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Toyota EchoModel year report

2002 Toyota Echo Problems

Complaints
35filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
72,300miles, 22 complaints with mileage
Recalls
2campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
32 mpgcombined, 1.5L 4-cyl FWD · 29 city / 37 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Toyota Echo (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 35 consumer complaints for the 2002 Toyota Echo. The part named most often is vehicle speed control, with 8 complaints (23% of the total), followed by air bags (7) and transmission and drivetrain (5). 22 of the complaints include a mileage, and 41% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 72,300 miles. Of all complaints, 12 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 11 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns and 78 technical service bulletins for this model year. Vehicle speed control complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part. Air bags complaints overlap with 6 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Engine (1), Exterior lighting (1), Fuel system (1), Other or unknown (1), Body and structure (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Vehicle speed control: “I shifted into reverse to back out of a driveway when the car suddenly accelerated on its own. It crossed the street and ran over a brick planter box, knocked down a crape myrtle tree and finally hit the neighbor's SUV. I applied the brakes to no avail and had no time to shift into neutral or turn off the ignition. After the accident, I checked the gas pedal to see if it was against the floor or if the floor mat was interfering with it, but found nothing wrong. The car was totaled and my back was injured.”

NHTSA complaint #10608192, filed 2014-07, 151,000 miles

Air bags: “I was driving down a 4 lane highway (us 29 s), when a car tried to turn into the median three cars ahead of me. One car swerved to avoid the front two vehicles. When they did I was able to see the cars trying to stop. I slammed on my brakes, by the time I did it was too late. So going about 65 with about 50 feet of stopping distance I guess I was going 40 - 50 MPH. I could not move to the other lane since there was tractor trailer in the other lane. So I rear ended the vehicle in front of me. Impacting on the driver side front corner. My airbags failed to deploy. …”

NHTSA complaint #10182367, filed 2007-02, 101,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “My 2002 Toyota ECHO on nov. 16th 2010 while driving on the freeway in the county of los angeles ca. Went into reverse while still in drive. There was traffic ahead of me so I was only driving about 2 MPH when it went into reverse while the automatic shift was still in drive. I went to put on the brake but the brakes did not work. I turned off the car and put on the hazards. Two minutes went by when I turned on the car and it went into drive. …”

NHTSA complaint #10375302, filed 2011-01, 137,242 miles

Brakes: “While driving 45 MPH brakes failed, causing the vehicle to roll down a cliff. As a result of severe damage the vehicle was totaled. At an earlier date, the consumer tried to stop the vehicle but spun around on the front tires. Toyota informed the consumer that they did not cover the tires. The consumer was unable to stop the vehicle and swerved to miss an oncoming vehicle. Recall #02v268000 was issued after the occurrence. On the second occasion, the vehicle had gone over a cliff and hit a tree. The consumer requested compensation.”

NHTSA complaint #10050198, filed 2004-01, 25,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

41% of the 22 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 14,000 and 98,000 miles.

18%0–1018%10–255%25–5014%50–7523%75–10014%100–1509%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (22 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 72,300 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’02’046’07’09’11’14’16’18
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2002 Toyota Echo. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Echo · sedan not rated4 / 4———

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Toyota Echo version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Echo FWD1.5L 4-cyl5-speed manual293732$2,100
Echo FWD1.5L 4-cyl4-speed automatic273530$2,250

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2002 Toyota Echo → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 78 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 78 bulletins →

Other model years of the Toyota Echo

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2005510,0000—33—Not enough data
20031714,9580—33—Stable
20023572,3002—32Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20015067,0002—32Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20008883,2663—32Not compared (before 2008)Falling

All Toyota Echo model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Toyota Echo have?

NHTSA recorded 35 consumer complaints for the 2002 Toyota Echo as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Toyota Echo is reported most often?

Vehicle speed control is named most often, in 8 complaints (23% of the total), followed by air bags with 7.

Has the 2002 Toyota Echo been recalled?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Toyota Echo get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Toyota Echo (Echo, 1.5L 4-cyl) at 32 mpg combined, 29 city and 37 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,100 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Toyota Echo reported?

Among the 22 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 72,300 miles and the middle half falls between 14,000 and 98,000 miles; 41% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.