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#BS-2002-TOYHIG-6E03

2002 Toyota Highlander

Based on reports from 335 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
335
Crashes
27
Fires
8
Recalls
2
TSBs
120
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 335 complaints, 27 crashes, 8 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

engine failure

8 complaints • Severity 9.5/10

$X,XXX
2

excessive oil usage

7 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
3

leak through the back hatch

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the VisibilityHIGH

124 owners reported visibility issues — failures commonly reported around 70K miles.

!Inspect the Speed ControlMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

31
0–30K
63
30–60K
53
60–90K
40
90–120K
25
120–150K
17
150K+

Peak failure range: 30–60K miles (63 reports) • Median: 70K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Visibility (124 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Visibility124 (37%)
Speed Control29 (9%)
Structure23 (7%)
Other19 (6%)
Engine17 (5%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine11 (3%)
Electrical10 (3%)
Airbags9 (3%)

2002 Toyota Highlander: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Visibility Issues

Visibility complaints account for 37% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Highlander, with 124 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 70,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 70K-mile mark.

Speed Control Issues

Speed Control complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Highlander, with 29 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to speed control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Structure Issues

Structure complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Highlander, with 23 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Highlander, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

17
02
15
03
17
04
8
05
30
06
35
07
30
08
25
09
61
10
23
11
17
12
18
13
17
14
5
15
7
16
5
17
1
18
3
19
1
20

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Toyota Highlander. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

02V208000Aug 2002

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:MOUNTING

ON SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THERE IS A BREATHER HOSE THAT ATTACHES TO THE NOZZLE OF THE ON-BOARD REFUELING VAPOR RECOVERY (ORVR) VALVE, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE TOPSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. THE BREATHER HOSE IS ATTACHED WITH A CLAMP, WHOSE "TABS" FACE IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED UNDER THE NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP) TEST (I.E., 35 MPH FRONTAL BARRIER CRASH), THE CLAMP "TABS" CONTACTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BODY DUE TO MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK, CAUSING THE NOZZLE TO BREAK.

04V181000May 2004

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A CHILD PROTECTION LOCK (CPL) SYSTEM ON BOTH OF THE REAR SIDE DOORS. WHEN AN OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE CLOSES THE DOOR VERY HARD WITH THE CPL LEVER SET TO THE LOCK POSITION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEVER MAY CONTACT THE BODY PANEL, CAUSING THE CPL LEVER TO MOVE INTO THE UNLOCK POSITION.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Toyota Highlander is the 2003 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.

2002 Toyota Highlander vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

335

Class avg

442

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles from 2002.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 335 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Toyota Highlander Model Years

20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000199919981997
View all Toyota Highlander years →

2002 Toyota Highlander: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Toyota Highlander?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Toyota Highlander is related to the visibility, with 124 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Toyota Highlander reliable?
The 2002 Toyota Highlander has 335 complaints, 27 crash reports, and 8 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Toyota Highlander problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Toyota Highlander has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Toyota Highlander problems start?
Based on 229 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 70,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 30–60K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 335 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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