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 Tacoma owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact's daughter owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that several independent mechanics and an auto body repair shop had informed her that there was a hole in the subframe, and the subframe was significantly corroded. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
Truck was taken to dealer about 5 years ago or less for underbody spray and frame inspection "recall". Truck was cleared as safe. Today, Tire shop informs me frame is unsafe to lift the car by, and proceeded to put his hand through the frame to show the severity of the issue. So I take the truck to my local dealer and ask them what can be done about it. They inform me that, this "program" ended in 2016. I read that 10mm holes in frame would issue a frame/car recall. There is no way there wasn't an issue less than 5 years ago. I believe this is negligence of the dealer in keeping people safe in this vehicle and on the highway.
I went to get my 02 tacoma tires balanced and was called and told that where the frame was cracked. Upon inspecting it myself the crack is where the manufacturer welded the frame together. I'm the 3rd owner of this vehicle and there original owner didn't get frame warranty recall done. Which led to it running out. Now Toyota corporate has a frame case number ([redacted]) and was told that there's nothing that could be done until enough complaints about this case number reaches a certain number then they'll look into it.
Truck frame is rusted to the point the the vehicle is not usable. The problem has been confirmed by a local independent service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. The first symptom was that the right rear shock became detached from the frame. When I brought the vehicle in to have the shock repaired they stated that there was not enough frame left in that area to re-attach the shock.
The truck frame has completely rusted out and has snapped in half. Leaving my truck undriveable. Toyota had an extended warranty but only if you followed exact criteria. This is a big safter issue that should be recalled
I was driving on a highway at about 55 MPH. The right lower control ball joint broke so the entire wheel broke off the vehicle. The vehicle tried to run/jump over the wheel and caused the vehicle to slammed down on the asphalt. The truck dragged on the asphalt for about 100 to 150 yds until I managed to control and stop it.
There was extensive damage to the front left side of the vehicle from a collision. The radiator was pushed against the engine. Most of the driver side fender as well as the inner core support was crushed. Both airbags didn't not deploy.
Vehicle has low miles yet the frame has rust holes in it. Toyota won't do anything about it even though it has frame inspections in it's recent service history. The first inspection occurred in 2010, less than 7K miles ago. They indicated to me on the phone that due to an agreement with NHTSA that they could not do anything to help me. They would not take ownership for not inspecting the frame properly. This is a major problem with Tacoma's, tundra's, sequoia's and 4runner's of this vintage in cold climate states. Toyota acknowledged the frames were of poor manufacturing even suing the frame manufacturer, yet some get new frames, others like myself with a low mile truck are told they could do absolutely nothing even though the vehicle was traded in less than 1600 miles ago at a Toyota dealership in pa. …
Hello, I own a 2002 Toyota Tacoma and I brought it to a local Toyota dealership where a service advisor came out to the parking lot, got under the vehicle and noticed that the frame has rusted through (he stuck his hand through the rust hole) near where the leaf springs attach to the frame. It is a known safety issue and Toyota has repaired/replaced many Tacoma's due to this safety issue. I did some research, and found out that Toyota knows their frames are unsafe, and have extended the warranty to 15 years from the date of new car delivery. I tried to get mine replaced since its still well within time-frame, but they are stating that the original owner refused a frame inspection/application anticorrosion spray so now they will not honor the unsafe frame. …
I was informed by Toyota case worker that the rusty frame recall expired and it is my problem now. I didn't receive any frame recall notice but received a spare tire lift plate recall (which doesn't expire) due to rust and severe corrosion. I was informed by dealership my truck was unsafe to even put on the lift to address current recall, of course they let me drive it home which is a 35-40 minute drive for me. I was forced to scrap my truck with a perfectly good motor because how unsafe it was and the expense to fix it on my own. I didn't realize the severity of the problem until I crawled under my truck and was beside myself! I had huge holes in the frame, the leaf springs were shot, all this was under the "undercoating" that was done at time of purchase to protect frame from rust! I paid extra for that! Even my seat mounts on the interior back seat were rusted! …
Body complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2002 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 180 complaints about the body & structure of the 2002 Toyota Tacoma, 54% of the model year's 333 complaints. The component named most often is body (105 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Tacoma body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2002 Toyota Tacoma, though it has 3 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 Tacoma body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 123,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure 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.