RoadVitals

2008 Toyota Camry Solara Exterior lighting Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Exterior lighting reportsComplaints 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.
8
Latest Nov 13, 2017
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 83 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Toyota Camry Solara submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming exterior lighting

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 13, 2017

MY 2008 TOYOTA SOLARA HEADLIGHTS ARE REALLY SCARY TO DRIVE WITH AT NIGHT. THE VISIBILITY IS ALMOST NONE. THE HIGH BEAMS ARE LIKE REGULAR BEAMS ON EVERY OTHER CAR. MY LOW BEAMS ARE NONEXISTENT. MY FRIEND HAS A 2007 TOYOTA SOLARA AND HAD THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO ONLY BE TOLD THAT THEY DO NOT ADJUST AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. TO THE POINT I DO NOT EVEN DRIVE AT NIGHT, AND I AM A 33 YEAR OLD WOMAN. MY CAR IS IN THE SHOP AS WE SPEAK ONCE AGAIN DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. BUT NOT ONLY ARE THE BEAMS LOW, BUT BOTH ARE NOW NONFUNCTIONAL. THE SHOP CAN NOT FIND ANY DEFECT OR WIRES LOOSE. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS TO BE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAT THIS IS A ONGOING ISSUE AND A MANUFACTURER SITUATION.

NHTSA ID
11045763
Incident
Nov 13, 2017
Mileage
120,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 23, 2016

HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION TURN SWITCHOFF AND BACK ON HEADLIGHTS WORK AGAIN TILL THEY GO OUT AGAIN, SAFETY CONCERN.THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT GO OUT ALSO SUPPOSED TO BE ON FOR " S AFETY" NOT VERY SAFE.AS FOR DATES BEEN HAPPENING FOR ALMOST A YEAR CALLED TOYOTA THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD.

NHTSA ID
10837862
Incident
Feb 23, 2016
Mileage
2 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jun 8, 2015

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA SOLARA CONVERTIBLE SPORT V6. UPON DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY I NOTICED THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT (L) WENT OUT AND HAD TO FLIP THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON TO TURN IT ON. AFTER A FEW MILES THE (R) LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OFF AND HAD TO FLIP THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON AGAIN TO TURN IT ON. I NOTICED AFTER SEEING THE REFLECTION OFF ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT THEY WERE BOTH OFF AND HAD TO SWITCH THE HEADLIGHTS OFF AND ON ONCE AGAIN. I'M NOT SURE WHEN EXACTLY THIS STARTED BUT IF I HAD NOT LOOKED INTO THE REFLECTION OF THE CAR AHEAD OF ME I WOULD HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH THE LIGHTS OFF. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY HAZARD. I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA SOLARA SE V6 (12 YRS) NEVER HAD A LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT ISSUE AND THAT CAR HAS OVER 273000 MILES ON IT. THIS SHOULD BE TOYOTA'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPLACING THE FAULTY HEADLIGHT EQUIPMENT AND NOT THE OWNER.

NHTSA ID
10723965
Incident
Jun 6, 2014
Mileage
93,640 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Apr 29, 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY SHORTED OUT. AS THE FAILURE PROGRESSED, THE LIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATE WHILE TRAVELING AND CAUSED A LOSS OF VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

NHTSA ID
10713518
Incident
Mar 5, 2014
Mileage
120,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Feb 11, 2015

PASSENGER HEADLIGHT GOES OFF WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. YOU HAVE TO TURN THE LIGHTS OUT AND BACK ON SO THE HEADLIGHT WILL COME BACK ON. *TR

NHTSA ID
10682819
Incident
Nov 4, 2011
Mileage
65,870 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Nov 17, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ID
10658632
Incident
Oct 20, 2014
Mileage
90,000 mi
Exterior lighting
Filed Jan 27, 2013

THIS 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA, ~37K MILES, USES THE SAME HEADLIGHT BULB TYPES AS THE 2008 TOYOTA AVALON, 9011 FOR HIGH BEAMS AND I HAD BOTH HIGH BEAMS GO OUT ON A WINDING ROAD IN BACK COUNTRY OF WISCONSIN WITH MANY DEER AND OTHER MOVING NIGHT CREATURES. BOTH HIGH BEAM BULBS SHATTERED DURING THIS TRIP, LEAVING GLASS FRAGMENTS INSIDE THE LENS ASSEMBLY AND IT ALSO LEFT A WHITE DISCOLORATION (TUNGSTEN DEPOSITION?) ON THE INSIDE PLASTIC LENSES OF ONE HEADLIGHT, WHICH SEEMS TO REDUCE THE LOW BEAM VISIBILITY. NHTSA REFERENCE # 10037591 TSB REFERENCE # SB-0044-10 REV 1 DESCRIPTION: TOYOTA: ON SOME 2008-2010 AVALON VEHICLES, THE HIGH BEAM LIGHT BULBS MAY NOT WORK OR SHATTER. THIS 2008 SOLARA WAS PUT INTO SERVICE IN APRIL OF 2008 AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY THE 72K MILE, 5 YEAR WARRANTY EXTENSION, JUST LIKE THE 2008 AVALON RECALL. HOW COME ONLY THE AVALON WAS COVERED? I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD ALSO APPLY TO THE 2008 SOLARA MODEL ALSO AS IT USES A VERY SIMILAR HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND SUFFERS FROM THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10494861
Incident
Jan 26, 2013
Mileage
37,000 mi
Exterior lightingPowertrain (other)Visibility
Filed May 5, 2010

2008 TOYOTA SOLARA CONVERTIBLE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER, MAP LIGHT AND JERKING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR WIDOW DEFOGGER WAS NOT WORKING AND WOULD NOT CLEAR FOG OR FROST FROM THE REAR WINDOW. ALSO, THE MAP LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT AND WOULD NOT ALWAYS COME ON WHEN OPENING THE DOOR LOCKS. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER STATED THE REAR DEFOGGER WAS INSPECTED AND CHECK AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. THEY ALSO STATED THE DEFOGGER WAS DESIGNED ONLY TO REMOVE FOR FROM THE INSIDE OF THE WINDOW AND NOT FROST OR SNOW FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE WINDOW. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN INFORMED THE ENTIRE ROOF WOULD HAVE TO REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFOGGER. AFTER THE ROOF WAS REPLACED THE PROBLEM WITH THE REAR DEFOGGER HAD BEEN RESOLVED, REGARDING THE JERKING PROBLEM, THE DEALER STATED THAT TOYOTA TRANSMISSION WERE RECENTLY MODIFIED AND THE JERKING AT SLOW SPEEDS. WAS NORMAL. *JB UPDATED 05/12/10.*JB

NHTSA ID
10329552
Incident
Nov 12, 2009

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .