2002 Toyota Prius Problems, Recalls & Reliability
201 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Toyota Prius, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 7/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Steering leads the reports, typically around 91,100 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2002 Toyota Prius has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2002 sits among all Prius years
What owners report
“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”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Prius
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 149 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 67,578 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,000 and 106,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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.
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.
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…
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.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 22V063000.
Technical service bulletins
136 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2002 Toyota Prius. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2002 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2002 Toyota Prius drew 201 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 7/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).
What are the most common 2002 Toyota Prius problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Toyota Prius are steering (81 complaints), electrical (23), and brakes & stability (19).
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Prius problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Toyota Prius problems around 67,578 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,000 and 106,000 miles.
Does the 2002 Toyota Prius have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Toyota Prius. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.