2002 TOYOTA AVALON Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota Avalon. This model year has 142 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Airbag Malfunctions.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2002 Toyota Avalon Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Airbag Malfunctions
Unintended Acceleration
Brake System
Considering a 2002 Toyota Avalon?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Toyota Avalon. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag Malfunctions | 36 | 12 | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 25 | 16 | — | — | |
| Brake System | 20 | 4 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 19 | 3 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 12 | — | — | — | |
| Engine Problems | 9 | — | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 9 | 2 | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 8 | 1 | — | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Visibility | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 6 | 1 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 5 | 1 | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Structural Problems | 3 | 1 | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Air | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Gasoline | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Visibility/Wiper | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electric | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2002 Toyota Avalon. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 142 most recent complaints
Airbag is pushing out of the passenger side dashboard and also on drivers side wheel. There is now a quarter inch gap where we can see behind it on the passenger side. There were VERY loud popping noises. There is a recall for this exact car model but for the following year, 2003…
Bosch ABS anti skid, anti lock brake moduled failed. No brakes. Toyota US has no replacements parts available. Bosch no longer produces. Called Toyota Customer Service three times. Got to the management end and Senior Advisor told me, warranty expired, norhing we can do. I said, …
Headlights failed to operate correctly, resulting in taking the car to fix problem , service advisor told me that this veh vin number shows this car should not havve automatly controled headlights, the car is being serviced at cedar rapids toyota , steve lemke is the servvice ad…
THE 2003-2004 MODEL AVALON'S HAVE A RECALL FOR THE AIRBAGS WHEN EXPOSED TO CERTAIN FREQUENCIES AND NOISES. MY 2002 AVALON HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO INCLUDE THIS MODEL YEAR AS WELL. I'VE HAD NO PROBLEMS OUT OF THIS CAR EVER, BUT AS SOON AS IT HIT 140,000 MILES THE AIR…
I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHERE I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO SLIPPERY ROADS. I WAS EXITING I5 ON TO HIGHWAY 7 IN TACOMA WASHINGTON. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP, SLID AND HIT A CEMENT WALL ON HIGHWAY 7. UPON IMPACT I HIT MY HEAD ON WINDSHIELD AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS CAME OUT …
I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR ACCELERATED BY ITSELF, BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THE CAR PUT ITSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF TWO LANES, THEN ACCELERATED TURN HALF ,I THINK, CRASHED (THE FRONT OF THE CAR)WITH A SMALL HILL SOME HOW DID NOT STOP AND ENDED UP SOMEHOW TURNING BACK AND CR…
WHILE AT THE STORE I FOUND I CAN TURN THE CAR OFF AND REMOVE THE KEY AND GET OU WHILE THE CAR IS STILL IN GEAR. IF YOU ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION THE VEHICLE CAN ROLL AWAY, CAUSING PERSONAL AND PROPERTY DAMAGE AND POSSIBLE LOSS OF LIFE.
AIR BAG FLASHES VSC OFF AND ENGINE FAILURE LIT.LOW MILES. TUNED REPLACING SPARK PLUGS. NO IMPROVEMENT.
MOVING MY CAR FROM A TO B PUT IT IN REVERSE IT JUST TOOK OFF BY IT SELF. IT WAS GOING SO FAST I COULD NOT STOP IT EVEN PRESSING THE BREAKS IT STILL WENT FAST ON IT ON. I STARTED SCREAMING WHY THIS CAR GOING SO FAST AND WHY I CAN'T STOP IT. IT STOPPED WHEN IT HIT THE CARPORT AND T…
AIRBAG ON WITH ERROR CODE B0113 ( SHORT INSIDE SQUIB HR CIRCUIT TO +B ) AND CAN NOT ERASE CODE.
WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL HARD TO TURN LIKE IT GET STUCK CAN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL.I WAS DRIVING A CITY STREET WHEN I NOTICE A FEW DAYS AGO. JUST SEEING THE RECALL NOTICE.HOW LONG DOES THE CONSUMER HAVE TO GET ASSISTANCE WITH RECALL.
I WAS LEAVING PARKING LOT @ 1-2 MPH TURNING RIGHT ONTO W TUOLUMNE RD IN TURLOCK CA. SUDDENLY CAR TOOK OFF LIKE A JET, BRAKES DIDN'T DEPRESS, HIT AN ISLAND THEN SLAMMED INTO TREE. I AM INJURED ANS CAR TOTALED. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL ACCELERATION PEDAL PROBLEM.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA AVALON. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A LOOSE ELECTRICAL WIRE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REPAIRED. MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A SECOND…
1)STEERING-WHEN TRYING TO GO STRAIGHT CAR WILL TILT TO THE LEFT, HAVE TO KEEP WHEEL AT WEIRD ANGLE TO MAINTAIN A STRAIGHT LINE. 2)ACCELERATOR STICKS ACCELERATOR SEEMS STIFF AND STICKY AND CAUSES CAR TO LURCH WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP -WAS MAKING LEFT TURN THROUGH INTERSECTION O…
AIR BAG LIGHT STAY ON ALL THE TIME . DEALER CANNOT FIX IT.
SRS WARNING LIGHT APPEARED FLASHING ON CAR. TOOK CAR TO HAVE CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THE SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SIDE AIR BAG SENSOR WAS REPLACED. LIGHT NO LONGER FLASHED. 5 DAYS LATER THE SRS WARNING LIGHT IS FLASHING AGAIN. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINT…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FIVE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHERE THE FUEL CAP AND FUEL LINE HOSE WERE REPLACED AT D…
DURING A FRONT-END COLLISION IN WHICH MY CAR WAS STOPPED AND RAMMED INTO BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THE AIR BAG INFLATION SENSOR WAS SHEARED OFF IT'S MOUNTING BRACKET. THE AIR BAG FAILED TO INFLATE BECAUSE THE SENSOR FAILED TO DETECT THE IMPACT.
AIR BAG LIGHT STAYS ON.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V043000 (AIR BAGS) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR.…
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2002 Toyota Avalon.
Recalls for 2002 Toyota Avalon
1 campaignNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2002 Toyota Avalon. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2002 Toyota Avalon — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Toyota Avalon reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2002 Toyota Avalon has 142 NHTSA owner complaints, 35 crash-related, and 1 recall campaign. The most reported issue is Airbag Malfunctions (36 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota Avalon?▾
#1: Airbag Malfunctions (36 complaints). #2: Unintended Acceleration (25 complaints). #3: Brake System (20 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Toyota Avalon?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2002 Toyota Avalon?▾
The 2002 Toyota Avalon has 35 crash-related complaints and 2 fire reports out of 142 total NHTSA complaints. 18 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2002 Toyota Avalon have any recalls?▾
Yes — 1 NHTSA recall campaign affect the 2002 Toyota Avalon. The largest issue: STEERING. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2002 Toyota Avalon?▾
The 2002 Toyota Avalon has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Airbag Malfunctions issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Toyota Avalon reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2002 Toyota Avalon
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.