2002 Toyota Prius Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2002 Prius most often describe steering trouble: violent shaking of the wheel, momentary or lasting loss of power assist, and steering racks found worn or leaking. Braking complaints center on a brief loss of stopping power over bumps at low speed, and tire complaints describe rapid or uneven wear and sidewall blowouts at low mileage. Many of these reports come at higher mileages, while the tire and brake complaints often appear early in the car's life.

1. 1
   Steering

   Steering wheel shakes; power assist cuts out

   • 73 complaints (44%)
   • median 92,000 mi at 9.0 yrs old (65 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,616 (median of 12 quotes)
   • filed 2002–2020

   Complaints describe the steering wheel shuddering or shaking violently, especially when turning at low speed or in cold weather, sometimes to the point that the driver struggles to keep the car in its lane. Owners also report the power-steering warning light coming on and assist dropping out suddenly at speed, occasionally returning after the car is shut off and restarted. Several say a dealer or independent shop diagnosed a failed torque sensor, steering rack or rack-and-pinion and quoted a replacement, while some were told it needed only grease or that no fault could be found. Spread from very low mileage up past 150,000 miles, with many reports in cold weather or on the first drive of the day.

   Recall 11V3040001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Turn the wheel slowly at a standstill and at low speed with the car cold and listen and feel for shudder, squeak or binding; check that the power-steering warning lamp comes on and goes out normally. Ask whether recall 11V304000 was performed and whether the rack or torque sensor has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On cold days, when driving for the first time, the steering wheel will start shuddering back and forth violently and rapidly if I try to turn the vehicle. This occurs regardless of the road condition at speeds of less than 10 MPH. The shuddering stops only when I straighten out the wheel.”

   NHTSA complaint #10438105, filed 2011-12, 20,000 miles

   “I was driving along the interstate I-75 returning from east ridge, tn, and the power steering light and warning lit-up on the screen panel. The steering wheel became very rigid while I was driving, and I had to clasp the steering wheel firmly to control the steering of the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10559537, filed 2014-01, 143,769 miles
2. 2
   Tires

   Premature and uneven tire wear, sidewall failures

   • 18 complaints (11%)
   • median 23,600 mi at 2.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
   • filed 2002–2008

   Complaints describe the original tires wearing out or wearing unevenly on the inside within roughly 10,000 to 30,000 miles, with steel belt showing through in some cases. Owners also report sidewall blowouts and repeated slow leaks, and say they were told the car needs a specific heavy-duty tire size available mainly through a dealer, with some dealers recommending higher inflation pressures. Mostly reported under about 70,000 miles, often within the first few years of ownership.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Inspect all four tires for uneven inner-edge wear, cracking and sidewall damage, check pressures against the door-jamb label, and ask for the alignment history.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Two bridgestone potenza re92 [p175/65 r14 84s, DOT el(pjdh4801] tires failed on my 2002 Prius within one week. These are the tires installed on the vehicle when we bought it. Our vehicle currently has slightly less than 25,000 miles on the odometer and is driven primarily for commuting on freeways. We discovered the right front tire extremely low on air when returning to a parking garage on 4/12/03. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10014314, filed 2003-04, 23,600 miles

   “Check engine light kept coming on then going off. Took to dealer but they couldn't get it to duplicate problem. While there they noticed tires were severely worn. Told me I needed 4 new tires and a 4 wheel alignment at 27,008 miles. Purchased 4 175/65r14 re 92 extra load tires. Left after paying for repairs including an oil change of $557.61 n august 3, 2004. October 8, 2005 had two nearly flat front tires. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10139794, filed 2005-10, 27,008 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brakes briefly give way over bumps

   • 19 complaints (11%)
   • median 41,780 mi at 7.1 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2022

   Owners describe pressing the brake pedal while slowing at low speed over a bump, pothole or speed hump and feeling the car lurch forward or the braking force disappear for a moment before returning. Some report a hard stop feeling weak or delayed, and a few describe a brake warning lamp that stays lit with a fluid leak found at the dealer. Complaints mention that dealers often called the behavior normal for the anti-lock system or could not reproduce it. Mostly reported below about 70,000 miles, often during low-speed stops on rough pavement.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test the brakes on a bumpy or uneven surface at low speed and note any surge or delay; check the brake warning lamp and look for fluid leaks or a leaking accumulator/booster assembly. Ask about pad and rotor condition and any recent brake service.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2002 Prius has braking problems when it hits a rough patch of pavement or encounters small bumps. This has happened since it was purchased (new). If you are slowing down and hit a bump or a series of bumps, the braking power literally disappears for a moment or two. The braking power does return, but it adds considerably to your stopping distance. I never realized how serious it could be until I heard about the other Toyota recalls involving brakes.”

   NHTSA complaint #10307865, filed 2010-02, 15,000 miles

   “I have always had problems with the brakes on the Prius, but the dealer keeps telling me there is nothing wrong with it. Yet you first hit the brakes on they are ok, but if you have to hit them hard - no brakes...yet the dealer can't find anything wrong with it. The computer doesn't show anything wrong I guess I will have to kill someone before I can get them to listen and fix the problem. The last 12 years have been a nightmare......why can't we get them to recall this? …”

   NHTSA complaint #10549793, filed 2013-10, 5,000 miles
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Hybrid battery and electrical faults

   • 37 complaints (22%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 6.9 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,800 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2002–2017

   Complaints describe the hybrid battery discharging completely in traffic so the car lurches on acceleration, then overcharging with a hot, burning smell in the cabin. Others report multiple warning lamps lighting at once with a burning odor and engine overheating, or the car failing to start and stalling until an engine control unit was replaced. Some owners say dealers found no stored error codes or charged a diagnostic fee without resolving the concern. Generally reported above about 60,000 miles, with several cases past 140,000 miles.

   Recall 06V2660004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the high-voltage battery has been serviced or replaced and have the battery and stored codes checked before purchase; note the condition of the 12-volt battery and any warning lamps at startup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving 20 MPH the vehicle caught on fire in the trunk where the battery was located. Consumer was able to pull the vehicle off the road. The local fire department arrived and extinguish the fire. The cause of the fire was determined to be an electrical short. The dealer was notified. The hybrid battery pack caught on fire.”

   NHTSA complaint #10111792, filed 2005-03, 36,000 miles

   “When driving in traffic hybrid battery completely discharges causing car to lurch when trying to accelerate. Once the car is out of traffic the battery over charges causing the battery to over heat and cause the cabin to fill with a scary smell of burning. The hybrid battery fan is on. Took to Toyota dealership paid nearly $300 for diagnostic and they could find no error codes related to the problem. Call chp to assist in tow to dealership.”

   NHTSA complaint #10365308, filed 2010-11, 157,600 miles
5. 5
   Vehicle speed control

   Low-speed surge or unintended acceleration feel

   • 31 complaints (19%)
   • median 47,000 mi at 8.0 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2022

   Owners describe the car shooting forward or accelerating on its own while creeping or parking at very low speed, sometimes with the foot on the brake. Some report the car jerking forward when started or hesitating to stop at a stop sign, and say dealers could not duplicate the behavior. A few complaints tie the feeling to the transition between electric and engine power. Reported at low mileage in several cases, generally during parking-lot or stop-and-go driving.

   What to check: During a test drive, practice slow parking maneuvers in an empty lot and note any lunging or delayed response, and ask whether the throttle body or engine control software has been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My husband needed to take his car to the repair shop and I was following him. We arrived at our destination and he parked his car in a parking space. I had our dog in my car and decided to park the car in a shaded parking space. As I was entering the parking space, my car feltlike it was accerlerating even though my foot was on the brake. The airbags then exploded and the car came to a complete stop. The airbags burned my arm and the noise from the bags frightened my dog and he jumped from the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10086711, filed 2004-08, 29,719 miles

   “I had just left one area of a parking lot and was traveling to another at a low rate of speed (5 to 15 MPH) so my 2002 Toyota Prius was running under electrical power. I turned right to pull into a parking space between two suvs, coasting in with my foot over the break pedal. When I was more than halfway into the parking space, the car suddenly shot forward jumping the curb and stopping only when it hit a stone pillar. When I looked down (after checking to see if my 13 year old son was alright, I saw that my foot was on the brake pedal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10138243, filed 2005-09, 42,240 miles

Buying note. On a car this old, the steering system deserves the most attention: have the rack, torque sensor and assist checked and confirm the steering recall was completed. Budget for tires, brakes and an aging hybrid battery, and get any stored fault codes read before agreeing on a price.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.