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#BS-2002-TOYPRI-5CA1

2002 Toyota Prius

Based on reports from 201 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
201
Crashes
16
Fires
5
Recalls
2
TSBs
136
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 201 complaints, 16 crashes, 5 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

car wont start

1 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

power steering has failed

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX
3

bad transaxle assembly

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the SteeringHIGH

57 owners reported steering issues — failures commonly reported around 65K miles.

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

Failure Timeline by Mileage

41
0–30K
31
30–60K
25
60–90K
24
90–120K
18
120–150K
14
150K+

Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (41 reports) • Median: 65K 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: Steering (57 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

Steering57 (28%)
Brakes17 (8%)
Electrical13 (6%)
Wheels & Tires12 (6%)
Speed Control10 (5%)
Steering:rack And Pinion8 (4%)
Steering:electric Power Assist System8 (4%)
Electrical System:12v/24v/48v Battery5 (2%)

2002 Toyota Prius: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 28% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Prius, with 57 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 65,395 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 65K-mile mark.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Prius, with 17 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Prius, with 13 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Wheels & Tires Issues

Wheels & Tires complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Toyota Prius, with 12 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to wheels & tires-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

14
02
17
03
17
04
13
05
13
06
10
07
7
08
12
09
41
10
10
11
5
12
13
13
6
14
5
15
5
16
1
17
1
18
4
19
5
20
1
22
1
23

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Toyota Prius. Recent trend: stable.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

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

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Recall History (2 recalls)

06V266000Jul 2006

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, DUE TO IMPROPER MOLDING OF THE RESIN BODY OF THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENOR INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE BLOCK, ENGINE OIL MAY PENETRATE THE SEAL AND ENTER THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR. THE WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENTLY ATTACHED TO THE LOCKING TAB OF THE SENSOR WIRING CONNECTOR.

11V304000Jul 2011

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2001 THROUGH 2003 PRIUS PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM JANUARY 28, 2000, THROUGH MAY 30, 2003. THE STEERING LINKAGE MAY LOOSEN, RESULTING IN REDUCED ELECTRIC STEERING ASSISTANCE WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN.

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 Prius is the 2011 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is lights.

2002 Toyota Prius vs. Class Average (Compact Cars)

This vehicle

201

Class avg

176

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other compact cars 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. 201 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 Prius Model Years

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000
View all Toyota Prius years →

2002 Toyota Prius: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Toyota Prius?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Toyota Prius is related to the steering, with 57 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Toyota Prius reliable?
The 2002 Toyota Prius has 201 complaints, 16 crash reports, and 5 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 Prius 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 Prius have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Toyota Prius 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 Prius problems start?
Based on 153 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 65,395 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 0–30K 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 201 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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