Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Sun visors on 2002 Toyota highlanders did not stay in position and interfered with driver visibility- the sun visors will not stay in the up position and will drop down into the driver's eyes while driving. Furthermore, the sun visors were rendered useless as they will not stay in position when in use. The driver is forced to either not use the visor, a hazard when driving into the sun, or must slump down in the seat and use the visor in the completely down position. Both the passenger and driver's visors are affected. This was a known issue with 2002 highlanders as documented on owner's web forums.
2002 Toyota Highlander drivers side sun visor fell down when hitting a small pothole, obscuring driver vision...narrowly averting a collision with oncoming vehicle before I could get it pushed back up into place, whereupon it fell again and I had to swing it out of the way to drive home...no friction to hold it up out of the way....called dealership...sorry...600 dollar replacement w/ homelink..no other fix available...definite design, absolute safety flaw...went online to research and noted thousands of responses to this exact problem for 2002 vehicle. I truly believe a recall is warranted.
The sun visor on the driver side of our 2002 Toyota Highlander falls down when you are driving along. It is extremely dangerous since you never know when the visor will drop down and obstruct your view. There have been a few occasions when I have been driving along and reach to put the turn signal on. At that moment the visor drops down and before I can recover I am close to hitting a car from the rear. I have tried simple solutions but the dealer indicates that nothing is wrong and it will cost over $700 to fix.
1. Plastic tension coil holding up visor failed all of the sudden. 2. Plastic tension coil holding up visor failed causing the visor to fall down obstructing my vision while driving. This occurs anytime I hit a bump in the road while driving. 3. I went to Toyota to have it fixed and they told me it would cost a significant amount of money since there hadn't been any recall notices involving the described failure.
The driver side sun visor (w/ lighted mirror and homelink) on my 2002 Toyota Highlander will not stay up and drops down when driving which is a serious hazard. I understand that this is a very common problem with this vehicle and the cost for only the replacement part is over $700.00. It is obviously a design issue and serious hazard that Toyota will not address.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Toyota Highlander. The driver and passenger mud flaps have cracked. The flaps have not been replaced. The dealer stated that they will not replace the mud flaps for free. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 89,000.
I purchased a used 2002 Toyota Highlander 3 years ago, last year, the visor on the drivers side started flipping down (will not stay up). I have been quoted approx $700 to replace the visor which seems excessive especially since it is not even lighted.
I have a 2002 Toyota Highlander. The sun visors on the driver and passenger sides no longer stay up. This started nine months ago. If the sun visor does stay up, it drops down when the vehicle hits a mild bump.
We cannot read the instrument panel of our 2002 Toyota Highlander in the bright arizona sun when wearing sunglasses (a safety and medical requirement in arizona that is to wear sun glasses in the very bright late spring to early fall sun). We have driven at least 100 different cars and trucks (many of them rental vehicles) over the years and never experienced nor expected this problem when we purchased our 2002 Highlander. During the bright sunny days in central arizona (it is sunny here over 300 days a year), it is impossible to read any instruments (speedometer, temp gage, fuel gage, odometer, and tachometer) when the sun is coming in the windshield and the driver is wearing sunglasses. Obviously this is a severe safety hazard. I have repeatedly contacted the dealer, the dealer service department, and Toyota on this extreme safety hazard since acquiring the vehicle in February 2002. …
On two occasions while driving the sunlight would shine through the front passenger side window, reflecting off the shiny wood like panel over the glove compartment blinding the driver, this occured for over an hour on both occasions, consumer tried and held newspapers and road maps against the window to block the sun rays, but the trim in the car was too long and recaptured the sunlight as the highway curved, manufacturer has been notified of this design flaw. The consumer is requesting information in writing, from the design engineer of Toyota, and feels that this warrants an immediate design change due to vehicle hazard.
Body complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2002 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the body & structure of the 2002 Toyota Highlander, 8% of the model year's 301 complaints. The component named most often is body (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Highlander body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2002 Toyota Highlander, though it has 2 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 Highlander body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
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.