AI Damage2002 Toyota Prerunner: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Toyota Prerunner filed 6 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 6
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 50% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 33% of all complaints
- 3 Structure 33% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 17% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 17% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 3 complaints (50% of all).
- Seat belts: 2 complaints (33% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 2 complaints (33% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 1 complaints (17% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 6 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Also driver's side seat belt didn't retract. As a result, consumer's head hit the windshield. Consumer received 17 stitches.
I had my vehicle in for service on 30 september 2013 at which time the vehicle frame was inspected and determined to have perforations due to rust. Toyota informed me that the vehicle is unsafe to drive and that they would not repair/replace the frame because I had not had rust proofing applied during a customer…
I received notice from toyota of possible excessive frame rust years ago . (about 2007) I did the inspection myself and thought frame was good. Did not take to dealer for inspection . In september of 2013 I find out that toyota is not responsible and I missed the deadline.
Vehicle surges as if auto transmission is down shifting abruptly when coasting to a stop at an intersection and while creeping in traffic (after removing foot from brake pedal allowing vehicle to roll after coming to complete stop). Problem also occurs intermittently when proceeding from a stop at intersections.
500 mile service reported transmission jumping from first to second. First machanic said needs new transmission. Got truck back truck was jumping all over the road on bumps, mechanis said needs two shocks one fron and one back., and now it doesn't need transmission, truck still jumps from first to second.
Consumer notice when coming to a complete stop shifting under vehicle. Dealer has been contacted and service but cant fix problem. Please provide further information.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 13,278 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 36% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Prerunner has 5 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 6, above average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota Prerunner?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, seat belts, structure. Total complaints: 6. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (33%), seat belts (17%), unintended acceleration (17%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Toyota Prerunner?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2002 Toyota Prerunner from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2002 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.