2002 Toyota 4RUNNER Fuel system Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 2%of 225 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 34,576miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the fuel system of the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER, 2% of the 225 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 34,576 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“My 2002 4RUNNER was purchased brand new from Toyota in november of 2001. I live in new york so it does snow 2 or 3 months out of the year. It has been used as a second vehicle to pick up supplies and the like, otherwise it is rarely used. At this time it has approx. 139000 miles. The truck would not start and I took it to a mechanic. I was told there is an extreme amount of rust under the vehicle, the undercarriage, the frame, the gas tank, etc. …”
NHTSA complaint #10631160, filed 2014-09, 139,000 miles“The car's resting idle will suddenly surge causing more brake pedal pressure to be applied. At first, I thought it was the air conditioning kicking on, but the AC is not on. The surge in idel speed is significant enough to move the vehicle forward, making for many close calls.”
NHTSA complaint #10062146, filed 2004-03, 5,000 miles“While driving down the interstate, the vehicle lost all power. This situation could be fatal, at highway speeds. Luckily, nobody was injured. Further investigation revealed a faulty rheostat in the throttle body of the fuel system. The rheostate failure causes the butterfly valve to close, thus not letting enough air into the intake manifold. Due to the lack of air, the engine stalls out , causing the vehicle to decelerate very quickly. Replacement of the throttle body corrected the problem, with no further incicents occuring.”
NHTSA complaint #10141669, filed 2005-11, 41,153 miles“Fuel gauge hand gone to full and dropped to empty while driving. Took vehicle to dealer, and consumer was informed that they couldn't find anything wrong.”
NHTSA complaint #10115728, filed 2005-03, 28,000 milesFuel system: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 14% |
| 2025 | 2 | 3% |
| 2024 | 1 | 10% |
| 2021 | 1 | 3% |
| 2020 | 1 | 3% |
| 2019 | 13 | 20% |
| 2018 | 9 | 15% |
| 2017 | 2 | 6% |
| 2016 | 4 | 5% |
| 2015 | 10 | 11% |
| 2014 | 10 | 13% |
| 2013 | 4 | 11% |
| 2012 | 6 | 6% |
| 2011 | 2 | 1% |
| 2010 | 1 | 1% |
| 2009 | 2 | 9% |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% |
| 2006 | 6 | 2% |
| 2005 | 6 | 1% |
| 2004 | 4 | 1% |
| 2003 | 13 | 2% |
| 2002 | 4 | 2% |
| 2001 | 3 | 2% |
| 2000 | 25 | 5% |
| 1999 | 43 | 13% |
| 1998 | 1 | 0% |
| 1997 | 1 | 0% |
| 1996 | 1 | 1% |
| 1995 | 2 | 1% |
| 1994 | 1 | 2% |
| 1993 | 3 | 6% |
| 1992 | 1 | 2% |
| 1991 | 1 | 2% |
| 1990 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER
88 complaintsSuspension
49 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
33 complaintsOther or unknown
32 complaintsBrakes
21 complaintsEngine cooling
12 complaintsSteering
12 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsAir bags
9 complaintsTires
8 complaintsEngine
5 complaintsElectronic stability control
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Toyota 4RUNNER
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology