Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The electrical/switch inside the passenger side door caught on fire, with out warning, while driving. There was a passenger in the vehicle at the time. Driver pulled over when smoke was visible. Flames were soon visible, driver poured water on the flames in effort to extinguish the fire. Flames were reduced but the door began to melt and the window shattered. Emergency services arrived at the scene shortly after calling 911. State police, fire, and ambulance arrived shortly after. Thankfully there were no injuries. The insurance was also called and a claim was filed. An adjuster was assigned to the claim to inspect the cause of the fire. After reading numerous reports of the same incident it sounds like this is a known issue that Toyota has not taken responsibility for. Serious injury could have occurred to the driver and passenger if quick action was not taken.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2002 Toyota Camry. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 283,000.
The components or systems that have failed are (Catalytic Converter, Exhaust Manifold, Air Bag Control Module, Engine including head gasket) My safety is at risk due to catalytic converter not functioning properly producing harmful carbon monoxide that can be smelled through air vents, Air bag control module not functioning which will not able to initiate the deployment of airbag in the event of a wreck/accident could lead to fatality. Engine not functioning properly due to blown head gasket which could lead to overheating amongst other things. Vehicle has been inspected by Dealership. Yes there are warning lights prior to failure (Check engine light)
During recent work under the hood the hood support rod (support cylinder) became noisy and retarded motion when raising or lowering the hood. A serious engine compartment fire occurred when the when the hood support rod became disengaged at the lower end shorting the battery to the rod attached to the hood. The vehicle was parked and the fire was observed upon returning to the vehicle from the auto parts store..
My son was making a left turn off brown rd onto amber glen dr in charlotte, nc when the cars steering wheel locked up causing the car to go out of control. When he tried to press the brakes to stop the car it would not stop. The car hit a tree that cause major damage to the vehicle. Thank god no one was hurt/injured or killed. But my 2002 Toyota Camry is totaled and cannot be repaired. I just bought this car in April 2012 from the Toyota Scion dealership in huntersville, nc and was not made aware of any problems or recalls with the steering wheel locking up. This is a very serious issue that could have caused someone to lose their life. I feel like I have been mislead and cheated out of my money to purchase the vehicle. This car should not have been sold to anyone and why was the dealership not aware of the problem and made the customer aware or did they just not care. …
The car now has approximately 80,000 miles on it - for at least the last 35,000 miles, it's had a problem with either stalling or not restarting after the engine's turned off (often, several incidents will occur in rapid succession, after which the car will function properly for months). Stalling tends to occur when the car is decelerating and coming to a stop - if adequate speed can be maintained, the engine will sputter but won't shut down. In my opinion the stalling and failure to restart problems are connected and I've read of other Camry owners who've been confronted with this issue. Unfortunately, after an incident nothing registers on the car's computer, so mechanics really don't where to start in diagnosing the problem and formulating a possible fix. …
Every time I tried to use the ac air conditioner in the car it makes the car shut off if I use the cigarette lighter outlet to charge up my cell phone it drain the battery and that will cause the car to shut off also my front passenger door opens by itself even when I'm driving it will unlock and open on its own
Vehicle is a convertible. The air bag light remains on whenever the car is running. Car has never been in a collision. Many others have reported same problem for same make/mode/year. Where collisions have occurred with vehicles displaying this condition, air bags fail to deploy.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the instrument panel failed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,000.
On Tuesday, December 28, 2010, at approximately 8:30 pm, (az-gmt) I was driving my 2002 Toyota Camry se 4-dr in a road construction zone at 15 miles per hour. I came to a stop at a red signal light when I smelled the odor of an electrical fire. I started checking the dashboard for any warning lights on, which there were none lit. A/C and heater switches were in the off position. As the light turned green, I went through the intersection and pulled over immediately. I started looking around the interior to see if something was burning. As I was checking the back seat, I saw black smoke billowing out of the rear bottom of the car, thinking that it was something burning in the trunk. I used the trunk lever to open it, got out of the car and noticed that nothing was burning there, and went back to the drivers door. I then noticed flames coming from the bottom of the engine compartment. …
Electrical complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Toyota Camry, 4% of the model year's 953 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Camry electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2002 Toyota Camry, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Camry electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 5 fires and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.