2002 TOYOTA RAV4 Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota Rav4. This model year has 555 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Transmission / Drivetrain.
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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 Rav4 Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Transmission / Drivetrain
Electrical Faults
Engine Problems
Considering a 2002 Toyota Rav4?
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 Rav4. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 381 | 7 | 1 | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 93 | 3 | 3 | — | |
| Engine Problems | 64 | 3 | 2 | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 36 | 6 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 24 | — | — | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 23 | 21 | 11 | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 16 | — | — | — | |
| Brake System | 10 | 2 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 9 | 1 | — | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 9 | — | — | — | |
| Hydraulic | 8 | 1 | — | — | |
| Equipment | 8 | 1 | — | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 7 | 2 | 1 | — | |
| Structural Problems | 7 | 1 | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 6 | — | 1 | — | |
| Tire Issues | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 5 | — | 1 | — | |
| Visibility | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Electric | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Air | 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 Rav4. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 400 most recent complaints of 555 total. View all on NHTSA ↗
My car engine light goes on and off due to transmission fault. It continuously has a hard time shifting gears in between 2500-3000 rpm and gives a jerky stop before continuing to speed up/accelerate despite when I have not let go of my foot from the pedal. After taking it to the …
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure had since become a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was il…
2002 Toyota RAV4 AWD transmission problems and will be available upon request. Transmission caused vehicle to disengaged , jerks, stalls with severed engine braking while driving creating a safety performance and hazard on the roads to myself and other unexpected drivers. Upon r…
The contact owned a 2002 Toyota RAV4. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, an abnormal noise was heard. The brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle spun 360 degrees and stopped on the opposite side of the road. No warning light illuminated. The contact called…
2002 TOYOTA RAV. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *LD *JS
ERRATIC SHIFTING ESPECIALLY AT LOW SPEEDS. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. CAR MAY LOCK IN HIGH GEAR (4 SPEED AUTOMATIC) OR SEEM TO BE STUCK IN 2 GEARS AT ONCE AND REFUSE TO MOVE AT ALL. CAN BANG HARSHLY WHEN SHIFTING. LOCKED UP AT A BUSY INTERSECTION NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AT OTHE…
VEHICLE STALLS AND JERKS CONSTANTLY WHILE DRIVING; UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AFTER STOPLIGHT. VERY UNPREDICTABLE.THIS IS DUE TO DEFECTIVE ECM WHICH TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF BUT REFUSES TO LIST AS A RECALL.I PURCHASED THE USED CAR 1 MONTH AGO --- HAD NO IDEA IT HAD THIS SERIOUS, DANGER…
2002 RAV4 ECU SHIFTING PROBLEM (DTC CODE P0755). THE CAR JITTERS WHEN SWITCHING FROM GEAR 1 TO 2 AS WELL ON REVERSE. IT ALSO JITTERS WHEN IT DRIVES ON LOW GEAR. THERE IS AN WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH RAV4 2001-2003 BUT TOYOTA HAS FAILED TO RECALL IT, DESPITE BEING A SAFETY HAZARD AS…
POWER STEERING STOPPED WHILE DRIVING. VEHICLE HAD TO BE MANUALLY STEERED TO LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. SHOP STATED THEY HADN'T SEEN POWER STEERING SPEWING FROM POWER STEERING FLUID WELL UPON REMOVAL OF LID WHILE VEHICLE WAS ON.
THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS MY CAR HAD BEEN LAGHING MORE AN MORE WHEN AT COMPLETE STOP. THIS PAST WEEK IT HAS BEEN THE WORST. WHENEVER I TRY TO ACCELERATE FROM.A COMPLETE STOP MY CAR WITH LAG AND JERK LIKE IT IS TRYING TO SHIFT INTO GEAR BUT CANT. WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO A TRANSMISSION SP…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABNORMALLY LOUD WHILE IDLING AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED ON OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR IND…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA (9101 GLENWOOD AVENUE, RALEIGH, NC) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC CONTRO…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 EQUIPPED WITH COOPER FUTURA SCRAMBLER C14L TIRES, SIZE: P215/70/R16 (NA). WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER AND REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRES BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT?S RESIDENCE. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANI…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT SWITCHED GEARS INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT PROCEED FORWARD. THE CONTACT DEPRES…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. THE CONTACT WAS INVOLVED IN A MULTIPLE VEHICLE CRASH. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE FRONT AND REAR DRIVER SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S AIR BAGS WERE THE ONLY ONES NOT TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A BROKE…
THE CAR MAKE NOISE,BY THE TRANSMISSION AREA AND THE 3 GEAR NOT WORKING WHEN THE CAR IS ALREADY HOT. I THINK MY CAR STILL UNDER GARANTY IS ONLY 128,000 MILES.
I NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE OR LETTER FROM TOYOTA ABOUT EXTENDING THE WARRANTY TO THE TRANSMISSION FOR THE RAV4 SENT TO OWNERS. I EVEN WENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER IN RAPID CITY FOR CAR MAINTENANCE AND THEY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I DONATED THE CAR TO MY DAUGHTER WHO LIVES IN…
I WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION IN JUNE 2016 WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT HAD VEERED INTO MY LANE AND MY VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND ME AND MY SPOUSE SUSTAINED INJURIES. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS IN MY VEHICLE DEPLOYED LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO. ALL OF THE AIRBAGS IN THE VEHICLE THAT H…
MPG ISN'T AS RATED. RATED 25 CITY/30 HWY. IM GETTING 18 CITY/22 HWY. IV HAD IT CHECKED AT THE TOYOTA RAV4 2002 DEALER AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG. I'VE REPLACED ALL O2 SENSORS, SPARK PLUGS, AIR FILTER. THE CAR RUNS PERFECT BUT THE MILEAGE SUCKS!! THERE MIST BE A FIX FOR THIS IS…
FAULTY ECU COMPUTERS CAUSEING VARIATIONS IN SPEED AND PROBLEMS WITH HARD SHIFTING, DAMAGEING TRANSMISSONS, CAUSEING VEHICLES TO FAIL WHILE DRIVING WHILE IN MOTION VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. MY VEHICLE STOPPED IN AN INTERSECTION AND I WAS NEARLY HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE…
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2002 Toyota Rav4.
Recalls for 2002 Toyota Rav4
0 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2002 Toyota Rav4. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
No recall campaigns found for this model year in the current data. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls directly for the latest information.
2002 Toyota Rav4 — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Toyota Rav4 reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2002 Toyota Rav4 has 555 NHTSA owner complaints, 39 crash-related, and 0 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Transmission / Drivetrain (381 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Toyota Rav4?▾
#1: Transmission / Drivetrain (381 complaints). #2: Electrical Faults (93 complaints). #3: Engine Problems (64 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Toyota Rav4?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2002 Toyota Rav4?▾
The 2002 Toyota Rav4 has 39 crash-related complaints and 15 fire reports out of 555 total NHTSA complaints. 50 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2002 Toyota Rav4 have any recalls?▾
No NHTSA recall campaigns were found for the 2002 Toyota Rav4 in the current data. Always verify with a VIN check as recalls can be added at any time.
Should I buy a 2002 Toyota Rav4?▾
The 2002 Toyota Rav4 has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Transmission / Drivetrain 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 Rav4 reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2002 Toyota Rav4
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.