Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
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).
Rackandpinon replacement was also the upper and lower ball joints my steering is still giving me problems and I feel like it's asafty concern because if I'm going down the highway I could loose control I have some receipts for what my mechanic replaced I called Toyota and they told me that it was to late to fix anything and that I would have to deal with it I never received a notice in the mail or anywhere else I feel like Toyota owes me Also what has happened is my spare tire feel off from the hanger going up my driveway I got to looking and the cable rusted away along with my rear parking brake cable up under the truck thanks for your time
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, the front passenger's side wheel separated from the vehicle, causing the driver to lose control of the steering and drove into the opposite lane. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the front suspension ball joint had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the front shocks, front tires, and front brakes were also damaged during the failure, and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 443,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Tacoma. The contact stated while an independent mechanic was servicing the vehicle, the contact was informed that the rear sub frame was severely rusted at the spring shackle on the driver's side. The vehicle was then taken to an auto body shop, where it was determined that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 225,000.
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.
As I was pulling out from being parked the truck just dropped to the floor on the drivers side. When I got out to see what happened? My wheel broke off at the lower ball joint yesterday evening. I had to wait 2 hours for a tow. I had no warning or symptoms prior.
I recently lost both front wheels in two different incidents within a month. Early August drivers side ball joint failed on me. And on September 25th the passenger side failed on me on the freeway almost causing a collision with a mercedes and a semi truck.
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.
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. …
Related recalls
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
On certain sport utility vehicles, due to a manufacturing issue in the front suspension lower ball joint, there is a possibility that the surface of the ball of the joint May have been scratched. The ball joint May eventually experience excessive wear and looseness, resulting in increased steering effort.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front suspension lower ball joints free of charge. The recall began on July 5, 2005. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Suspension complaints in other Tacoma years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2002 Toyota Tacoma?
NHTSA has 82 complaints about the suspension of the 2002 Toyota Tacoma, 25% of the model year's 333 complaints. The component named most often is front › control arm › lower ball joint (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Tacoma suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-225 (lower ball joint, May 17, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Tacoma suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 131,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to suspension 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.