2002 Toyota 4Runner Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
I WAS TRYING TO PASS A CAR DOING A LITTLE OVER 55 MPH AND HEARD A LOUD BANG NOISE. I PULLED OVER AND STOP THE AS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND THERE WAS OIL WAS POURING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE MOTOR. THE OIL SERVICE WAS KEPT UP TO DATE AND WAS JUST CHANGED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND THE ENGINE HAD THROWN A ROD. MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. (AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH 4 RUNNER ENGINES WHEN THEY REACH 75000 MLES OR MORE. I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS PROBLEM.) I WAS LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND THAT I WASN'T ON THE EXPRESSWAY IN CHICAGO. I HAVE EMAILED TOYOTA. *TR
ENGINE AT IDLE, LOUD NOISE, WON'T START. AFTER TAKEN APART FOUND 4 CONNECTING RODS AT THE BOTTOM OF OIL PAN. *KB
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY BEGAN TO LOSE POWER WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALUMINUM RADIATOR AND THE BOLT THAT CONNECTED THE COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID TRANSFER WAS FAULTY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD CAUSE THE TWO LIQUIDS TO COMBINE ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT CONFIRMED THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE WITH EXTREMELY LIMITED POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH SHE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PULLED OVER AND SHE OBSERVED SMOKE AND OIL COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT ONE OF THE PISTONS PIERCED AND ENGINE BLOCK NEAR THE OIL FILTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 76,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
BURNING TOO MUCH OIL. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA 4RUNNER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD THE PISTON CONNECTING ROD POP WHEN HE SWITCHED LANES. AS A RESULT, OIL LEAKED OUT OF THE ENGINE MANIFOLD AND CAUSED A FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE ENGINE. THE DEALER NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER TO REPAIR THE ENGINE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 127,000.
DRIVING CAR AND HEARD LOUD BANG NOISE CAR IMMEDIATELY STARTS SLOWING DOWN AND OIL LIGHT COMES ON AFTER CAR STOPS OIL IS POURING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE MOTOR. WE SEND CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAY THE ENGINE HAS THROWN A ROD. MOTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THE CAR HAS 72,000 MILES ON IT . A PERSON IN THE SERVICE DEPT SAYS THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS MOTOR IT IS VERY WEAK. WE CALL OTHER MECHANICS TO GET ESTIMATES THEY SAY THEY TO HAVE SEEN A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THIS MOTOR. WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WITH THE CAR WE ARE STILL HOPING FOR SOME HELP FROM TOYOTA. ALSO WE GAVE THE DEALERSHIP ALL OF OUR OIL CHANGE RECORDS THAT WERE DONE ON TIME. *JB
DT: 2002 TOYOTA 4 RUNNER - THE OIL IS GETTING THICK AND GELLING. THE VEHICLE IS USING A LOT OF OIL, AND BLOWING BLACK SMOKE CAME FROM THE TAIL PIPE. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR SOME TOYOTA OF THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODELS, AND TOYOTA DID HAVE THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ON THE CONSUMER COMPLAINT WEBSITE. IT STARTED TO BLOW THE BLACK SMOKE DRIVING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A OIL GELLING PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE MOTOR WOULD HAVE TO BE TORN TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSED THIS PROBLEM. THIS WOULD BE AT THE CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HELP THE CONSUMER WITH THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE COVERED DUE TO THE MAINTENANCE THAT HAD DONE ON THE VEHICLE. *AK
I HAVE 2002 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER WITH 55,000 MILES. AFTER SEEING BLACK, DARK SMOKE FROM THE EXAUST SYSTEM, I THOUGHT IT NEEDED TUNE-UP. I TOOK TO JOHNSTONS TOYOTA DEALER FOR TUNE-UP (OVER $500.00), AND CAME BACK THE CAR WAS GETTING WORST. TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER TO LOOK AT IT WHY? I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO FLUSH MY ENGINE (ANOTHER $100.00), AND ONCE AGAIN THE CAR GOT EVEN WORST. TOOK BACK FOR THE THIRD TIME, I WAS TOLD THAT SERVER SLUDGE AND IT NEEDED TO TEAR DOWN ENGINE TO CLEAN/REPAIR (THEY ASKED ME TO PAY $6,100.00 WHICH I REFUSED). I ASKED DEALER TO CONTACT TOYOTA FOR POWER TRAIN WARRANTEE BUT THEY DECLINED BECAUSE THEY BLAMED FOR LACK OF LUBRICATION. IF ONE FOLLOWED THE OWNER'S MANUAL AND ENGINE INDICATED THAT LACK OF LUBRICATION, ONE SHOULD CONCLUDE THAT IT IS DEFECTIVE ENGINE (OR SOME OTHER RELATED PARTS) THAT CAUSE TO BURN OIL MORE THAN IT NEEDED. HOWEVER, TOYOTA REFUSE TO REVIEW OR TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT THE PROBLEM. I THINK THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT TOYATA DOES NOT BACK UP ITS WARRANTEE AND ACCEPT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFECTIVE PARTS OF ITS VEHICLE.*AK
2002 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER ENGINE PROBLEM. LIKE OTHER TOYOTA ENGINES, THIS ONE AT 48,000 MILES, HAS A SEVERE SLUDGE BUILD UP PROBLEM DESPITE MAINTENANCE THAT HAS FOLLOWED RECOMMENED PRESECIPTIONS IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. TOYOTA REFUSES TO HONOR ITS POWER TRAIN WARRANTEE IN REPAIRING OR REPLACING THE ENGINE DESPITE THE MALFUNCTION. MUSSON PATOUT HAS ACTED IN A DISHONARABLE AND DISREPUTABLE MANNER IN REPAIRING THIS AUTOMOBILE ACCORDING TO WARRANTEES PURCHASED WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK
VEHICLE WOULD SMOKE WHEN STARTING. DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2002 Toyota 4Runner has 11 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.