IllustrationWHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING PLACE, RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE RPM JUMPED FROM 700 RPM TO 1500 RPM FOR NO DISCERNIBLE REASON. IF MY FOOT HAD NOT ALREADY BEEN ON THE BRAKE I WOULD HAVE RUN INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME.*AK
2002 Toyota 4 Runner
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Fewer warning signs than most model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota 4 Runner are lower than the model-year median of 96.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all 4 Runner years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 19 of 32 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports1 fire reports4 injury reports
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
3 reportsWHEN DRIVING UPHILL WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED VEHICLE WENT INTO SECOND GEAR AND BEGAN TO SWERVE. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS HOW THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. *AK
OPERATING VEHICLE IN WET ROAD CONDITIONS WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 55 MPH. TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ENGINE TACHOMETER WENT FROM 2,200 RPM TO EXCESS OF 5,000 RPM. VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATED TO 70 MPH AND WAS CONTINUING ACCELERATION WHEN OPERATOR DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND STOPPED ACCELERATION. ONLY ONE OC…
Read full complaint
OPERATING VEHICLE IN WET ROAD CONDITIONS WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON AT 55 MPH. TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND ENGINE TACHOMETER WENT FROM 2,200 RPM TO EXCESS OF 5,000 RPM. VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATED TO 70 MPH AND WAS CONTINUING ACCELERATION WHEN OPERATOR DEPRESSED BRAKE PEDAL AND STOPPED ACCELERATION. ONLY ONE OCCURANCE AND NO RECURRENCE ON REMAINING 6 MILES TO HOME. VERY DANGEROUS TO HAVE VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT COMMAND FROM OPERATOR. MR
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.