2002 Toyota Prerunner

Routine

Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train › automatic transmission. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train › Automatic Transmission3
000
Structure › Frame and Members › Underbody Shields1
000
Structure › Body1
000
Air Bags › Frontal1
101

What owners reported

Newest filings
Structure › Frame and Members › Underbody Shields
Filed Oct 6, 201381,859 milesMA

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 SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT BEGAN IN LATE 2008 AND ENDED SEPTEMBER 2011. THE PURPOSE OF THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM WAS TO INSPECT THE FRAME OF THE TRUCK AND REPLACE IT IF RUST CAUSED PERFORATIONS OR TO APPLY RUST COATING IF IT PASSED INSPECTION. I NEVER RECEIVED NOTICE OF THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. HOWEVER, BY CHANCE, I DID HAVE THE FRAME INSPECTED BY TOYOTA ON NOVEMBER 25, 2009 AT WHICH TIME THE FRAME PASSED INSPECTION, BUT TOYOTA FAILED TO APPLY THE REQUIRED RUST PROOF COATING OR TO INFORM ME OF THE ONGOING CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM, I WOULD HAVE DEMANDED TOYOTA APPLY THE COATING. SUBSEQUENTLY, I HAD MY TRUCK IN FOR MAINTENANCE AT TOYOTA ON APRIL 7, 2010 AND MAY 24, 2010 AT WHICH TIME THEY ONCE AGAIN DID NOT INFORM ME OF THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. TOYOTA HAD THREE CHANCES TO INFORM ME OF THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM WHILE I HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR MAINTENANCE AND THEY DID NOT DO SO. NOW I HAVE A TRUCK THAT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND THAT I CAN'T GET REPAIRED BECAUSE TOYOTA BLAMES ME FOR NOT ADHERING TO THE CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM RULES OF WHICH I NEVER HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE. TOYOTA HAD MY CURRENT ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER DU

Structure › Body
Filed Sep 14, 2013104,000 milesIL

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. I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT SINCE IT WAS NOT A NHTSA ISSUED RECALL, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO PUT A EXPIRATION DATE ON THE RECALL . THE BOTTOM LINE IS I GOOFED UP . BUT THERE STILL EXISTED THOUSANDS OF TACOMAS AND TUNDRAS ON THE ROADS TODAY THAT ARE A HAZARD TO THE DRIVER AND ALL OTHERS AROUND THEM . WHY DIDN'T THE NHTSA ISSUE A MANDATORY RECALL ? *TR

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Dec 22, 200343,000 milesIL

CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT A TREE HEAD ON. UPON IMPACT, NEITHER DRIVER'S SIDE NOR PASSENGER'S SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. ALSO DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT DIDN'T RETRACT. AS A RESULT, CONSUMER'S HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER RECEIVED 17 STITCHES. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 24, 20033,000 milesMD

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. PROBLEM OCCURS W/IN THE 1 TO 5 MPH RANGE. TRANSMISSION SHIFTS SMOOTHLY UP THROUGH ALL GEARS AS VEHICLE ACCELERATES WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS STATED THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THAT NO TROUBLE WAS FOUND. PROBLEM OCCURRING MORE FREQUENTLY NOW. CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *JB

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Dec 29, 2002CA

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.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Oct 17, 2002GA

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.

6 of 6 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2002 — this page6000Routine
20017000Routine
19997000Routine
19982000Routine
19973000Routine

Compare every Prerunner year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.