2002 Toyota Sequoia Problems

Severe Issues

Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Toyota Sequoia.

20012003
Complaints
1,125
Crashes
41
Fires
1
Injuries
68
Fatalities
Recalls
4

Worst 2002 Toyota Sequoia Problems

Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.

#1196 complaints

Electronic Stability Control

Avg mileage:144,309 mi
Crash-related:3
#2134 complaints

Unintended Acceleration

Avg mileage:139,920 mi
Crash-related:4
#394 complaints

Brakes

Avg mileage:179,983 mi
Crash-related:2
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All Problems by Category

Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Toyota Sequoia.

Electronic Stability Control
196
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
144,309
Unintended Acceleration
134
complaints
Crashes
4
Fires
Avg Miles
139,920
Brakes
94
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
179,983
Steering Defects
73
complaints
Crashes
5
Fires
Avg Miles
163,417
Traction Control System
69
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
125,410
Body Structure
49
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
143,304
Hydraulic Brakes
40
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
86,455
Suspension Failures
39
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
168,819
Airbags
33
complaints
Crashes
5
Fires
Avg Miles
139,904
Electrical Faults
33
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
123,174
Transmission / Drivetrain
25
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
265,793
Structure:Frame And Members:Underbody Shields
22
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
130,679
Automatic Transmission
21
complaints
Crashes
2
Fires
Avg Miles
96,016
Structure:Frame And Members
14
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
117,742
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
13
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
57,001
Wheel Issues
13
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
137,056
Latches / Locks
12
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
79,191
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor
11
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
1
Avg Miles
21,188
Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)
9
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
41,566
Engine Problems
9
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
156,500
Equipment:Appliance:Air Conditioner
9
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
42,475
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch
9
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
46,340
Service Brakes, Electric
8
complaints
Crashes
1
Fires
Avg Miles
86,512
Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Ball Joint
8
complaints
Crashes
3
Fires
Avg Miles
89,104
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module
7
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
63,000
Instrument Cluster
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
59,318
Other Equipment
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
40,132
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Abs Warning Light
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
57,120
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Caliper
6
complaints
Crashes
Fires
Avg Miles
51,500

Search Owner Complaints

Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2002 Toyota Sequoia. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.

Recalls for 2002 Toyota Sequoia

4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~4,139,736 vehicles.

19V741000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module
~928,220 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2010-2016 4Runner, 2003-2006 Tundra, 2003-2013 Corolla, 2009-2010 Corolla Matrix, 2004-2005 RAV4, 2002-2007 Sequoia, 2011-2013 Sienna, 2008-2012 Scion xB, 2008-2009 Lexus IS-F, 2007-2012 Yaris and Lexus ES350, 2010-2017 Lexus GX460, 2002-2010 Lexus SC430, 2006-2012 Lexus IS250 and IS350 and 2010-2015 Lexus IS250C and IS350C vehicles. These vehicles had their driver or passenger frontal air bag inflators previously replaced under a prior recall using inflators of the same design. The inflators may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

18V883000Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module
~168,993 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2002-2005 Lexus SC and Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2005 Toyota Corolla and Tundra, and 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may explode due to propellant degradation.

15V285000Airbags
~1,973,468 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015 that they are recalling certain model year 2004 Sequoia vehicles manufactured August 18, 2003, to August 19, 2004, and 2003-2004 Tundra vehicles manufactured March 18, 2003, to August 25, 2004. On June 16, 2015, Toyota expanded the recall to include an additional 1,270,468 vehicles, including model year 2002-2003 and 2005-2007 Sequoia, 2005-2006 Tundra, 2003-2007 Corolla, 2003-2007 Corolla Matrix, 2003-2007 Pontiac Vibe and 2002-2007 Lexus SC vehicles. This is to address a safety defect in the passenger side frontal air bag inflator which may produce excessive internal pressure causing the inflator to rupture upon deployment of the air bag. This recall addresses both the passenger side frontal air bags that were originally installed in the vehicles, as well as replacement air bags that may have been installed as replacement service parts. A replacement air bag may have been installed, as one example, if a vehicle had been in a crash necessitating the replacement of the passenger side frontal air bag.

15V286000Airbags
~1,069,055 affected

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) notified the agency on May 13, 2015, that they are recalling 2005-2007 Lexus SC, Toyota Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Sequoia, and Pontiac Vibe, and 2005-2006 Toyota Tundra vehicles that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. On June 16, 2015 Toyota expanded the recall to cover an additional 769,055 vehicles, including certain model year 2002-2004 Lexus SC, Toyota Sequoia, 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix, Toyota Corolla, Pontiac Vibe, and Toyota Tundra vehicles, as well the vehicles covered by the May 13, 2015 notification in the portions of Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas that were not previously included. The inflators in the front passenger air bags are susceptible to rupture in the event of a crash necessitating the deployment of the front passenger air bag.

Other Toyota Sequoia Years

2002 Toyota Sequoia — FAQ

Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.

Is the 2002 Toyota Sequoia reliable?
Verdict: Severe Issues. The 2002 Toyota Sequoia has 1,125 NHTSA complaints, 41 crash-related, and 4 recall campaigns. The most common issue is Electronic Stability Control with 196 complaints. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.
What are common problems with the 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
Top reported problems: Electronic Stability Control (196 complaints, avg 144,309 mi); Unintended Acceleration (134 complaints, avg 139,920 mi); Brakes (94 complaints, avg 179,983 mi). Every complaint is filed by an owner with NHTSA — this is raw reported data, not editorial opinion.
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
The weighted average mileage at time of complaint is about 136,394 miles. Some components fail earlier, some later — check the "All Problems by Category" table above for per-issue averages.
How safe is the 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Toyota Sequoia include 41 crash-related reports, 1 fire reports, 68 injuries, and 0 fatalities. These are owner-reported incidents, not official crash-test ratings — a complaint being filed doesn't confirm a defect, but clusters around specific components are worth investigating.
Does the 2002 Toyota Sequoia have any recalls?
Yes — 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 4,139,736 vehicles. Recalls are free to fix at the dealer. Always verify by VIN whether the specific car you're looking at has had its recalls addressed.
Should I buy a 2002 Toyota Sequoia?
Proceed with extreme caution. The 2002 Toyota Sequoia shows significantly more complaints than average for its class. If you're buying one, a pre-purchase inspection and a VIN history check are essential — skip them and you're gambling.

Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.

Wider context: See the full Toyota Sequoia reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.

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