no report yet
Steering
Risk. SHOULD THE STEERING LOCK BAR BREAK, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK AND THE DRIVER WOULD LOSE THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2002 Toyota AvalonProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 116 owner complaints about the 2002 Toyota Avalon, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 10, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Toyota Avalon has problems
116 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
35Air bags11 crash/fire/injury
25Vehicle speed control17 crash/fire/injury
18Steering3 crash/fire/injury
8Service brakes, hydraulic
7Tires
7Engine and engine cooling
6Electrical system
5Service brakes
4Visibility
2715 other systems7 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 35 | 11 |
| Vehicle speed control | 25 | 17 |
| Steering | 18 | 3 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 8 | 0 |
| Tires | 7 | 2 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 7 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 2 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 3 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 |
| 15 other systems | 27 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2002 Toyota Avalon 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 air bags problems start?
160kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 21 air bags complaints. 33% were reported before 100,000 miles.
2under 30k miles7under 100k miles14100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other Avalon 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 Avalon median. How we score
'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
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2002 Toyota Avalon safety ratings
2002 Toyota Avalon 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Avalon owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Airbag is pushing out of the passenger side dashboard and also on drivers side wheel. There is now a quarter inch gap where we can see behind it on the passenger side. There were VERY loud popping noises. There is a recall for this exact car model but for the following year, 2003-2005 (4?) but not…
THE 2003-2004 MODEL AVALON'S HAVE A RECALL FOR THE AIRBAGS WHEN EXPOSED TO CERTAIN FREQUENCIES AND NOISES. MY 2002 AVALON HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO INCLUDE THIS MODEL YEAR AS WELL. I'VE HAD NO PROBLEMS OUT OF THIS CAR EVER, BUT AS SOON AS IT HIT 140,000 MILES THE AIR BAGS LIGHT CAME…
I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHERE I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO SLIPPERY ROADS. I WAS EXITING I5 ON TO HIGHWAY 7 IN TACOMA WASHINGTON. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP, SLID AND HIT A CEMENT WALL ON HIGHWAY 7. UPON IMPACT I HIT MY HEAD ON WINDSHIELD AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS CAME OUT UPON IMPACT. I…
Own a 2002 Avalon?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.