TOYOTA TACOMA · model year

2002 TOYOTA TACOMA

443 NHTSA complaints, 41 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002TOYOTATACOMA carries 443 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 41 crashes, 8 fires, 32 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 TACOMA is structure:body with 105 filings, followed by suspension (60) and structure:frame and members:underbody shields (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 5 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 TACOMA. 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.

443
Complaints
41
Crashes
8
Fires
32
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

443 filings

Crashes Reported

41 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
STRUCTURE:BODY105
SUSPENSION60
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS30
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS29
UNKNOWN OR OTHER27
STRUCTURE14
WHEELS14
AIR BAGS13
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION11
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT10
TIRES8
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL6
STEERING6
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL5
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC5

Recalls (5)

12V54200023/11/2012

TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2004 Tacoma light trucks manufactured from August 28, 2000, through August 27, 2004, and originally sold, or currently registered, in the following cold climate states with high road salt usage: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, M

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

03V18900019/05/2003

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, DURING SIDE IMPACT NCAP TEST (I.E. LINCAP TEST), A FLANGE AT THE REAR END OF THE DOUBLE CAB BODY DEFORMED AND INTERFERED WITH THE FUEL INLET HOSE THAT CONNECTS THE FUEL FILLER PIPE AND FUEL TANK, RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO THE FUEL INLET HOSE.

06E06500017/07/2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIAT

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

20250514CrashSUSPENSION

Rackandpinon replacement was also the upper and lower ball joints my steering is still giving me problems and I feel like it’s asafty concern because if I’m going down the highway I could loose control I have some receipts for what my mechanic replaced I called Toyota and they told me that it was to late to fix anything and that I would have to deal with it I never received a notice in the mail or anywhere else I feel like Toyota owes me Also what has happened is my spare tire feel off from the hanger going up my driveway I got to looking and the cable rusted away along with my rear parking brake cable up under the truck thanks for your time

20250514CrashSTEERING

Rackandpinon replacement was also the upper and lower ball joints my steering is still giving me problems and I feel like it’s asafty concern because if I’m going down the highway I could loose control I have some receipts for what my mechanic replaced I called Toyota and they told me that it was to late to fix anything and that I would have to deal with it I never received a notice in the mail or anywhere else I feel like Toyota owes me Also what has happened is my spare tire feel off from the hanger going up my driveway I got to looking and the cable rusted away along with my rear parking brake cable up under the truck thanks for your time

20250514CrashFORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Rackandpinon replacement was also the upper and lower ball joints my steering is still giving me problems and I feel like it’s asafty concern because if I’m going down the highway I could loose control I have some receipts for what my mechanic replaced I called Toyota and they told me that it was to late to fix anything and that I would have to deal with it I never received a notice in the mail or anywhere else I feel like Toyota owes me Also what has happened is my spare tire feel off from the hanger going up my driveway I got to looking and the cable rusted away along with my rear parking brake cable up under the truck thanks for your time

20241019STRUCTURE:BODY

Found hole in frame (chassis)

20241019SUSPENSION

Found hole in frame (chassis)

20240926SUSPENSION

I recently lost both front wheels in two different incidents within a month. Early August drivers side ball joint failed on me. And on September 25th the passenger side failed on me on the freeway almost causing a collision with a mercedes and a semi truck.

20240725SUSPENSION

As I was pulling out from being parked the truck just dropped to the floor on the drivers side. When I got out to see what happened? My wheel broke off at the lower ball joint yesterday evening. I had to wait 2 hours for a tow. I had no warning or symptoms prior.

20240702SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the front passenger’s side wheel separated from the vehicle, causing the driver to lose control of the steering and drove into the opposite lane. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front suspension ball joint had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the front shocks, front tires, and front brakes were also damaged during the failure, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 443,000.

Mileage: 443,000

20240515AIR BAGS

My air conditioning is not working right blowing hot air. Had it charged and no change, I believe that I have the same issue as others, My air bags light keeps going off and on when driving. I see where there was a recall on other Toyota vehicles that had the same problem as me.

20240515UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My air conditioning is not working right blowing hot air. Had it charged and no change, I believe that I have the same issue as others, My air bags light keeps going off and on when driving. I see where there was a recall on other Toyota vehicles that had the same problem as me.

20240409UNKNOWN OR OTHER

We heard they issued a recall for faulty frames. When someone told us this we contacted Toyota. They said it had expired. I never received a recall of any kind.i take excellent care of my vehicles and this Tacoma only roughly 98,000 miles. The body is great shape, it runs great. My question is if the frame should break and we're going 65mph, who is responsible if someone is killed. We did not know about the recall and we certainly would have had them fix it. Is there any way you can help us resolve this issue with Toyota? Thank you in advance.

20240306SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while an independent mechanic was servicing the vehicle, the contact was informed that the rear sub frame was severely rusted at the spring shackle on the driver's side. The vehicle was then taken to an auto body shop, where it was determined that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.

20230905STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

The contact's daughter owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that several independent mechanics and an auto body repair shop had informed her that there was a hole in the subframe, and the subframe was significantly corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.

Mileage: 138,000

20230807UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I went to get my 02 tacoma tires balanced and was called and told that where the frame was cracked. Upon inspecting it myself the crack is where the manufacturer welded the frame together. I'm the 3rd owner of this vehicle and there original owner didn't get frame warranty recall done. Which led to it running out. Now Toyota corporate has a frame case number ([XXX]) and was told that there's nothing that could be done until enough complaints about this case number reaches a certain number then they'll look into it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20230807STRUCTURE:BODY

I went to get my 02 tacoma tires balanced and was called and told that where the frame was cracked. Upon inspecting it myself the crack is where the manufacturer welded the frame together. I'm the 3rd owner of this vehicle and there original owner didn't get frame warranty recall done. Which led to it running out. Now Toyota corporate has a frame case number ([XXX]) and was told that there's nothing that could be done until enough complaints about this case number reaches a certain number then they'll look into it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20230807SUSPENSION

I went to get my 02 tacoma tires balanced and was called and told that where the frame was cracked. Upon inspecting it myself the crack is where the manufacturer welded the frame together. I'm the 3rd owner of this vehicle and there original owner didn't get frame warranty recall done. Which led to it running out. Now Toyota corporate has a frame case number ([XXX]) and was told that there's nothing that could be done until enough complaints about this case number reaches a certain number then they'll look into it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

20230212STRUCTURE:BODY

The frame has prematurely rusted out causing a driving hazard.

20221207UNKNOWN OR OTHER

chassis recall

20220925UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Frame rusted out! Known issue that no one seems to care to help remedy. Toyota needs to do better. Vehicle still in amazing condition but cannot be driven because of this problem

20220429STEERING

The steering is all loose and the alignment is repeatedly moving out of line on its own. The lower ball joints are wearing wrong and may fail at any point.

Compare 2002TOYOTATACOMA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA have?
The 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA has 443 NHTSA complaints, 41 crashes, 8 fires, 32 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA?
Yes, the 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA?
The most-complained component for the 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA is STRUCTURE:BODY with 105 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS:UNDERBODY SHIELDS.
Is the 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA 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.