2002 Toyota Tundra Problems and Recalls (475 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2002 Toyota Tundra is Body / frame (27% of 475 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
What problems show up on the 2002 Toyota Tundra?
129 of 475 filings named Body / frame (27% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (97 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Suspension, Lights, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2001 has 409 reports on file; this year has 475. 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 30
- Fires 1
- Injuries 20
- Deaths 3
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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 129 | 27.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 97 | 20.4% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 70 | 14.7% | 11 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 38 | 8.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 23 | 4.8% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 18 | 3.8% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 14 | 3.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 11 | 2.3% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Tires (TIRES) | 8 | 1.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 331 | 69.7% | 18 crashes · 0 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 789 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 09E025000 was reported 1,420 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 09V444000 was reported 2,504 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 02V129000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V225000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E026000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 06E065000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09E025000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V444000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE04040 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA04024 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE09049 |
Safety Recalls (6)
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, Lights, and Body / frame.
-
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 06E026000
Safety recall 06E026000
- 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:
- PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
-
Recall campaign 06E065000
Safety recall 06E065000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
-
Recall campaign 09E025000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Remedy:
- DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
-
Recall campaign 09V444000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- SEPARATION OF THE SPARE TIRE AND DIMINISHED BRAKE CAPACITY COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Remedy:
- TOYOTA IS ASKING OWNERS OF THE AFFECTED VEHICLES TO REMOVE THE SPARE TIRE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE UNTIL A REMEDY CAN BE OBTAINED. DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR CROSS MEMBER AND RELATED COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE BRAKE LINES, AND REPLACE THEM IF NECESSARY. IF THE CROSS MEMBER DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED, IT WILL BE SPRAYED WITH A CORROSION PROTECTION COMPOUND. THESE SERVICES WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE, HOWEVER MULTIPLE VISITS TO THE DEALER MAY BE REQUIRED. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT APRIL 30, 2010. OWNER MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
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 Tundra?
Owners named Body / frame most often — 129 of 475 reports (27%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2002 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Suspension, Lights, and Body / frame. 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 Tundra?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. 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.