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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
114,869 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2002 Toyota Tacoma body / paint problems

body / paint problem

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2002 Toyota Tacoma Owner Comments (Page 2 of 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #84

Sep 012017

Tacoma

  • 212,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact took the vehicle to Toyota of portland (55 ne broadway St, portland, or 97232, (503) 284-1105) to be repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 12V542000 (tires). The contact was informed that the recall repair could not be performed due to excessive rust on the vehicle's frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 212,000.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #83

Aug 012016

Tacoma

  • 160,000 miles
I received a recall for a spare tire holder. I took the vehicle to le mieux Toyota-green bay for repair and they told me that they could not do it because the frame was too rusted out and removing the old spare tire carrier would make the problem worse. Le mieux said that there was an earlier recall that addressed the frame issue. I did not receive that recall. I called directly to Toyota usa home office and they refuse to fix the rusting frame issue. I believe that this happened maybe 2-3 years ago. I was not given a reason for rejecting my request for the repair., and I know that le mieux Toyota has fixed other Toyota vehicles with the same issues. I believe that they would not fix my vehicle because I am a 2nd owner. I have had service issues with this dealer on 3 other separate occasions, and I have refused to do business with them. With this recall issue I hoped for a positive solution, but that has not happened.

- De Pere, WI, USA

problem #82

May 102018

Tacoma 6-cyl

  • 118,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact took the vehicle to rick mcgill's airport Toyota (865-970-2615, located at 3145 alcoa hwy, alcoa, tn 37701) for an oil change. The technician diagnosed that the entire frame was rusted and the vehicle was dangerous to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. The manufacturer also informed the contact that a customer support program, which provided assistance to vehicle owners, expired in September of 2017. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 118,000.

- Tellico Plains, TN, USA

problem #81

Sep 172018

Tacoma

  • 120,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle failed inspection due to frame rust. Was told that its unsafe to drive. Researched and found that this is long ongoing issue with Toyota and a number of there vehicles. Toyota has knowledge of this issue and still sold these inferior frames for many years.

- Norfolk, VA, USA

problem #80

Jun 012018

Tacoma

  • 139,000 miles
My mechanic told me that the above vehicle's fame is structurally unsafe. I share this truck with my 18 year old grandson. I would just like to know if I have any recall with Toyota before I proceed with either fixing it or junking it. It has 140,000 original miles and I believe I am the third owner. I live in the northeast.

- Wakefield, RI, USA

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problem #79

Jun 142018

Tacoma

  • miles
In 2012 we received a recall notice for this vehicles frame. We took the vehicle into the dealership and we were told everyhthing looks ok. No other action was performed on the vehicle. Yesterday we noticed a crack in the frame. The car is non driveable. We called the dealership and we were told this is now out of warranty. I called Toyota hq and they stated had it been sprayed - which was Toyota direction on this recall, it may have prevented the rusting and cracking but since the dealer didn't do it, it is now out of anything anyone can do. I asked them if they would send me a copy of the directive given to the dealships on how to handle this recall and they said that is not something they could provide and they cannot take action against the dealership. Can you please help me with this? I feel that if the dealership had done the spraying as they had been instructed, we may not be in this situation today.

- Manville, NJ, USA

problem #78

May 032018

Tacoma

  • 108,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2002 Tacoma has severe rust on the frame and drive train and I was told by the Toyota dealership that the truck under body was sprayed in 2010 and that there have to be holes in the frame to be covered. He also said that there was a 15 year warranty for my frame to which it is now 2018 and has exspired. I feel that Toyota knew that defected steel was used for these frames from 2002. I won't even bother to get in touch with them because I know that they won't do anything about it.

- Weymouth, MA, USA

problem #77

Mar 032018

Tacoma

  • 135,000 miles
Shock rusted away from frame, mechanic tried to put on lift to fix and the frame started to pop and crack at the rear wheel area, it is rusted through. The frame was coated during the recall period in 2011 and they told me it was ok. I very much doubt that it was.

- Lynx, OH, USA

problem #76

Oct 012017

Tacoma

  • 105,000 miles
My trucks frame rusted to where the cab is in grave danger of separating from the bed of the truck. We didn't get a recall on the frame and had no idea this was happening. The truck was bought new and we do live where they put salt on the roads. Now, Toyota said they will not help remedy this at all because the truck wasn't taken into a Toyota dealership in approx. 6 mths or however long they had known about this. How were we to know it should have been taken in? we had no prior notice until we saw it ourselves and a mechanic noticed it and wouldn't jack the truck up to repair a brake line. He said it would separate the truck from the cab part.

- Florence, KY, USA

problem #75

Mar 182017

Tacoma

  • miles
Frame rust

- Stevensburg, VA, USA

problem #74

Oct 012017

Tacoma

  • 157,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Tacoma frame recall: Good day, I was doing some research online with my matter and people were saying to contact the national highway safety administration. I have a 2002 single cab Toyota Tacoma which frame has totally rusted out now with a hole rite through the frame. I provided Toyota with my VIN number yet they say I am not eligible for a frame replacement yet this is a factory default on Toyota fault. My truck is currently extremely dangerous to be on the road and I use it every day for work where my line of work involves driving from house to house everyday all day and I was wandering if you could help with filing a claim against Toyota? I have attached a picture of the frame which is above the rear passenger wheel. I look forward to your response. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'

- Orleans, MA, USA

problem #73

Sep 012017

Tacoma

  • miles
The frame is rotting out. Toyota had the vehicle frame coated with some kind of tar substance because the frame was suspect to heavy corrosion. The coating which was done around 2010 did not work and the vehicle now has holes in the frame due to heavy rust. This is a known issue with these vehicles. Toyota offered a non-working solution that did not fix the problem. The coating was just a gimmick and not a solution to the frame rot.

- Alvaton, KY, USA

problem #72

May 012012

Tacoma

  • 70,000 miles
My frame has significant rust, and has holes in the frame near the passenger side leaf spring attachment. I purchased and registered the truck towards the end of Toyota's goodwill campaign, but they did not notify me. Previous owner received no notice of campaign, so the frame was not sprayed internally with rust prohibitor treatment. Truck has approx. 136,000 miles, and is otherwise in good condition. Toyota should recall the frames for this model year like they did for other model years. The goodwill campaign was advertised inconsistently, and a serious structural issue should be a recall, not arbitrary. Case #1402130463 was established with Toyota a few years ago, but they have not done anything about it. They also could not confirm that prior owner was contacted regarding goodwill campaign.

- East Lyme, CT, USA

problem #71

Aug 092017

Tacoma

  • 50,000 miles
I have a 2002 Tacoma and found the frame where the front part of the rear leaf spring has rusted through. The over load spring is holding the driver side rear of the vehicle up. This vehicle had 50,000 actual miles on it and there is noway that this should be happening.

- Custer, SD, USA

problem #70

Jul 172017

Tacoma

  • 190,000 miles
Vehicles frame is rusting through. I have never seen a frame rust through to the point where you can poke holes through it with a finger, this is happening with my Tacoma and is very dangerous. I purchased this last April, and did not know about the frame issues Toyota's have until they recalled the 05-15 models for the same exact issue, I heard they are also in the process of recalling 95-00. Toyota will not assist me because their customer frame assistance program ended last month. Even though I just purchased 3 months ago and this is not an issue a vehicle should have, Toyota is going to get someone killed. The numerous Toyota representatives I talked to told me they know their frames are faulty and that this was Toyota's fault, yet he could not assist me due to company policy of their frame replacement program ending a month prior, even though almost all the years around my 02 Tacoma have been recalled. Toyota needs to be held accountable to an actual recall, not just a customer satisfaction program that they conveniently wont assist me with, before someone gets killed. I cant afford to get rid of this Tacoma nightmare. There isnt even a speck of rust on the body, look underneath however and the frame is rusted out.

- Blair, NE, USA

problem #69

May 082017

Tacoma

  • 183,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact took the vehicle to a certified mechanic to be serviced due to excessive swaying when driving. The certified mechanic stated that the frame underneath the vehicle was corroded. The manufacturer stated that the recall was closed and the vehicle would not be repaired. The manufacturer opened case number: 1705200515. The approximate failure mileage was 183,000.

- Amelia, OH, USA

problem #68

Nov 012016

Tacoma

  • 169,650 miles
I was driving on a highway at about 55 mph. The right lower control ball joint broke so the entire wheel broke off the vehicle. The vehicle tried to run/jump over the wheel and caused the vehicle to slammed down on the asphalt. The truck dragged on the asphalt for about 100 to 150 yds until I managed to control and stop it.

- Bakersfield, CA, USA

problem #67

Apr 142017

Tacoma

  • 230,000 miles
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. While the vehicle was stationary, the contact noticed that the frame was rusted and severely corroded. The contact stated that there were holes in the frame of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 230,000. The VIN was not available.

- Watertown, WI, USA

problem #66

Mar 022017

Tacoma

  • 176,500 miles
Excessive rust corrosion on the vehicle frame. Excessive rust corrosion to the point where there are actual holes in the main frame of the vehicle where the vehicles suspension attaches. The vehicle had been inspected for corrosion and under recall and had additional corrosion protection applied. I just noticed the holes in the frame on March 2, 2017 and wish to inquire if the vehicle falls under the extended frame warranty. Judging by the extent of rust and damage to the vehicles frame, I feel confident stating that the damage happened several months to a year ago.

- Trenton, MI, USA

problem #65

Jan 162017

Tacoma

  • 120,000 miles
I went to have my tires rotated. When they raised the truck on the lift the frame broke on both sides of the truck near the bed. The entire bed of the truck fell backwards. The frame was completely rusted through. I had owned the truck for four years and never received a notice from Toyota that this might be an issue. I called Toyota and they admitted that there was an issue with the frame but my vehicle was not part of the recall. As a result they refused to help fix the issue. My $11,000 truck is now totaled. A worker at the tire place could have easily been killed. This is also a concern with myself and family that drove in this vehicle unaware of any issue. Toyota has avoided fixing a known problem by taking advantage of a weak recall requirement issued by the government and has cost hardworking families money and could end U costing someone a life. All to save money. Why does Toyota get to admit they made a mistake but only be required to fix in on vehicles they chose?

- Evansville, IN, USA

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