NHTSA Safety Recalls
2002 Toyota Tacoma Recalls
The 2002 Toyota Tacoma has 5 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on November 23, 2012.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2002 Toyota Tacoma. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 5
- Owner complaints
- 333
- Crashes reported
- 26
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★☆☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
3 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2002 Toyota Tacoma, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
5 recalls on the 2002 Toyota Tacoma
Tires: temporary/emergency spare tire
- Campaign
- 12V542000
- Reported
- November 23, 2012
- Vehicles affected
- up to 150,000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Tacoma
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
- Campaign
- 05V225000
- Reported
- May 17, 2005
- Vehicles affected
- up to 768,379
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Tacoma, 3 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- Campaign
- 03V189000
- Reported
- May 19, 2003
- Vehicles affected
- up to 123,360
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003 Tacoma
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 06E026000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2001, 2003–2004 Tacoma, 42 other models
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 06E065000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2001, 2003–2004 Tacoma, 9 other models
2002 Toyota Tacoma complaints by year
NHTSA has received 333 owner complaints about the 2002 Toyota Tacoma, the newest on May 14, 2025. Of these, 26 describe a crash (8%) and 3 a fire; owners reported 21 injuries.
In complaints about the 2002 Toyota Tacoma, the component group named most often is the structure (54%), followed by the suspension (25%) and the power train (6%).
1 of the 2002 Toyota Tacoma's 5 recalls also concerns the suspension.
Where 2002 Toyota Tacoma owners gave the mileage (245 complaints), the median was 120,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Structure180
- Suspension82
- Unknown Or Other27
- Power Train21
- Air Bags19
- Wheels18
Complaints received, by year
| 2001 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 12 | |
| 2003 | 23 | |
| 2004 | 11 | |
| 2005 | 6 | |
| 2006 | 12 | |
| 2007 | 9 | |
| 2008 | 13 | |
| 2009 | 11 | |
| 2010 | 15 | |
| 2011 | 8 | |
| 2012 | 10 | |
| 2013 | 21 | |
| 2014 | 42 | |
| 2015 | 28 | |
| 2016 | 24 | |
| 2017 | 23 | |
| 2018 | 21 | |
| 2019 | 13 | |
| 2020 | 8 | |
| 2021 | 7 | |
| 2022 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 7 | |
| 2025 | 1 |
Complaints about the 2002 Toyota Tacoma peaked in 2014, when NHTSA received 42. 16% arrived between 2001 and 2005, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2002 vehicles, the 2002 Toyota Tacoma drew 0.7× the complaints of the median Toyota Tacoma year in the same window: 20th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 3/5
- Side: 3/5
The 333 complaints about the 2002 Toyota Tacoma are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Toyota Tacoma by model year
Other 2002 Toyota models
Newest record on this page: May 14, 2025. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted