2002 Toyota Tundra Problems, Recalls & Reliability
648 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Toyota Tundra, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 53/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Body & structure leads the reports, typically around 120,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2002 sits among all Tundra years
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tundra. The contact stated that the frame and the front bumper were severely rusted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Tundra
“When applying the brakes the vehicle will have a heavy vibration and extended stopping distance.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Tundra
“Frist time comeing down my road going 30 miles per hr l right upper and lower ball joint broke tire went under the truck. Second time the left upper and lower ball joint broke turning a corner. Third time it happen i just got off of the hwy and the lower ball joint broke. I am afied to drive it .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Tundra
“I was driving down the road on a road ~35 mph when my rear axle assembly locked up causing the truck to abruptly come to a stop.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Tundra
“Vehicle made whining noise after going from park to drive. Moved a few feet and steering became very difficult. Leaking trail of fluid underneath. Private mechanic confirmed today that the power steering rack is completely rusted through and was the source of the leak. Vehicle has approximately…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Tundra
“Extensive frame rust determined by local mechanic. Said the truck is unsafe to drive.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Tundra
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 500 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 87,229 miles. Half of those reports fall between 40,234 and 135,800 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
TOYOTA IS RECALLING MODEL YEAR 2000-2003 TUNDRA VEHICLES ORIGINALLY SOLD IN OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN THE FOLLOWING STATES: CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, ILLINOIS, INDIANA, KENTUCKY, MAINE, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW JERSEY,…
Fix: TOYOTA IS ASKING OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL A REMEDY CAN BE OBTAINED. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR CROSS MEMBER AND RELATED COMPONENTS,…
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
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.…
Fix: AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
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…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SUSPENSION LOWER BALL JOINTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 5, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
ON CERTAIN 4X2 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH AN ALLOY WHEEL TIRE UPGRADE (OPTIONS WM4, WM8, ZL1-ZL4, DH4, OR DH5) INSTALLED BY THE PROCESSING CENTERS IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA OR COMMERCE, GEORGIA, A LABEL IDENTIFYING THE SPARE TIRE AS A TEMPORARY USE SPARE TIRE WAS…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A CAUTION LABEL AND AN INSERT FOR THEIR OWNER'S MANUAL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 09V444000.
Led to recall campaign 05V225000.
Technical service bulletins
126 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and engine — are on file for the 2002 Toyota Tundra. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Tundra TSB list →
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 Tundra reliable?
The 2002 Toyota Tundra drew 648 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 53/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).
What are the most common 2002 Toyota Tundra problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Toyota Tundra are body & structure (162 complaints), brakes & stability (142), and suspension (96).
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Tundra problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Toyota Tundra problems around 87,229 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 40,234 and 135,800 miles.
Does the 2002 Toyota Tundra have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Toyota Tundra. 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.