no report yet
Control arm: lower ball joint
Risk. THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
2002 Toyota 4RUNNERProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 225 owner complaints about the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER, most often about the structure. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER has problems
225 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
88Structure2 crash/fire/injury
49Suspension5 crash/fire/injury
33Power train
12Engine and engine cooling
12Steering
11Vehicle speed control
11Service brakes, hydraulic
10Service brakes
9Air bags
3916 other systems7 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 88 | 2 |
| Suspension | 49 | 5 |
| Power train | 33 | 0 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 12 | 3 |
| Steering | 12 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 11 | 2 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 11 | 3 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 0 |
| Air bags | 9 | 7 |
| 16 other systems | 39 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2002 Toyota 4RUNNER recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.
Mileage at failure
When do structure problems start?
140kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 63 structure complaints. 13% were reported before 100,000 miles.
0under 30k miles8under 100k miles55100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other 4RUNNER year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the 4RUNNER median. How we score
'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2002 Toyota 4RUNNER safety ratings
2002 Toyota 4Runner 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 2 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER, and the recalls they led to.
- Frame corrosionNo recall
In owners' words
What 4RUNNER owners report
Recent structure complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
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…
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.
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…
Own a 2002 4RUNNER?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.