2002 Toyota Sequoia Problems and Recalls (659 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2002 Toyota Sequoia is Brakes (14% of 659 owner reports). There are 8 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Brakes — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
90 of 659 filings named Brakes (14% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Cruise / speed control (74 reports).
There are 8 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Brakes, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2001 has 524 reports on file; this year has 659. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
- Crashes 20
- Fires 1
- Injuries 26
- Deaths 0
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 90 | 13.7% | 2 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 74 | 11.2% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 73 | 11.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 41 | 6.2% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 39 | 5.9% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 29 | 4.4% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 28 | 4.3% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 22 | 3.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 15 | 2.3% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 423 | 64.2% | 10 crashes · 1 fires |
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 05V225000 was reported 1,093 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 07E023000 was reported 1,738 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 18V883000 was reported 5,540 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V741000 was reported 5,849 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 02V129000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V225000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E049000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 07E023000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V285000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V286000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 18V883000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V741000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE14016 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA15001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE16006 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA21002 |
Safety Recalls (8)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Suspension, Brakes, and Airbags.
-
Recall campaign 02V129000
Safety recall 02V129000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- DIFFERENT OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE EXPERIENCED WHEN THE SPARE TIRE IS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE.
- Remedy:
- OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH A CAUTION LABEL AND AN INSERT FOR THEIR OWNER'S MANUAL. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JULY 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
-
Recall campaign 05V225000
Suspension
- Report date
- Component:
- Suspension (SUSPENSION)
- Consequence:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 06E049000
Safety recall 06E049000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Remedy:
- CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
-
Recall campaign 07E023000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- LOSS OF BRAKE FLUID CAN RESULT IN POOR BRAKING PERFORMANCE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- CARDONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE ANY DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDERS. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING APRIL 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT CARDONE AT 1-800-777-4780.
-
Recall campaign 15V285000
Safety recall 15V285000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-285 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the front passenger air bag. The recall began on July 13, 2015. Toyota owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Pontiac owners may call 1-800-762-2737. NOTE: This recall supersedes recall 14V-312 in its entirety.
-
Recall campaign 15V286000
Safety recall 15V286000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- 2003-2004 Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles that are recalled under both 15V-043 and 15V-286 are under a Do Not Drive advisory. Owners of these vehicles are advised not to drive their vehicles until the recall remedy has been completed. Toyota will notify their owners. Pontiac Vibe owners will be notified by GM. Dealers will replace the passenger side front air bag, free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota began the recall on July 13, 2015. Pontiac Vibe owners may contact GM at 1-800-762-2737. GM began the recall on June 29, 2015. NOTE: This recacll supersedes recall 14V-655 in its entirety. For vehicles located in the U.S. states not listed above, please see Toyota recall 15V-285 which covers all other U.S. states.
-
Recall campaign 18V883000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify the Toyota and Lexus owners. General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, or replace the air bag assembly that includes an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 23, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371, Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987 or Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737. Toyota's numbers for these recalls are J0A (Zone A Toyota), J0B (Zone B Toyota), J0C (Zone C Toyota), JLI (Zone A Lexus), JLJ (Zone B Lexus), and JLK (Zone C Lexus). Note: This recall includes vehicles that have had their air bag previously replaced under an earlier air bag campaign.
-
Recall campaign 19V741000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy:
- Toyota will notify owners. Depending on the vehicle model, dealers will replace the front driver inflator, front passenger airbag inflator, the airbag assembly, or the front passenger airbag sub-assembly and inflator. The recall began November 20, 2019. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are J0A, J0B, and J0C. Lexus' numbers for this recall are JLI, JLJ, and JLK.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
Owners named Brakes most often — 90 of 659 reports (14%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
NHTSA lists 8 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Brakes, and Airbags. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.