2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota Highlander. This model year has 328 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Visibility.
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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 Highlander Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Visibility
Unintended Acceleration
Engine Problems
Considering a 2002 Toyota Highlander?
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 Highlander. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visibility | 125 | — | — | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 31 | 11 | 2 | — | |
| Engine Problems | 31 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Structural Problems | 25 | — | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 18 | — | — | — | |
| Brake System | 17 | 3 | — | — | |
| Visibility/Wiper | 16 | — | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 15 | 2 | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 14 | 8 | — | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 14 | 1 | 4 | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 13 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment | 11 | 1 | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 8 | 2 | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Electric | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 2 | — | 1 | — | |
| Steering Defects | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Air | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 1 | 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 Highlander. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 328 most recent complaints
MY AIR BAG LITE KEEPS POPING ON
I SAW SOMEONE STEAL MY CAR AND TOLD THEM THEY HACKED. WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD SLOW UP AND DOWN. BURNING OF THE ELECTRICS WHEN TRY TO CHARGE. CAR STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. CAR GOING ON AND OFF. THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, TURNING BACK ON. SPEED CONTROL MESSING UP. SECURITY W…
ACCELERATOR STICIKING. VEHICLE ACCELERATES AT 4000 TO 5000 RPMS HAD VEHICE TOWED TO TOYOTA OF BEDFORD 440-809-8399
WHILE DRIVING HOME THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT,S OWN AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP WITHOUT REARENDING ANOTHER CAR WITHALL THE DAMAGE TO MY CAR AS A MECHANIC I REPAIRED THE BODY ON MY OWN AFTER MAKING REPAIRS I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR FROM THE SHOP I WORK AT TO MY HOUSE THE CAR WAS IDLI…
DRIVER SIDE VISOR HAS 2 POSITIONS ONLY. DOWN OR UP. CANNOT ADJUST FOR TALLER DRIVERS.
THE AC LIKES TO BLOW HOT AIR WHEN IN THE MAX AC SETTING AND THE TEMP KNOB BEING IN THE COLDEST POSITION. NUT BEING THE TEMP SETTING GAUGE COMES LOOSE CAUSING THE AC TO BLOW HOT AIR. HAPPENS ANYTIME IF PARKED OR DRIVING.
I HAVE HAD RECURRENT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT COST TH OUSANDS TO FIX BUT YET ARE NOT COMPLETELY RESOLVED.L JUST HAD MY TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY FAIL AFTER BEING SERVICED 17 MONTHS AGO. SINCE REPLACING IT, I STILL HAVE PROBLEMS WITH CLUNKING DIRT THING IN THE MORNING WHEN IT TRIE…
VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET GOING STRAIGHT SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL AND THEN UPHILL. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR. SPEED WAS ABOUT 15-25 MPH. I WAS BRAKING TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN BUT THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN ( TOYOTA CALLS IT "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION"). THE CAR CONTINUED ACCELE…
SUN VISORS FALL DOWN WHILE DRIVING. AT ANY GIVEN TIME WHILE DRIVING BOTH SUNVISORS WILL FALL COMPLETELY DOWN OBSTRUCTING VIEW OF THE ROAD AHEAD. VERY DANGEROUS.TOYOTA WILL NOT RECALL.
I PURCHASED AN ADDITIONAL SECURITY DEVICE. IF SOMEONE BREAKS A WINDOW, AN ALARM IS SUPPOSED TO GO OFF. YOU CAN TEST TO SEE IF IT WORKS BY HITTING YOUR CAR KEY AGAINST A CLOSED WINDOW & THE ALARM SHOULD GO OFF. IT HAS NEVER WORKED. AT TIME OF PURCHASE THE DEALERSHIP REMOVED THE C…
THE AIR BAG SENSOR STAY ON WHEN COLD. IT WILL NOT TURN OFF UNTIL CAR WORMS UP AND ENGINE IS SHUT DOWN AND RESTART. THE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY ON AND IT IS FALLING DOWN DURING DRIVING. BOTH ISSUES ARE SAFETY HAZARD
THIS IS THE FOURTH SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THIS CAR WHICH WILL NO LONGER STAY UP BLOCKING MY VISION WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST WAS REPLACED 09/03 AT ABOUT 22,600 MILES UNDER WARRANTY WITH A HOME LINK INCLUDED AS WAS THE ORIGINAL. THE SECOND REPLACEMENT WAS 01/07 AT 65,300…
AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ON DASHBOARD DOES NOT TURN OFF IN COLD WEATHER (20 DEGREES F, OR LOWER). THE WARNING WILL STAY ON EVEN WHEN ENGINE AND INTERIOR ARE WARM. IF THE ENGINE IS TURNED OFF ONCE WARM, AND THEN TURNED BACK ON, AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT TURNS OFF WITH ALL OTHER PANEL …
WHEN ENGAGING CAR IN REVERSE THE CAR WILL UNPREDICTABLY AT TIMES SUDDENLY ACCELERATE.
DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUN VISORS FALL DOWN INTO DRIVERS AND PASSENGER VIEW. SAFETY ISSUE WAS NOT RECOGNIZED BY VEHICLE MANUFACTURER. *TR
I DROVE VEHICLE CROWN TOYOTA FOR A MINOR SERVICE AND MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS DRIPPING OF COOLANT NOTICED ON THE GARAGE FLOOR. REQUESTED 'CHECK AND ADVISE' ON THIS. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3.0 HOURS, I WENT TO THE SERVICE DESK FOR INFORMATION REGARDING LEAK. I WAS TAKEN TO T…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED NECK, LOWER BACK, AND CHEST INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. …
THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR DOES NOT STAY PROPPED UP IN THE FORWARD DIRECTION. IT DROPS DOWN TO A VERTICAL POSITION DOWNWARDS, WHERE IT BLOCKS THE DRIVER'S VIEW. *TR
MY PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT IS INTERMITTENT AT BEST. REPLACED BULBS MANY TIMES, CLEANED CONTACTS, ETC...BUT NO HELP.ON-GOING PROBLEM . WAS REAR-ENDED DUE TO THIS EXACT PROBLEM. DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT FINE...IT IS ALWAYS PASSENGER SIDE. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME EXACT ISS…
THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR NO LONGER STAYS FULLY UP. IT STAYS 1/2 DOWN WHICH BLOCKS VISIBILITY. IT SUDDENLY FALLS DOWN FURTHER, BLOCKING MY VIEW EVEN MORE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I BRAKE (EVEN LIGHT BRAKING), CHANGE LANES OR CHANGE VEHICLE SPEEDS. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES OF GETTING SCARED …
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2002 Toyota Highlander.
Recalls for 2002 Toyota Highlander
2 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2002 Toyota Highlander. 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 Highlander — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Toyota Highlander reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2002 Toyota Highlander has 328 NHTSA owner complaints, 27 crash-related, and 2 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Visibility (125 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota Highlander?▾
#1: Visibility (125 complaints). #2: Unintended Acceleration (31 complaints). #3: Engine Problems (31 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Toyota Highlander?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2002 Toyota Highlander?▾
The 2002 Toyota Highlander has 27 crash-related complaints and 6 fire reports out of 328 total NHTSA complaints. 27 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2002 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?▾
Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2002 Toyota Highlander. The largest issue: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2002 Toyota Highlander?▾
The 2002 Toyota Highlander has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Visibility 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 Highlander reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2002 Toyota Highlander
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.