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Research · Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD

2002 Toyota TacomaRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 360 owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota Tacoma. Most complaints involve structure (181) and suspension (85). The EPA rates it 16–22 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
16–22mpg
EPA · 9 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
5campaigns
Latest Nov 2012
Owner complaints
360
Top: structure
Fuel cost / yr
$2,850est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

5 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Tires: temporary

Free remedy

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, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. The spare tire in the subject vehicles is located underneath the rear of the vehicle and held by a spare tire carrier. A lift plate on the carrier is used to help raise, lower and retain the tire. During its manufacture, the lift plate may not have been sufficiently coated with anti-corrosion materials. If the plate is insufficiently coated and the vehicle is operated in cold climate regions where road salts are frequently used, road spray can reach the carrier assembly and corrode the lift plate.

TiresReported Nov 23, 2012NHTSA 12V542000

Exterior lighting

Free remedy

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 ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Exterior lightingReported Jul 17, 2006NHTSA 06E065000

Exterior lighting

Free remedy

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 DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Exterior lightingReported Mar 23, 2006NHTSA 06E026000
See all 5 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 9, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

360 complaints filed with NHTSA · Nov 2001 – May 2025
  1. Structure181
  2. Suspension85
  3. Power train26
  4. Air bags20
  5. Wheels18
  6. Tires16
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic15
  8. Steering10
  9. Electrical system8

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Tacoma model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
1996257
1997134
1998310
1999251
2000221
2001401
2002360
2003372
2004414
2005707
2006782
2007541
2008449
2009519
2010294
2011186
2012295
2013125
201493
2015102
2016324
2017244
2018209
2019219
202090
202181
202259
202354
2024155
2025116
Crashes reported
30
Fires reported
3
Injuries reported
23
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Structure

181 reports3 crashes
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 5, 2023StructureODI 11542694

Suspension

85 reports8 crashes
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 14, 2025Steering, Suspension, Forward collision avoidanceCrash reportedODI 11661021

Power train

26 reports1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA TACOMA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE BALL JOINT FRACTURED AND CAME APART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND WAS LATER TOWED TO MIKE ERDMAN TOYOTA (1545 E MERRITT ISLAND CAUSEWAY, MERRITT ISLAND, FL 32952) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BALL JOINT SEPARATED AND DAMAGED THE AXLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V225000 (SUSPENSION). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 334,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 23, 2018Suspension, Power trainODI 11064474
All 2002 Tacoma problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

9 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD, Standard Pickup Trucks 4WD
Engines
2.4L 4-cyl · 2.7L 4-cyl · 3.4L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Manual 5-spd · Automatic 4-spd
Drive
Rear-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 9, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Tacoma 2WD
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
192522$2,850404
Tacoma 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
192321$2,950423
Tacoma 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
172018$3,450494
Tacoma 2WD
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
162118$3,450494
Tacoma 4WD
Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
161918$3,450494
Tacoma 4WD
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
162017$3,650523
Tacoma 2WD
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · Rear-Wheel Drive
151816$3,900555
Tacoma 4WD
Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
151716$3,900555
Tacoma 4WD
Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
151816$3,900555
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L
    19 city · 25 hwy · $2,850/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.4 L
    19 city · 23 hwy · $2,950/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L
    17 city · 20 hwy · $3,450/yr
    18
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    16 city · 21 hwy · $3,450/yr
    18
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Auto 4-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L
    16 city · 19 hwy · $3,450/yr
    18
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.7 L
    16 city · 20 hwy · $3,650/yr
    17
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 2WD
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    15 city · 18 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Auto 4-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    15 city · 17 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
  • Tacoma 4WD
    Man 5-spd, 6 cyl, 3.4 L
    15 city · 18 hwy · $3,900/yr
    16
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 9, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2002 Toyota Tacoma as of Nov 9, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 9, 2026Vehicle 4655Vehicle 4654
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2002 Tacoma questions

How many recalls does the 2002 Toyota Tacoma have?

5 safety recalls as of Nov 9, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2002 Toyota Tacoma problems?

Owners filed 360 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are structure (181), suspension (85), power train (26). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2002 Toyota Tacoma get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Toyota Tacoma at 16–22 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (9 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 9, 2026