting to come off. The entire structural integrity of the frame is in question, even though externally, theres only slight surface rust. The frame should not be rusting this way.

20220209STRUCTURE:BODY

Premature rusted frame throughout, vehicle is garaged and well maintained 117,000 miles on my 2002 Toyota 4Runner. Auto body specialist estimates $3k-$4k to restore, at least.

20211215SUSPENSION

Frame and rear passenger control arm bracket, rotted out .only there, 2 nd time this has happened, same spot but on my previous 2001 4runner

20211215STRUCTURE:BODY

Frame and rear passenger control arm bracket, rotted out .only there, 2 nd time this has happened, same spot but on my previous 2001 4runner

20211028UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Had vehicle inspected on Oct. 1 ,2021 for road trip to North Carolina from Washington, DC. Was informed that my vehicle is unsafe by the automotive shop (name withheld) due to [rusting] frame front suspension components' threads rusted off on bolts that hold suspension, control arms, and shocks on both front and rear areas + body of vehicle located where shocks bolt to the body. I also had two other shops (names withheld) assess the state of the frame and suspension + and was told that the vehicle has maybe 1 year or so until the frame falls apart. Given I am the original owner, have gargage-kept my vehicle, have very low-mileage - 74,000 miles, and have maintained the vehicle immaculately and am aware of rusting problems with other Toyota [truck] frames, etc. this seems to be a defect in the manufacturing process. I know there have been recalls on Toyota's other trucks due to Toyota's failure to add [enough?] rust inhibitor/preventative to the molten steel when forming the fra

20211028STRUCTURE:BODY

Had vehicle inspected on Oct. 1 ,2021 for road trip to North Carolina from Washington, DC. Was informed that my vehicle is unsafe by the automotive shop (name withheld) due to [rusting] frame front suspension components' threads rusted off on bolts that hold suspension, control arms, and shocks on both front and rear areas + body of vehicle located where shocks bolt to the body. I also had two other shops (names withheld) assess the state of the frame and suspension + and was told that the vehicle has maybe 1 year or so until the frame falls apart. Given I am the original owner, have gargage-kept my vehicle, have very low-mileage - 74,000 miles, and have maintained the vehicle immaculately and am aware of rusting problems with other Toyota [truck] frames, etc. this seems to be a defect in the manufacturing process. I know there have been recalls on Toyota's other trucks due to Toyota's failure to add [enough?] rust inhibitor/preventative to the molten steel when forming the fra

20211028SUSPENSION

Had vehicle inspected on Oct. 1 ,2021 for road trip to North Carolina from Washington, DC. Was informed that my vehicle is unsafe by the automotive shop (name withheld) due to [rusting] frame front suspension components' threads rusted off on bolts that hold suspension, control arms, and shocks on both front and rear areas + body of vehicle located where shocks bolt to the body. I also had two other shops (names withheld) assess the state of the frame and suspension + and was told that the vehicle has maybe 1 year or so until the frame falls apart. Given I am the original owner, have gargage-kept my vehicle, have very low-mileage - 74,000 miles, and have maintained the vehicle immaculately and am aware of rusting problems with other Toyota [truck] frames, etc. this seems to be a defect in the manufacturing process. I know there have been recalls on Toyota's other trucks due to Toyota's failure to add [enough?] rust inhibitor/preventative to the molten steel when forming the fra

20210830STRUCTURE

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota 4Runner. The contact stated that while receiving routine maintenance repair on the vehicle, the independent mechanic informed the contact that the subframe was rusted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.

Mileage: 136,000

20210709STRUCTURE:BODY

After having my 4 runner in for routine maintenance, my mechanic informed me that my frame was in bad condition and rusting through. Doubtful it has a year left and he advised me to junk it as fast as I can. 180;000 miles - so much for Toyota’s lasting a long time.

20210709SUSPENSION

After having my 4 runner in for routine maintenance, my mechanic informed me that my frame was in bad condition and rusting through. Doubtful it has a year left and he advised me to junk it as fast as I can. 180;000 miles - so much for Toyota’s lasting a long time.

Compare 2002TOYOTA4RUNNER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER have?
The 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has 261 NHTSA complaints, 15 crashes, 2 fires, 18 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER?
Yes, the 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER has 3 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER?
The most-complained component for the 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER is STRUCTURE:BODY with 74 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.