RoadVitals

2008 Toyota Camry Solara Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility 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.
11
Latest May 14, 2021
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.
13%
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.
1
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 windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 11 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 visibility

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

Visibility
Filed May 14, 2021

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON CITY STREETS OR OPEN HIGHWAYS ON SUNNY DAYS, DRIVER SOMETIMES BECOMES BLINDED FROM GLARE FROM "MELTING" SHINY DASHBOARD. THIS PROBLEM WITH "MELTING" DASHBOARD BEGAN MAYBE 5-6 YEARS AGO AND HAS KEPT GETTING WORSE. THE BLINDING REFLECTIONS ARE NOW SO BAD AT TIMES THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE WE ARE SOMETIMES BLINDED BY REFLECTIONS FROM THE SHINY DASHBOARD.

NHTSA ID
11416615
Incident
May 14, 2021
Mileage
49,769 mi
Visibility
Filed Dec 31, 2017

THE DASHBOARD IS CRACKED, SHINY AND STICKY, SERIOUSLY AFFECTING VIABILITY. I AM NOT THE FIRST OWNER OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
11057713
Incident
Dec 24, 2017
Mileage
51,950 mi
Visibility
Filed Apr 29, 2016

DASHBOARD HAS BECOME SO STICKY TO THE TOUCH THAT IT CAN LONGER BE CLEANED. IT IS OMITTING SOME SORT OF AIR POLLUTANT THAT IS CAUSING THE WINDSHIELD TO BE HARD TO LOOK THROUGH. IT ALSO CAUSING A STRONG GLARE WHEN SUN IS OUT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE ROAD AT CERTAIN ANGLES TO THE SUN. CALLED TOYOTA OF ORLANDO (866-945-0493) AND SPOKE TO ASHLEY IN THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON OR ABOUT 11/03/2015 AND SHE CONFIRMED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE AND SHE SAID THEY WOULD ORDER THE DASH THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. HAVE CALLED NO LESS THEN SIX TIMES TO FOLLOW UP ONLY TO BE TOLD THE PART HAS NOT ARRIVED YET. IT HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS NOW SINCE THE REQUEST FOR SERVICE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED.

NHTSA ID
10862148
Incident
Nov 3, 2015
Mileage
900,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jan 4, 2015

REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER DOES NOT WORK DUE TO DEFECT IN CONVERTIBLE TOPS RUBBING OFF WIRES, KNOWN DEFECT IN MOST ALL CONVERTIBLES IN THIS LINE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10669996
Incident
Jan 1, 2015
AirbagsBody & structureVisibility
Filed Oct 7, 2014

OVERNIGHT MY 2008 CAMRY SOLARA DASHBOARD HAS MULTIPLE CRACKS AND HAS BECOME TACKY AND SHINY. THIS MANUFACTURER DEFECT CONTINUES TO PROGRESS TO CURRENT DATE. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT CAUSES A GLARE WHEN SUN IS IN DIRECTION OF TRAVEL OR SUN IS BELOW 70 DEGREE PLANE TO REFLECT OFF THE DASH SURFACE. POLARIZED SUNGLASSES DEFER SOME OF THE GLARE. THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERNED WITH THE CRACKS EXPANDING AND CHANGING AND THE GUMMY SURFACE BLENDING AROUND AIRBAG LOCATION WHICH WILL PREVENT PASSENGER AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. TOYOTA USA AND DEALER WILL REPAIR AT MY COST WITH A VERY NOMINAL COST ADJUSTMENT ABOUT 20% FOR REPLACING THE DASH SURFACE. THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, ALWAYS GARAGE KEPT AT WORK OR RESIDENCE. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF TOYOTA CARS OR PERHAPS TENS OF THOUSANDS WITH THE SAME ISSUE OVER MULTIPLE MANUFACTURER YEARS. THE DEFECT BECOMES AN ISSUE SHORTLY AFTER THE CARS PASS THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10643083
Incident
Nov 1, 2013
Mileage
33,489 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Sep 23, 2014

THE DASHBOARD TO MY 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA SPORT V6 IS EXTREMELY STICKY, GLOSSY, AND HIGHLY REFLECTIVE OF SUNLIGHT TO THE WINDSHIELD GLASS WITH EXCESSIVE GLARING AT CERTAIN TIMES TO CAUSE POOR VISIBILITY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10638453
Incident
Jun 1, 2010
Mileage
14,500 mi
Body & structureVisibility
Filed Sep 1, 2014

I HAVE LOVED MY TOYOTA SOLARA EXCEPT FOR ONE MAJOR ISSUE. A FEW YEARS AGO THE DASHBOARD BECAME STICKY AND GUMMY. EVERYTHING STICKS TO IT AND IT IS VERY SOFT TO THE TOUCH. IT IS TOTALLY MELTING AND THE DASHBOARD HAS CHANGED TO A SHINY SURFACE. THE BRIGHT AND SHINY DASHBOARD CREATES A HUGE GLARE ON THE WINDSHIELD RIGHT IN MY LINE OF VISION. LASTLY, THE DASHBOARD HAS BEGUN CRACKING...FIRST CRACK APPEARED BETWEEN THE AUDIO/RADIO SYSTEM AND THE GLOVE BOX A FEW WEEKS AGO. *TR

NHTSA ID
10629916
Incident
Aug 16, 2014
Mileage
48,500 mi
Visibility
Filed May 12, 2011

2008 TOYOTA SOLARA CONVERTIBLE. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH REAR DEFROSTER *TGW THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROOF. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN LOOKED OUT THE REAR WINDOW, THE UPPER PORTION OF THE GLASS WAS DISTORTED, WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE BEFORE THE ROOF WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT ALL THE VEHICLES EXHIBITED THE SAME CONDITION AND IT WAS CONSIDERED NORMAL. *JB

NHTSA ID
10400460
Incident
May 2, 2011
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
Interior & seatsVisibility
Filed Jun 4, 2009
Crash reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PADDING IN THE FRONT ARM REST OF THE VEHICLE. HE EXPERIENCED EXTREME DISCOMFORT. IN ADDITION, THE AUTOMATIC DIMMING MIRRORS DIM IN LOW-LIGHT SITUATIONS. HE CANNOT MANUALLY ADJUST THE COMPONENT. ON ONE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE MIRRORS AUTO-DIMMED. VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE DEALER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE MANUFACTURER REFERRED HIM TO A DEALER. THE FAILURES HAVE NOT BEEN REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

NHTSA ID
10272894
Incident
Jan 15, 2009
Mileage
100 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 26, 2008

2008 TOYOTA SOLARA DEFECTIVE DIMMING REARVIEW MIRROR. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DIMMING MIRROR WILL GO IN AND OUT OF DIMMING. THE HEADLIGHTS FROM THE CARS BEHIND ARE VERY BRIGHT THROUGH THE MIRROR AND HE HAD TO COVER THE MIRROR WITH HIS HAND. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER PERFORMING A SERIES OF TESTS, HE CONCLUDED THAT THE AUTO-DIMMING MIRROR WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10232855
Incident
Jan 1, 1901

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

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .