2002 Toyota Rav4

Family: RAV4 · filed with NHTSA as RAV4

Summary

Of the 514 complaints that name a component, 73% concern Powertrain (376).
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
No recalls filed for this model year.
No federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 527
Recalls: 0
Investigations: 0
NCAP overall: Not rated
Combined MPG: 22–24
Combined MPGe (electric): 78
Annual fuel cost: $950–$2,850
Median mileage at complaint: 94,000 mi (n = 478)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 36 / 15 / 48 / 0

What owners report

Powertrain

376 complaints · 73% of complaints that name a component · median 96,000 mi (n = 358)

Owner report The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Rav4. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure had since become a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an i…

Owner report 2002 Toyota RAV4 AWD transmission problems and will be available upon request. Transmission caused vehicle to disengaged , jerks, stalls with severed engine braking while driving creating a safety performance and hazard on the roads to myself and other unexpected drivers. Upon reading similar complaints of other owner…

Electrical System

92 complaints · 18% of complaints that name a component · median 94,000 mi (n = 84)

Owner report AUTO: 2002 TOYOTA RAV4 ISSUE: ECU OR ECM COMPLAINT: TOYOTA REFUSES TO REPAIR ANY TRANSMISSION DAMAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FAULTY COMPUTER PART. DESCRIPTION: WHEN PRESSING THE GAS WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. JERKY MOVEMENTS IN THE LOWEST GEARS AND REVERSE; S…

Owner report I HAVE A TOYOTA RAV4 AND ITS COMPUTER BROKE. WE TOOK IT TO MANUFACTURE AND THEY SAID THE COMPUTER IS FREE TO REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY, HOWEVER, THEY CHARGE US REPAIR COST AROUND $700. IS IT LEGAL TO CHARGE FOR THE REPAIR FOR ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY? *TR

Engine

63 complaints · 12% of complaints that name a component · median 89,900 mi (n = 52)

Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA RAV4. WHILE DRIVING LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WAS ABNORMALLY LOUD WHILE IDLING AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED ON OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING…

Owner report MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN NOVEMBER. I HAD IT CHECKED OUT BY NUMEROUS PLACES. THEY ALL TOLD ME IT WAS MY OXYGEN SENSOR (BANK 1 SENSOR 1), SO I REPLACED THAT TWICE. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS STILL NOT SHUT OFF. I HAVE BEEN HAVING TO PURCHASE GAS DAILY AND CAR IS NOT RUNNING AS WELL. *TR

2% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2001–2005)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2001	309	47	not compared
2002	527	27	not compared
2003	315	18	not compared
2004	154	19	not compared
2005	141	10	not compared

Recalls

None on file.

Federal investigations

None on file.

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
RAV4 2WD	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic 4-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	21	26	23	$2700
RAV4 2WD	2.0L 4cyl	Manual 5-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	22	28	24	$2600
RAV4 4WD	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic 4-spd	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	20	25	22	$2850
RAV4 4WD	2.0L 4cyl	Manual 5-spd	4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive	20	25	22	$2850
RAV4 EV	Electric		2-Wheel Drive	87	69	78 MPGe	$950

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2002 Toyota RAV4 4-DR.	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	★★★☆☆
2002 Toyota RAV4 EV	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 116 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-12-06	STRUCTURE:BODY	The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-12-05	STRUCTURE:BODY	Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow the Removal Procedure …
2024-12-03	STRUCTURE:BODY	Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can be identified by the …
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicl…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood…
2024-07-12	STRUCTURE:BODY	To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and in…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this RAV4, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota RAV4 model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.