2002 TOYOTA PRIUS Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota Prius. This model year has 193 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Steering Defects.
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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 Prius Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Steering Defects
Brake System
Tire Issues
Considering a 2002 Toyota Prius?
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 Prius. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering Defects | 81 | 1 | — | — | |
| Brake System | 26 | 3 | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 22 | — | — | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 19 | 1 | 3 | — | |
| Hydraulic | 18 | 2 | — | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 13 | — | 1 | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 12 | 6 | — | — | |
| Engine Problems | 12 | 1 | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 11 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 4 | 1 | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 4 | 3 | — | — | |
| Electric | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility | 3 | — | 1 | — | |
| Structural Problems | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Traction Control System | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Air | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Equipment | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Other | 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 Prius. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 193 most recent complaints
I was driving on the 91 freeway west exit ramp to merge into the 57 freeway in Orange County ca. when suddenly I lost all power steering on the car . We managed to get out the freeway on the first exit
Anti-lock brake failure. Failing to pressurize.
DRIVING SPEED LESS THAN 25MPH ON FAMILIAR SURFACE STREET WITH NEED TO STOP FOR A CAR ABOUT 75 FEET (ESTIMATE) IN FRONT; SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN EASY STOP; APPLIED BRAKES BUT CAR ACCELERATED (I THINK ONLY ELECTRIC MOTOR); FURTHER BRAKE PRESSURE DID NOT STOP THE CAR, CONTINUED TO ACCEL…
DRIVING UP AND DOWN A SLIGHT INCLINE, POWER STEERING SUDDENLY GOES OUT. ONLY HAPPENED TWICE SO FAR BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT WOULD PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. PROBABLY GOING ABOUT 15-20MPH UPHILL AND MAYBE 20-25MPH DOWNHILL. HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND FELT A JERKING AT MY STEERING WHEEL A FEW MONTHS BACK, I THOUGHT OK MAYBE THE STEERING WHEEL LOOSE OR SOMETHING, I WAS GOING AROUND 65 MPH. FAST FORWARD TO TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKS UP ON ME DRIVING TO A DR APPOINTMENT …
THE HEADLIGHT LENSES COVERS REPEATEDLY CLOUDS OVER TO THE POINT I CAN HARDLY SEE THE ROADWAY AT NIGHT. DEALER HAVE CLEANSE THE LENSES HOW HAS LAST FOR ABOUT A MONTH. THE DEALER NOW SAYS THESE NEED TO BE REPLACE AT A COST TO ME FOR $750. I BELIEVE THIS IS MANUFACTURE'S DEFECT A…
MY STEERING WHEEL STARTS SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHEN DRIVING UNDER 32 DEGREES OUTSIDE AND LOCKS UP THE ABILITY TO STEER WHICH CAN BE DEADLY ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH I DON'T DRIVE MUCH LUCKILY AND TOYOTA HAS NO OPEN RECALLS EVEN THOUGH I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS. I'VE HAS TO HURT MY HA…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE STEERING WHEEL VEERED TO THE RIGHT, WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO DRIVE OVER A CURB. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT…
WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO OSCILLATE BACK AND FORTH IT SUBSIDED HOWEVER A FEW MIN LATER AS FREEWAY SPEEDS WERE APPROACHED THE WHEEL TRIED TURNING HARD LEFT THEN VIBRATED CENTER TO LEFT. IF I HAD BEEN UNAWARE THIS WOULD HAVE …
WHEN MAKING A TURN AT SLOW SPEEDS THERE IS VIOLENT BACK AND FORTH UNCONTROLLABLE MOVEMENT IN THE STEERING WHEEL. YOU HAVE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. THE PROBLEM IS YOUR IN THE MIDDLE OF A TURN OR INTERSECTION.VERY DANGEROUS,THERE ARE NO WARNINGS WHEN THIS OCCURS.
WHILE DRIVING LOST OF STEERING MOMENTARILY FOR SEVERAL MONTHS BUT THOUGHT IT WAS BELT SLIPPAGE. TODAY (9/28/ 2018) TOTAL LOST OF STEERING. WAS ABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO SIDE OF ROAD AND SHUTOFF IGNITION SWITCH. STARTED VEHICLE AGAIN AND HAD NORMAL STEERING CONTROL AGAIN. AFTER REV…
VEHICLE'S STEERING WHEEL BEGINS TO VIBRATE OUT OF CONTROL WHEN ATTEMPTING TURNS. THIS VIOLENT SHAKING POSES SERIOUS DANGERS TO DRIVER WHILE MAKING TURNS, AND CAUSES DRIVER TO PULL OFF OF ROAD AND COMPLETELY TURN CAR OFF. PROBLEM NOTICEABLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 MONTH INTERMITTENTLY…
HYBRID CIRCULATION PUMP FAILED. THREE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON.
I HAVE TOYOTA PRIUS 2002 I WAS DRIVING YESTERDAY THE STEERING HAD BEEN MAKING LIKE A RUBBER-SQUEAK NOISE WHEN TURNED TO THE RIGHT AT LOW SPEEDS.I WAS DRIVING, AND THE WHEEL STARTED TO SORT OF PULSE IN MY HANDS LIKE IT WAS GAINING/LOSING POWER ASSIST.ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, FAILED…
ON DEC 18, 2015, DRIVING AT ABOUT 20 MPH ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET WHICH CURVED LEFT, THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2002 PRIUS BEGAN SHAKING VIOLENTLY. I LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR AND STRUCK A LARGE LANDSCAPING ROCK. THE CAR HAD $2233 IN DAMAGES TO THE RIGHT FRONT BUMPER, FENDER, WHEEL A…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING RACK NEEDED TO…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK IN VERY COLD WEATHER, BUT OPERATED NORMALLY ONCE THE VEHICLE WARMED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN MAKING TURNS OR REVERSING AT A SLOW SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. …
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA PRIUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE TURNING LEFT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIA…
I WAS DRIVING ONTO THE FREEWAY, TURNING RIGHT ONTO THE RAMP THAT CIRCLED INTO THE SOUTHBOUND INTERSTATE WHEN THE A RED HAZARD TRIANGLE POPPED UP AND THE SCREEN ON MY CAR STATED PS ERROR. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED FOR A BIT BUT FORTUNATELY I WAS STILL ABLE TO STEER. I GOT OFF ON T…
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2002 Toyota Prius.
Recalls for 2002 Toyota Prius
2 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2002 Toyota Prius. 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 Prius — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Toyota Prius reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2002 Toyota Prius has 193 NHTSA owner complaints, 15 crash-related, and 2 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Steering Defects (81 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota Prius?▾
#1: Steering Defects (81 complaints). #2: Brake System (26 complaints). #3: Tire Issues (22 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Toyota Prius?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2002 Toyota Prius?▾
The 2002 Toyota Prius has 15 crash-related complaints and 4 fire reports out of 193 total NHTSA complaints. 13 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2002 Toyota Prius have any recalls?▾
Yes — 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2002 Toyota Prius. The largest issue: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2002 Toyota Prius?▾
The 2002 Toyota Prius has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Steering Defects 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 Prius reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2002 Toyota Prius
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.