Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Toyota Tundra owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I purchased 4 new Michelin P245/70 R16 from Costco 12/5/2011with 31250 miles. I am a career auto mechanic for 39 years at an independent auto shop (retired, due to disability, 9/2011). I noticed sidewall cracking within about 2 years, but dismissed it because I have never heard/seen an air pressure loss due to sidewall cracking. The cracking worsened over the years, but the air pressure was even for all 4. Fast forward to 2020, I noticed my RF tire very low, looked for punctures, none found while submerged in water. November 2022 the RF tire was totally flat (parked). I found the sidewall had failed. This was a first for me in my experience. I certainly do not trust the remaining tires. I found a recall on the same brand/model but not my size. I have only 13350 miles on these tires. Tread is very good. I don't drive this truck often, but I maintain my vehicles well. …
on June 9th at about 2pm while driving through my neighborhood, my upper an lower ball joints on my 2002 Toyota Tundra separated from my vehicle causing a catastrophic loss of control of truck and tore my hub with tire from vehicle ripping the brake fuel line and shoving entire components up under my Tundra while losing control with no brakes or steering capability. It also destroyed the drivers side front tire. Needless to say if I was say...going 55 to 60 miles per hour on highway...I would not be writing this. Had truck towed to Checkered Flag Toyota and they quoted me a price of over1300$ in repairs... they are fighting me on fixing my truck damages even though said damages were caused by the ball joint recall on the 2002 tundra...recall I D#05v
My first issue was 3 years ago when my muffler was so rusted away I felt something dragging pulled over and seen my muffler had fall almost off hanging there. The next year I pulled into my work and all my studs on my tire broke and my tire and rim went one way and me and the truck went other way. Now my brakes keep sticking then they finally just stopped working all together after replacing pads. I have went thur 3 sets of tires in 4 years. I have it in the shop and they are saying my brake lines are completely corroded and falling apart.
I was driving down the street and the spare tire fell off. It actually caused the truck to bounce up slightly. Luckily the tire did not contact any other vehicles. Thing to note: my truck was part of the frame corrosion recall issued by Toyota. At the time, they did not replace the frame but only covered the rust with some coating. That did not stop nor slow the rust. The "band aid" they used was insufficient at solving the problem, it only covered it temporarily.
Took the truck in for recall inspection of rear as per recall notice #bxd ssc. Was told by sunnyside Toyota that the rear part was fine but the other part of frame is badly corroded. They/and the Toyota manufacturer said that this portion of frame is not covered under recall. Estimate of repair cost $15,000. Remarks on vehicle inspection report: 99 front section of frame has a large hole that we feel is getting to the point of being dangerous/not part of bxd campaign
I have had multiple problems with my 2002 Tundra trd 4wd. I have had it in more than 4 times for the brakes vibrating/pulsating and looks like I will be taking it in again as they are starting to vibrate again!! Reno Toyota has always done all the maintenance on it and keep trying to say it is my fault the brakes are bad and the rotors are warping. They replaced the rear axles a couple of months ago but I had to pay the $50 deductible. They also had to install a gasket on the crossover for the engine coolant as the factory never installed it. The ac doesn't get cool enough to cool the interior. Whistling noise but don't know where it is coming from...sounds like coming from side mirrors??? I replace the wheels recently because of vibration because the wheels were warped. Always have excessive brake dust on front wheels. Transmission feels and sounds like it is slipping all the time. …
Tundra 2002 v6 vibrated badly at 45 MPH. When checking, found 3 broken studs in the front wheels, 2 from the driver side and 1 from the passenger side. With some on-line research, a TSB for this particular model and year has issued back in 2003. Yet, owners of this Tundra model had never been made aware of it. While making a call to Toyota corporation, a customer service representative stated that there is an upgrade brake system-calipers, brake pads, and other parts related to the front brake-available for free of charge for tundras that have had brake problems. When taking this problem to a local Toyota dealer, no one seemed to take any action. 3 months later, they still didn't fix my car. Brake history-several complaints about the brakes and rotors being worn out and warped fast have been brought up the local dealer. …
Consumer complaint regarding 2002 Toyota Tundra. The vehicle makes noise when turning left. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that five of the lug nuts were loose due to stress. 5 of the lugs were left loose. One stud broke and one lug nut was holding the wheel in place. The consumer noticed that the tire were worn and asked the service manager to have them checked. It was determined that they were indeed worm and the tires were replaced. After the tires were replaced the consumer notice a problem with the front end that was not there prior to the tire replacement. The dealer replaced all 6 lug nuts, 1 stud and cap which was installed incorrectly. The brakes were replaced at 20000 miles and 90000 miles. About 6000 miles after the last brake service the consumer notice a pulsation when the brakes were applied. …
The spare wheel/tire fell off my 2002 Toyota Tundra as I passed over a speed bump (at a very low speed) whilst leaving an apartment complex. I was unaware of having lost the wheel but my son, who lives in the complex, saw the incident & called me - by the time he called I was on the highway driving at high speed - if the wheel had fallen off whilst I was on the highway the consequences could have been catastrophic. I submitted a report (case # 208366) to NHTSA 11/25/09 after going on line & discovering that corrosion was an issue with the frame of this vehicle & that other incidents of a similar nature had been reported & that Toyota were preparing a remedy. On 01/10/10 I contacted my local Toyota sealer & was advised to bring in the vehicle at my convenience when the spare wheel would be safely secured within the truck bed pending a permanent fix for the problem.
Last year my spare tire and holding bracket tore loose from the frame and onto the highway. I went to a local garage to find the cause of the problem and was told that the frame is so corroded it is not safe to drive. Latter we learned that there had been two major safety recalls on the 2002 Tundra.many were notified of these recalls and had new frames installed by Toyota at no cost to the owners. We were not notified of these recalls by the dealership where we bought the truck nor by Toyota corporation.in November 2013 we went to shepard Toyota in rockland where we bought the truck and they told us that the recall had expired.I then sent a letter by certified mail to Toyota customer experience center on December 30, 2013. They did not reply. There were 2 major safety recalls on my truck and I was not notified.
Related recalls
Wheels
On certain 4x2 vehicles equipped with an alloy wheel tire upgrade (options wm4, wm8, zl1-zl4, dh4, or dh5) installed by the processing centers in jacksonville, florida or commerce, georgia, a label identifying the spare tire as a temporary use spare tire was not installed.
Remedy: Owners will be provided with a caution label and an insert for their owner's manual. Owner notification began July 15, 2002.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Tundra years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2002 Toyota Tundra?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2002 Toyota Tundra, 5% of the model year's 482 complaints. The component named most often is lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Toyota Tundra wheel & tire problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 02V-129 (wheels, May 1, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Toyota Tundra wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 21% 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.