2002 Toyota Highlander Vehicle Speed Control Problems

NHTSA component category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · data through 07/12/2026

29Vehicle Speed Control complaints

9.6%Of all 301 complaints

#2Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How vehicle speed control ranks on this vehicle

VISIBILITY108 · 35.9%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL29 · 9.6%

STRUCTURE23 · 7.6%

VISIBILITY/WIPER16 · 5.3%

Unspecified / other14 · 4.7%

Share of the 301 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2002 Toyota Highlander overview page.

What owners report

“ACCELERATOR DOES NOT RESPOND WHEN PUSHED,THE FAILURE OCCURS REGULARLY WHEN PASSING VEHICLE WONT ACCELERATE,THE DEALER ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES THAN CAN…”NHTSA complaint 10248014 — filed 11/08/2008

“ENGAGED FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATION HAPPENED, DAMAGING MANY OTHER CARS. DEALER NOTIFIED.”NHTSA complaint 10022585 — filed 06/06/2003

“CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE THROTTLE WILL STICK. DEALER NOTIFIED.”NHTSA complaint 8020242 — filed 10/04/2002

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Vehicle Speed Control complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2002 Toyota Highlander have vehicle speed control problems?

Vehicle Speed Control is the #2 most-reported problem area on the 2002 Toyota Highlander: 29 of 301 complaints on file (9.6%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2002 Toyota Highlander have in total?

301 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 24 involved a crash, 6 involved a fire, 25 reported injuries, and 4 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's vehicle speed control category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.