Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
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).
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Toyota Camry. After the hood was shut from the vehicle being serviced, the hood latch failed to operate and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 96,000.
The trunk release on this car failed. This is bad enough, but when it fails the emergency trunk release that is located in the trunk no longer functions either. If a child gets trapped in the trunk, they probably won't be able to get out. Since I have small children, I am really concerned. I called a Toyota dealer and was told that the trunk release is repaired fairly often. I was told they have to take the trunk apart to get access to repair the part. I would say this is unacceptable. I am aware of the trunk lock feature that prevents access to the trunk unless you have a key. Regardless of this feature, the trunk should be able to be opened from the inside to prevent possible death to small children. This has not been repaired yet.
The front passenger side door lock would not lock or unlock with the remote or the key. It had to be manually unlocked from the inside. It was out of warranty but Toyota agreed to pay for the part and I paid the labor. Now the drivers side door lock has failed in the same manner, although I am able to open the door with the key. At times the door was unable to be opened from the inside. The handle would not move to open the door and I was concerned that the handle would break. It is out of warranty and Toyota will not repair. I feel that this is a safety defect since someone could get stuck in their car in the event of an emergency and that Toyota should repair this defect at no cost to the consumer.
The door latch handles (plastic) on the inside of both front doors have broken off during normal use. This is a safety hazard; if I'm in an accident that disables the power windows (battery failure) I will not be able to use the exterior handles, as I do now, and I will be trapped in the car. Because the car warranty has expired the dealer said the failure is not covered and offered to replace them for $33 each, plus installation charges. The corporate "customer service" 800 number also denied coverage under the warranty and offered no other assistance. I see no purpose in replacing them with duplicates that will also break.
2002 Camry. Powered door locks randomly stop working. Remote keyless or keyed entry will not unlock affected doors. Power lock/unlock button inside vehicle will not lock/unlock the affected door. Doors have to be manually locked/unlocked from within the vehicle. This is a safety issue because 1) affected doors do not lock when car is put in drive. And 2) the door May not unlock if airbags are deployed. This is a problem that is well documented on the internet Toyota Camry 2002-through 2007 and has not been addressed by the manufacturer.
The inside front seat passenger door handle (the opener) broke (simply snapped in two) and became inoperable in my 2002 Camry. When I went to get a replacement, the parts office told me it happened every day, it was plastic and to be expected. This is a safety issue because in an emergency, the rider would have a difficult time exiting the vehicle. I have/had two other camrys- one a 1987 model and the other a 1996. Neither has had the problem and have had far more use of the door handle than this newer car.
The driver's side door handle used to exit the car broke off,as I was routinely using it. At first I was anxious as I thought I would have to try to crawl over the transmission to get to the passenger side in order to get out. I then realized I could use the power windows to lower the window , and reach way around to open the door with outside handle. I think this could be a dangerous situation in an accident or if there were other problems that necessitated a quick exit.
Front passenger interior door handle snapped at spindle. This car has 29,000 miles and passengers are rarely carried. Breakage rendered door inoperable from inside,causing major safety hazard in event of emergency. Called dealer and was told this is a cosmetic problem, therefore warranty will not cover repairs. Upon calling Toyota's extra care protection plan, I was also informed that this problem was not covered by the warranty. Dealer will replace at my expense.
This car is barely 3 years old and has about 50,000 miles on it: both front interior door handles broke within one week of each other. This made it impossible to exit the front seat without rolling down the window to use the exterior handle to open the doors. As they are power windows, had the power been out- the only way to exit the vehicle would have been from the back seat (which had child locks engaged so it would have been impossible at that time...).
The inside passenger side door handle in my 2002 Camry broke off. Very seldom do I have passengers ride with me, so it wasn't excessive wear and tear. I have a 1995 Toyota corolla and have replaced both inside front seat handles and a 1996 Toyota Camry and have replaced both inside front handles and the passenger side outside handle. I don't think this is normal wear and tear on a 2002 Toyota. I have not contacted the dealership yet.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2002 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2002 Toyota Camry, 3% of the model year's 953 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (22 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Camry door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches 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 door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to locks & latches 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.