Recall 02V021000 scope
Recall 02V021000
S.M. CHRISTHILF & SON, INC. • SUSPENSION • reported Jan 18, 2002 • • 273,743 units affected
View official record on NHTSA.gov · federal source of truth
- Campaign
- 02V021000
- Manufacturer
- S.M. CHRISTHILF & SON, INC.
- Component
- SUSPENSION
- Make
- TOYOTA
- Model Years
- 1996–1998
- Affected Units
- 273,743
- Country
- US
- Data As Of
- Apr 5, 2026
What this recall is about, in plain English
TOYOTA has issued a recall affecting suspension. THIS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH. DEALERS WILL REPLACE REAR SUSPENSION PARTS.
Synthesized from the NHTSA defect summary, consequence, and remedy fields shown below.
This recall describes a safety risk and the remedy is still pending. Affected vehicles should be parked or driven only as needed until the manufacturer issues guidance. Always verify directly with the manufacturer or your dealer using the campaign number.
Risk Summary (Consequence)
THIS MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF CONTROL AND COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Defect Summary
ON CERTAIN 2-WHEEL-DRIVE (2WD) AND 4-WHEEL-DRIVE (4WD) 4RUNNER SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, A COMBINATION OF HEAVY LOADING (SIMULTANEOUS LOADING TO REAR GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING AND GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING) AND SEVERE STEERING MANEUVERS COULD CAUSE THE 2WD 4RUNNER TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL STABILITY.
Remedy
DEALERS WILL REPLACE REAR SUSPENSION PARTS. ALTHOUGH THE 4WD 4RUNNERS DO NOT EXHIBIT THE HANDLING CONDITION, TOYOTA WILL RECALL THESE VEHICLES TO AVOID ANY PUBLIC CONFUSION AS TO WHICH VEHICLES SHOULD RECEIVE THE REPLACEMENT PARTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN FEBRUARY 28, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Key Dates
Affected Vehicles
3 vehicles under this recall
Official Sources & Documents
Links to NHTSA.gov and Part 573 recall reports when available — hosted by NHTSA, not TruckCodex
Documents hosted on nhtsa.gov. Links open in a new tab.
How to Act on This Recall
- Owners: Contact your authorized dealer to schedule the remedy at no cost. Remedy is covered under 49 U.S.C. 30120.
- Fleets: See the Fleet Recall Workflow Guide for the operator workflow to sweep your VIN list against this and other open campaigns.
- Looking up a specific VIN? Check VIN against NHTSA for open recalls on that vehicle.
- NHTSA contact: Vehicle Safety Hotline 1-888-327-4236.
How to verify your vehicle is affected
- Find your VIN. Locate your 17-character Vehicle Identification Number on the lower-left corner of your windshield, on the driver's-door jamb sticker, or on your vehicle registration. The VIN is the only reliable way to confirm whether a specific vehicle falls under a recall — make/model/year alone is not enough.
- Check your VIN on this site. Enter the VIN at /vin/ to see every open recall tied to your specific vehicle, including 02V021000. Our lookup pulls directly from the NHTSA recall database and refreshes daily.
- Cross-reference with the official NHTSA recall search. For a second source of truth, run the same VIN through https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls. If both this site and NHTSA show the same campaign as open for your VIN, it applies — schedule the repair.
- Contact your dealer if affected. Bring the campaign number, your VIN, and your registration to an authorized dealer for the make. The dealer performs the remedy at no cost. If you've already paid for a related repair, bring the receipt — the manufacturer is required to reimburse pre-recall repairs that addressed the same defect.