2003 Toyota Camry Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly accelerate or lunge forward and had done so several times, both while idle, pressing the brakes, and while driving at various speeds. Suddenly accelerated downhill, and when approaching the inner section, the contact immediately turned the vehicle to avoid hitting another vehicle and ended up crashing into a nearby residence's garage, causing the vehicle to stop. The air bags did not deploy. The garage door was damaged, and the contact's vehicle's front-end was damaged. A police report was filed. The contact had stated they had experienced sleep issues and a fear of driving the vehicle since the incident. The vehicle was able to be driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle had not been driven since. The contact spoke with a certified mechanic who informed them it was a known issue and of NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V388000 (Vehicle Speed Control), which related to their experienced failure. The mechanic did not repair the vehicle. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 09V388000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and they too confirmed that the VIN was not included. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ID

11736032

Incident

Dec 6, 2025

Mileage

75,000 mi

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,888, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 165,064.

NHTSA ID

11676738

Incident

Jul 21, 2025

Mileage

165,064 mi

No incident. But it's a problem with the ABS. Dealership says it's nothing wrong with the brakes. But it is. Had a diagnostics done at Auto Zone, and it came back showing a code for the ABS system. But showed the service dept the code that it showed something is wrong with ABs. They still say nothing is wrong.

NHTSA ID

11615552

Incident

Sep 19, 2024

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for service and the mechanic informed her that the subframe, muffler, the brakes, and the gas tank were extremely corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 206,000.

NHTSA ID

11523677

Incident

Jan 15, 2020

Mileage

206,000 mi

48 degrees outside, sitting in my car waiting a few minutes for it to warm up, after about one minute of sitting in it, the rear driver side window just cracked everywhere and shattered. Glass all over. Not happy, no reason why this should have happened. No cars were around, nothing hit it, it just shattered with no warning or no reason. I always loved Toyotas but this is really discouraging.

NHTSA ID

11495086

Incident

Nov 26, 2022

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle onto her driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine bolts had sheared off. The contact stated that the bolts were replaced and torqued to specs however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 215,000.

NHTSA ID

11488229

Incident

Nov 15, 2021

Mileage

215,000 mi

Having purchased w 2003 Toyota Camry 2.4l, (with good paint, no rust, great interior, and new clear headlights) 3 days prior, the previous owner reported no current issues. The check engine light come on the 3 rd day as I drove away from the DMV having just titled it. AC was blowing cold, no other dash lights were on and I couldn't feel any apparent issues driving, so I proceed to my place of employment, where a friend whom is an independent mechanic had the machine to read check engine codes. I never made it. Had driven approximately 25 miles and came to a full stop for a red light. Upon turning green and beginning to accelerate, my Camry's engine died and would not start. When the key was turned it made no noise at all. Towed to a mechanic shop, I was asked if it had overheated, it had not. Without investing further and me acquiring a diagnostics charge, he said one apparent issue was the fact that there was absolutely no coolant in the engine. Dumfounded I had ittowed home where another Mechanic friend (licensed) was going to see about reapiring it. One of the code//errors read, was that the was no combustion, the radiator was full, but there was no traces of coolant in the engine, when took of the engine mainfold right away he noticed 3 cool packs that were damaged, as well as what appeared to be a used head gasket poorly installed, and worse if all the timing chain had jumped and made a mad mesh nightmare to the engine...so previous owners obviously sold me their night mare, I now am stuck with either replacing the engine (not) or bring carless once again.✔️✔️ Note: Contacted the acclaimed christian, God fearing sellers, whom I paid $4000 and they kindly refunded me $1000, as they stated it was no fault of theirs ..

NHTSA ID

11471000

Incident

Apr 26, 2022

I was going 45 to 50 mph and my car shut off in middle of highway and we barely got out of highway before getting hit there is recall on same kind of car for throttle body and that's what's wrong with mine so it has too be that they missed my car

NHTSA ID

11469268

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

Driver seat belts releases on its own especiall while driving. I stop and push metal clasp back into position, sometimes with force to make sure it is engaged. Sometimes it stays in place, sometimes not. I also check to make sure nothing is in the way of metal clasp before pushing it into the slot. I never know when it will pop back again undtil the light on the dashboard starts to flash. This has been going on for about 2 months.

NHTSA ID

11442751

Incident

Oct 1, 2021

I have a 2003 Toyota Camry le (4 cylinder, 2. 4 l) which began leaking engine coolant from around the engine block. My mechanic determined that the root cause of the leak was loose head bolts in the engine block. I was advised to either replace the engine or rebuild it both of which are cost prohibitive given the value of the car at 114,000 miles. I have come to learn that this is a very common problem with 2003 Camrys and Toyota has issued no recall for this issue. This particular car was well maintained by Toyota dealership service.

NHTSA ID

11441755

Incident

Nov 26, 2021

2003 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE AIRBAG. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS DISPLAYING A DEFECT IN THE DASH AREA WHERE THE AIR BAG IS LOCATED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED INFORMATION ABOUT THE VEHICLE AND HOW TO PROCEED WITH REPAIRS.

NHTSA ID

11440194

Incident

Nov 12, 2021

I started my car and began to back up, when the rear-view mirror burst into smoke, it began filling the car with smoke. I reached up and pulled the wires out of the mirror and the wires were arcing. After I pulled the wires out the smoke started subsiding. I opened the doors and aired out the car.

NHTSA ID

11434251

Incident

Sep 24, 2021

After oxygen sensors were changed the VSC and track off lights came on and wouldn't turn off and it's using a lot of fuel consumption and it takes a second for the car to pick up after stepping on the gas pedal

NHTSA ID

11432702

Incident

Jan 27, 2021

Front passenger side collision at 30+ mph, NO airbags deployed

NHTSA ID

11430879

Incident

Aug 28, 2021

DRIVERS SIDE POWER SEAT IS STUCK IN FORWARD. EMERGENCY BRAKE DOES NOT WORK. ENGINE REQUIRES 1 GALLON OF OIL EVERY 2 THOUSAND MILES.

NHTSA ID

11415494

Incident

Jul 27, 2019

Mileage

240,000 mi

AS I TURNED SLIGHTLY RIGHT INTO MY PARKING SPACE WITH MY FOOT LIFTING FROM THE GAS PEDAL TOWARD THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY TOOK ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN AND SPED UP THEN CRASHED RIGHT THRU THE GATE THAT DIVIDED THE PARKING SPACE FROM THE SIDEWALK. I WAS IN SHOCK AND THOUGHT THERE WAS A GHOST OF SOME KIND THAT JUST TOOK OVER THE GAS PEDAL AS IT SPED UP. MY FRONT BUMPER WAS DESTROYED AND FRONT GRILL ALONG WITH THE LOWER HEAD LIGHTS OF VEHICLE ALONG WITH THE HOOD OF THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

11389759

Incident

Jan 22, 2021

Mileage

164,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING 55 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TO SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN TO HER DESTINATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

11377127

Incident

Nov 23, 2020

Mileage

100,000 mi

SEATBELT WON’T CLICK INTO THE BUCKLE AND OR RELEASE ON THEIR OWN HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN HAVE IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY I CANNOT BUCKLE MY DRIVER SEAT BELT

NHTSA ID

11363117

Incident

Aug 1, 2017

Mileage

150,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INCREASED TO HOT, INDICATING THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER RAY BRANDT TOYOTA LOCATED AT 2460 VETERANS BLVD, KENNER, LA 70062, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET HAD BLOWN, DUE TO THE ENGINE BOLTS FAILING AND COOLANT WAS LEAKING OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

NHTSA ID

11350393

Incident

Aug 1, 2020

Mileage

89,000 mi

ON AUGUST 7, 2020 I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF A SUBWAY RESTAURANT. I WENT IN AND PICKED UP MY ORDER TO GO. WHEN LEAVING I PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT. THERE WAS A LARGE POLE ABOUT 15 FEET BEHIND ME THAT I SLIGHTLY BACKED INTO. PUTTING MY CAR FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE(AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED INTO THE SUBWAY RESTAURANT , JUMPING A CURB AND SIDEWALK CRASHING INTO THE BUILDING. I HAD NO CONTROL OF THE ACCELERATION, BRAKES DID NOT ALLOW ME TO BRAKE. THANKFULLY NO ONE IN THE BUILDING OR MYSELF WAS INJURED. THE POLICE OFFICER THAT MADE OUT THE ACCIDENT REPORT TOLD ME HE COULD NOT GIVE ME LEGAL ADVICE BUT THAT THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND THAT I MAY WANT TO GOGGLE IT. I DID GOGGLE THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND MANY OTHER INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAS OCCURRED. I CALLED A TOYOTA DEALER AND GAVE HER MY VIN NUMBER AND SHE SAID THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THIS AND SHE HAD NOT HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. I CONSIDER THIS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THAT SOMEONE COULD BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. THE CAR IS IN THE REPAIR SHOP BUT I DO NOT WANT IT BACK UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS FIXED. NEXT TIME THIS SUDDEN ACCELERATION HAPPENS THE OUTCOME COULD BE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT. PLEASE NOTIFY ME WITH ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. PICTURES AVAILABLE IF NEEDED.

NHTSA ID

11349138

Incident

Aug 7, 2020

Mileage

130,787 mi

FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG DEPLOYED IN PARK MODE LIKE LOUD BOOM AND CRACKED THE WINDSHIELD DID NOT EVEN MOVE THE CAR. COUPLE METAL PIECES HIT ME

NHTSA ID

11322707

Incident

Apr 29, 2020

Mileage

167,000 mi

HEAD BOLTS STRIPPED CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF ENGINE. THIS IS A COMMON AND KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THIS ENGINE. A GOOGLE SEARCH TURNS UP HUNDREDS OF EXAMPLES OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM. EXAMPLE: GOOGLE "2003 CAMRY STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS".

NHTSA ID

11315823

Incident

Dec 16, 2019

ALMOST AT END OF EXIT RAMP FROM I264 TO BARDSTOWN RD NEAR GARDINER LANE INTERSECTION. HAD GREEN LIGHT. MY VEHICLE WAS GOING APPROX 25 MPH WITH NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME TO EXIT ONTO BARDSTOWN RD (HWY 31?). ONLY MYSELF, DRIVER. I WAS IN LEFT HAND LANE TO EXIT TO WESTBD (?) BARDSTOWN RD. TOWARD DOWNTOWN AND A SMALLER CAR WHIPPED RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME FROM RIGHT HAND KANE (TWO EXIT LANES GOING IN SAME DIRECTION. PERHAPS, THIS CAR WANTED TO CROSS OVER THREE LANES ON BARDSTOWN RD TO GET TO FAT LEFT TURN LANE AT GARDINER LN. THIS LIGHT IS OFTEN BACKED-UP. EVEN THOUGH I APPLIED MY BRAKES, THEY WERE NOT STOPPING MY CAR IN TIME AND I HOPPED CURB TO LEFT TO SMSLL TRIANGULAR MEDIAN. AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I COULD NOT MAKE WISE DECISIONS WITHOUT SEEING AND I WAS HIT BY AIRBAGS, BRUISED IN FACE, ETC. I WAS WEARING MY SEATBELT. I VIEWED THAT THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC COMING TOWARD ME AS I WAS NOW PERPENDICULAR TO TRAFFIC INTO TEO LANES OF BARDSTOWN RD. I COULD HAVE TURNED RIGHT AND AVOIDED HITTING ANY OTHRR VEHIVLE IF IT WERE NOT FOR AIRBAGS BLOCKING MY VIEW. I HAD NOT HIT ANY OBJECT OR VEHICLE AT THIS POINT. I KEPT APPLYING PRESSURE TO MY BRAKES ON WHICH I HAD SPENT THOUSANDS IN REPAIR. THE BRAKES STILL DID NOT STOP ME. I NEVER SAW WHY I STOPPED. AIRBAG BLOCKED VIEW. THE CAR I WAS DRIVING FINALLY HIT SOMETHING (LATER FOUND OUT) ANOTHER CAR IN TURN LANE TO GET ONTO I 264 IT FINALLY STOPPED. MY HEARING AID IN MY RIGHT EAR WAS EJECTED WHEN AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I FOUND IT LATER ON PASSENGER MAT IN REAR. THE AIRBAGS HAD TO BE DEFECTIVE TO DEPLOY FROM JUMPING ONE SMALL CURB. NO AIRBAG I AM ABLE TO TURN RIGHT WHETHER BRAKES WORK OR NOT. NO ACCIDENT.

NHTSA ID

11310623

Incident

Feb 17, 2020

Mileage

139,000 mi

CAR CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUFFERED WHIP LASH AND CONCUSSION.

NHTSA ID

11307243

Incident

Jul 8, 2019

Mileage

300,000 mi

MY SEATBELT WON'T CLICK INTO THE BUCKLE AND OR RELEASE ON THEIR OWN HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND THEN HAVE IT EVENTUALLY STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY I CANNOT BUCKLE MY DRIVER SEAT BELT AND ONE OF THE REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS HAS STARTED DOING THE SAME THING I AM ABOUT TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE THEM REPLACED BEFORE I GET INTO AN ACCIDENT I WOULD HATE TO FIND OUT THAT THE SEATBELT THAT DOES WORK NOW STOPPED WORKING WITH MY CHILD IN THE CAR IN AN ACCIDENT

NHTSA ID

11301898

Incident

Feb 15, 2019

Mileage

200,000 mi