Model year record

2002 Toyota 4RUNNER

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 261 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 05V225000

Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint

Component: Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint
Manufacturer: TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.
Vehicles affected: 768,379
Reported to NHTSA: 2005-05-17
Owners notified: 2005-07-05

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

THE LOWER BALL JOINT MAY SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Structure: body	74	145,450 mi
Suspension	35	146,000 mi
Unknown or other	30	142,059 mi
Power train	24	132,000 mi
Service brakes	10	170,000 mi
Steering	9	158,000 mi
Structure: frame and members: underbody shields	8	113,000 mi
Suspension: front: control arm: lower ball joint	7	51,665 mi
Vehicle speed control	7	113,000 mi
Air bags	5	111,000 mi
Engine	5	120,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling	5	76,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic	5	94,000 mi
Structure: frame and members	5	86,000 mi
Structure	3	136,000 mi
Tires	3	36,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)	2	10 mi
Power train: driveline	2	100,000 mi
Suspension: rear	2	86,000 mi
Wheels	2	140,000 mi
Air bags: frontal	1	60,000 mi
Electrical system	1	94,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: engine	1	127,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: exhaust system: emission control: catalytic convertor	1	100,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	1	139,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch	1	150,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission	1	95,500 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: cooling unit and lines	1	—
Power train: driveline: differential unit	1	90,000 mi
Seat belts	1	73,000 mi
Seats	1	105,500 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module	1	60,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: rotor	1	—
Steering: linkages: tie rod assembly	1	106,925 mi
Tires: pressure monitoring and regulating systems	1	—
Traction control system	1	1 mi
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal	1	—
Visibility: power window devices and controls	1	72,000 mi

The 2001 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. The 2003 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.