Your vehicle report
2002 Toyota Tacoma
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 333
- Received Nov 2001 to May 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Frame rusts and corrodes through149 complaints · 45% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Ball joints wear out and fail12 complaints · 3.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes11 complaints · 3.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #12V542000Toyota 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.
- Recall #05V225000On 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 looseness, resulting in increased steering effort.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 26 crashes, 3 fires, 21 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 14 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 333 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 149 | 45% | – | |
| Ball joints wear out and fail | 12 | 3.6% | – | NHTSA recall #05V225000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 11 | 3.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 8 | 2.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 8 | 2.4% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Alloy wheel rims crack and lose air | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 0.9% | – | NHTSA recall #03V189000 |
| Suspension struts and shocks wear out early | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #12V542000November 23, 2012150,000 vehicles affected
tires: temporary/emergency spare tire
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.
Corrosion of the plate could cause it to break, which could result in detachment of the spare tire from the vehicle. Detachment of the spare tire could result in a road hazard which may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace the spare tire carrier lift plate as necessary, free of charge. The recall began in February 2013. Owners may contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #05V225000May 17, 2005768,379 vehicles affected
suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
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 looseness, resulting in increased steering effort.
The lower ball joint may separate from the knuckle causing loss of steering control and a crash could occur.
Remedy
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.
NHTSA recall #03V189000May 19, 2003123,360 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
On certain pickup trucks, during side impact ncap test (i.e. Lincap test), a flange at the rear end of the double cab body deformed and interfered with the fuel inlet hose that connects the fuel filler pipe and fuel tank, resulting in damage to the fuel inlet hose.
This damage could result in fuel leakage, which could result in a fire if in the presence of an ignition source.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fuel hose protector on the body flange. Owner notification began june 3, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Toyota Tacoma.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN