RoadVitals

2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Sep 4, 2002
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
2
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2002 Toyota MR2 Spyder, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

  • Engine150.0%
  • Transmission150.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

INFORMED DEALER OF EXCESSIVE OIL CUNSUMPTION ONLY TWO WEEKS AND 2,000 MILES AFTER OIL CHANGE. CAR SERVICED REGULARLY BY DEALER. TOYOTA TECHNICAL RESPONDS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT MAY BE CAUSING IT, BUT NUMEROUS INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED BY OWNERS. MOST INCIDENTS LEAD TO TOTAL ENGINE LOCKUP DUE TO ABSENCE OF OIL AS THE MAIN RINGS FAIL AND OIL IS RELEASED INTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND ON TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER GETS CLOGGED AND BACKPRESSURE RESULTS IN A BLOWN ENGINE. TOYOTA HAS INTRODUCED A MODIFIED SHORTBLOCK THAT ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM, BUT THE REGIONAL DISTRIBUTORSHIPS HAVE TAKEN AN ATTITUDE OF DENIAL OF THE PROBLEM. NUMEROUS COROLLAS AND CELICA GTS VEHICLES, WHICH USE THE SAME 1ZZ-FE ENGINE, HAVE EXPRESSED SIMILAR INCIDENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID 766664 · filed Sep 4, 2002

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

1
report

From owner reports, verbatim

PARKED VEHICLE WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE, WITHOUT WARNING, VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR AND ROLLED BACK. *JG

NHTSA ID 8006248 · filed Mar 22, 2002

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .