2003 TOYOTA Camry

OIL CONSUMPTION

I was parked and had my foot on the brake when I put the car into drive. The car suddenly accelerated without my foot being on the gas. Fortunately, no one was hurt but it could have been catastrophic as a mother and child were walking in front of the car when it happened.

Update 12-10-12: I no longer have this dangerous car because I didnt want my grandchildren to ride in it. This was the most frightening experience of my life. I do have all of my correspondence if you need it. People that Ive spoken to that have experienced sudden unintended acceleration was right after a battery or a tail light was replaced. In my case it was within an hour after I had the battery replaced.

I HAD A HEAD GASKET THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED AND WHEN THE CERTIFIED MECHANIC WENT TO PUT THE REPAIRED PART BACK ON THE ENGINE. THE BOLTS KEPT STRIPPING OUT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REPAIR THE CAR. MY NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO GET ANY HELP FROM TOYOTA HAVE RESULTED IN RUDE COMMENTS WHICH TOLD ME THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM. HOWEVER WHEN I LOOK ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE MANY, MANY OTHERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. I WONDER HOW MANY PROBLEMS OF THE SAME NATURE DOE IT TAKE FOR A RE-CALL TO OCCUR??? THE COMPANY THAT MADE THE PART WON’T TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REPAIR AND I DONT FEEL IT SHOULD BE THE CONSUMER THAT PAYS FOR THE MANUFACTUORS FAULTY PARTS. I HAVE OWNED MANY TOYOTA’S OVER THE YEARS (I STILL HAVE MY 1990 CAMRY) AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR THEM. THEY SHOULD STAND BY THEIR FAULTY PARTS. MY MECHANIC HAS ALSO TALKED TO TOYOTA WITH SAME RESULTS.

We recently had body work done on our vehicle and asked them to detail the inside of the car which they do. We showed them the interior of the car where a black greasy / oily residue base has been forming on the inside windows and roof of our 2003 Camry LE. We haven’t experienced any other problems with the car, except for what is being described. The concern my wife and I have is that the residue has been getting worse for the past year and a half. The windows develop a oily film base about every 2 – 4 days. The autobody shop said they haven’t seen anything like it before – and thought it may be coming from the heating / air conditioning compressor system from possible oil burn-off through the vents – they did say they weren’t sure if this is the real reason. I spoke with someone at your hotline today and they suggested we send in a complaint. My more bigger concern is that my wife uses the car 85% of the time, has been experiencing headaches, eye irritation, some nausea and dry skin. I’m very concerned about potential short term and long term health issues for my wife and family since this appears to be something we can’t see until it settles on the roof or windows, and may be being inhaled by my family every time we turn on the ignition to the car. I am also contacting Toyota North America Corporte office for there insight and assistance. We would appreciate your help with suggestions of what we can do, health concerns, and answers to what may be causing this problem? possible.

This car pulls left and tracks poorly under most driving conditions. It is especially bad in crosswinds and on wet roadways. It was originally established by the dealership that low caster angle was to blame. The dealer was able to loosen and jiggle the engine cradle to get the caster on the minimum specification for caster, but this has done nothing to correct the poor handling. After 4 visits and much unnecessary delay, the dealership and Toyota now claim there is nothing wrong with the car. This defect represents a significant safety issue with lane driftage, and limits the use of the car.I am deeply disappointed with the dealership’s and Toyota’s position. I selected Toyota for their apparent good reputation for integrity and service, but my experience has shown otherwise. My interactions with Toyota through their agents has shown that their reputation appears to be largely based on their own public relations campaign–not on service and quality.I am now faced with the prospect of arbitration and lawsuit to force Toyota Motor Corp to honor their warranty. I cannot in good conscience knowingly sell this vehicle to another unsuspecting buyer, so I must choose to either sue Toyota or repair the vehicle myself.

The CD changer initially had issues with playing CDR (cds made on a computer at home). It would skip all of the time. It also had issues with regular CDs when attempting to fast-forward or reverse to a specific area of a song track. It took a visit and a couple telephone calls to Toyota’s Customer Service to get them to agree to replace the CD Changer. Ever since this was replaced, I have had no further issues with the vehicle since then. However, in the Camry that I had as a loaner when the vehicle was in on 7/28/03, that vehicle had the same issue with its CD Changer and I told the service manager about it.The moonroof has had issues since the vehicle was originally purchased in January 2003. Basically, it has been leaking and a water noise is heard when operating the vehicle at highway speeds, which is not normal and the radio needs to be turned up to drown the sound out. The vehicle has been to the dealership for repairs for four times. The last time it was in was on 7/28/2003. At that point of time, the moonroof was not even closing completely. Toyota flew a field technician from California to Kansas City for the repair. He claims that the reason for the moonroof not closing was because the battery was disconnected when the heated leather seats were installed and that caused the timing for the roof to become corrupted. The dealership never saw this problem ever with any 2002-2003 model Camry and that is why a field tech was sent out. After he fixed the sunroof, I was assured by Charles Epp, Toyota’s Regional Manager, that my vehicle was fully repaired and he personally assured me that it was tested for water issues too and that everything was corrected by resetting the timing. While operating the vehicle shortly after the repair, the moonroof is still leaking and having water noises during highway operations during rainstorms. Recently, I had an arbitration hearing at Jay Wolfe Toyota with an arbitrator from NCDS. I am still waiting to hear from him for the results. Toyota acted as if there is nothing wrong with this vehicle. They claim that it is “normal” to have leakage and water noises because my vehicle has a Toyota wind deflector installed by the dealership on it. If this claim is true, I should have been informed about it prior to having the wind deflector installed by the dealership. Furthermore, I believe this is a lame attempt by Toyota for not claiming responsibility for this issue. Needless to say, I am very upset with all the trouble that I have gone through to attempt to get my vehicle fully repaired. I am seeking action against Toyota to buy my vehicle back so I can get something that is more reliable. Due to Toyota’s lack of care for vehicle issues, I will never purchase another product from them again.

The brake pedal travels 2 inches before the braking starts. The pedal clearance is abnormal. Because of that the brake pedal is very soft and travels low without an adequate braking capability, the brake has late response time. During emergency breaking, the pedal falls through with late slowdown of the vehicle. Full braking requires pushing the pedal into the carpet. All the above-mentioned get worse after 30 minute of driving (maybe because the temperature of the booster increases.The first time themain cylinder was replace. Then the rear breaks were adjusted. The problem still persist. There are 36 similiar cases are reported to NHTSA.

My passenger side Air bag cover looks like is coming part. I see a good gap between the cover and the dash-board. Inside the airbag cover, I can see a yellow plastic sheet kind of material. I am worried whether it will affect the performance of the Airbag or whether if dust or something gets in , it will create problem on its functionality. I took it to the local Toyota dealer, the report says “TECH STATES SEPARATION APPEARS TO BE CAUSED DO TO EXCESSIVE HEAT. AIR BAGS OPEARTING AS DESIGNED. DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH. COST to replace ….”. They claim it is NOT an issue and if I want I can replace my entire dash-board to seal the gap on my expense.1. It may look fine now what if tomorrow if the cover comes out fully that when I am driving in a highway. 2. Anything can get-in in such a big gap. I have photos for evidence.3. Excessive heat ( The max temperature on this month-June was around 95+) so they mean to say the dash-boards are not designed to withstand that outside temperature ?(Probably it will be little more inside). So are they saying excessive summer heat can create a gap between dash-board and Air bag cover for any car?. Air bag is such a critical safety part how can allow such gap between the cover and dash-board for the summer heat? . For summer the plastic melts ?. Safety is my first concern not only the person driving or passengers and to the other cars on the road too. If the air bag pops out when I am driving, it can definitely distract any driver.Or if dust gets in it can mal-function too. Whether Toyota is installing a car dash board which cant even withstand Sun light temperature ? If thats the case, am I going to see the gap increasing by end of this summer ? I tried to communicate this toyota Customer Experience and they repeat the same thing that take it to the local dealer and I have no way to escalate or take a second opinion. My incident # with Toyota is : 070625-000298 and according to the representative, my email is documented at their Toyota National Headquarters under file #200706260111.

I purchased this vehicle on Dec.10th, 2003. Soon after I started driving, I noticed the vehicle uncontrollably pulling left. I took it to the dealership to have it looked at. They said the tires may have not been inflated properly. That didn

I own a 2003 Toyota Camry, which I maintained in a normal, responsible manner, with appropriate oil changes.While on a trip two weeks ago, the oil light came on, and I put in 1 quart of oil, and the light went off. A couple of hours later, I drove the car and it started making a loud clacking sound and the check engine light came on. I drove it to the house and parked it; called a mechanic to come over and take a look. He said it was the engine and needed to be taken to the Toyota dealership. I had it towed to the closest dealership, approximately 30 miles away. They checked it over the next couple of days, then called and said that the engine had sludge in it, and it needed a $7,000-$8,000 repair. They also said it was my fault, because the oil had obviously not been changed properly. when I purchased the car, the Toyota dealer talked me into a $999 extended warranty plan, which he assured me would cover any major issues that might come up with a car — it is called their Tender Loving Care package. Now the warranty (which Toyota is now distancing themselves from, saying is an outside company, therefore not anything to do with them) company denied the repair. Also, Toyota denied covering the repair, even though I have researched and found tons of material online indicating that they have had an ongoing problem with the Camry engines and sludge issues. I had regular oil changes, and have some of the records. I do not have all of the receipts, but have well over half of them. The car has 96,000 miles on it, and the extended warranty is for 100,000 miles. I am very frustrated, and feel that they are not standing behind their product. I would like for Toyota for fix the engine properly at their expense.I have been without my car for two weeks, and as a realtor who needs my car for my livelihood, this is a real problem. I borrowed a family member’s car, but will have to rent something starting this weekend. also, a $7-8k repair is a monumental expense for our family.

CAR VEERS AND PULLS TO LEFT, ALIGNMENT AND TIRE BALANCING DID NO GOOD. CROWN OF ROAD CAN BE EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT. WAS TOLD BY SERVICE MANAGER THIS WAS NORMAL. IT IS NOT NORMAL BY ANY MEANS. IT IS A DANGEROUS CAR. IT TENDS TO PULL INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC.

A 6\" x 1\" band of copper wire for the engine heat sensor is unprotected and a rodent appears to have sharpened its teeth on this, thus causing the driver\’s panel engine light to come on (and remain on even while engine is not running; if key is still in the ignition). Fort Myers, FL dealership will not cover the quoted labor cost ($329.)for this repair even though my car is still under warranty. My concern is that there is no protective device to prevent this from happening again and again. I phoned the Torrance, CA \"Customer Experience Center\" and they feel that this is not their problem. (an act of nature?) I feel that they are not being responsive or accountable to take the necessary measures to prevent this type of incident from recurring and/or happening to other Toyota Camry owners. I think that the technologies that are available to them could provide some type of \"shield\" perhaps so that rodents could not do this type of damage. I think they are just making money by charging me, the consumer, for the expensive labor, and then I have no way to prevent this from happening again. I wonder what would happen to my engine if it overheated and caused a fire because the panel sensor light did not come on. I asked one of the service managers at the dealership about how many of these complaints had occured in the past; he said about 10 a month. Now I want to know why Toyota Corp. has not tried to correct this situation. Thank you for listening!

Sludge in engine

Oil sludge

In the Oct. 2005 incident, I was backing out of my driveway and the car accelerated when I did not have my foot on the gas. The second time was in Nov. 2009. I was pulling into a parking space. My foot was not on the gas and the car lunged forward, jumping up a curb onto a grassy strip, down a second curb, landing crosswise on a 4-lane road. My husband experienced 2 incidents in 2009, where the car accelerated while he was turning into a parking space, with his foot off the gas pedal.

ENGINE OIL SLUDGE AND ASSOCIATED SECONDARY PROBLEMS WITHIN WARRANTY PERIOD. WARRANTY WORK DENIED.

1st incident listed above, oil light came on, stopped at full service station, less than 1/2 qt low, cranked car, light off, went approx 25 miles, at stop sign car died, would not crank, had towed to dealership, ran quick test & got Code P0340, found intake cam broken, engine dirty, pickup stopped up, intake & exhaust cam stuck in cylinder head, gave me estimate for new & used engine, was under Power Train Warranty, they said due to oil sludge, blamed me for not doing proper maintenance, I had all maintenance records, tried to say mechanic falsified docs, finally agreed to cover under warranty, they did not replace engine, they replaced cylinder heads, cams, valves, timing chain & guides, oil pickup, cleaned engine & reassembled. 2nd incident – 05-15-09, car has approx 96,000 miles, driving 60 MPH, no lights came on, car started losing power & smoking, pulled over, car was not running hot, oil had splattered causing the smoking, still had some oil even after splattering, towed to mechanic, he said due to oil sludge, damage included 3 holes in block, 1 hole in oil pan, #4 connecting rod damaged BAD, #4 piston shattered, #4 cylinder head damaged, engine a tota loss, still have the old engine, car has not been repaired. Toyota has denied any kind of repair stating 2003 was not covered under the class action lawsuit & car was too far outside warranty. Toyota should be held accountable. Too many Toyota owners are having this same problem. Apparently the new engines are just as faulty as the ones covered under the lawsuit. I could have had an accident causing injury and/or death to myself or others when this occurred. Thank God no one was injured.

Consumer request forms to report a safety issue with a 2003 toyota camry and additional forms such as auto safety hotline, recalls and new car crash tests and annual report of safety recalls. *tgw

2003 toyota camry. consumer writes to express her objective viewpoint and theory regarding toyota recalls and request comments and a reply. *tgw

2003 toyota camry with unintended acceleration. consumer believes that his/her vehicle year should also be included in the recall since it has the same problem. *kb

2003 toyota camry. consumer states defect with seat belt in which the seat belt detaches by itself while driving. *tgw updated 05/11/10.*jb

2003 toyota camry acceleration problem. *nj the consumer stated in 2006, while pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle accelerated from 5 mph to at least 60 mph without her foot on the gas pedal. the accident caused major damage to her vehicle and the apartment complex in which she lived. in addition, the consumer has a lingering injury from the accident. *jb

2003 toyota camry. the consumer stated when she placed the vehicle in drive with her foot on the brake, the vehicle suddenly surged forward.***cc *jb see also 10181803. *dsy

2003 camry accelerated out of control causing consumer to crash into a wall. *ts the consumer wanted to know if any action will be taken regarding her complaint. *jb

Inquiry regarding why no investigation or recall has been done regarding brakes for 2003 toyota camry. *mr *nm

Update to complaint 10047147 on 2003 camry le- vehicle constantly drifts to the right.*mr the tires were eliminated as a cause of the drifting. the dealer indicated that a right drift onset as soon as two seconds was considered acceptable by toyota. the only other recourse the consumer has is to seek correction at the dealer level or arbitration. *nm

The hub caps on the vehicle cracked.*mr *nm

Bridgestone tires p205/65r15 92t/ a bolt caused a puncture in the passenger side rear tire. (nar) *mr the technician mentioned that both the damaged tire and the three remaining tires on the vehicle showed excessive wear at the outside. *nm *cb

Vehicle's headrest sits at an angle where it causes the consumers head to be pushed down.*mr transferred to ovsc. *cb *jb

Drivers side power seat is stuck in forward. emergency brake does not work. engine requires 1 gallon of oil every 2 thousand miles.

This camry was purchased, new, by my mom and step dad is [xxx], or in 2003. they resided in florence, oregon, a beach town for the next 7 years. i moved my mom to reno, nv when she developed alzheimer's. although nevada is a low humidity state, the fact that this car resided on the coast in florence, or where humidity is high, rain constant i feel this car should have the repair to the front airbag. i am my mom's caretaker in my home and now with hospice's help. i also have an adult son on ssdi who needs my assistance. i worry that if something happens to me, due to the airbags in this 2003 camry, that my mom, son and family would be greatly affected, not to mention possible injury/death to me or passenger. please consider this car to be included in the recall to repair/replace the takata airbag. i have contacted the local toyota dealership as well. thank you, please offer me peace of mind and have this airbag replaced/repaired. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The vehicle was left in acessery position for 45 min.the car ran good up till this time.only had trouble turning key over, so that's why it was in ass.position. when i got ready to go ,i turned key and it would not start up, just turned over but no start.i have done every thing to it .butt reset the comp.

I have owned my 2003 camry since it was brand new. during all that time, i have noticed that whenever i brake as the car travels over small bumps, cracks or other imperfections in the road (especially if i brake hard), the abs system kicks in and appears to pump the brakes (though it does not actually stop the car) and does not shut down until i lift my foot off the brake thereby preventing a proper stop and significantly lengthening the stop. note that this occurs on dry roads. this also seems to occur if there is a need to stop hard just as i am accelerating, such as an unexpected short stop by the car in front. it has not led to any serious accidents (though a couple of light rear-ends), which i credit to my being able to compensate for the problem, until last week when the problem caused a more serious rear-end collision. all the other cars in four car chain managed to stop short, not my camry even as i maintained my foot on the brake, as it seemed to barely slow down, causing significant damage. the car is probably better off without the abs braking system altogether than with this defectively deploying system that doesn't really even seem to stop the car, but just lightly pumps the brakes, preventing proper braking.

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 toyota camry. while idling, the vehicle accelerated rapidly in reverse on its own without warning. as a result, the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle and a picnic table. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed. there were no injuries sustained. the vehicle was towed and destroyed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

When the car is on, the option of taking the keys out is still available. it is not necessary for the car to be off to take they keys out

Takata inflators: every time i fix my vehicle individuals cause hate crimes damaging my vehicle as i go to sleep or when i am not viewing my vehicle they must know exactly when i go to sleep because i cant catch them even though i think i know who it is i can not prove it so this is why i am complaining i remember checking my tires in the night noticing nothing wrong with them then checked in the mourning and noticed nails nailed in the tires then i noticed dried turtle wax all over the body of the car messing up the paint wheel alignment out of line right door power window malfunction trunk open power switch broken power sun roof sliding window broken vehicle was stationary this happened on different date in combination to the damage between 06/16/06 to 04/21/17.

Can't take my kids anywhere because it not safe can't gave friend ride .cause it un safe this car is un safe please can fit my car when i got car did no it had problems with bags..my right side dash has line across it bust open. c

During normal highway driving vehicle unexpectedly accelerated to full throttle. gas pedal was tapped several times which did not remedy the problem. vehicle was placed in neutral and engine shut off.

I was coming to a stop pressing the brake the car accellarate up to 70 to 100 speed and kept pressing the brakes the more i press the faster it went i had to run lights to avoid hitting cars finally it decided to stop when i swirl into a walgreens it did this 4 times that daythank god i need to know what is going on with this car that is scary it acelllarate fast and wont stop ....

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.

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.

One day i start my car and leave it to warm up for about 15 minutes, when i got in it i notice it was blowing cold air from vents,i started driving and it start getting hot ,so didn't pay much attention, about few days after my wife drove to church and call me to say there's no heat inside, i told her co come back home ,when i check the radiator it was almost dry,i could not believe it,i fill it back up and the temperature gauge went back to its original position, and i start getting heat inside again, took it on the road for a test drive only to start getting cold air again so i went home back put about a cup of antifreeze and lift the car only to find that the leaking is coming from between the intake manifold,my mechanic told me it's leaking from the head because the bolts go striped and the head is separated from the block and this is a common problem with these models,and it's going to need a knew engine, which i don't have any money to buy, toyota should take full responsibility for these issues, there's a lot of owner going through the same thing. *tr

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

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.

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.

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

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".

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.

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

Car crashed into a guard rail and the driver side airbag did not deploy. driver suffered whip lash and concussion.

Engine overheated and head gasket blown due to head bolt threads being stripped. this is a safety issue since the vehicle cannot be driven when this happens and there is a good chance of being stuck on a dangerous road or left to walk alone in a dangerous situation. toyota should repair this.

I was backing out of a parking spot. when my car staled and was shaking in reverse. i slammed on my breaks because i thought i backed up into something. when i put my car in drive and took my foot off of the brake pedal. my car immediately accelerated to full speed out of no where and caused me to crash into two cars.

Driver's side seat belt does not retract at any time.

The seat belt comes unfastened when driving down the street. this happens several times a week. you can pull and pull on the belt and it remains locked, but while traveling on the road, especially if one hits a bump, the belt unlatches and the light comes on and buzzer sounds. went to junk yard to get a different latch and learned that their neighbor's 2003 toyota camry does the same thing. this needs to be investigated and fixed. found same complaint on several complaint boards.

The car has lost power. does not accelerate properly!

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while the vehicle was stationary, the contact detected liquid leaking under the motor. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the head bolts on the engine were stripped out and loose. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 162,000.

Car engine head bolts are stripped and caused the coolant to leak into engine and and damage engine,the head bolts won't torgue to toyota standards because the engine block is aluminium and bolts are steel ,this has been widely reported but still toyota has not issued recall

The seat belt buckle releases intermittently while driving every day trip and all the time for the past few months, when i put it on i redo it over and over until it latches properly. this happens every time i try to latch it.

My seatbelt buckle button doesn't want to release the seatbelt when i went to toyota dealership, they said it not cover under safety. i have to paid for repair.

Coming to red light car would not stop i pressed harder on brakes asb came in then the car went into high rpms,and stopped sounded like it would blow up?.. i quickly put the car in neutral, from my experience to slow rpms you press gas petal hard until the rpms slow, i do not have floor maps, never had them...

Coming to a stop and about ready to stop and all of sudden steering wheel was pulled to left and accelerated. then i hit a parked car and was finally able to stop.

The dash is cracking at the airbag which i see is a regular problem. i am concerned about the safety of my passengers. this should not be a normal thing and should be repaired from toyota,

My car went into a deep ditch and the driver of my car incurred a terrible concussion while banging her head on the steering wheel upon impact. her seat belt was on. i want to know why the airbag did not deploy.

Toyota camry 2003 - head gasket leak caused by head bolts that come loose due to bolt hole problems at the block. a machinist will be required to fix the issue. the cost to fix exceeds what the car is worth. estimates range from $2500-$8000. issue was identified at 162,000 miles. toyota will not compensate because there is no recall and the car is not under warranty. due to this issue, the engine coolant continues to leak. many people have reported this issue for 2002-2006.

Oil consumption after 1200 miles driven

On december 7,2017, i was in a parking lot in florida. as i started going into a parking space, the car began to surge. i had a loss of steering and braking.i almost hit the car next to me. luckily that did not happen. i kept pressing down on the brake, but it took time for the steeering wheel to respond to me. i shut off the car because it seemed like the car had a mind of its own. i had 2 witnesses in the car.who saw that my car was in drive, and that my foot was on the brake pedal. the passenger checked the floor mat, and it was lying completely flat. i do not know why i had this loss of control. this also happened to me in 2010, when i had unintended acceleration,and my car hit a tree. i am now afraid to drive my car, and willl not do so because i feel it is unsafe.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact observed that the front passenger air bag started to fail and was exposed at the dashboard without warning. the local dealer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the vehicle. no further assistance was offered. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 toyota camry. while driving 5 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated. as a result of the acceleration, the contact's vehicle rear ended another vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. there were no injuries and a police report was not filed. the vehicle was able to be driven after the crash, but was later towed to an independent mechanic where it was deemed destroyed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a bulge on the dashboard where the frontal air bag was located. in addition, the contact noticed that the seam had separated and there was a colored substance around the separation area. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard pads assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 110,000.

Takata recall.

I must saddly add my name to the list of deeply disappointed toyota owners with the head gasket/ stripped bolts problem. my 2003 camry has 105k miles and has been well maintained when the head gasket blew last week during normal usage. i have done enough research now to realize that the car was poorly engineered and the stripped bolts are pervasive with this make, model and year of car. i now require a new engine, which is a cost prohibitive repair. i was driving on the freeway and happened to be looking at the dashboard and when the temperature gauge went from normal to the the hottest possible. i immediately pulled over, let the engine cool, added oil and then waited a bit longer to ensure it had cooled sufficiently. i restarted the car, put in in drive and went about 20 ft before the temperature shot back up again. i parked it immediately, called a tow truck and had it towed to a mechanic. the repair requires replacing the engine and will cost is equivalent to the car's value. i have been told by two mechanics that replacement rebuilt engines are hard to find because this issue is so common with this car. and, that the because the replacement will have the same engineering flaw it is bound to happen again. both mechanics, along with many owners who have contributed to the forums and blogs i have read have told me the car is useless now so i plan to donate it to charity tomorrow.

To whom it may concern: my 2003 toyota camry makes a rattle noise from the engine area and it's most noticeable during idle or light acceleration. my car has only 35,000 miles inspite of it being 13 years old. clearly, toyota acknowledge that it had a problem with the manifold but since my car is more than 6 years old , toyota would not cover it but my car has only 35,000 miles and this problem did not show up until now. hopefully, your office can help me with this matter. thank you so much *tr

The steering on my 2003 camry shakes during high speed. at times, there is a whistling noise coming from the driver front side. i thought it was related to low air pressure or unbalanced tires, but that's not the issues. secondly, the paint on my car is peeling off, mostly the clear coating layer. i can not verify if there is a recall on this issue or not. someone had informed me there was a recall. i am unable to locate any documented information.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the driver sustained injuries to her back and neck and the passenger sustained injuries to his back and legs which required medical attention. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that when making a left or right turn, there was an abnormal noise emitting from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the lower steering shaft needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. in addition, the contact stated that when the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle hesitated to respond. the contact also mentioned that after switching into the park position, the vehicle independently switched in the reverse position without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 33,705.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while operating the vehicle, the odor of coolant was present, the temperature gauge suddenly increased to high, and smoke was present coming from the engine. the vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had blown due to failure of the head gasket bolts. the failure was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 160,000.

"takata recall" - i am experiencing a clicking noise from the steering wheel when turning the wheel to the left & right, the whole dash board shakes when the ac or heat is on, brakes pedal goes all the way to the floor & making sounds, and when you put the car in park it will move forward.

After owning the car for five years it began to accelerate on its own while either at a stop or while driving. this would happen in the drive selection of the transmission without warning as the engine would begin to run at full throttle holding the brakes down firmly would not stop this condition and only when i put the vehicle into neutral or turned off the ignition would i be able to return control of the vehicle to me. having owned the car since i bought it new in 2003 until now this condition happens infrequently and weeks or months will pass before this problem happens again. it is sudden and without warning, diagnoses and inspection of the vehicle has not shown any problem or issues electronically or mechanically. this has happened at a dead stop on city streets, highways and even pulling from a parking space.

I felt a click under hood around area of driver side as i backed out out of a parking space at the bank. i drove forward across the street into another parking lot, turned my wheel right to pull into parking place and the accelerator increased sending me up a curb into a brick wall. with foot on brake, i had to put car into neutral and park to turn off before acceleration stopped. my entire front end was smashed(have photos of car and tire marks on cement). i started car back up and it reversed fine. no mats under pedal and no slipping foot to gas pedal. car has 60,000 miles and was impeccable.

Today i pulled over to drop off child at school, was already to park and car accelerated and hit the car in front of me. my foot was clearly on brake as i was already going no more than 5 miles an hour to park. it was not driver error. that feeling of the car thrusting forward when my foot was on brake was something i never felt before. i called toyota and checked the recall list the car is not listed. i am sending it tomorrow to toyota for service. the impact was so hard, my body is completely tense even 5 hours later. the thrust was not driver error, thank god for the car in front of me that i hit or else would have been worse. all i could do out of panic was put the car in park but i think it stopped because i hit the car in front of me.

There was a head-on crash into a stopped vehicle. speed about 45 mph. airbag did not deploy. car was totaled, driver suffered broken sternum...updated 10/02/15*bf

I was nearly finished parking my car when the car sped up, went over a concrete curb stop, hit and knocked over a sign post. i recall the engine revving when this happened. i stomped on the brake pedal and that stopped the car. this is the first time this has happened in the 12 years i've owned the vehicle but it was scary.

I noticed about a year ago that the seam on the front passenger airbag was separating from the dash board. there is yellow beginning to show on the top part of the seam. it is getting larger and separating more over time. i am afraid that the airbag might deploy injuring anyone sitting in the front passenger seat and possibly causing the driver to crash. i live in a hot desert climate of central california.

Bad oil leaks. mechanics couldn't find where leaks were coming from. took it to another mechanic and he said that the head bolts are most likely stripped. i went online and found a lot of other owners of this vehicle with the same problem. and fumes were coming into the car. if this vehicle has this problem , why wasn't it recalled to be fixed. i can't get anyone to fix this problem. toyota just wants to sell me a used engine for the same thing to happen again according to others owners who replaced the engine.

The quality of goodyear viva 2 tires is very very poor !!!! goodyear gives a warranty of 60,000 miles on them. however, the last set for me lasted only 15,000 miles, ie., they ran out 45,000 miles earlier !!!! that is 75% earlier !!!! this has been happening repeatedly for the last 7-8 yrs, ie., since 2008 !!!! i had to get new tires 7 times in the last 7 yrs!!!! i have all my tire invoices since 2008 to prove my case !!!! summary of new viva 2 tires installed: 1. 4 new tires - on 7-14-2008 & 1 new tire - on 5-16-2009 2. 4 new tires - on 10-11-2010 3. 1 new tire - on 10-16-2012 (w/ pro-rated refund) & 1 new tire on 10-16-2012 (w/out refund) 4. 4 new tires - on 12-5-2013 5. 4 new tires - on 7-24-2015 summary of additional work done: 1. alignments - on 10-22-2012 - on 12-6-2013 - (there could be other alignments, for which i need to get info on). 2. rotations & balancing - 9-1-2010

Opened the sun roof while driving in the city, a loud horrific noise occurred above my head unexpectantly, it cause me to swerve. i pulled over to the side of the road, as i initially thought something had hit my car, and no that the sun roof had decided to fail. the sun roof broke off in part, leaving the right side dipped into the frame rail. when i tried to just close it to get back on track, then you could hear the motor or mechanics of the sunroof churning. the sunroof was able to be closed complete enough not to get rained on but that is all. having spoke to a few dealerships/shops over the phone. i am being quoted anywhere from 2000.00 to 4000.00 to fix --- this is an expensive problem and the problem is with the mechanics of the sun roof. i seldom open my roof here in rainy seattle. now, it's guaranteed not to open ever again, as i will opt to have the sun roof sealed and disconnect the mechanics to open it. all this on top of air bag issue. the air bag on the passenger front right side is separating from the dashboard console, i called burien toyota in the seattle area, the receptionist for service looked up my vin and told me my vin is not on the list of affected airbags. i assured her whether or not my vin is on the list --- there is an airbag issue with the unit. my goodness must another person die behind these faulty airbags.

Filing a complaint on behalf of my father-in-law. he has a very low mileage 2003 toyota camry which has been well maintained. there is a large gap which has formed at the top of the air bag cover lining and dashboard. like many others who have complained about the same issue, he is afraid of the air bag deploying.

I too have been noticing a surge when i back up and turn the vehicle and step on the gas to drive out. i have avoided crashes with cars near by, i have found that i have to keep the speed on low and out of drive to avoid hitting a car near my parked car. i am not sure of the mileage above as i am just backing out of a parking space and turning my car to drive, i make sure it is on low.

The 2003 camray toyota has a defective part at 51,000 have had to problems with steering but the dealer tells me it is defective has this been a complaint by other owners at this millage? i is been replaced at my cost today 14 may 2015 because this would be a safety issue. i have owned other cars and at that mileage there has never been this type of problem. is this a defect. this car was purchased new.

No accident yet...but my passenger airbag seam is splitting. i am concerned for the safety of my family.

I was in the process of parking the car in a parking lot when the vehicle accelerated on its own. when i attempted to apply the brakes there was no effect. in order to avoid traffic i had to steer the vehicle into a stone wall. *tr

This camry was purchased, new, by my mom and step dad is eugene, or in 2003. they resided in florence, oregon, a beach town for the next 7 years. i moved my mom to reno, nv when she developed alzheimer's. although nevada is a low humidity state, the fact that this car resided on the coast in florence, or where humidity is high, rain constant i feel this car should have the repair to the front airbag. i am my mom's caretaker in my home and now with hospice's help. i also have an adult son on ssdi who needs my assistance. i worry that if something happens to me, due to the airbags in this 2003 camry, that my mom, son and family would be greatly affected, not to mention possible injury/death to me or passenger. please consider this car to be included in the recall to repair/replace the takata airbag. i have contacted the local toyota dealership as well. thank you, please offer me peace of mind and have this airbag replaced/repaired.

Driving on rural highway the car heats up the coolant from the reservoir overflows. in the engine compartment affecting steering and your ability to drive because of the vapor fron the burning coolant. repair man says head gasket is gone....this is the third time now to replace the head gasket .because the head bolts and threads all stripped due to bad engineering or improper torque by toyotas engineering department ....i been rwading about this problem and found out that this is a very common probkem with these cars from 2003-2006 ... i feel that if it was something simple to fix then toyota would address the problem but since its seens like a new engine is the only fix for this problem so they are hush hush ...because it would be a costly recall for toyota . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while making a left turn at an unknown speed, the engine revved and the vehicle independently lunged forward. the contact depressed the brake pedal to avoid a collision. the dealer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 25,000.

The "check engine" light came on while driving on the freeway. about 2 minutes later, a rattling sound could be heard under the hood. while changing lanes to exit the highway, the car would not accerlate and a loud pounding sound could be heard when trying to accerate. just after turning onto the side street from exiting the highway, the car died. all of this occured within a 5 minute period. upon opening the hood, there was smoke coming from the engine area of the vehicle and the reservoir for the radiator fluid was bone dry. the radiator had been flushed and refilled only 2 months earlier. the car was towed to my local mechanic. upon their inspection, i was told the head gasket was blown. there had been no warning lights or indication that the vehicle was running hot previous to the "check engine" light coming on minutes before the head gasket blew. in august, 2012, a rushing fluid sound could be heard in the dash area. i had the car inspected and the water pump, thermostat, all hoses and a radiator flush were done to the vehicle. in february 2013, the power steering pump had to be replaced. the rushing fluid sound could still be heard often. if the radiator fluid reservoir was topped off, generally the sound would stop. the fluid sound began again in january 2015. that was the main reason for getting the radiator flushed. a new radiator cap was also installed at that time. i never heard the rushing fluid sound after that flush. the car is a total loss. i am forced to replace the vehicle. the cost of a used motor and all labor is almost $5,000. that's approximately what the car is worth. i understand that there have been hundreds of almost identical complaints listed on the internet. i believe that this is a defect in the vehicle and toyota should be responsible to correct it.

I was pulling into a parking spot at a local dry cleaners. as i was pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle suddenly surged rapidly forward going over a concrete barrier and hit a concrete wall. unintended sudden acceleration. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while at a red light, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently without warning. as a result, the contact crashed into the vehicle in front. a police report was filed. the contact did not specified if any injuries were sustained. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was unable to be duplicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. updated 4/20/15*cn updated 9/28/2017*cn

My wife had taken her 2003 toyota camry in for regular service in january, 2012 and told the dealer that she had been hearing unusual noises from the engine for some time. after inspecting the vehicle the service person said that toyota had issued a bulletin to the dealers regarding replacement of the intake manifold dated april 15, 2008. it is curious that the bulletin stated that "this repair is covered under the toyota federal emission warranty. this is in effect for 36 months or 36,000 mile, whichever occurs first-". the bulletin is dated april 15, 2008 and is to cover vehicles of the 2002-2004 model year camry. this makes no sense as supposedly covering vehicles built 2002-2004 and issue a bulletin in 2008 and then say there is a 36 month warranty from the date the vehicle was put in service. we were never advised of this bulletin until 2012 and repairs were done at the cost of $ 765.52 on march 27, 2012. we sent a letter of complaint to toyota in torrance, california on february 28, 2014 with no response. *tr

Car had been driven to get gas 1/2 mile down road. when returned from gas station we pulled onto property , turned off car and there were flames coming from the hood. fire dept arrived and put out the fire. total loss for car. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry le. the contact was traveling 45 mph, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician determined that the bolt connected to the intake valves to the engine had become loose and allowed coolant to run on to the exhaust. as a result, exhaust fumes emitted into the vehicle. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 180,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine seized while the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was able to be restarted. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that there was a leak in the radiator and the engine needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 88,259.

This car has an airbag starting to come of out of it containment. it is the airbag on the passenger side. we have taken this car to the dealer but they claim there is no recall. i think there should be. this is a hazardous situation. it began at about 50k but now is getting worse and the mileage is over 74k. it was taken to the closest dealer when the mileage was about 63k. it gets worse every day. *tr

Driving with the cruise control set to approximately 45 mph. cars ahead were stopping, so the cruise control cancel button was pressed. instead of the car decelerating, it quickly accelerated as if the gas pedal had been pressed to the floor. the brakes were quickly pressed, but before the car came to a stop, it hit the rear end of the car ahead. the person in the other car had a precautionary medical exam a few days later, but no injury was reported. the driver and passenger of the camry were not injured and air bags were not deployed. the camry was declared totaled by the insurance company. the other car was repaired. *tr

Seat belt appears to be latched but isn't always. *tr

Please add me to other camry owners complaining about steering noise, either at rest or driving at any speed, steering to the left or right: clicking sound happens as the steering wheel is turned. the noise is getting louder. now i have lost the horn, cruise control and the air bag light is on. so, it seems that this problem is affecting some kind of switch in the middle of the steering column! i have checked the fuses which are all fine! reading all the complaints and realizing that toyota is not owning to the problem with the owners having to pay for the repair, i am truly disappointed. it definitely is a design problem! *tr

I own a 2003 toyota camry and noticed that it was overheating!!! went to replace the gasket and the head bolts were stripped and had to have to have a head bolt repair kit put in along with the gasket kit which with labor cost me over 4,000 dollars in repairs! the first problem was the aluminum block that over heated because of the coolant leak which in that overheated the block/bolts and caused them to strip the thread from the block bolt, in that had to get a repair kit drill the hole out insert a steal coil to hold the steal bolt in the aluminum block!!! point being i had to pay for this factory error of an aluminum head that either should have had steal inserts or a steal block to begin with for about 4,000 which is close to what the car would cost if i bought it at this time with the miles currently on it!!! a waste of my money when this could easily have been prevented from toyota in the first place!!!! i honestly can say that this is my 3rd camry i have owned and i have always swore by the toyota camry but after my research and my money and my headache i am really disappointed in how there not stepping up to the plate on this one and us as toyota owners love and value the toyota name come across this problem and nothing is being done about it its very upsetting i've drove the camry since 2004 and been so proud of the name and passed along the good quality of the camry name on and on then i come across this issue and there are so many people who have the same exact problems and toyota won't step up to the plate on it really tarnishes the name for me!!!! *tr

I experienced unintended acceleration of my vehicle while driving slowly in a parking lot. the vehicle accelerated to a high speed and revved to very high rpm's. i managed to slam on the brakes and finally shift the controls to neutral. the car immediately returned to normal rpm's and i turned off the key. toyota first claimed "driver error", then entrapment of the gas petal by a floor mat, then "driver error" again, alleging i had "braked incorrectly and must have hit the gas by mistake"!! i was simply low-speed driving with my foot on the gas, when their car raced suddenly on its own accord. i had not hit the brakes until i had to emergency-stop a runaway car! dealer says they "checked the computer" and there are "no issues" to resolve! this is a blatant, lethal defect in their product! *tr

I was driving in mano road n e been i santi to use the brake to make a chance line bevande i attive to my appartamento i round tenere sas no brake in seconda at thatcher time i dependance on udine hanbrake to stop the car n thai challenger erice with in 15 minutes. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The airbag in front passenger side of my toyota camry 2003 appears as though it may burst open at any time. there is a portion of what appears to be part of the airbag hanging out on the dashboard. each year it gets worst. i live in a warm weather state, and wonder if that has anything to do with the bulging airbag. please let me know if there is a procedure to take to get this fixed. i have my grandkids riding with me all the time now that they live closer to me, and i am afraid for their safety. *tr

On october 21 i was return to my home my speed was 40 on a main street and when i start to slow my speed using the brake i shocked there was no brake n i tried then i used the hand brake to stop the car .all that happened in seconds .... and when i tried to go to the nearest mechanics the same things happened .... the 2 things were within 15 minutes ... i still terrified what i will do if that happened and i usually pick my special needs child with me ... the mechanic check the car n he did not find any series thing.... so what is going on??? *tr

While driving the car, the engine and electrical components suddenly shut off. the first few times this happened, i was able to simply re-start the car with everything working again. i then brought the car to 3 different mechanics who could not find anything wrong with the battery or alternator (or anything else). the problem was erratic so it never occurred with the mechanics. now the problem occurs occasionally when i turn the headlights or brights of the car on. the last time it happened (10/11/14) was while i was driving about 60 mph. the engine shut out, the dash lights went off (as well as all the other electrical things: gps, ac, radio, etc). even the flashers would not turn on. then, in a matter of moments, everything turned on again. the car's engine did not even need to be restarted. i was able to keep driving without incident for 20+ miles. this incident has happened a total of about 3-4 times in the past, however, it was not triggered in the past by turning the lights on. there was no apparent trigger at all. the problem is erratic and does not happen all the time. *tr

The vehicle malfunctioned and the accelerator stuck. this caused the vehicle to crash into the wall at [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the dashboard developed a crack, exposing the passenger's side air bag. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Flooding of floor boards. rugs, and the wells under rugs like a pool filling up with water about three inches deep, affecting front drivers area and the rest of the car floor boards front and back. mechanic advises due to opening of body seams in three places. cost to repair, and replacement of rugs that were unable to be dried $2,000. not due to wear and tear. auto in impeccable shape otherwise and maintained scrupulously. owned by little old lady. *tr

The low beam headlights don't work as they should. have adjusted them, installed new bulbs as well as installed the brightest bulbs available with no success at getting them to illuminate the highway at night as they should. i have also polished the lenses to verify if that was the issue as well, but with no improvement. they are very low intensity and not safe at all the toyota dealer said there was nothing they could do and the repair manager said his venza has the same issue. i must use the bright beams to drive at night. on another note, i was not aware of this website until recently, or i would have reported this a lot sooner. *tr

On sunday, august 31, 2014, at about 1:00 pm, i was leaving the church parking lot after the service at san martin de porres catholic church. i was in my 2003 toyota camry with my friend (name provided on request). i drove from the lower level parking to the upper level parking lot where the exit is located. i was going approximately 5-10 miles per hour. we were coasting toward the exit when all of a sudden the car revved up really loud and accelerated/sped through a short street that feeds the parking lot. a witness told me he thought the car was going about 40 miles per hour. the car continued on at a high speed on the dirt parking lot on the southwest side of the church. it was burrowing through the dirt and spewing out dirt like we were in a tornado. i steered the car along the church fence to prevent it from going into the street. after a while it crashed into the church's fence and slowed for a few seconds. (a witness reported he ran after the car to get the license plate.) then the car revved up again and spun to the left and proceeded forward a short distance and then plowed into the block wall going down to the lower parking lot. at this point, the car got stuck on the block wall and died out. the air bags did not deploy in the crash. someone had called 911 and the ambulance, paramedics, and police arrived. they advised us to go to the emergency room for care. we did go to the er and were evaluated. my friend had muscle soreness for several days. i continue to have muscle soreness, and my wrist and right elbow were bruised and hurt. i was very concerned because someone could have been struck and killed in the parking lot if i had left right after the service. the insurance company has considered my car a complete loss. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that oil leaked from the engine of the vehicle. the dealer stated that the leak was due to a faulty head gasket. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 115,000.

My car was leaking oil and when i had it diagnosed, there was no more thread on the screws to hold the motor on correctly, after a month of the rethreading, my head gasket/motor both stopped working. *tr

My family and i were out of state on a trip for a funeral in february. it was very cold where we were, so i started our camry to warm up the car. however, instead of warming up, it actually started to overheat due to low coolant. suspecting a cracked hose or a radiator issue, i searched for the leak, but could not find one. we kept the car filled with fluid, watched the temp gauge like a hawk, and limped the car home to our mechanic. thankfully, it didn't even come close to overheating again the entire trip home. when i took it into the shop, they said that it was leaking from the head gasket. upon further inspection, the mechanic found that three bolts near the heat shield were not only loose, but actually stripped. this sounded odd to me. i have an 89 toyota pickup that i bought brand new, and it is still running like a champ 25 years and 250,000+ miles later. i expected the same kind of service life from our well maintained camry with less than 150,000. stripped head bolts just sounded off to me for a toyota, so i did an online search. imagine my surprise when i found web page and forum after web page and forum dedicated to this issue alone. one site - carcomplaints.com - has 36 complaints filed already for just the 2002 and 2003 model years, and this problem extend to engines up to the 2007 model year. another web site - camryforums.com - has 6 pages of forums dedicated to this issue. six pages. all of them with the same exact issue - coolant leaks from the stripped head bolts next to the insulation. and there are more sites and more forums than just those. considering that only a small percentage of people are going to file these kinds of complaints or post on an online forum, this is a huge problem with these cars. they should be recalled and repaired.

I was involved in a crash where i was hit on the passenger side. although the impact was severe enough to cause damage to the frame of the car, none of the six (6) air bags deployed. as mentioned in a previous complaint, there is now a gap on the dashboard around the area for the passenger air bag. *tr

2003 toyota camry. attorney representing consumer writes in regards to air conditioner problems,vehicle shuts off when switched in reverse and other mechanical problems. *smd the consumer had another mechanic checked the vehicle, and he determined the motor mounts needed to be replaced. when the consumer returned to the selling dealer, they informed her the motor mounts were only weak. while stopped at a light, the vehicle suddenly shut off.

Several months ago, i went to my local toyota dealership about a concern with my passenger side air bag. i was told without them touching my vehicle that i needed a new dashboard which is over $2000.00. i left because i didn't have $2000.00 plus to purchase a dashboard. i went online to toyota.com and submitted a complaint on 6/24/2014. i spoke with [xxx], a day or so later and she advised me to go back and have them check it, which i did and i was told when i got there it would be an hour/hour and a half before they get to my car. i told[xxx] (advisor) that i'll wait in the lounge area, it was approximately 2:01pm, at 2:30pm he told me my car was ready. i was given a couple of print outs and was told once again i needed a new dashboard because the vehicle was old, per [xxx]. he also asked me if i could read when i asked if it was stated on the print outs, very rude! i spoke with [xxx] again and she said she would have to speak with my local dealership first and she'd contact me in a few days, which she did and said the service manager named [xxx] said he told me it was a cosmetic issue. i never spoke with a tim. she also told me that toyota will not help me because it's a cosmetic issue, per [xxx] at bev smith toyota. i attached photos with my complaint to toyota. i went online and found a complaint site and posted my complaint on there and found out i could contact nhtsa. as i stated to toyota corporation, i'm not seeking a new vehicle or money, i just want this problem fixed. i would hate for something tragic to happen when the issue could've been resolved! basically, toyota is saying that their dashboards don't last over ten years. very disappointed with them and i was considering purchasing another camry, not after this!! my complaint isn't the only one for that particular vehicle. shameful!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I have a 2003 camry le, and i am concerned the airbag on the passenger side is showing gaps around the cavity on the dashboard. i use the car for daily transportation for personal use, and i'm afraid it might explode from the high heat. i reside in the state of florida. what is my recourse to solve this matter? i heard and read that there is a recall for toyota vehicle of that year because of the airbag problem in florida. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that there was oil leaking from under the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who indicated that the head gasket needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 188,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the front passenger seat belt buckles failed and prevented the seat belt from properly securing the passenger in the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that both the passenger and drivers seat belt buckle needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 345,754. the current mileage was 345,800. rk

I pulled into a parking space, stopped, and was in the process of pulling up the emergency brake, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the car bolted going over the parking curb and continuing on into a building, all with no momentum as the car was stopped. one witness said it was a very loud revving sound. two others said it sounded like a truck. the person who was behind me said my brake lights were on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, the brakes failed when applied. the brake pedal also abnormally traveled to the floorboard. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the brake pads to but the failure continued. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 107,885.

I am a cpst reporting a dorel designer 22 infant seat that does not connect to the base. english is a second language for this family who visited my fitting station today. product info: model # ic-048-aai mfg 05/20/2010. seat is generally in good condition and family has been using it without the base because of difficulty connecting the carrier to the base. i looked carefully at the carrier to base connection and it appears that the carrier will not connect to the base unless the carrier release bar (behind the child's head) is squeezed. i contacted dorel and offered to return the seat to them. the representative i spoke with (name available upon request) checked with a supervisor (name available upon request) and they determined that since this model is no longer in production it would not be necessary to send the seat back to dorel for further review. this seat is less than 4 years old and although it is no longer in production i am concerned that other dorel designer 22 infant seats still in use may also have a problem connecting to the base. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle exhibited abnormal and unintended acceleration, crashing into the rear of a second vehicle. no police report was taken. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 53,000.

When i turned the steering wheel left, the wheel turned sharply right instead and i lost control of the wheel. i could not turn it back. the car crossed from the left side of the freeway to past the right side (about 4 lanes), hit a railing, and flipped over. *tr

2003 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to vehicle sudden acceleration. *smd the consumer stated as she was driving into a covered parking garage, retrieved her parking ticket and proceeded up the ramp, the engine suddenly revved to a speed she could not control. she tried to pump the brakes, but to no avail. she hit a parked truck and that stopped the vehicle, moving the truck approximately 6-8 feet. the consumer stated it was practically a front end collision and the air bags failed to deploy. the insurance company totaled the vehicle. updated 05/13/14*jb

I have been harassed on the roads of las vegas by several people who are hired by 2 people who have hired personal agencies to follow me around the city this has been constant every where i go the time i leave home to when i return. i believe that they have hired the nsa & their are agents who receive money by them to harass me.these vehicles portray plate numbers related to people i have on my facebook n twitter accounts-they will use birthdate,age numbers o celebrities i have on my account,even the president and 1st lady, me, my daughter, her daddy. sometimes i am cut off and followed closely-i was traveling and was tailgated i entered a public area,when i got to the 2nd floor o the garage parking,the man got out o his vehicle and started towards me his vehicle red 4 door toyota camry with #'s o the presidents year o birth on the plate. its red cars all the time representing the devil,this is the 3rd time i have had to call police. i know my stalkers names who may hire these people.they called the city on me, took the tag off my license plate,the next day i got a ticket. my last driving job they may have made threats to hurt passengers,transportation vehicles n tried to get me fired-one lives in las vegas,the other in los angeles and is a threat to the transportation industry.i have filed police reports-they also post comments on their twitter accounts o vehicles-planes,and use theinternet to communicate makes and models to follow and harass us and our children. they also hired vehicles with plate numbers possibly representing the presidents motorcade number on the govt plates. in july in cally my vehicle was towed and i was left without a vehicle and then had to be taken to the hospital due to low potassium levels and more. they use numbers in my vin to communicate on their account. i didn't notice this til now. *tr

According to toyota's technical service bulletin t-sb-0034-08 (april 15, 2008), the intake manifold in 2002 ? 2004 camry equipped with 2az engine may produce a loud rattle noise from the engine area, most noticeable at idle or on light acceleration. the intake manifold has been updated / modified to solve this issues on the newer vehicles. a faulty intake manifold will affect engine performance and affect emissions. toyota usa should recall all the affected vehicles with this faulty intake manifold, but they only cover the repair to the vehicles which are under warranty. this faulty intake manifold needs to be replaced. please investigate this serious issue. *tr

2003 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to engine problems. *smd the consumer stated the engine seemed hard to start. it felt as though it was misfiring. the air condition stopped working, the vehicle overheated and started smoking profusely. when the consumer arrived home, she discovered there was no coolant in the radiator. she filled the radiator with coolant and managed to get the vehicle to her local mechanic. the mechanic found a bad air condition fan, no freon in the system, and the radiator was leaking. the consumer paid $1200.00 to fix the issues. however, after driving 10 miles, the ac stopped working, the engine overheated and smoke was emitting from the engine, again. also, the check engine light illuminated two years prior, but despite having 3 different mechanics inspect the vehicle, the computer diagnostic system, indicated no problem. it was re-set 3 times, but eventually came back on every time. *jb

This is to report a failure on engine model #2az-fe (effects 2002-2007 camrys, highlanders and rav4) due to stripped cylinder head bolts on the back side of the engine. there is at least one technical service bulletin issued by toyota tsb2740 that relates to this recognized problem of steel cylinder head bolts stripping out of the aluminum engine, especially on the firewall or backside of the engine possibly due to a foam insulation piece to protect a plastic manifold part from heat. it is suggested that the foam piece allows a heat build up on the engine side. the costs to repair this problem was $2,131. and includes machining the warped head, new head gasket and bolts and a long thread insert set. i am very disappointed to learn that toyota knew years ago of this design problem and issued a tsb; but did not recall for a solution before this led to metal failure and engine overheating. many of these engines will fail after the warranty period of 60k has expired. if you have any suggestions as to remedies with toyota corp for this failure, i would appreciate knowing about it. i am glad to report this as i see that many, many engine failures have been caused by this basically unaddressed design problem. thank you. *tr

Had a problem with wheel bearing front passenger. in february 2013 had a front end alignment and 4 new tires. starting hearing a banging noise in rearend of car in november 2013. mechanic said it was a bushing. i have an appointment in january2014 to have this replaced. on monday december 16, 2013 i was driving on a two lane interstate and had no control of my car. i almost went into a pole and tried to swerve to avoid a passing pickup truck on my left. i felt like i was driving on ice. the car would go over a bump or try to make a corner and it would sway to the left. drove 15 mph home and drove to my mechanic . he said the steering rods in the rear are just loose and fell out. my car is temporary welded to drive to the dealership in which i still have a note. i purchased the car march 31st 2011. *tr

2003 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to vehicle sudden acceleration and air bags malfunction. *smd the consumer was driving with the cruise control activated, and as he was preparing to exit the parkway, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, despite the application of the brake. he lost control of the vehicle, and consequently he hit a guard rail and the vehicle rolled over. the consumer sustained a deep laceration to his knee.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the cylinder heads were fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was confirmed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin were unavailable.

My daughter was returning home from college and lost control of her vehicle on i-85 in south carolina, crossed the median and crashed into two tractor trailers and died at the scene. south carolina highway patrol investigated the accident and determined she was traveling in excess of 90 mph at the time of the accident. this is not a speed my daughter would travel at. witnesses also said she was passing people on the emergency lane on the right side while traveling at a high speed, which is something she would not do either. i believe the car was accelerating and she could not stop it and was driving on the shoulder to avoid hitting anyone with her out of control car. the emergency lane ended and she had to re-enter the travel lane but lost control and crossed the median. my daughter has been driving for two years and has thousands of miles of experience and would not drive in this manner, unless she could not control the vehicle. she completed drivers education and has had no moving violations of any kind since she has been driving.

2003 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to vehicle air bag malfunction. *smd the consumer stated she was involved in an accident. in what should have been a fender-bender, because the other vehicle was accelerating, turned into a rather serious accident. the other vehicle made a left turn and crashed into the consumers vehicle, as she was proceeding straight ahead, and sent her two lanes over into a ditch. the consumer received serious injuries. the vehicle was totaled. the consumer stated had the air bag deployed, her injuries, may not have been as serious. updated 10/28/13

I was driving into a parking spot. as i lifted my foot off the accelerator to slow down the car suddenly accelerated. under my foot, the gas pedal moved on its own, speeding up to frightening intensity. my first attempt to brake did not disengage the acceleration. i continued to apply pressure on the brake. finally, the abs kicked in (i felt the pulsating of the braking) and car stopped, after going over a concrete parking barrier, a curb, up an incline and striking a 6 foot tall commercial fence. the impact pushed over the fence to about a 75 degree angle. i had the car towed to my local toyota dealer which examined the car (they said), checked for "codes" regarding my model and told me there is no problem.

I am the original owner. at 65,000 miles i noticed white smoke from the exhaust pipe on morning startup. research led me to the engine head not being secured because of the stripped bolt problem. i started using a dip stick to measure the amount of coolant in my overflow bottle before morning startup. i physically mark the dip stick. the coolant loss is minimal so far. i now have 85,000 miles on the car. the question is: do i dare take the car on the highway? apparently there is not enough money to be made for a law office to start a class action suit. *jb

I was driving in the middle lane of the freeway at 6:30 am, when i proceeded to accelerate on the gas the car would not accelerate. i then pulled over and lifted the hood to see if anything was out of place. i did not see anything, so i veered back onto the freeway and the car accelerated a little but not much. after a mile i was descending on the gas and it would not accelerate anymore. i kept pressing on the gas and the car got slower and slower and finally stopped in the middle lane. i then got out of the car in morning traffic and place the car in neutral and pushed it to the shoulder of the freeway with thick on going traffic. i called the tow truck and waited, once the tow truck arrived he ask me if the car would crank? i tried to start the car again and the engine would not turn, it made this clucking noise and i knew that my engine went to engine heaven. i have documentation with all of my oil changes on a consistent bases. *tr

I was in the driver seat waiting to turn left, when suddenly i got hit from the rear right part of my car. from that moment the car could not drive.. the rear left part of the car body and the tire was totally damaged. the repair shop declared that the car could not be repaired any more. only later of the incident did i remember that the airbags did not work at all. *tr

After ten years, my 2003 camry engine light came on, my husband was on route 20 with the oil shot out, started smoking he had to make an emergency stop, the 511 emergency saw the smoke from far away which made them follow the smoke. my husband could have been killed. all of the oil and antifreeze emptied out in a matter of minutes. two tows at $189 a piece and a diagnostic from the auto repair at $112. *tr

We were traveling in the center lane of i-5 at 55mph and a car (a jeep wagoneer) spun out of control on the adjacent cloverleaf and hit us on the passenger side. the impact was on our front right side tearing the right front wheel a-arm crumbling the right side of the car all the way back to the rear door of the 4 door sedan. both front air bags deployed. but neither side air bag deployed. my wife was thrown against her seat belt causing bruising and the door creating large bruises on her right hip, knee, and pain across the chest (from the seat belt). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving 1 mph in a parking lot , the vehicle accelerated independently. the contact crashed into a protected barrier to avoid crashing into pedestrians and the air bags failed to deploy. the contact sustained a contusion and a burn mark caused by seat belt. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a collision center by the insurance company. the vehicle was not inspected to determine the cause of failure. the failure was reported to the manufacturer. the failure and current mileage was 43,911. updated 7/17/13 *cn

Driver side door does not open, as lock refuses to move. initially it refused to listen to power or remote locking, but now it refuses to move from manual locking. this is a huge safety concern and should lead to an investigation and recall. everything online points to faulty door actuators. hundreds (if not thousands) of people are having this problem online. the year range is guessed to be 2002 to 2005 or 2007. 14 other complaints exist for this year range with the door actuators not working: 10489801, 10483194, 10479564, 10461669, 10384238, 10369665, 10361184, 10342871, 10308523, 10308206, 10297834, 10284015, 10265333, and 10253429. please, investigate this problem. *tr

Vibrations in the intake manifold - vehicle became sluggish and noisy due to intake manifold issue -it is broken and has to be replaced. *tr

2002-2006 toyota camry & other models with 4 cylinder engines ( 2az) engines blown head gasket / stripped head bolt problem. *tr

The passenger airbag cover is been curled up and now it's starting to crack, it seems the airbag will deployed anytime soon. i know there is some issues with airbags deployment in 2003 camry, i just can't able to find the info and dealer is not the big help either. thanks *tr

I was slowing down to make a signaled left turn into a paking space at cvs pharmacy. as i braked and turned, the car lurched forward hitting a stacked stone pillar and came to a crashed stop. the air bag did not deploy and i had a scrape on my scalp from the sun visor. *tr

In november 2012, i was told by my the dealer that there was a leak in my water pump in my 2003 toyota camry. i got a second opinion and i was told that my water pump had a slow leak and that i should get it repaired. in december 2012, my car ran hot and was smoking really bad. dealer stated that my i needed a new engine. i asked what was the issue and they stated that my head gaskets were blown. i asked the dealer could they repair the head gaskets and the answer was i needed a new engine. got a second opinion who then told me that i had stripped head bolts and car could be repaired. had car repaired and the car is running fine 173,000. i started doing research on the internet and literally i found hundreds of people with this same issue. i proceeded to call toyota (twice) and the second call did admit that there was a service bulletin issued in nov 2011 alerting the dealers how to repair the stripped head bolts. i could not believe how many people were having this issue and the fact that this is a defect in the construction of the 2.4 engine for the 2003 toyota camry. toyota will not acknowledge that there was a major defect with this years camry. and what is further more disheartening is that the representative at toyota said that i should expect to make repairs on my car with the type of mileage i have. and i do agree but i should be able to get more without the defect. is there any way i can get toyota to acknowledge the defect by filing this claim and in addition to the other claims on this website. *tr

In parking lot. reversing to back out of spot and front wheel touched curb, so put car in drive to straighten out the car wheels before continuing to back out. when the car was placed into drive, the car suddenly lurched forward at high acceleration, jumping a grassy median, all the while was trying to brake, to no avail. hit another car in front at other parking space. no one was hurt, but if anyone had walked in front of the car, they would have been run over as there was no way to stop the car. even after the car hit the other vehicle, it continued to succeed to push the other vehicle a good 6 or 7 feet backwards before it finally stopped... have owned the car ten years and bought it new, and now at 175,938 miles this has happened to toyota camry 2003. *tr

We found coolant on our garage floor. we took the camry to our toyota dealer and was informed that cylinder head bolts were stripped and coolant was leaking out of the bolts. we were told that a used engine replacement was needed to correct the problem, and that toyota would not cover any of the cost. apparently, toyota had issued service bulletins to their dealers about the problem some years before, but when i called toyota's 1-800-331-4331 number i was informed that there were no recalls or warranty extensions for this problem. based on what i found on the internet, this is a common problem with the 2003 camry. *tr

I noticed a slight swelling in the area around the passenger side air bag seam. i looked down into the crevice and saw a slight separation. i didn't pay it no mind at the time. today, the seam split has grown to three inches. i'm concerned that the air bag might deploy and injure a passenger. *tr

The car was parked in the cvs parking lot. when i applied the brake and placed the vehicle in the reverse to get out the parking. suddenly, the vehicle quickly accelerated and i lost control of the vehicle and the vehicle hit other two vehicles in the parking lot and finally stopped. witnesses were at the scene and polices were arrived to make a report. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that when driving at low speeds and attempting a turn, she would hear a loud squeaking noise from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, they referred her to the dealer. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 25,000. the current mileage was approximately 55,000. the vin was unavailable.

It was an unusually cold day for october and i was driving my son to school with my three year old daughter in her car seat when the heat would not work. only cold air came out of the vents. the windows were fogged up and would not defrost. i then noticed that the temperature gage was in the red zone. it kept climbing up and down. i could not see out of the windshield at all and had to pull over for safety reasons. thank god i was not on the highway as usual, but on a local road. i stopped and i wiped off the windshield and windows manually. this was a terrifying ordeal. the next morning i took the camry to the cooper tire garage here in findlay. after inspection i was told that the head gasket pulled out of the block and that it was because it was an aluminum block. they are not made out of steel anymore. previous to this incident, i experienced absolutely no symptoms that my toyota's engine was going to malfunction. my camry's engine is shot. i contacted toyota customer service center and was told there is nothing they could help me with. i was actually crying when i spoke with the representative. i have been a proud owner of two camrys. my daughter drives a 1995 camry that is still running very well and my mother is driving a 1999 camry that she has had no engine issues with. apparently, this is a newer model defect. my camry has been paid off since november of 2011. i was looking forward to having another 100,000 miles of use out of it. the reputation that toyota camry's have states that if i regularly maintain my camry i should have that opportunity. i now have the urge to warn all camry drivers to be aware that they could very well experience engine failure with no symptoms at all and even if they regularly maintain their camry. this is an extremely dangerous issue. my camry still looks and did run like new. *tr

The night before the incident had slight rain during. early morning, i was driving it keeping it in mind that it has some problem.... driving at 35-40 m/hr. the car before me stops on the stop sign and try to stop following 3 seconds rule, hit the brakes all the way but heard grinding sound and didn't stop and need to go to another incoming lane on the left to avoid hitting the car infront of me. this is the third time i had the similar problem..... one in 2010 one in 2011. i went to jay wolfe toyota of west county mo after the first incident. it was their closing time.... met with one of the maintenance manager .... explained but was told that it should be because of abs. i told him that i had honda 2002 and never have to scare about these type of incidents but why it is happening with toyota. he insisted that it shouldn't be . later during regular oil change i asked to check brakes and they didn't find any fault there. i told them the incident they didn't take it seriously.... the next time it happened again. one day was driving with fear on interstate at 60 mph. the same thing happened and i was able to change lane. after that i rarely take the car for interstate driving. if do i always scare and start using brakes before 1/4th of the mile. at this point i would like to get help from toyota company why it is happening and fix the problem. i don't want to sue them later when something happened. if they are serious about safety of their customer, take my car and fix it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the temperature gauge warning lamp illuminated. the contact mentioned that after inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that all of the coolant fluid had leaked out of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the mechanic diagnosed that the bolts became detached from the engine base. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and the current mileage was 86,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while stopped a traffic stop, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently and without warning. the contact crashed into a fence, causing damage to a residential home. the police reported to the scene and a report was filed. the driver of the vehicle was transported to the hospital via ambulance and was treated for a concussion, bruises and lacerations. the vehicle was towed to a tow yard and ruled as destroyed. the cause of the failure was undetermined. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

Intake manifold noise. documented problem. no recall available. *tr

2003 toyota camry. consumer writes in regards to accessory outlet(cigarette lighter) and rear windows not working. *tgw the consumer stated when the vehicle was returned to her, she was informed the cigarette lighter had a short and had been fixed. she was also told the right rear window motor was burned out and would need to be replaced. the two front windows were working. the consumer declined the repairs for the window. however, the next week, the passenger window stopped working. a few weeks later, she received a notice in the mail, in which a recall had been issued for a faulty window control button on the driver's door, but for the 2006 models. the consumer stated one day it rained, and after it stopped, the windows started to work again. *jb

On october 24, 2012, i parallel parked my 2003 toyota camry on the street. the car in front of me was leaving, so he asked me to move back a few inches so he could get out. my car was still running so i shifted the car into reverse, and as i began to take my foot off the brake pedal, my car accelerated backwards at a very fast speed into the car behind me. wanting to pull up a few inches to get out and assess the damage, i shifted the car into drive and as i did, my car accelerated forwards into the parked car in front of me. it accelerated at such a high speed that it pushed the three cars in front of me together. at no point during these two rapid accelerations did i ever apply my foot to the gas pedal. this incident caused damage to several cars and could have ended up with much more severe consequences had i not been in that location. *tr

I heard about the recall that toyota had on or about tuesday 10/9/2012 on the pwms drivers side last month i starting having this problem and all of a sudden there is a recall , so i e-mail toyota to let them know that my toyota was having the same problem and wasn't it included the auto button starting sticking and the window sometimes sticks trying to go down, they stated that my car was no longer in warranty i didn't think a recall had anything to do with a warranty,my 2003 means the same to me as a person who has a 2007 that may not still have a warranty. my window had not done this before this time stated,my last answer from ask toyota stated that the 2003 is not included so i did ask them to let me know who the reporting agency was but i started to do a little research on my on and i found your agency. i paid for my toyota the same as a person with a 2007 or 2009. please help with some info. *tr

A large gap developed between passenger side airbag cover and the dash board. inside the gap, a yellow cover, possible airbag, can be seen. no accident involved. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while making a left or right turn there was a noise coming from under the hood. also, the contact mentioned that the vehicle was leaking coolant fluid. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who inspected the failure and stated that the engine head bolt strips itself causing the coolant to leak out and blew the head gasket. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 135,000.

I am making this report for my mother, who was involved in an accident in which she hit the back of another vehicle. she was going approximately 40-45 mph and ran into a stopped vehicle. the airbag in her vehicle did not engage in the collision. thank god the seat belt worked. i am filing this report with her name and personal information, except the email address is mine, as she doesn't use email. *tr

Car smokes during start up. started last winter. research indicates stripped head bolts. pull and clean the plugs about once a month due to fouling. waiting for it to blow. will not take it out of town or the highway. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, she noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. both frontal air bags then deployed erroneously. the contact sustained minor burns to the arms and neck as a result of the air bag deployment. the vehicle was towed to her home and was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and the current mileage was 83,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the brake pedal became inoperable. the contact mentioned that he was able to maintain control of the vehicle by shifting into neutral until the vehicle came to a complete stop. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure but replaced the master cylinder as a safety precaution. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 142,740 and the current mileage was 142,754.

Letter to the administrator from senator grassley transmitting questions re unintended acceleration *tgw information was provided to the senators office, with supported documentation, which raised concerns that the scope of the nhtsa and nasa investigations may have been too narrow. a phenomenon known as "tin whiskers" within the accelerator pedal assembly and possibly other vehicle electronics may be a cause for concern. the nasa report defined "tin whiskers" as electronically conductive, crystalline structures of tin that sometimes grew from surfaces where tin; especially electroplated was used as a final finish. in a separate unintended acceleration vehicle study of a 2003 toyota camry conducted last fall, a nasa expert examined the accelerator pedal assembly and found two "tin whiskers" inside. he concluded that, although the vehicle operated, it was not considered to be drivable. *jb

I have 2003 toyota camry le.. i got into multiple issues with the vehicle. first one is the sun roof/moon roof getting jammed and not closing properly resulting in water leak and as well as high cabin noise. dealer told it will cost 2000 + to fix the sunroom/moon roof as this need to be replaced complete. also while doing the 110000 service dealer said the front and rare suspension system needs to be replaced which will cost 2000 + usd. i am requesting toyota to look into this and get this fixed for me. *tr

Sun roof/moon roof getting jammed and not closing properly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while parked, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician replaced two oxygen sensors. after the repair the check engine light illuminated intermittently and the contact noticed that the interior lights, radio and the mileage on the instrument panel continued to illuminate after the key was removed from the ignition. the contact replaced the battery but the failure continued. on another occasion while driving approximately 10 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. there were no further repairs performed to the vehicle. the approximate failure mileage was 139,000.

The key is unable to manually open the drivers' side door. the key fob still is able to unlock all doors. however, there is no way possible to use the key in the key hole to open the door. the key will not turn and disengage the door lock. *tr

The vehicle engine was running very ruff after start then shortly after the engine light came on. the fault codes on the engine light was a number two and three cylinder misfire. the vehicle was taken to the dealership for analysis. the dealership stated the head gasket was leaking between the number two and three cylinders (no coolant was leaking outside the engine). the dealership attempted to remove the head, but the first bolt started to strip and the technicians stopped at that point. i was informed that the engine was not repairable and the replacement cost was $4,600 for a used 80,000 mile engine. i took the vehicle to a local shop and had the engine replaced with a 30,000 mile engine for $3,000. complaints like this one (the head bolts striping out the aluminum engine block) are all over the internet. toyota should be responsible for these design flaws. 1) the head gaskets should not be failing on vehicles with low millage. 2) the head bolts should be removable without damaging the engine.

I have a 2003 toyota camry 4cyl car with 150,000 miles, that has a coolant leak from the back of the engine next to the intake manifold after replace most of the cooling system such as fan, thermostat trying to correct the problem on further inspection and research, it was revealed that the leak is coming from the head gasket area, due to stripped out block/headbolt, as a clear sign of manufacturer defect indicated and substantiated by the amount of similar cases found on internet forums such as: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/camry/148454-camry-with-stripped-head-bolts-2/. it seems car makers will not do the right thing unless they are forced to and this is why i am trying to do my part to invoke a vehicle recall for this design failure, by a company claiming to put costumers first, but instead ignores so many of us the first chance they get. consumers need help with this issue with toyota; please help us. the best fix so far reported is purchasing another toyota 4cyl motor with the same flawed engineering and toyota wants no part of being responsible for their short coming. , this is absolutely the most disappointing experience with them and to know there are so many instances of the same problem and yet this company refuses to do the right and responsible action and issue a recall to fix their failure. any and all the assistance in this matter is needed. *tr

The driver's side seatbelt no longer unlatches. the problem initiated with difficulty getting the free end component to lock into the receiving end. *tr

I bought this 2003 camry from toyota sunnyale (898 w el camino real, sunnyvale, ca 94087) on 3/18. i negotiated the price based on their description of the vehicle on website before i went in. however, when i went in, i found out that the passenger side rear brake lamp case was broken. i indicated that water leak will cause issue. however, the dealer refused to fix it and told me there won't be such issue. i took my kid to driving test today (4/16) with this vehicle. only then that i found out from the driving examiner that brake light is not working and he refused to let my kid proceed with her driving test citing safety issue. this is definitely very frustrating not to mention the few hours wasted in dmv. what happened was that there have been heavy rain on and off over the 2 weeks after i bought that car. the water did indeed go into the lamp case and cause the hot light bulb to burst. i brought the car to wheel works to fix this issue today and the mechanics confirmed the above explanation. i have been driving this car on freeway to work everyday with a broken brake light and without knowing that. i could have been issued a ticket, or someone could have run into me on freeway because of the failed brake light. after driving 20 years of toyota vehicle, i am completely shocked that toyota dealer cheated me on safety issue. simply speaking, toyota traded his best customers' life for few hundred dollars. the dealer though willing to pay for the bulb (which is a cheap $5) and waive the labor cost, simply refuse the responsibility of bearing the cost of the lamp case. this is unacceptable. it is hard to believe that toyota does not see this as a safety issue and had this issue fixed to begin with before delivering the car to customer. i do ask that toyota reimburse me the same full part and labor cost that they were to charge this repair to customers. *js

I bought my toyota camry 2003 le brand new from koons toyota dealership in tysons corner, virginia back in 2003. few months after the purchase i noticed car always pulling to the left. i went back to dealer but they claim it was just road pulling and that it was normal. i accepted that as an answer from certified toyota dealer and went on with my life. this was my second car so i was not driving it much at the time but i had replaced tires twice and had done alignment several times in less then two years. i started driving this car more around the time my warranty expired and then realized that this problem requires me to replace my tires after each major trip...we are talking about several thousand miles. i kept on doing alignment and even tried different type of tires, different dealers, etc. i even found a tsb release from toyota that many claim fixes this problem but dealers claim it does not apply to toyota camry 2003 le, the document in question is tsb-st0002-04. do this day i have exact same problem and no way to fix it. simple google search on toyota camry 2003 le left pull problem will show how big and widespread problem this is. this is a rather frustrating problem because each dealer claims that there is nothing wrong with the car yet i cant buy enough tires to drive this car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the driver side sun visor dropped and blocked the contact's vision of the roadway. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer stated that the sun visor would need to be replaced. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 36,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle was leaking fluid from the engine. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the bolts were stripped and as a result, the engine needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 102,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated the vehicle made a loud noise. the dealer was contacted and diagnosed that there was sludge in the engine and that it needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but denied any assistance with repairs. the engine was replaced. the failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 75,000. updated 03/27/12*lj updated 06/13/2012 *js

The engine head bolts are stripped out in the block causing the head gasket to blow and causing a coolant leak. in talking with my repair person and searching the internet this is a common problem for the 4 cyl 2.4 l engine. toyota issued a new part number for the block (tsb ref #eg015-07) so they know there is a problem but will not do a recall. the only fix is a new engine which is about $8000.00. *tr

Early head gasket failure. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle rattled and vibrated as it accelerated. the contact’ss mechanic inspected the vehicle and stated that the intake manifold was failing. the contact also stated that the vehicle stalled and the check engine light illuminated. the failure mileage was 64,767 and the current mileage was 65,025.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact heard water moving from one end of the vehicle to the other when she attempted to make turns or when she started the vehicle. when the failure occurred, the contact noticed the vehicle was leaking coolant. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. in august 2007 with 98,000 miles, the engine was replaced by a private mechanic yet the failure persisted. the manufacturer was aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since there were no recalls for the vehicle. the current mileage was 167,000 and the failure mileage was 89,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the engine over heat warning light illuminated. the vehicle was unable to be driven and was towed to the dealer. after diagnosis, the dealer advised the contact that the engine head bolts failed and the engine would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and the current mileages were approximately 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that he was unable to open the driver side door automatically. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred twice before. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the actuator was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vin was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 102,000.

Drivers side seat belt buckle. the spring broke in the seat belt buckle where it clicks in and seat belt won't stay fastened. safety issue. *tr

I was approaching a stop sign getting ready to stop when i realized i was unable to stop. finally after really pushing hard i got stopped in the middle of the street and i heard the gas accelerating. i almost hit a back end side of a car without the people even knowing what happen. *tr

Squeaking steering column. abnormal sounds (squeaking, cracking) can be heard when turning left or right. toyota says it is not a safety issue and there were no recall for 2003 model, only tsb--0296-08 was issued. has to pay to repair the defect yourself because car is beyond the warranty. *tr

Defective throttle body after starting the car and putting the car in gear, the check engine light appears and the gas pedal has no effect on the engine. the car will idle along while in drive; however, pressing the gas pedal does nothing. the check engine error code points to the throttle body. my mechanic says that the throttle body is stuck in the "closed" position when this error happens. i've read about the numerous toyota camry owners who have all experienced problems with the throttle body on their vehicles at -- http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/toyota-camry/tm6gc5t4dhvfs52cs -- it seems that toyota dealerships all state that they have never heard of this problem occurring and continue to charge upwards of $1200 to replace an obviously defective throttle body with a new throttle body that still has the same defective design. essentially, the dealership wants to swap out one defective throttle body for another defective throttle body. similarly, toyota corporate in torrance, ca denies that the throttle body problem is caused by a product defect. most likely this is due to the high cost of the part and expense to institute a recall of the throttle body. a cursory review of the online message boards concerning the throttle body failures for toyota camry owners shows that this component in particular is failing too often to be chalked up to bad luck or normal wear and tear. a consumer class action is appropriate for this sort of defect. i would assume that an expert witness could testify as to the defect and opine as to the statistical significance of the throttle body failing more than any other component in the toyota camry. *tr

I have a 2003 camry and when i steer there's a noise as if plastic is rubbing when i steer right or left. *tr

Engine emits white smoke during cold start up. was told the engine head bolts are stripped due to manufacturing design which may lead to engine overheating and failure. engine will need to be replaced. *tr

I have a 2003 toyota camry le that i bought used in may 2007. i can not tell you how many times i took my car back and forth to the dealership because the steering would make some kind of noise whenever i turned right or left. i was advised by the dealership that there's a plastic part in the steering that gets dry and it has to be lubricated every now and then. well, needless to say, april 2011 i took it to a mechanic who told me that my rack and pinion is sooo bad and he's only seen this problem one other time. there should be a recall for this problem because the car isn't old enough for this problem to affect the steering this badly. it cost me $553! i do have the steering part in my trunk in case there is a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving at a low speed and parking her vehicle, it suddenly accelerated. the vehicle crashed into a glass window of a business. no one was injured in the crash. the police were contacted. the vehicle was towed to a independent mechanic where the cause of the failure is pending an investigation. the manufacturer had not been contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 115,000.

2003 toyota camry le engine driving from snell ville ga to south carolina toyota camry oil light came on then car cutoff first time ever. failure due to timing chain broke in engine causing damage to engine; needs another engine rebuilt or new one etc. available but cannot afford one. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving approximately 35 mph the contact noticed the headlights looked extremely dim. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technicians stated the plastic cover on the side of the headlights needed to be replaced because they fog up making the headlights seem dim. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

I purchased a 2003 toyota camry xle brand new. recently i had the car in for service only to learn that coolant was leaking into the #2 cylinder. after further examination the mechanic informed me that the bolts going into the aluminum engine block were stripped. researching this problem on the internet i found that there are numerous camrys of the same year that are having the exact same problem. the cost to repair this issue is prohibitive and the car is worthless after only 8 years of use. this is an apparent manufacture defect that toyota refuses to remedy. driving the car as is would be a safety hazard and we are stuck with a car of no value to us.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while the contact was driving approximately 5 mph into a parking space, the vehicle accelerated when the brake was depressed and failed to stop. the vehicle crashed into the rear passenger's side door of an unoccupied parked vehicle. the contact sustained bruises to the chest area and suffered injuries to the lower back and left wrist. a police report was filed. the contact was able to drive the vehicle from the scene. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

I have a 2003 toyota camry 4cyl car with 52,000 miles, that has a coolant leak from the back of the engine next to the intake manifold. on further inspection and research, it was revealed that the leak is coming from the head gasket area, due to stripped out block/headbolt, as a clear sign of manufacturer defect indicated and substantiated by the amount of similar cases found on internet forums such as: http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/camry/148454-camry-with-stripped-head-bolts-2/. i called toyota headquarters to report this problem, seeking help with this $6,000 issue and was told "nothing we will do". it seems car makers will not do the right thing unless they are forced to and this is why i am trying to do my part to jolt a vehicle recall for this design failure, by a company claiming to put costumers first, but instead snubs so many of us the first chance they get. consumers need help with this issue with toyota; please help us. the best fix so far reported is purchasing another toyota 4cyl motor with the same flawed engineering and toyota wants no part of being responsible for their short coming. i've own a few toyota's, this is absolutely the most disappointing experience with them and to know there are so many instances of the same problem and yet this company refuses to do the responsible action and issue a recall to fix their failure. any and all the assistance in this matter is needed. thank you *tr

My mother had complained of her 2003 toyota camry having minor sudden acceleration. she asked my uncle (a "backyard" mechanic). my uncle said he didn't have the expertise to check that; so she had my sister check online who found that her car was not under recall for this problem. we believe mother had it checked out at an auto repair shop. since dealerships are typically much more expensive than local auto repair shops, we believe she had the car checked out at the latter. this was about 2 years ago. on may 2, 2011, she was killed in a single automobile accident. when we received the police report, it said the witnesses said the car seemed to accelerate when it left the city street. since she was coming up to a stop sign, she should have been going between 15-25 mph, but the car was totaled, and the police officer said the damage to the car was consistent with the reports that she accelerated. the way i interpret the police report drawing is that mother tried to avoid a collision twice: it appears to me that she may have swerved to the left lane to avoid hitting the rear of the car in front of her and, seeing the car in the opposite lane coming toward her, she may have swerved again, which took her off the street and directly, almost immediately, in the path to the tree which she hit with great force. according to paramedics, she probably never had consciousness after impact, so we don't know what happened for sure. the hospital er physician reported in error to the police that mother had brain cancer and may have had some sort of event (blood clot bursting in her brain). she did not have brain cancer, and from what i've learned from speaking with my physician, it is very rare that an event causing a person's leg to stiffen forcing acceleration. add all the information we have about this accident combined with the fact that she had complained of sudden acceleration leads us to wonder about the cause of the accident. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that smoke was emitted from under the vehicle as it stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop who diagnosed that the cylinder head bolts were pulled out, the head gasket exhibited an oil leak and after pressure testing the cooling system, the cylinders filled up with coolant. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who offered instructions on how to repair the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 92,422. updated 06/17/11 *bf the consumer stated the instrument cluster lights illuminated and power steering, along with the brakes failed to work. updated 11/23/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle would exhibit loud, abnormal noises when first started. the contact took the vehicle to be inspected and was told that there was a crack in the upper intake manifold and it would need to be replaced. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 50,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the engine began to exhibit an abnormal gurgling from behind the dashboard.the vehicle was taken to an ase certified mechanic where the contact was informed that the head gasket bolts failed. the failure damaged the engine and manifold and the contact had to eventually replace the engine. the failure mileage was 107,914 updated 5/24/11 *cn updated 06/06/11. *jb

Engine failure do to head bolts stripped out. hundreds of other cars have had the same problem. toyota is aware they have a problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that antifreeze was leaking out of the rear of the engine. the vehicle was taken to dealer who stated that the head bolts stripped and as a result, the engine had to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted by the dealer who did not offer any assistance. the vin was unavailable. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 149,000.

While driving on the freeway in a construction area with very few shoulders the car steering suddenly became very difficult and the battery warning indicator came on. my wife was able to pull over to a short shoulder area and called the auto club for a tow. the tow truck arrived with the highway patrol. she had to wait in a very dangerous location with many high speed heavy trucks passing a few inches away. our mechanic said that the belt tensioner failed causing the belt to fail then the power steering and engine cooling to fail. *tr

I have a 2003 toyota camry le (4 cylinder, 2.4 l) which began leaking engine coolant from around the back of the engine block. my mechanic said that it was likely a blown head gasket. after further research, he determined that the cause of the leak was most likely loose head bolts in the engine block which were due to the bolts stripping the thread from the block. he said my only option was to replace the engine at that point. apparently this is a very common problem with 2002 and 2003 camrys, and toyota needs to be held accountable for this! i bought a toyota because i wanted a vehicle which i could be driving years from now. now i'm left with a vehicle i don't know if i will be able to drive next week! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving approximately 40 mph, the contact noticed smoke emitting from the rear of the vehicle. she then applied the brakes but the vehicle did not respond. she was able to drive the vehicle into an open field and within seconds, the front end of the vehicle was also on fire. the fire was extinguished by the local fire department. a fire and police report were filed (fire report: 11-003597 and police report number: 11-004293). the vehicle was towed to a local junkyard. the failure and current mileage was 130,000.

2003 toyota camry. coolant leaking, problem with engine, say many other people stating having this problem on the internet under vehicle reviews and complaints. had to replace the engine at 100,000 miles. very upset. same description as every one else, gurgling noise, coolant being quickly removed, mechanic chasing the problem to the engine, engine replaced. called toyota, joke of a reaction, no apology or any offer of compensation. *tr

My 2003 camry was no longer heating the inside of the car even with the heat on ¿high.¿ then i realized the thermostat was in the 'red.' i had antifreeze added and it worked fine for 24 hours. then, it happened again. since i was driving, i turned the air conditioner on and the thermostat went down to 'normal' range. i took it back to the mechanic, who added more antifreeze. it worked fine until the next morning. then, it happened again: no heat in cabin and thermostat on ¿red.¿ i cooled it down and took it to another mechanic who said the head bolts are stripped, causing coolant to leak and the engine to overheat. he said the bolts were not put in properly during manufacturing. i see many customer complaints on the internet. i call toyota (1800 331-4331). the rep says toyota has not issued a recall about this, leaving me sol (simply out of luck). right now, i¿m looking at having to spend at least $1600 to repair a car that is supposed to be reliable. remember, ¿toyota tough?¿ i¿ve been a loyal toyota owner for years ¿ but i believe this will be my last. ¿ signed, disappointed customer

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that when the vehicle was turned on, the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test. the failure was located at the fuel filler neck. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 74,175 and the current mileage was 74,275.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that he experienced brake failure several times while driving 60 mph, causing him to be involved in three vehicle crashes crashing into the rear of two vehicles and the driver side of another. there was one reported injury. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but the dealer did not perform a diagnostic test for the brake failure. the manufacturing engineer examined the event data recorder but there was no recorded brake failure. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 87,000 and the current mileage was 191,600.

The rear passenger door in my 2003 camry had a failure of the lock actuator. in mid january 2011, it just would not open, not manually unlocking at the door handle, with the lock switch in the car, or the remote unlock. the car was not hit or damaged before this happened. i took it to the dealer, for $90 they took apart the door and said the lock actuator was failing, and it would be almost $500 to replace it. i declined having it replaced at this time, since it worked after the mechanic took it apart and put it back together (it has been one week and has not locked up again yet). i will probably have to have it replaced since my child rides in the back seat, and i consider this to be a life safety problem. if the car were hit in the side that worked, i would be unable to get her out of the car, without pulling her through the front seat. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was running hot. the vehicle then stalled and was towed to the dealer. the vehicle was inspected yet the dealer was unable to determine the exact cause of failure. the dealer stated that the failure could have been caused by a faulty thermostat or the headers. the contact was advised that the engine was destroyed and would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 160,000 and the current mileage was 169,668.

My 2003 toyota camry le with 37,451 miles is experiencing a loud popping noise in the steering mechanism and getting worse. dealership advised needs intermediate steering shaft. cost of repair $447.89. dealership states this is a common problem. this is a potentially dangerous safety defect. was unable to get any satisfaction through the district or national customer service representatives. *ln

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was told by toyota that the vehicle needed a new transmission in january of 2009, but they were not told why. a rebuilt transmission was installed and now the contact was advised that the trans axle failed. the contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was told that the failure occurred because of the gear shift box, which caused the transmission to slip and make a banging noise while driving approximately 20 mph. the original transmission failed at 70,000 miles. the manufacturer stated that the warranty expired; however, the extended warranty was valid up to 75,000 miles. the contact stated that the failure was a manufacturers defect. the failure mileage was 70,000 and the current mileage was 90,000. updated 03/15/11*lj updated 1/3/11 *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that there was a smell of fuel when the contact checked the oil. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that there was fuel mixed in with the oil but could not figure out where it was coming from. the contact stated that the smell moved through the vents and burned her eyes. a mechanic replaced the valve gaskets. the current and failure mileages were 114,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that there was a leak on the head gasket and they are unable to repair the problem unless the motor was replaced. the manufacturer was contacted who stated that they were not aware of this failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the current and failure mileages were 99,600. updated 03/02/11 *bf updated 04/29/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry le. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds he noticed that the low anti freeze warning light illuminated on the instrumental panel. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the head gasket was leaking due to the bolts separating from the engine block. he was also informed that he needed to replace the motor. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

I was driving 2003 toyota camry when all of sudden, it accelerated to a high speed, even when i applied the break, it failed to stop and was uncontrollable. the vehicle only stopped when it slammed on a residential building. i suffered injuries along with my daughter who was in the car with me. *tr

I am the owner of 2003 toyota camry . and i would like to file a complain due to the engine defects in my vehicle . in april 2008 , i discovered the engine coolant was leaking and it was so severe that i had to take to the mechanic shop for inspection and repair. the mechanic did the pressure test cooling system test and found coolant leak coming from cylinder had by the intake manifold . the mechanic removed valve cover and found 2 head bolts loose .my vehicle was only 56000 miles at that time. i was told by the mechanic it was not safe to drive because the car could overheat any minutes. so the engine needed to be replaced .it costs me $2700 to replace the engine .so i report the incident to the toyota manufacture /dealers in torrance . they respond to me that they were not responsible for this problem. i requested new motor vehicle board from california to help me to resolve the matter . the toyota still insisted that they were not responsible for it . *tr

In march 2010 i had a problem with my wife's toyota that i believe i either shouldn't have to pay to fix or have toyota share in the cost. when i called toyota to register the complaint they said couldn't help me, so i am asking for your help. my wife's camry (2003 with just under 100,000 miles) developed a leak in its head gasket, so i took it into our local garage. they looked at it (pressure test) confirmed it was leaking and went on line (identifix.com) to see what experiences other mechanics had with this problem and recommended fixes. the research showed that this problem was being reported frequently and more often than not also resulted in a more severe problem of stripping the engine bolts out of the block, requiring an engine replacement. my mechanic said i would be best off taking it to the dealership where we purchased the car and have them look at it, because if it was more than just the head gasket, i may be able to work something out with them. it was his opinion that a leak in the head gasket shouldn't cause the stripping of the engine bolts. we took it into our toyota dealer and they investigated - took the head off - and found that it was what my mechanic had feared, three engine bolts were stripped and the engine would have to be replaced. cost for a new engine block, head, labor, etc. $7,500. i told them what my mechanic had found online - this was happening a lot to this type engine (2003 - 6) - and my belief that this was a design flaw and asked them if there was something that toyota could do to help defray the cost or was there a recall, etc. the service rep said no... no help from toyota. i have all the paperwork and can you send you copies, including the identifix report. considering all the pressure people, government, and lawyers had to exert on toyota to get them to admit and address the recent accelerator problems, i was wondering if you could check or add my case to a database to see if some legal action is warranted. *tr

Was at a full stop, ready to exit a parking lot. immediately upon stepping on accelerator, car shot forward, jumped a curb and progressively accelerated. i attempted full braking with no effect, immediately put car into neutral and shut off engine. i took my foot off the brake and concentrated on steering to avoid cars in road. vehicle did not come to a stop for 1.5 blocks. car mat had not migrated, accelerator and brake positions did not appear or feel abnormal. vehicle had performed without major problems over the past 5 years/ from 50,000 mi (when i purchased the car) until date of incident. analysis by local toyota dealership failed to ascertain cause.

Door locks for 2003 toyota camry work intermittently?? there are so many complaints on here now i would have to say there is a defect in the part (actuaries) for the door lock? i do also agree that it could pose a safety problem as sometimes the door won't unlock at all without having to force it and depending on where you are in a pond or ditch filled with water this could be very dangerous!! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while parking the vehicle, driving approximately 3 mph the accelerator pedal dropped to the floor causing vehicle to accelerate, resulting in a crash with another vehicle. while driving to her residence the accelerator pedal did not have any resistance and it seemed as if the vehicle was still accelerating for a short time. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 164,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the intake and exhaust manifold failed. the vehicle was inspected at a local repair shop where the contact was informed that the manifold needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while stopped, the vehicle suddenly surged forward and crashed. a police report was filed. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop to determine the cause of the failure. the vehicle had not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 23,000. the vin was unavailable.

I have a 2003 toyota, camry with 50,000 miles on it that has been well maintained (at my expense at the local dealership where i purchased it). i live in oregon where we have seasons so it only gets hot a few months out of the year and i use a sun visor during the summer for protection. in the front passenger side of my car where the airbag is in the dash, the rectangular indentation (like a seam) around the airbag has completely separated at the top exposing yellow foam and has me very concerned about the safety of any passengers or even myself or others on the road should the airbag deploy. my father is terminally ill with cancer and only weighs about 115 pounds and i have to drive him to doctor appointments regularly. i was so concerned when i first noticed what i call a "design flaw" that i made him ride in the back seat. however, since he is so thin, he was very uncomfortable in the back and wanted to ride in the front seat again which i allowed him to do after the local dealership in medford (lithia motors, inc) guaranteed me "100%" that this is not a safety issue but is purely cosmetic. i have provided proof of similar complaints to lithia and have spoken to toyota corporate a few times. they still insist it is only cosmetic and i am responsible for replacing the entire dash at a cost of over $2,000.00. i maintain this is a safety issue and if they can afford to spend a million dollars a day on safety (per their advertisements) and are spending even more on pr, they can do a "good will" repair for a loyal customer. to their credit, i should add that they were willing to pay 50% to repair the dash, but it was determined to be "unrepairable" by their upholstery person. i have been going back and forth with them for months now. i am a very principle based person and believe this is wrong considering the age, mileage, etc and should be corrected at their expense especially when others have reported the same problem. does customer service still exist?? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that when the driver was making a turn and slowing down, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a tree. the driver was injured as a result. the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was filed. the manufacturer had not been notified. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were approximately 43,000.

The car stalls when in motion. no warning at all. could be going 10mph or 65mph, and it suddenly goes to idle speed. dealer said it is throttle body (electronic sensor?) issue and must be replaced for $1200. warranty is 36 months or 36,000 miles. my car has 77,000 miles. according to the internet, this is apparently a common problem with toyota. outrageous!!!!!! not only is this one of the most dangerous problems that i have ever heard of, but toyota and nhtsa seem to be ignoring the problem. my congressman and ct consumer protection will hear about this and i urge you to do something to help-------save (lives) toyota drivers. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving approximately 20 mph, the contact noticed the temperature gauge was displaying a reading that indicated that the vehicle was overheating. the contact pulled over and shut the vehicle off. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop where the contact was informed that there was an external leak within the engine. the vehicle was repaired but the failure continued because of excessive wear on the bolt strips. the current and failure mileages were approximately 75,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while parking and shifting into reverse, the vehicle suddenly accelerated backward and crashed into a tree. the contact suffered minor injuries. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not examined for the cause of the failure. the current and failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while the contact was driving in reverse approximately 2 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. the vehicle uncontrollably traveled over a curb and continued onto the lawn, then crashed into a wooden fence. there was no personal injury. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to a dealer where they refused to inspect the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the contact was waiting upon a response from the manufacturer pertaining to the unintended acceleration. the failure mileage was 50,420.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 camry le. the contact stated while applying the brakes, the vehicle abnormally accelerated until more pressure was applied to the brakes. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure but advised that the failure could potentially be caused by a defect in the throttle body. the dealer cleaned the throttle plate to correct the failure. the manufacturer was contacted but did not provide any assistance. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 23,900. updated 12/30/10. *lj updated 04/06/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was entering a parking space and accelerating slightly when the vehicle abnormally lurched forward and then accelerated. the contact attempted to abruptly apply the brakes and shifted into park yet the vehicle crashed into a concrete slab which stopped the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and a diagnostic was performed. the dealer advised that a failure was not located within the vehicle to cause unintended acceleration but did advise that the brakes failed. the contact was awaiting repairs to the body damage. the failure mileage was approximately 29,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that while driving 3 mph the vehicle accelerated on its own. the contact then applied extreme pressure to the brakes when the vehicle finally stopped. the dealer was informed about the failure and stated that they would like the contact to bring it in .the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 104000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry le. the contact was sitting at a stop light when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the contact abruptly applied the brakes and was able to stop the vehicle against the curb. the manufacturer advised having the vehicle diagnosed by an authorized dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 107,768.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while the vehicle was being driven at low speeds the contact heard a vibrating noise. the vehicle was taken to a local garage and diagnostic testing located the failure at the intake manifold. the garage replaced the intake manifold. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised the contact if he wanted them to assist with the repair, he must have the dealership diagnose the failure. the failure mileage was 43,000 and the current mileage was 44,050. updated 12/03/10. *lj

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was reversing 2 mph when the vehicle independently, rapidly accelerated. the contact attempted to apply the brakes but the vehicle did not stop. the vehicle drove over several curbs and crashed through a fence before independently stopping. the rear bumper, tires and rims were damaged. a police report was available. both the manufacturer and the contact's insurance company were investigating the cause of failure. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 50,400.

Only owner of 2003 camry, after pulling into covered parking deck into normal parking space which happens to be on an incline (ramp going up to next level) i felt sudden acceleration in the gas pedal and the vehicle lurched forward. i immediately tried to brake in time, but not before the car jumped over the concrete stopper in the spot and made impact with the concrete ledge ahead. damage to front fender, hood and left front quarter. no physical injury was sustained. contacted personal insurance and filed case with toyota. toyota will inspect the vehicle and respond within 30 business days. meanwhile i am responsible for my $1000 deductible and left driving a vehicle that i do not feel safe in. *tr

On june 20 shortly before 6:00 pm i backed out of the parking space of our condo building, and i proceeded to drive the car with about 10 mls/hour toward a street cca 50 yards away. before entering the street the car has to be stopped, however, without pressing the gas pedal, the car on its own accelerated. immediately i applied the brakes, but the car did not respond. the car speeded into a grassy area, and from there to our overflow parking lot, and from there to a second parking lot. the tires burned the grass due to the applied brakes. picture of the burned grass can be supplied if requested. the unstoppable car traveled about 170 yards. due to the force by which the car hit four curves, the front tires were flattened and the front right wheel was severely damaged. the front end collapsed to the ground and the car finally stopped. my wife and myself were wearing the safety belts, which prevented to be thrown into the front windshield..my wife was sitting next to me, there were no other passengers in the car. in addition the force caused both of the front airbags to deploy. minimizing the human damage. the airbags caused a second degree burn on my left arm as determined in the er. the airbag also hit the front of my face. and slightly burned the finger on her left hand. needless to stay that we were extremely shaken and frightened. upon exiting the car i called 911 and reported what happened. an unknown neighbor called an ambulance, which came very soon with a large fire truck. we were taken to the er of a local hospital. we spent at 4-5 hours in the er of the hospital where we were x-rayed. even as of the date of this report, some 2 months after the accident both my wife and i remain extremely shaken by this traumatic experience. my wife's spinal problems were enhanced by the crash, and her condition is being monitored by specialists. the car was not on the recall list.. i suspect the original micro chip to cause the malfunction of the gas flow. *tr

Letter from congressman van hollen on behalf of constituent, re his concerns about unintended acceleration of his 2003 toyota camry *tgw the consumer stated as soon he started the vehicle and made a turn in front of his building, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. he attempted to apply the brakes, but the vehicle did not stop and continued to accelerate out of control. the vehicle continued out of control onto a grassy area, hit three curbs and as a result, the front tires went flat and the wheels were completely bent. the vehicle finally jumped the side of the curb of the parking lot and the front end crashed to the ground. the air bag deployed and the consumer suffered second degree burns on his right arm, and his wife's left hand and fingers were bruised. *jb updated 08/24/10*jb

I got in the car and attempted to move it from the garage to my driveway. when i stepped on the accelerator the car surged and spiraled out of control. the accelerator 'locked' and i was unable to stop the vehicle as the brake would not work. the car crashed in my neighbor's yard against his tree. *tr

Seal around front passengers side airbag separating from dashboard causing danger of spontaneous airbag deployment. *tr

S10 appropriate handling-letter regarding toyota problems *tgw 2003 toyota camry. the consumer stated while on her way to work, she discovered the brakes were no longer functional. the vehicle began to accelerate on its own despite of how hard she applied the brake pedal. the vehicle then went on a grassy area, struck two trees and finally came to rest in a river.. the consumers vehicle was totaled. the consumer suffered a minor injury. *jb

In 2003, i purchased anew 2003 toyota camry se and within the first month or so had a "sudden acceleration" and a minor accident-- no injuries. i reported details to nhtsa at that time, and to toyota who denied any liability. a long story. eventually, the dealer replaced the master brake cylinder @ my request, which is the location of the cruise control cut-off, i believe. i have had no recurrence since then. however, the cruise control is still an issue, for if one just taps the brake to come off control, it does that. but to re-nter the cruise system, the pedal must be lifted manually, or depressed and released quickly, or the control re-engaged at the steering wheel switch. details of this experience are in my earlier submission. i believe this demonstrates an electronic problem with this system and i felt toyota was derelict in their handling of my concern and perhaps since then with the whole sudden acceleration problem. i thought you should be reminded and should, perhaps, review my earlier submission.. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while in a parking space, the contact was driving at approximately 15 mph in the reverse position with an excessive increase in the acceleration without warning. the vehicle would not stop when the brakes were engaged and crashed into two parked vehicles in which there were no occupants inside. there was no personal injury. a police report was filed of the incident. the contact's vehicle front end passenger side sustained severe damages; and the two parked vehicles sustained minimal damages. the vehicle was driven from the scene and repaired a collision center. the failure mileage was approximately 44,000. updated 10/15/10 *bf the consumer stated the repair cost was approximately $3000. a toyota engineer inspected the vehicle and stated there was no problem with the accelerator link or any other components for that matter. updated 10/21/10*jb

I have a 96 and 03 toyota camry and my wife was driving and she hit the brakes and could not stop. she continued hitting the brakes and lost control of the car and hit a beam under a bridge. i am glad she didn't get hurt but the front of the car was badly damaged. this has been going on for a while. i have had different car mechanics tell me there was nothing wrong with the brakes. i would like to know if anybody has an answer on what i can do. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. after starting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the gear shifter would not shift out of the park gear. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and there were no prior warnings of the failure. the current and failure mileages were 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while traveling at 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning causing the contact to crash into a nearby wooden fence. there were no injuries and a police report was filed for the incident. the vehicle was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 38,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was attempting a right turn at speeds of 5 mph when the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. the vehicle did not stop and proceeded to crash into a wall. the contact attempted to brake but to no avail. she was not injured. the contact was cited by the police and a police report was available. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted. the crash was being handled through her insurance company. the failure and current mileages were 63,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while the contact was driving approximately 25 mph with the air conditioner on she smelled a burning odor throughout the vehicle. the failure occurred five minutes after the vehicle was turned on. there were no warning lights on the instrument panel prior to or when the failure occurred. the contact added water to the coolant reservoir. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician stated that the engine overheated and caused the head gasket to malfunction. through further inspection it was determined that the failure was due to damaged bolts that were connected between the head gasket and the engine block. the technician confirmed that the engine needed to be replaced at an estimated cost of $4,000 minus the cost of labor. the vehicle had not been repaired at this time. the failure mileage was approximately 116,503. updated 11/03/10. *lj

Sudden acceleration in reverse. on 2/18/07 two incidents of sudden acceleration in drive avoiding accident by shifting into n and braking. info has been forwarded to vrtc on this vehicle. *tr

When the weather is cool the steering wheel makes a groaning sound every time it is turned. toyota has issued a tsb on the problem but could only be repaired when under warranty. the car in question is a 2003 toyota camry and the tsb was sent out in 2007, one year after the warranty was over. the noise has been getting worse, they claim that this is not a dangerous situation, but i am not convinced. the only comment i get back is that this does not happen on toyota's. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving 20 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into a tree. the vehicle was towed to the contacts home to be inspected by the insurance company. the current and failure mileages were approximately 85,000. updated 11/03/10. *lj updated 11/22/10 *bf updated 11/23/10*jb

For over four years i have been asking toyota dealer to look at the brakes on my 2003 camry. the brake pedal depresses over half way before it grabs. i had to stop fast two months ago and the pedal was to the floor and i skidded to the side before the brakes grabbed. the dealer inspected the brakes and they were fine, they said that the pedal was working just fine and they could not adjust the pedal free play. i feel that this is a dangerous situation and they won't do any thing about it. they said there is no recall regarding the brakes or pedal on a 2003 camry. *tr

When i apply my brakes on ice, my abs system immediately activates and slows my 2003 toyota camry down. when i apply my brakes on dry roads, (coming up on a red light for instance), and hit a bump or pothole in the road, the brakes immediately release. after a 1-2 second delay, the abs system activates. those two seconds have nearly caused numerous crashes over the life of this vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated the vehicle was at the dealer for an unrelated repair. when she received the vehicle back, there was an unusual grinding noise from the exhaust system. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where she was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired. the failure persisted. updated 07/30/10. *lj updated 09/30/10 the consumer stated he would like for someone to respond to her complaint. updated evoq 10/13/10*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving at approximately 60 mph, the consumer was involved in a crash and the air bags did not deploy. the contact was injured and a police report was filed. the vehicle was totaled. the contact stated that the air bag indicator light illuminated on the instrument panel during the crash and a repair shop informed the contact that undercarriage damage prevented the air bags from deploying. the current and failure mileages were approximately 98,000. updated 07/01/10 *bf updated 07/02/10.*jb updated 07/09/10.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry le. while driving up a hill at approximately 25 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated while the contact had the brake pedal depressed. the vehicle crashed into another vehicle in front of it. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to two different dealership but both dealers were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was then taken to a local mechanic for repair. the current mileage was approximately 120,000. the failure mileage was approximately 50,000. updated 11/03/10. *lj

2003 toyota camry. consumer states unintended acceleration *tgw the consumer stated when she entered a parking lot, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. she veered to the right away from a brick building and drove over a curb, a sidewalk, a drop down to grass and along shrubs at the base of the building. the consumer was able to bring the vehicle under control. all together, the vehicle traveled about 100 feet or more in a circle in a short period of time. the consumer stated the first time the incident happened was in may 2006 when the vehicle suddenly accelerated as she was backing out of a parking space. the vehicle had been idling for a few minutes with the air conditioner on before she placed the gear in reverse. there was no property damage and the police were not called in either incident. *jb

Tl* the contact owns 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that within two weeks, the drivers side door, both rear driver and passengers side door locks failed. the dealer advised the contact that the failure occurred due to a defective actuator. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was unable to unlock the doors whenever he was outside of the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 25,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph when she attempted to stop. when the brake pedal was depressed the gear selector was shifted into the reverse position. the vehicle began to accelerate. the engine was turned off to gain control of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the dealer stated that the throttle body needed to be replaced at the owner expense. the failure mileage was 47,000. the current mileage was 47,000.

My wife drove her 2003 toyota camry into a parking space directly in front of a beauty shop in canonsburg, pa. as she moved her foot from the accelerator to the gas pedal, the car accelerated into the front of the shop. at the time everyone, including me, assumed she was wrong and that she had step on the accelerator by mistake. in light of the recent reports about toyotas, i now believe her. *tr

We had attached a rear-facing infant car seat in the proper position. we got this inspected by the local police back when it was first attached. it was working fine for 8 months. last week, when my wife braked the car, the base of the car seat detached itself from the latching restraint that kept it in position. the base came crashing towards the driver's seat. luckily, our baby was not in the car seat. this seems like a defect either in the latching restraint in the 2003 toyota camry or a defect in the car seat itself. (related vehicle information: model year=2003, make=toyota, model=camry). *tr

My toyota camry 2003 head gasket is blown. my auto mechanic informed me that toyota bolted the heads in a faulty way and the leak can only be fixed temporarily. *tr

Since the car was new it has had strange sounds in the steering column. the local toyota dealer dismissed it as normal sounds related to the weather [it is cold out or it is hot outside]. the sound progressively became worse. i had the power steering fluid changed and was told by the repair shop that it had the wrong fluid. the fluid was the product the car was delivered with. i am the original owner of the vehicle. after changing the fluid and having a wheel alignment done- the sounds (loud squeaking) persisted. i took the car recently to a different toyota dealership and they "greased" the steering column which eliminated the squeaking, but now clunking can be heard from the steering column. the mechanic at the toyota dealership cautioned me to "keep my eye on this" because it sounds like the steering column is bad. this toyota only has 28,000 miles on it, has never been in an accident, and has been dealer maintained. i find it suspicious that no mention of a bad steering column was made while the car was under warranty. i drive the car as little as possible because i am frightened to use it. i have also had problems with the brakes on this car. the brake problems date back to the day i drove the car home (new) from the dealership. the steering problems started almost immediately. this car should be recalled and repaired at the manufacturers expense for the steering problems. *tr

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) hello, i know the last thing you people need is yet another complaint about toyota, but i had an incident last year while driving my father's 2003 camry. i never filed a complaint with nhtsa or toyota, because after the incident when i took the car to the local toyota dealer, they tried to belittle me when i inquired about running a diagnostics on the car's behavior. i really thought it was just one of those things i couldn't go up against, so i let it go. i experienced sudden acceleration while parking the car and the car surged forward and hit another car. nobody was hurt, thankfully. we got the car fixed, but since then nobody wants to drive the car. it's been sitting in the garage, driven about 3x in the entire last year. i am 38 years old, great driving record, and am totally positive my foot was on the brake (as we were slowing to a stop). i have read other incidents that are almost identical to mine. anyways, that's it. i am more than happy to provide more information if necessary. [xxx] *tr

2003 camry with 120,000 mi. check engine light came on and overnight found lots of antifreeze on garage floor. brought to mechanic. headgasket blown. went to replace headgasket only to find that engine bolts were loose and had stripped thread from the aluminum block. only choice is to replace engine - $3,800 for a used engine with 50,000 mi. toyota has not responded. have heard this has become a common problem. very disappointed with toyota.

2003 toyota camry le was running, sitting in driveway, but in park with emergency brake on. car "took off" in reverse, and only came to a stop when driver jumped into car, pushed hard on foot brake, turned off ignition, and car door slammed into another parked vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while entering a parking space with his foot on the brake pedal at speeds of less than 15 mph, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a retail store. there were three people inside the store that were severely injured and transported to a hospital. the police were also called to the scene and a report was filed. none of the occupants in the contacts vehicle were injured. the contacts insurance company hired an outside expert to assess the vehicle failure. the expert stated that the floor mat was not properly secured on the driver's side and could have caused the unintended acceleration. the insurance company deemed the cause of the crash due to a possible defect in how the vehicle was manufactured. the vin was not available. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was approximately 20,000. updated 05/25/10*bf updated 06/02/10.*jb

S10 appropriate handling re toyota problems, owner of a 2003 camry experience sudden unintended acceleration in november 2008(photos inside envelope) *tgw as the consumers mother pulled into her garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into the wall, causing significant damage to the bathroom that was on the other side of the wall. the vehicle was inspected and the consumer was informed that the brake and accelerating systems were operating as designed. (daughter wrote in on behalf of mother, owner of the camry) *jb

2003 toyota camry. consumer writes to express her objective viewpoint and theory regarding toyota recalls and request comments and a reply. *tgw

Re: notification case #245324 dated on 03/17/2010 the incident happened on a bechtel-tower visitor parking in houston, tx. i passed the entrance gate, made two 90 degrees turns and positioned car between parking lines. suddenly, i heard a horrified sound coming out from the engine: motor was roaring like a wild lion. i pressed the brake but it did not prevent the accident. like a rocket the vehicle ran over the curb and landscaping colliding into a large three. the seat belt saved my life, however the whole front body of the vehicle was smashed and the estimated damage was near $8,000. the bechtel security guard officer was contacted immediately. the incident has been documented and recorded in bechtel security file. later this year when toyota "unintended acceleration" problem was revealed i contacted the toyota motor sales department. they inspected the vehicle and determined that all tests performed safely. for your convenience, the following attachments have been mailed to your office on march 24, 2010: a copy of my letter submitted to toyota motor sales, u.s.a., torrance, ca. this letter pertains all events and details related to the incident. report of sterling mccall toyota testing performed on february 10, 2010. i greatly appreciate your time and consideration. updated 04/20/10

Tl*the contact owned a 2003 toyota camry. while sitting idle at a traffic stop, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and proceeded to accelerate through a red light. the contact was able to stop the vehicle without incident. the dealer was contacted and he advised the contact that there were no failures with the vehicle. the contact confirmed she had experienced unintended acceleration in the vehicle on five separate occasions. the dealer was informed again of the failure and the vehicle was replaced. the vin was not available when the complaint was filed. the current and failure mileages were also not available. updated 05/13/2010. *lj

Complaint having driven a toyota and had the problems that's in the news today. *tr

10/06/09 accident--uncontrolled acceleration 2003 toyota camry causing extensive damage to car and rear garage wall. because car has not appeared on recall lists my insurance co. advises i am responsible for the accident and will face increased premium. i feel this unfair and unjust. this was the most terrifying experience of my life. any help you can give me would be appreciated. i was advised to register my complaint with you by tv consumer advocate "7 on your side". the car was parked when i started it to put in garage--therefore, i cannot put proper speed in area subsequent to this section. *tr

While pulling into a driveway with right foot on the brake my 2003 camry suddenly accelerated striking another vehicle parked in the same driveway. sudden acceleration has been a frequent problem when driving at higher speeds and is corrected by tapping the brake. nothing has been done yet to correct the problem as the vehicle is out of warranty. *tr

Attempted to park auto in usps lot in fairfield. pa; applied brake , auto accelerated and went over cement stop, i was able to stop car before crashing into post office with auto resting on cement stop. reversed back over cement stop and parked auto. left post office and put auto in reverse, backed up, turned auto to straighten and engine accelerated. i put auto into park and applied brake to stop auto. had auto towed in to toyota dealer where it now sits to be diagnosed today. *dt

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while traveling 30 mph the contact applied the brakes and noticed that the vehicle continued to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, yet, no repairs were made. the failure has occurred on three occasions. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 8856 and the current mileage was approximately 35000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. after parking the vehicle and exiting it, the contact noticed that the vehicle suddenly shifted into reverse and began rolling backwards. the occupant sitting in the front passenger seat was able to turn the steering wheel causing the vehicle to travel over a curb which flattened both rear tires. no one was injured and a police report was not filed. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact had the pawl mechanism and tires repaired. the failure mileage was 60000. updated 05/10/10 *bf the vehicle was parked and the engine was left running; the transmission was in the park position; but the parking brake was not activated. the vehicle was on an uphill slant,downhill being to the rear of the vehicle. minutes after exiting the vehicle, the vehicle began to roll backwards. the vehicle's transmission lever did move into reverse. the consumer believed that the pawl mechanism failed. updated 05/12/10 updated 07/01/10 *bf updated 07/02/10.*jb

Summer 2007, driving from bedford, tx to southwest fort worth, 2003 toyota camry suddenly accelerated from near stop condition to much higher speed for two or more blocks. not sure how fast it was going. don't recall details. this never happened again. still owns car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph in reverse, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into a garage door. the contacts foot was depressing the brake in an attempt to stop the vehicle; however, upon impact, the vehicle continued the unintended acceleration and proceeded into traffic. the vehicle crashed a second time into the front end of another vehicle. there were no injuries. there was no mention of a police report being filed. the vehicle continued to stall intermittently but was restarted. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop. the manufacturer advised the contact that an investigator would further inspect the vehicle failures. the failure and the current mileages were 44,000. updated 5/6/10 *cn the consumer stated as he was backing out of his driveway, when the vehicle swerved with a great amount of force and crashed in his garage doorway and did severe damage. the consumer stated he placed his foot on the brake and a split-second later, the vehicle was rushing forward at a high speed through his parking space and into traffic on a two-way road in front of his driveway where he collided with a passing vehicle that was turning left. updated 05/13/10.*jb

Consumer request forms to report a safety issue with a 2003 toyota camry and additional forms such as auto safety hotline, recalls and new car crash tests and annual report of safety recalls. *tgw

I was driving my 2003 toyota camry on highway with cruise control on interstate i-40. i was driving 55 mph along a construction zone when it suddenly speed up, became uncontrollable and crash into the wall. i was unable to stop the vehicle by pumping on the brake and it was finally stopped when the vehicle was deep in the sand on the side of the highway. the vehicle was a total loss due to its severe damages.

My wife's was driving our 2003 toyota camry xle to store when coming to casual stop hit brake pedal and had lost all braking power while merging onto exit. my wife kept pumping the brakes until after 8-10 pumps of brake pedal car finally regained braking power. she was telling me she was almost prepared to run the car off the road into ditch to avoid rear-ending cars in front of her. my wife was scared and upset and said she won't put our 2 year old daughter or 7 years old son in this car ever again. i have had intermittent loss of brakes problem since new. when we take it to the dealer the tell us that there is nothing they can find wrong. this has happened 10 times since new,but this event being the worst. i am calling dealer tomorrow morning to get this problem resolved. my wife does not want the car and strongly believes the problem won't be fixed because it is a engineering problem not a maintenance problem. i am sure of all the times we took the car to the dealer for this issue that they cannot find a problem with the brakes when it was under warranty. i am sure that when i take it there tomorrow not under warranty they will turn this engineering problem into a profit maker. the car is a garage kept car with 44,000 mile and new front and rear brakes pads at 40,000. my wife and i read many of the complaints on braking problems and are exactly what we experience on our toyota camry xle. i was not in the car so i'm not sure it was brakes or accelerator. my opinion is it has something to do with the antilock braking system. when car was new i had a panic stop on highway on a hot summer day. i hit the brakes hard and rear tires locked up and skidded all the way down to 30 mph from 65mph. if this car has abs how can you skid the rear tires at anytime. dealer claimed to find nothing wrong every time . tomorrow at the dealership should be interesting, my wife wants me to trade it in and swears she won't drive it ever again. *tr

Tl* contact owned a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated she had several problems with this vehicle when she had it. she almost ran threw her window when the vehicle was in park. she no longer has the vehicle but thought that filing a complaint was the right thing to do. the failure mileage 70,000.

8/4/2000 my toyota camry le has sudden acceleration at oakland mall parking lot introy michigan and i was involve in accident, tried extremely hard on brake but couldn't control the vehicle. *tr

I pulled into my brother's driveway and was getting ready to park when my car suddenly took off as if i had the gas to the floor(which i didn't). i crashed into my brother's truck knocking it into his house, still couldn't stop the car, it acted like it was going to climb his truck. it then veered to the left and side swiped his other vehicle. when i finally got it stopped, i had both feet on the brake and the engine was still revving and trying to go. i finally got it stopped where i could turn it off with the key. the damage to my car was nearly $14,000.00 plus the damage to my brother's property. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. after examining the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver side floor mat clips would not secure the floor mat while he was driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the clips needed to be replaced. the current and failure mileages were 50000. updated 4/26/10 *cn the consumer stated he should be reimbursed. he stated the floor mat slid forward and blocked the accelerator. update 06/15/10.*jb

I own a 2003 toyota camry that experienced the same unexplainable acceleration being aired on television newscasts only a couple of months ago. as i was driving in front of a popular shopping area my car accelerated at an alarming speed. it felt like a jet. i quickly attempted to press on my foot brake and even tried the hand brake. the car ceased to stop. the car crossed a major intersection and dangerously entered a busy parking lot at a popular mall. i was barely able to dodge pedestrians, moving and parked cars until i turned suddenly and crashed into the median that divided the parking rows in the parking lot. on-lookers came to check on me and spoke of how the back tires were smoking because my car was going so fast. shaken up, my passenger and i called family members who rushed to the scene and proceeded to call a tow company because the vehicle was clearly not capable of being driven. the front wheel axle was bent, and there was much damage to the front right wheel area due to the angle of the crash. thankfully, neither my passenger nor i were injured, but very shaken up. once the car was towed to a nearby service center, they were able to surmise that the car was a bit mangled and required parts not readily available in hilo, hawaii. the estimate to repair the car exceeded $3,000. i contacted my car insurance carrier to report the incident. nearly one month later, the car was repaired. my daughter took the car to a toyota service center and asked them to please examine the car and evaluate whether it was safe for driving. the micro chip did not indicate anything abnormal according to the service agent. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 60 mph on normal road conditions; proceeding to make a turn. there was excessive force applied to the steering wheel. the failure occurred whenever making a turn. in addition, during the winter months the failure progressed more frequently. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on two separate occasions for the identical failures. the technician dispensed power steering fluid in the vehicle. the failure occurred continuous without no resolution. the contact is waiting on a response for the cause of failure. the failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving 2 mph into the garage, when the vehicle accelerated and crashed into the garage wall. the contact states that smoke was coming from the tires. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic and testing. the dealer drove the vehicle around and found no problem with the accelerator. the front bumper of the vehicle was damaged.the contact sustained injuries as a result of the crash. the approximate failure and current mileages was 6300. updated 04/20/2010. *lj updated 07/13/10.*jb

My wife was involved in a traffic accident in her 2003 toyota camry on 10/05/04. while passing another vehicle she stated that the car accelerated and that she could not get it to stop. the traffic accident report quotes her as saying "she had no control of the vehicle, and said there was something wrong with the vehicle mechanically. the dealership repaired the damage to the vehicle but i do not find any indication that the problem of the accelerator was addressed. we would like to know what course of action we should take. *tr

Twice last year the car just took off accelerating on its own and when i tried to use the brake to stop the car it just kept going. the first time i could not control the car by using the brakes and it finally stopped after it went down the street a ways and over a curb. the car had been parked and i had just started up the car putting my foot on the gas pedal when the car went out of control. the second time i had entered a parking garage, stopped to take a ticket from a machine and when i applied the gas it took off. i applied the brake and tried to steer the car out of danger. it finally hit a cement block, bouncing back going forward again before it stopped. both times i took it to the toyota dealer and they checked it out and could not find anything wrong. the second time in december 2009 they told me of the problem regarding the gas pedal and the carpet, which they said was ok on my car and told me if it happened again to put the car in neutral and the wheels would stop turning. they also said they were working on a recall but that my car would not be a part of it as the problem did not exist until 2005 on camrys. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving in reverse out of her driveway at speeds of under 5 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated forward without driver intent. the vehicle began to spin in a circular motion and proceeded to crash into a vehicle. the engine exhibited a loud revving noise while accelerating. the vehicle did not stop until finally crashing into a tree. upon impact, there was a tire blowout, exact location unknown. a police report was filed. the contact suffered minor injuries from the crash. the failure and current mileages were 47,000.

The accident occurred on the 5 freeway going from northern california to southern california, on the grapevine. it was rainy out and during the time of the incident the rain was just softening up. in the far left lane i driven my vehicle at about 55 - 60mph, speed limit was at 65mph. i begin to slow down, and while doing so the car begins to swerve and not react to my brakes. it then turns out to the next lane and begins spinning about 4 times while i pull up the emergency brakes. no car collision happened, but it was headed straight towards the guard rail, where it then hit the left front of the car and then the side left of the car and back left of the car. the car finally braked, with damage to the front, side left, and back of vehicle, blown out both back tires, wouldn't turn on, & no air bags deployed. the accident caused damaged to the vehicle and cracked pavement as well as moved guard reel affected area about a foot in. passenger had head, neck and back injuries, nothing to serious, just enough to get checked up and sent to the hospital. i believe the speed of the car should have caused the air bags to deploy. its a 2003 toyota camry, i've been the owner for about a year and a half, no accidents prior to this one. *tr

I have experienced several incidents of sudden acceleration in my 2003 toyota camry. i took it into a toyota dealer when it first happened, but they did nothing. *tr

In the process of pulling into a parking space in a parking lot on december 8, 2009, my 2003 camry accelerated, jumped the curb, ran up an embankment and hit a tree. i took it to the dealer, who test drove it and found no problem. please extend the recall to 2003 camry. *tr

I have a 2003 toyota camry. i frequently experience excessive engine acceleration when initially putting the car in drive. also, on occasion, the brake and accelerator pedals engage at the same time, which may or may not be an operator issue. i brought the car in for repairs to toyota service center last year but they said it involved the electronic controls and there was nothing they could do. seems that the toyota repair people knew about the problem already. *tr

Sudden increase in rpms as i was backing up my car up to my wood pile..it rammed into my wood pile and the wheels were still spinning when i finally turned off the car. same thing happen when i was coasting up to a stop sign feb 2010.. both times i put all the strength i could on the brake pedal to stop the car. it never stopped in 2009 but i did get it stopped on the 2010 incident because i put the car in neutral. some minor damage to the back end of the car on the 2009 incident from the car hitting the stack of wood.. went to the dealer and they said it was nothing they could do about it.. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the driver stated that when she drove on uneven pavement, over a bump or down a hill she tried to apply the brake pedal in order to stop the vehicle and was unsuccessful. the driver stated that it felt as if her wheels were bouncing. the driver also stated that it sounded as if it were coming from the right side of the vehicle. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 47,000. the current mileage was 60,000.

I have a 2003 toyota camry 4cyl, le model. on two separate occasions while the cruise/speed control was on, the car has accelerated quickly. both times, i was able to turn the speed control off and it went back to normal. since the warranty had run out and it has not happened since, i did not take it in to be looked at. this happened once in 2006 and once in 2007. i do not remember the exact dates (the month/day below is just a guess), but i did want to get this included in any possible problems other were having.*tr

I have a toyota camry 2003. since around 2007 i have noticed that some kind of fluid noise come from the steering wheel area, especially in the morning and when turning to the right or left. sometimes the noise is so loud that the other passenger can hear it. it sound like a lot of fluid is moving on the dash around the steering wheel. no leak inside the car observed. for several months feel like car steer more/easily when driving. *tr

Was entering a parking spot at walmart in stafford, va. when gas pedal rev up high in my 03 toyota camry and ran over steel pole barriers . *tr

Consumers 2003 toyota camry has brake problems, water leaks in the trunk and gas reservoir, doors do not close properly releasing air into the driver side door. *ts smoke would emit from the exhaust on cold starts. the engine valve stem seals were replaced due to loss of tension and oil was leaking into the cylinders. the strut supports were replaced due them being worn. the power steering rack was leaking, the engine mount was cracked and the battery was leaking.*jb the consumer also stated there was a vibration coming from the brakes when they were applied. there was a hole in the dashboard. updated 04/223/10.*jb

Backing into parking space in front of back porch about 8 feet form porch car suddenly accelerated in reverse causing damage to car and porch. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the driver was at a complete stop when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. he tried to apply the brakes but the vehicle did not slow down or stop until it crashed into a pole. the police report stated that the brakes were applied numerous times and that the failure was caused by a stuck accelerator pedal. there were no injuries. the dealer stated that there were no related recalls. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the current and failure mileages were approximately 32,000.

Driver/owner of 2003 toyota camry in garage. placed veh. in reverse and experienced sudden unintended acceleration, causing driver to zoom across street and crash into a tree, sustaining serious personal injuries including but not limited to neurological injuries, partial paralysis, hematoma, fractured vertebrae in upper thoracic area, spine damage, rectum/colon damage and injuries, requiring driver to wear diapers and be fed through feeding tube. passenger sustained chipped tooth, whiplash, and other injuries. *tr

I am the owner of a 2003 4 cylinder camry. i bought the car used in august, 2006. in that year and the year after, i had 2 or 3 acceleration problems when i put my foot on the brake. i thought it was my fault due to the new plastic floor mats i had installed or was due to the fact that when i put my foot on the brake pedal, my foot extended over the end of the pedal and when i pressed down, i hit the accelerator as well. i have had no incidents since. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately between 55-65 mph on normal road conditions. the transmission began to jerk excessively. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer on four separate occasions for the identical failures with replacement of the transmissions. the four transmissions failed within 45,000 miles. when at a complete stop the vehicle surged forward unexpectedly. also, during braking there was a delayed response. the authorized dealer was unable to duplicate the failures. the failure mileage was 10,000. the current mileage was 45,000.

2003 toyota camry, sudden unintended acceleration while parking vehicle suddenly accelerated, jumped a parking block, and crashed into a tree. *tr

2003 toyota camry. consumer states defect with seat belt in which the seat belt detaches by itself while driving. *tgw updated 05/11/10.*jb

I am writing about my 2003 toyota camry. i have had the same gas pedal sticking problem. i was turning into a parking space and all of a sudden the car revved up and would not stop. i had to use all of my power to stop the car and it would not stop. i had to turn the key off for it to stop. i would like to know if there is any recourse for me. i contacted my local toyota dealer and they said that my car was not part of the recall. i would not believe this problem if it had not happened to me. that has not happened again but i am very fearful now that i hear that others are having this problem. *tr

My 2003 toyota camry le v6 inexplicably accelerated while i was driving into my garage on dec 28 2006. the car struck the back of the garage wall and caused the wall to fail and partially fall into my houses den. at the time i assumed i had hit the accelerator instead of applying the brake. when i think back the car really accelerated hard and when it first hit the wall it stopped then lurched forward again. in light of all of the issues surrounding toyotas and unintentional acceleration i suspect the car actually accelerated on its own and i did not touch the accelerator accidentally. the car was repaired and is still owned by our family. i am reluctant to drive it given all of the issues surrounding toyota acceleration problems. *tr

On august 20, 2009, started my 2003 toyota camry. with gear shift in "park", car engine raced as if accelerator was floored. engine was screaming, i was afraid to shift it into "drive". shut off car and re-started, car idled fine at normal speed. proceeded to drive car without further incident. am sure that problem was not caused by my having my foot on the accelerator at the time.this has only occurred once in 74,000 miles and 7 years of family ownership. *tr

I have an 2003 camry xle which i purchased new in march 2003, i also have a problem with sudden acceleration. it usually occurs only a couple of times a year. i did not report it to the dealer because it was not a continuous problem and not a problem which could be reproduced on command. until all the publicity the last few months i assumed it was only a problem with my car which happens infrequently. *tr

On 2 occasions our 2003 camry le accelerated. the first time the vehicle hit a tree in a parking lot. the second time it occurred while preparing to move into traffic from a stop. no injuries but minor damage to the bumper from the first incident. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. yesterday the contact wife experienced an unintended acceleration. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked and upon putting the gear in reverse, the vehicle accelerated across the parking lot and crashed into an iron fence. the contact had the vehicle towed to an authorized dealership and the dealer has informed the contact that the vehicle was destroyed. the police were called and the contact will be obtaining a police report. the passenger hit her head but did not see a doctor. the manufacturer was not contacted as of yet. the failure mileage was 99,200 and the current mileage was 99,220. updated 04/09/10. *lj updated 09/16/10*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that when driving low speeds, the transmission does not engaged. i took two to three seconds before the transmission would shift in gear. the dealer replaced the computer chip and upgraded the transmission which only minimally corrected the failure. a complaint was filed with the toyota manufacturer for the failure. the failure mileage was 15,000 the current mileage is 87,000. updated 03/11/10 *bf the consumer stated the transmission seemed to hesitate for a couple of seconds when pressing the accelerator pedal. when the transmission did engage, the vehicle lurched forward. updated 05/05/10.*jb

I own a 2003 camry xle purchased new from a local dealer in carson city, nv. i have had problems with the transmission surging, lurching and hesitating since purchased. i requested the service dept to check it out many times. they always said nothing was wrong leading me to believe i was crazy. after the 4th time i printed out many other consumer complaints, they still told me "nothing was wrong" but they said toyota is putting in a whole new transmission. that was in 2006. wow, if nothing was wrong why would they go to that expense? now after all that has come to light with the toyota problems, i see why. i am not comfortable with this car and know that it has the potential for sudden unintended acceleration. updated 03/19/10

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. whenever the contact attempted to apply the brakes at any speed he had to pump the brake pedal several times in order to slow down the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the vehicle was performing normally. the contact noticed the failure since the day the vehicle was purchased. the current and failure mileages were 90000.

2003 toyota camry le we have a 1999 toyota camry and a 2003 toyota camry. my wife generally drives the 2003 camry. i have always felt that the brakes were unresponsive or pressing the brakes would generally cause the car to skid irrespective of road conditions - wet /dry. i have taken the care to the shop to check if there was a leak in the brake system, ensured that the brake pads were new etc. 3 weeks ago i was in a rear end collision - i had plenty of room to stop and hit the brakes and the car did not slow down and continued to skid. i used the car in front to effectively halt our car. with all the discussion of the toyota recalls, i believe there are more cars that toyota is not revealing. after the accident, i drove the 1999 camry and there is definitely a difference i the responsiveness and performance of the brakes/braking system. *tr

Fax fwd ltr (oh) they previously owned a 2003 toyota camry that had experienced sudden acceleration problems since 2006, concerned that toyota recall is not broad enough, reply painesville, oh. *tgw on four different occasions the vehicle suddenly accelerated while the consumer was driving. in april 2006, the accelerator pedal became stuck and the consumer was forced to hit a concrete pillar to avoid hitting occupied vehicles. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph into a parking lot. there was pressure applied to the brake pedal, followed by an unintended acceleration. the vehicle failed to slow down and crashed into an air conditioner unit outside of her residence. there were no personal injuries. the police was called to the scene. the body damage to the vehicle was repaired for $800. the vehicle has not been repaired at this time. the failure mileage was 38,000.

On 11/10/09,while backing out of a parking lot, my vehicle suddenly accelerated colliding with a parked utility truck. my insurance company paid approximately $9800 for repairs to my vehicle. on 1/4/2010 my vehicle suddenly accelerated, coming out of a parking lot, even depressing the brake pedal as hard as i could would not stop the vehicle. i went out into the main traffic stream. luckily there was no accident, just irate drivers. each incident lasted only seconds then went to normal operation. i have a 2003 toyota camry, xle, v-6 which i purchased new and the mileage was approximately 44,000 miles. i have experienced no other problems but am wondering if i will and when. have you had any other reports such as mine? *tr

2003 toyota camry with unintended acceleration. consumer believes that his/her vehicle year should also be included in the recall since it has the same problem. *kb

I have had a problem with my 2003 camry since the day i bought it. the antilock brakes kick in for no obvious reasons, even for small bumps/potholes and i loose control of stopping the car. luckily i have not gone into any accident, but it is scary. now my 17 year daughter is getting her license and i am scared that she might not know how to control the situation. dealer says there is no problem with 2003 camry braking system. reading all these posts, i think that toyota is not honest with us see other complains at http://www.aboutautomobile.com/forum/toyota/camry/consumer+complaint/760-760. *tr

2003 toyota camry xle 4-cyl with 79,000 miles. i was pulling into a parking space, car started revving. when i shifted into park, it revved out of control, jumped a curb and sidewalk, and crashed into a tree. that was the only thing that stopped the car. bruised and shaken but no lasting injuries for me or passenger. toyota claimed they never heard of sudden acceleration and closed my inquiry. *tr

I have experienced braking problems similar to those prompting the prius recall since approximately october, 2009. if the brake is engaged on rough pavement (bumpy, potholes,etc), it shudders and does not engage for several seconds even when the pedal is depressed completely to the floor. i have had the rotors and pads replaced within the last six months and have had the abs sensors cleaned and lines inspected with no improvement. the problem occurs on both wet and dry pavement. *tr

In wet weather, i often find the brakes on my 2003 toyota camry failing, even after i have had new brake pads installed. especially when i go downhill near my house, when i slowly apply the brakes in wet weather i hear a crunching sound and get little, and occasionally, no brake action. n.b. i am not sure of the day i am putting in below, but am picking the 4th as an approximate date so i can continue with the form. *tr

I watched the cnn evening news coverage yesterday, february 9 on the prius recall due to a brake problem. the cnn news reporter actually owns a prius and was relaying her experience. her story resonant with me because i have continually had the same problem with my 2003 camry. though i have taken it back to the dealer a number of times and the technician has examined the vehicle, including road tests, no mechanical problem is found. *tr

I was not getting heat if my car was stopped at a light. upon examination by my mechanic he found there was a gap between the head and the engine block. it became apparent that the screws that hold the head to the aluminum engine block had stripped and the head was separating from the block. . first the mechanic tried to drill new holes with new bolts. he didn't feel that it would hold in the obviously defective block so i had to get another engine which costs me $3215.78. i had no car for over a month. i am very upset with this issue. if the head detached, the car would have lost power. what if i was traveling at high speed and got hit from behind. also with the head separated there is the possibility that the fuel could have exploded or started a fire while driving. please let me know if there are others with this problem. there are a lot of 2003 toyota camrys on the road today. *tr

In 2005, i was driving east on u.s. hwy 74 between i-26 and shelby, nc in my 2003 camry. the cruise control was set for 65 mph, the speed limit. a few minutes later, the car began increasing speed to 75 mph. i stepped on the brake and turned off the cruise control to slow down the vehicle. this was the only time this happened. i reported this to a service representative at my toyota dealership when i returned to chattanooga. he said to let him know if it ever happened again. this year, i sent my dealership and toyota e-mails reminding them of the problem encountered in 2005. neither responded. then, i went to the dealership and talked with a service representative. the gentleman said that toyota had been having this particular problem with its cruise control for many years (he mentioned a specific piece that was causing the malfunction), but it was not regarded as a safety issue since tapping on the brake disconnected the cruise control. *tr

I was parking my 2003 camry in a mall parking lot when it suddenly accelerated. i had no control and smashed into a parked car. i never had an accident in 60+ years of driving. now i know it was the toyota accelerator that caused the crash. my ed morse toyota dealer in delray beach fl. turned me away from service saying it is not their problem but i should contact toyota. i have not been able to reach anyone there. i know it is not in the recall but i told the dealer i want toyota to know this happened to my 2003 camry and i want them to find the cause and remedy it. my wife also has a 2003 camry and we drive them both with fear. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving into a parking space and the gear was placed into the park position. suddenly, the engine surged without warning. the vehicle traveled over a curb and crashed into a tree. there were no injuries sustained during the crash. the police was called to the scene and a report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 79,000. updated 02/26/10 *bf updated 04/29/10

2003 toyota camry le 4-cylinder. 66,000 miles. occasional minor "lunging forward" from stationary position. on one occasion, while sitting at a bank drive-up window, there was a rapid increase in gas feed when i depressed the accelerator pedal slightly but when i depressed the brake it returned to normal idling. i am concerned that the problem is related to the general toyota accelerator problem and could get worse. no accidents to date. date indicated is only approximate. i would have made a specific notation of the date if i had known about the general problem with toyotas at the time of the incidents. i reported my concern verbally a few days ago to the national toyota telephone contact (and was told that my call was being recorded) but have not received a reply. another concern is the general "check engine light" problem that toyotas have. toyota says the problem is caused by clicking the gas cap more than once when reattaching it after filling up with gas. this seems to be a rather flakey excuse, and i had to pay the dealer to turn off the check engine light more than one year ago but recently received an offer from the dealer to fix these problems for free. are the accelerator problem and the check engine light problem related to the toyota computer system? *tr

Vehicle accelerated on its one in driveway after shifting into drive. *tr

Toyota camry 2003 4 cylinder. rattling noise from the intake manifold. my mechanic said that this noise occurs due to plastic material of which the intake manifold was made of. my mechanic has seen this problem with other 2003 toyota camry and is very common. *tr

In april 2007 i had an accident with my 2003 toyota camry. i was backing out of a parking spot and put the car in drive, it accelerated greatly. i put on the brakes and it would not stop. i hit another car and a fence before i could throw it into park and stop it. had i gone thru the fence, i would have gone into a deep ravine and i would not be here to tell the story. i told the insurance company that day that there was something wrong with the car; it would not stop. i told them they should contact toyota about it. they told me not to worry, they would cover the damages - around $6000. i told the garage that repaired the car that it would not stop. he said i had to have had my foot on the accelerator and not the brake. no i did not have my foot on the accelerator and it told him so. i told carson city toyota service manager that something was wrong with the car and later when recalls started, again told him. he said i could not prove it. had anyone been listening to me 3 years ago, lives might have been saved. i am still angry about it and am looking to replace the car as soon as i can. *tr

2003 toyota camry. we have had the car since new. i always thought there was a problem with the brakes-the pedal nears the floor before braking action begins. reported to dealer numerous times. they maintain the brakes are fine and up to specs. i had the front rotors and pads changed along with new shoes on the rear-even though the original parts were not worn out-and stopping improved although there is still an awful lot of pedal travel before braking takes place. i feel there is a problem with the master cylinder that should be rectified by toyota motor co. i think the recent events with their vehicle recalls is just the tip of the iceberg. *tr

Previously reported acceleration surge of 2003 camry while backing out of the garage. reports of acceleration surges on your site exceed 140 for the 2003 camry versus (as best i could identify) 29 for the malibu, 26 for the accord and 12 for the taurus, all 2003 models. in light of recent toyota findings are you going to reopen investigations of the 2003 camry?...*tr

Fatal car accident. *tr

I have a car toyota camry 2003 and had two car accidents (crash) in the past five years because of the brake failure. *tr

Moving at 1 to 2 mph, with my foot on the brake, i was slowing down into a head-in slightly downhill parking space. then, without any warning the car launched forward, accelerating on its own at full speed over an embankment, through the air over a sidewalk crashing into the side of a parked vehicle which, from the extreme impact, rammed into an adjacent parked car. my foot was still on the brake, never on the accelerator. there were no injuries. a police report was taken. the incident was reported to the toyota dealer but they took no responsibility and they claimed there was nothing wrong with the car. the car was repaired. because of my concern for personal safety the car was not driven again until it was traded in for a new honda. the mileage was 44,080. *tr

I am finding that the brakes on my 2003 camry le do not slow the car when i hit a pot hole or defect in the road. this has occurred more than 5 times in last year when i brake while going over a pot hole *tw

2003 toyota camry anti lock brakes this situation has existed from the day i have bought this car. when the camry rumbles over a bumpy road and i step on the brake pedal applying constant pressure the brakes are non responsive. the brakes do not stop the car. the brakes only start to work once the car is no longer over bumpy road. i have spoken to many camry owners and they have indicated the same braking failure. toyota indicates this is normal. how can toyota be allowed to not fix a failure of their braking system? when is the government going to address this problem? you have had brake failure complaints like this for years and have not done anything about this! *tw

The driver side floor mat is not fixed to the underlying floor. it slides around. this condition was apparent from the day i bought the car. the toyota dealership said there was nothing they could do. before i recently heard this could be an actual danger by interfering with the gas or brake pedals, i just straightened it out when i saw it has moved out of place. now i removed the mat but this means the floor below is not protected from dirt, etc. it bothers me that toyota never thought this was an issue. now i find out that later models were recalled for this problem. they still will not do anything because it's a 2003 and not under a recall order. i wanted to file this complaint so it known that the 2003 camry (xle) has this problem too. *tr

2003 toyota camry discussion thread --------------------------------------------------------------- response (kwil) - 01/26/2010 04:26 pm we apologize for your concern with the performance of your 2003 camry, and we appreciate you taking the time to let us know. unintended acceleration involving toyota and lexus vehicles has been thoroughly investigated on several occasions over the last few years. none of these studies has found that an electronic throttle control system malfunction is the cause of unintended acceleration. electronic throttle control, adopted in some form by nearly all automakers, has several fail-safe features and enhances safety by making possible functions such as traction control, stability control and adaptive laser cruise control. toyota values the safety of our owners and the public. it is our utmost concern and toyota has and will continue to take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified. we have documented your email at our national headquarters under file. if we can be of further assistance, please click on the following link, http://www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html,to contact us. customer - 01/22/2010 06:21 am i have been concerned about my vehicle - since an experience i had in may of 2009 in nichols, sc. i was departing my sister's farm - had my car in reverse - when it acceralated at a high rate of speed in reverse. the engine had a very loud whine and in a matter of seconds went from 0 to 60 mph (my guess)it went in reverse ¿ almost causing a collision with horses and barn. i applied brakes and shifted gears ¿ all in vain. only when i turned the key off ¿ did the car stop. my car received superficial damage. my car was examined by harrelson toyota, rock hill, sc. ¿ nothing was found wrong. an incident report was filed. *tr

I was pulling into a space in a parking lot in my 2003 toyota camry, when my car surged forward. i hit and damaged 2 parked vehicles as well as sustaining significant front-end damage to my own car, but no one was injured. i called the police and reported the accident, but i could not swear that my foot had not partially covered the gas pedal. it was winter and i was wearing heavy boots. i purchased the car new in 2003. twice since then, in may 2006 and march 2008, my car surged on the highway. i took my foot off the gas pedal but the car did not slow down for about 30 seconds. i put my foot on the brake, but there was a delay before the car slowed down. in none of these incidents did i have a floor mat riding up under the gas pedal. i have called several toyota dealerships, but when i leave a message to talk to a service manager i have not received a call back. a few days later i receive a trade-in offer from the dealership. *tw

On january 12, 2010, i had my 2003 camry detailed (washed inside and out-including the carpet)at a car wash. i proceeded to a nearby mall,where i stopped briefly at a store. upon exiting the parking lot, i made a full stop at the stop sign. i then proceeded to go by stepping on the accelerator. at this point the car suddenly accelerated to a high speed, and i was not able to stop it, even though i was pressing on the brake. the car went across 3 lanes & up, over, and down a median,continued to go across another 3 lanes and finally came to rest after hitting a tree on another median. to the best of my knowledge, the accelerator became stuck in the down position, and pushing down on the brake to the left of it did not help, nor did the steering wheel turn as i was trying to avoid hitting the tree. also, please be aware that my front air bag did not deploy. at the time, i had no visible signs of injury, but injuries became apparent soon after, and can be verified by a doctor. a police report is available, if needed. the vehicle was towed to a collision shop, waiting to be repaired. a claim was filed with toyota manufacturing. the failure mileage was about 52,000. *jb see odi 10301845 *dsy

2003 toyota camry acceleration problem. *nj the consumer stated in 2006, while pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle accelerated from 5 mph to at least 60 mph without her foot on the gas pedal. the accident caused major damage to her vehicle and the apartment complex in which she lived. in addition, the consumer has a lingering injury from the accident. *jb

In the spring of 2008 the front drivers side door lock on our 2003 toyota camry "froze" in the locked position. the door could not be unlocked by any means including the electronic keyless entry, the key in the door or manually from the inside. there was no "warning" that this was about to happen it just couldn't be unlocked. fortunately we were not in the car when this occurred. the vehicle had to be towed to the dealership for them to see what was wrong with the lock. it was determined that the "actuator" had gone out and had to be replaced, at a cost to me of approx. $380.00 which i paid. the same thing happened again in 9-09 only this time on the passenger side and again with no "warning". this time we were in the vehicle and didn't realize it had happened again until we parked and tried to exit. again the vehicle was taken in ( to an independent garage) and the actuator on the passenger side had to be replaced, again at a cost of approx $350. my concern is that with no "warning of when this is going to occur there is a possibility that it could happen while the vehicle is being driven and if there were an accident and the door was unable to be unlocked this could pose a serious safety hazard if a person was unable to get out of their vehicle due to this failure. i asked both the dealership and the main offices of toyota if this was a common problem in these vehicles and was told that there had been no reports of this sort of problem. i have a hard time believing that i have the only 2003 toyota camry in the entire country that has had this problem. i feel this bears investigating for the safety of all consumers who own a vehicle that this problem may occur in. *tr

I would like to report that i have a toyota 2003 camry model xle and i have experienced a similar brake problem as recently reported in the toyota prius. when i am braking on an uneven or slippery surface, i hear a strange grinding noise, the brakes lock up, and the car skids. i have brought my car to the toyota dealer for repair and they could not find anything wrong. this problem has been going on for a few years. i do not remember when i first noticed the problem. *jb

I purchased a used toyota camry, 2003 model, from a san antonio, texas car dealer in january, 2007. at the time the car had about 103,000 miles. i was driving on the highway at about 65 miles per hour when suddenly the car's engine revved up, there was a easily perceptible jolt and the vehicle accelerated by itself. about 2-3 seconds later i stepped on the brake pedal, very hard. the car acceleration rate went slightly down, engine rpms still high, and i could barely keep control of the car, so i became concerned (almost feared) of losing control of the vehicle. after about 30-40 seconds, rpms went back to more normal levels, although the vehicle engine was still accelerated. at that moment i was driving at about 65 miles per hour and if i had let go on the brake the car would have accelerated on its own. afterwards, and for bout 15 minutes (15-16 miles) i took my foot off the brake and gas pedals and the car cruised on its own at about 65 mph. i finally got home, parked the car and next time i used it experienced no problems. i don't recall if i had similar incidents later on. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving approximately 5 mph into a parking space the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a store. there were no injuries. a police report is available. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, repaired and inspected by a technician who was unable to find the cause of the failure. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 123,000.

Abs braking system on 2003 toyota camry le. after reading the nhtsa's february 4, 2010 release about your investigation into toyota prius' allegations of momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump, i finally felt vindicated, albeit i still have a problem. my 2003 toyota camry le has had the same type of braking problem since i purchased it april 2003 from the toyota dealership in delta, co. whenever i was braking to turn a corner or slow down going straight ahead, if i hit a bump or pothole the brake pedal would shudder, the pedal decreases and i lose my brakes! i have to start pumping the brake pedal immediately to get the brakes to work. one time recently, my brake pedal went to the floor and i had to slow down with the help of my emergency brake which didn't really work that well. and i was going slowly at the time. i took the car back to the delta, colorado toyota dealership shortly after my purchasing the car, however, as you can imagine, they found no problem with the abs braking system. can you guys help me? i am not looking for revenge against toyota, my whole family save one person, drives toyotas. i just want brakes that work correctly. thank you for any help you can provide me. *tr

I read about your investigation into the 2010 prius braking difficulties when going over potholes or uneven road surfaces. i have a 2003 camry and have been having the same exact problem for years. i actually took the car into the dealership and they replaced the sensors on the abs, but this did not fix the problem and they said there was nothing else they could do. anyway i just thought you would like to know that this problem is not limited to the prius in 2010. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. whenever the contact started the vehicle she noticed a rattling sound in the engine. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where the contact was informed that the intake manifold needed to be replaced. the vehicle was serviced for the failure. the current and failure mileages were 85000.

After reading the recent description of the potential problem with the brakes on the 2010 toyota prius i realized that the description is identical to the problem i have on my 2003 toyota camry. this has happened on several occasions. when the brakes are applied and at the same time i happen to hit a pothole or a rough or uneven surface the car will lose braking ability and it is often accompanied by the chattering sound like you hear when anti-lock brakes are engaging, except in this circumstance the brakes do not seem to have any effect. although i have not had an accident it is very much a sense of lost of control when it happens, and most recently when this happened i had to shift lanes suddenly to avoid hitting the car in front of me. as stated this phenomena has occurred on more than one occasion. *tr

2003 camry le with a failing braking system. the brake pedal must be pushed almost to the floor for the brakes to engage. i have had it to the dealer on four separate occasions over the past 18 months with the same complaint. they claim the brakes meet manufacturer's specs, and have failed to diagnose any problem, and no fix was ever offered. the pads and rotors are ok, and they agree that is not the problem. i owned the car since it was new, and there is a definite problem with the brake pedal needing excessive depression, which toyota denies. they have opened a case file on the car, but have done nothing about it. i am afraid to drive it, for fear the brakes will not engage at all. purchased at sunnyside toyota in north olmsted, ohio (440)777-9911. i believe the braking system on this model is faulty, and needs to be fixed. every time i take this car out for a test ride, it seems to be worse. i have stopped driving it, and toyota has refused to do anything, except have yet another of their dealers "look at it". i am tired of taking this into the shop to be diagnosed, only to be turned away saying it's "completely up to manufacturer's specs." four times is enough !!! there is something very wrong. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that as she drove through a green light, the vehicle in front of her stopped short and when she applied the brakes, the vehicle failed to stop. she crashed into the vehicle in front of her since the accelerator pedal became stuck. there were no injuries. she also stated that brakes failed intermittently. she has not contacted the dealer or the manufacturer. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was 54,867. the failure mileage was approximately 52,500.

Oil light came on. took to toyota dealer to check. within minutes said it was sludge and needed a new engine block. *tr

Tl*the contact owns 2003 toyota camry. the contact was backing out of her driveway. there was not an application to the accelerator pedal or brake pedal, suddenly there was an unintended acceleration. the driver applied pressure to the brake pedal and was able to slow down. the identical failures occurred on four separate occasions. the vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 60,000. the current mileage was 130,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving 15 mph, the contact attempted to apply the brakes to slow the vehicle down; however, it accelerated rapidly while driving down a hill. the contact and passenger were forced to apply extreme pressure to the brake pedal in order to slow the vehicle down. the vehicle crashed into some small trees which caused damage to the passenger mirror, parking lens, and the washer fluid container. the contact shut the vehicle off for approximately 15 minutes, restarted it and was able to safely drive the vehicle to his residence. the following day the dealer was unable to find the cause of the failure; however, the damages were repaired. the contact is concerned about the safety risk since the accelerator was sticking and caused the failure to occur. the failure mileage was 43,587. updated 03/04/10. *lj

I bought a toyota camry 2003 le in june 2006 and i found that it takes time for the brake to stop the car.. i went back to dealer 3 times the check the car and i was told that's how the car is designed they cannot help me, and they said that i will get use to it. but i never get use to it . it very scary when driving on highway. *tr

I have a 2003 camry. on nov. 8, 2009 i had a very big problem with the accelerator. when stepping on the gas pedal i couldn't get any gas, and then the car would jerk forward at a rapid rate so that i had to apply the brakes. it was totally undrivable. the mechanic replaced the gas pedal assembly, and i have the old part in my possession. the part was $428.01 plus the labor cost. my old camry i drove for 12 years without any problems. i feel the part was defective and that toyota should reimburse me for the cost of replacement. would your agency please look into this for me? *tr updated 11/16/10*bf the mechanic replaced the accelerator pedal assembly the pedal position sensor. updated 11/19/10 updated 11/24/10*jb updated 01/06/11 *bf updated 04/12/11

My camry has a blow gasket. i found out because my mechanic did the exam he pressurized the cooling system and put the car up on the lift. he immediately noticed coolant leaking from underneath the plastic intake manifold in the rear of the engine. he also noticed a large piece of foam rubber between the intake manifold and the engine block and head. this was blocking our view of the leak. we could only see that the leak was behind the foam piece. the only option to discover the source of this leak was to remove the plastic intake manifold, which i did. after this was removed, it became obvious that coolant had been leaking a minor amount for quite some time due to build up between the cylinder head and block. the only option left is to remove the head, which requires an extensive disassembly (r and r cylinder head). after loosening the bolts in sequence, he noticed the head bolts in the back of the engine were loose. from his experience in the field, he can confidently conclude that this only means one of two things: the bolts were left loose at the factory, or the bolts are stripped. ( he commonly has seen stripped bolts in the aluminum cadillac north star block discovered through leaking coolant.)next, he removed the head and sure enough, one bolt came out with aluminum in the thread...thus indicating a stripped bolt. the placement of the (insulation) foam rubber piece between the intake manifold and the engine block created an uneven dispersion of heat, creating "metal fatigue" in the aluminum block allowing the headbolt to strip. if toyota had out an aluminum manifold instead of plastic, there would have been no need to insulate (w/ foam piece), thus eliminating the problem. the only solution to this problem is to unfortunately replace the engine. the cost to repair it otherwise would be substantial. this is an engine defect and we will be seeing more of this. *tw

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the vehicle failed inspection since the lower ball joints bushing need to be replaced. the dealer was contacted and they stated that they would repair the vehicle at the owners expense. no repairs have been made. there are no recalls. the failure mileage was 330002 and the current mileage was 33012.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving 5 mph the vehicle accelerated across the parking lot and as she depressed the brake pedal the vehicle would not stop and crashed into a tree. there were no injuries. a police report is available if needed. the vehicle was towed to a dealer to be repaired. a claim was filed with the toyota manufacturer. the failure mileage was 52,700. see odi 10306036 *dsy

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact placed the vehicle in reverse gear, slightly pressed the accelerator pedal and the rpm's rapidly increased without warning and continued to increase until the contact shut the engine off. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 102,000.

Engine oil light came on with no warning. went to toyota dealer immediately and said i had sludge build up and needed a new engine block - quote $6200. this happened 2 days before xmas. i was stunned and asked to speak to management. toyota denied any sludge problems and failed to mention that a class action settlement was made for models up to 2002 for this problem. i have a 2003 with the same engine specs.*tr

I own a 2003 toyota camry 4cyn and noticed brownish oil substance leaking from the car. i took it to the toyota dealership that has been servicing my car for years only for them to tell me that i have a blown head gasket. when i asked them to explain how this happened and inform them the car gave me no warning they indicated that the head bolts were stripped and this caused the coolant to leak which in turn is why the engine has to be replaced. of course the quote was starting at $3000. after researching this problem and noticing that this is definitely something that has been occurring over some time and toyota is aware of it based on the service bulletin 01507 nhtsa#10021542 dated april 6,2007,toyota should be pursued with a class action suit. there are many camry owners (ranging in years 2002-2006) with this problem that should be helped in some kind of way from the toyota corporation. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while entering a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated over an embankment, and then into a cement wall. the driver received injuries to the lower part of the body. the insurance company took the vehicle to the body shop. the insurance company also investigated the accelerator, and concluded that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. however, two years prior the vehicle suddenly accelerated several times. when the failure occurred he was able to regain vehicle control, the failure mileage was 55,000. the current mileage was 60,000.

I own a 2003 toyota camry with a 2.4 4 cyl. 2az-fe motor. and have an issue where the headbolts pull out of the block, causing a coolant leak. this particular problem is known to toyota, as described in toyota service bulletin 01507, nhtsa #10021542, dated april 6 2007. even though toyota and your office is aware this issue affects hundreds of consumers, causing repairs anywhere from $2000 to $6000, nothing is being done to correct this obvious design flaw. to repair the vehicle, the engine block needs to be drilled and tapped to accommodate inserts to allow the heads to be torqued to the required specs, or in some cases, the engine needs to be replaced. *tr

2003 toyota camry v6 xle - skids or spins occasionally and especially in wet weather (not just icy or snow conditions). may 2009 my current 2003 toyota camry took a 360 degree turn (i lost control of the vehicle) in a 60 to 70 degree turn at 40 miles per hour. it was raining all day on that day. on that day the care hit the guard rail and caused front and rear bumper and side damages. also in other situations the car skidded in wet condition when accelerating from a hard stop or taking a turn. this appears to be a common issue with most of the toyota models. i had a 1994 toyota corolla and a 1995 toyota 4 runner. all the 3 vehicles had same spinning or skidding issue in wet condition on rain. also, i learnt that one of our friends toyota avalon spun recently in wet condition as well. *tr

First, let me say that i am and remain a satisfied toyota customer. however, i have experienced the "stuck accelerator" type of incident in my 2003 camry on numerous occasions. at first, i considered it to be some sort of rare event. it did seem to me that the floor mat and the accelerator pedal were somehow "jammed" when that happened. currently, with the news about others having the same experience, with newer models of camry, i want to alert nhtsa that the problem may exist in model years as far back as 2003. *tr norman f carnahan, pe, phd

2003 toyota camry xle while stopped with foot on the brake in a line of cars waiting for the traffic light to turn green, car suddenly accelerated and crashed into the rear of the car in front causing significant front-end damage to our car. again, the driver's foot was on the brake. the floor mat (1) was all the way back against base of the seats and not in the area of the accelerator pedal and (2) the mat is by design, cut back 3 to 4 inches short of the carpeted area under, near and around the accelerator pedal, and (3) the base and rear of the accelerator pedal are suspended 2 1/2 to 3 inches away from the carpeted floor and it is very difficult to press the accelerator to a position close to the floor--and it definitely beyond the pedal travel distance that drivers would/could press on the accelerator pedal. problem was reported to toyota dealer service associate who said "no problem found." problem continues to occur periodically, but we now know to press down harder than normal when stopped at traffic lights and in stop and go traffic. (we also noted a similar problem with our 2006 toyota camry xle--but the problem happens when car is in reverse. when starting up in the morning and backing out of the garage with foot covering the brake (and not on the accelerator pedal), the engine rpms suddenly accelerate and if you aren't aware of the problem and don't have your foot on the brake, the car can speed up significantly and go out of control. this problem was also reported to toyota dealer service associate who also said: "no problem found.") *tr see also 10174244, same complainant, different vehicle. *dsy

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the accelerator pedal would become stuck due to the entrapment of the floor mat. she usually has to manually remove the floor-mat to prevent a catastrophic failure. the failure occurred every-time she operated the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician stated that since her vehicle was not included in recall number 09v388000 (vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal), she was ineligible for a free remedy. she called the manufacturer, but could not reach a representative. no repairs were made, but she was in the process of removing the floor- mat. the failure mileage was approximately 110,000. the current mileage was approximately 162,000.

On 2 occasions the gas pedal has stuck on my 2003 toyota camry. on the first occasion, it occurred while i was on the highway traveling forward with the transmission in drive. the 2nd occasion was on saturday, november 21, when i put the car in reverse. on both occasions i was able to get the car under control by forcefully stepping on the brake pedal, but the second time this occurred was a very near accident - came within inches of hitting a parked vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while attempting to turn at 40 mph the vehicle began to accelerate without intention. after repeated brake application he was able to stop the vehicle. shortly afterwards while reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle rapidly accelerated. he was able to stop the vehicle by using the same method. he was in process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the current mileage was approximately 80,000. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000. updated 2/26/10 *cn the dealer was unable to find any problems/ updated 05/17/10.*jb

I was slowly pulling into a parking spot at the mall and the car suddenly accelerated and i crashed into a tree. the engine sounded like it was driving 100mph. i called the toyota dealer and they said it was probably due to the car mats. i don't believe that because my mats were in place after the crash. there was major damage to the car and the tree.*tr

This morning i filed a safety complaint about my 2003 toyota camry xle due to the sudden acceleration without warning problem. at that time i gave incorrect failure mileage as 50,000 miles. when i checked my records of mileage at gas fill ups i found the following: 24 july 2008: mileage at time of incident was between 58026 and 58444. 28 aug 2008: mileage was between 59090 and 59463. 17 oct 2008: mileage was between 60257 and 60540. mileage at time of accident was approximately 60399. 14 oct 2009: mileage was between 64205 and 64532. that is as close as i can pin down the failure mileage . i used the 10/17/2008 date for approx. incident date because that was the one time that our car hit the vehicle in front of us. the other three times we did not have an accident. i trust you can put this information with the report i filed this morning. note: my e-mail address may change within the next week or so as i am planning on hooking up to high speed internet access. thank you for your attention to this matter. *tr charles & algene ashworth

I purchased a new toyota camry in 2003. approximately two years later the driver¿s electric seat failed. the gears lowering and raising the back part of the seat were grinding and could not position the seat back in a comfortable position. toyota of manhattan beach repaired the seat in under warranty instead of replacing it as i had requested. approximately two years later the chair failed again in the same manner. toyota of pasadena repaired it under warranty in 7/07 instead of replacing the seat as i had requested. however, they failed to fix the root cause of the problem. in september/09 the seat failed yet a third time in the same manner. (it is hard to tell when exactly the seat actually failed since i exercise the controls no more than once or twice a year). i brought it in to toyota of pasadena for inspection. they told me they would look into having toyota repair it under warranty but never called back. after complaining to toyota corporate toyota of pasadena¿s customer service manager called back and told me they only warrant their work for one year. i told her that the seat was a lemon and should be replaced under the original warranty. i also pointed out to her that it was a safety issue if the seat became stuck in the wrong position but she didn't want to do anything more. *tr

2003 toyota camry involved in an 8 car accident on 6/20/09. car accelerated uncontrollably and driver was unable to stop car.*tr

Sudden acceleration without warning: 2003 toyota camry xle: four incidents to date: while driving car it began to accelerate rapidly without warning. taking foot off accelerator and putting onto brake did not get the car slowed down. had to cut off ignition at the key switch. the only thing in common was that each time this occurred it had been either damp, misty, raining or raining hard. this is not an accelerator pedal/floor mat problem. it is a throttle problem! our floor mat was locked down and did not get near the accelerator pedal but we removed the floor mat anyway. incidents as follows: 24 july 2008 - traveling to roanoke va south on i-81. female owner driving. cruise control on. daytime. raining gently. car made a roaring sound (like revving the motor while in neutral) and suddenly increased speed rapidly. we got the car stopped without an accident. 28 aug 2008- traveling to roanoke va south on i-81. female owner driving. cruise control on. night. raining very hard. car suddenly made the roaring sound and the car accelerated rapidly. we got the car stopped without an accident. 17 oct 2008 - on a city street in lynchburg va. male owner driving. cruise control off. daytime. had been raining hard all day. driving slowly in heavy traffic. car made roaring sound and accelerated rapidly. car hit vehicle in front of it. no serious damage. 14 oct 2009- traveling on city street in henrico va. male owner driving. cruise control off. slowing down to make a left turn. morning and just starting a misty rain. car made roaring sound and car accelerated rapidly. no accident. mcgeorge toyota, broad st., henrico(richmond)va has made every effort they know to try to find out what caused these incidents, without results. they kept the car and drove it in good and rainy weather and did not duplicate the problem. they called the engineers in california who don't have answers. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. when the contact started the vehicle. suddenly, an unintended acceleration occurred without application to the brake and accelerator pedals. the engine rpm's began to increase. the contact could not stop the vehicle with applying pressure to the brake pedal. the identical failure occurred on a separate occasion while at a complete stop. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the vehicle has not been repaired. the contact had concerns of the safety risk involved. failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was 81,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry le. when turning the steering column she heard a very peculiar noise. she called the local dealer and was advised that they would not provide assistance unless she paid for the repairs out of pocket. she has not spoken with the manufacturer. the current and failure mileages were approximately 76,000.

I had to do a head gasket repair and replace the thermostat on my 2003 toyota camry due to malfunctioning threads for the bolts on the head gasket. when the mechanic took the head off he realized the 3 back bolts were loose. when he tried to replace the head, the 3 back bolts would not torque to proper pressure. realizing that the threads were stripped it was discussed about replacing the engine or having the holes drilled out and fixed with timeserts. i went with the timeserts realizing that if i replaced the engine with the same type i'd be facing this problem again. i believe that the engine would not have overheated in the first place if the 3 back bolts were not already loose. the machine shop operator stated this was his 59th toyota this year he had to do the time-serts on the engine. i had all 10 of the holes re done at a costly price to make sure this would not happen to the other bolts. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota camry. while driving he heard a loud noise, and then the sun roof shattered. he swerved into another lane, but quickly regained control of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and was in the process of being inspected. the failure and current mileages were 22,714. the vehicle identification number was unavailable.

I backed out of my driveway, and while stepping on the brake, preparing to shift to drive, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and the car backed at high speed into my neighbor's driveway, and would only stop after crashing into a brick wall. the car was towed to a body repair company, and was repaired at great cost. toyota inspected it and found no defect. since then the car has started accelerating several times, when my foot was not on the gas pedal, but i was able to slow it down. *tr

I purchased a 2003 toyota camry in the fall of 2002. one week after the purchase i was at a stop sign, with my foot on the brake, and the car suddenly accelerated. i tapped the accelerator but the engine continued to accelerate with the tachometer reading nearly 9,000 rpm's. i turned the engine off with the ignition. the next day i called my dealer (fitzgerald toyota, chambersburg, pa.) and reported the incident and it was suggested i had stepped on the accelerator vs. the brake. i didn't argue the point and the car performed fine up until two weeks ago when the same thing happened twice within three days. i spoke with fitzgerald toyota yesterday (jay newcomer) to ascertain if anyone else had reported a similar problem. i was told "fitzgerald hadn't heard anything about a problem with sudden acceleration. this morning i checked on the internet and found this problem was fairly common with toyota's of that year plus other year's models. is the nhtsa aware of a problem with toyota's and sudden acceleration? *tr

2003 toyota camry xle 4 cyl. with less than 100k overheated. took vehicle to independent mechanic who advised me of a coolant leak at the intake manifold and to take the vehicle to the dealer. dealer has vehicle, reports it is not the intake manifold that is leaking but 3 rear steel bolts that go into aluminum are stripped. toyota is "unwilling to participate" in the repair with an estimate of $6900.00 which includes purchasing a new block. this same issue is all over the toyota forums, usually this issue appears as a probable blown head gasket. this is not the case in my vehicle. toyota is aware of this defect but is doing nothing to stand behind their products. this is not an uncommon occurrence and as more vehicles attain approximately the same mileage, more reports are being made of this fault. this type of repair should not be the responsibility of the consumer when the manufacturer is aware of the defect. this most certainly should prompt a recall. perhaps a class action lawsuit is in order. *tr

2003 toyota camry le, 4 cyl., automatic, approx 60,000 miles. problem: uncommanded full acceleration. driving conditions: clear weather, daytime, dry surface highway, cruise control - off, transmission gear selected - drive. consequence: major loss of vehicle control. corrective action: throttle / sensor checked for failure at shop - no defect noted - could not duplicate failure. replacement throttle $1100 with labor. *tr

2003 camry, 4 cylinder, 2.4l engine, xle model. fluttering noise under light acceleration from the engine area. dealer determined that the intake manifold needed to be replaced at a cost of $760.00. engine had 86,000 miles. very disappointed with this failure which should have never happened with a car of this supposed quality. i rate this car a 2 out of 5. *tr

Vehicle engine oil sludge and associated problems caused vehicle to stop coming off bridge overpass on busy street. though the engine is covered under extended warranty, claim was denied. *tr

Vehicle is 2003 toyota camry xle - 1st incident occurred 10-27-06 - oil light came on, stopped at full service station, less than 1/2 qt low, cranked car & light was off, went approx 25 miles, pulled up to stop sign, car died, wouldn't crank, had car towed to dealership, they ran quick test & got code p0340, found intake cam broken, engine dirty, pickup stopped up,intake& exhaust cam stuck in cylinder head, gave estimate for used engine, car had 56,738 miles & was under power train warranty, they said due to oil sludge, blamed on not changing oil, had all maintenance records, accused my mechanic of falsifying docs but finally agreed to repair. they did not replace engine, they replaced cylinder heads, cams, valves, timing chain & guides, oil pickup, cleaned engine & reassembled. 2nd incident - mid may 2009 - driving, no lights came on, car started losing power & smoking bad, pulled over, oil was splattered causing smoking, was not running hot, still had some oil even after splattering, towed to mechanic, he said due to sludge, damage included 3 holes in block, 1 hole in oil pan, #4 connecting rod damaged bad, #4 piston shattered, #4 cylinder head damaged, engine a total loss, still have old engine, car has not been repaired. toyota gave me a case #, then on 06-24-09 toyota denied any kind of repair stating the 2003's were not covered under the class action lawsuit & car was too far outside warranty. car has approx 96,000 miles. toyota claims they corrected the problem with the new engines after 2001, but apparently the new engines have the same problem as the ones in the lawsuit. they should be held accountable, too many toyota owners are having this same problem. i have all my maintenance records showing timely oil changes. i could have had an accident causing injury and/or death to myself or persons in incoming traffic when this occurred. thank god no one was injured. *tr

03 camry 4 cyl. 2.4l. only 32000 miles. while driving to work in the morning, coolant leaking from a hose attached to the throttle body. engine became overheated. no warning light was on. had to stop the car several times on the way to work. throttle body needs to be replaced at such low mileage. it costs more than $1200 to replace. *tr

Heard gurgling in the dashboard and soon after the engine overheated. took it in to the automotive repair shop where they discovered a blown head gasket and when they started removing the head bolts, they discovered the bolts had pulled through the aluminum block which caused the head gasket to blow. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the vehicle has eha valve stems, model tr0413 (na). while driving approximately 35 mph, the rear driver's side tire lost complete tire pressure. upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the valve stems fractured. the tire and valve stems were replaced. the contact still has possession of the valve stems. the failure mileage was 10,000. updated 7/1/09 *cn updated 07/07/09.*jb

2002 altima 2.5s catalytic converter backfired into the engine causing high oil consumption and other problems requiring the engine to need replacement in my car at 107,000 miles there was not an accident but a failure on the car and nissan refusal to do anything about it financially warranty gone. *tr

It began with the rushing sound of fluid (coolant) somewhere in the dash. when i took it in because i was smelling coolant and noticed some smoke, it was determined that the head gasket blew. this is the second time in 12 months that this has occurred, i fully repaired the vehicle for the identical problem in may 2008...clearly a defect somewhere in the design. *tr

It began with the rushing sound of fluid (coolant) somewhere in the dash. shortly thereafter the engine overheated and it was determined that the head gasket blew. the dealer said the bolts in the engine were stripped out and they replaced the short block. it was replaced and within a year this is occurring again. *tr

Engine intake manifold failure. there is a tsb already for this failure, tsb-0034-08. they is very high failure rate that was caused by inadequate baffles in the intake that will break apart and possibly cause engine failure. the problem starts with a light tapping noise and gradually gets louder. this problem seems to be very widespread with toyota owners with the 2.4l 4 cylinder engine. *tr

A crack is developed in ¿oil sub pan¿ at the bottom of the engine body on my toyota camry 2003, which have only 51000 miles on it. an independent auto technician told me that a crack in the oil pan is unusual and it might have been there at the time of manufacture. a mechanic at the toyota dealership in metairie told me the same thing along with the fact that such a crack is hard to detect. i am lucky that this fault was detected early and fixed before a fatal breakdown could have occurred. i have fixed this problem at toyota dealer¿s ship and it cost $3100, when i raised this issue they agreed to split cost fifty fifty and still it cost $1532 and that is too much for me seeing as how none of this was my fault. the old part is still with toyota dealer ship they didn't hand over to me. i regularly change oil at the toyota dealership, and i was surprised to learn that they failed to notice this fault earlier. please investigate this problem. *tr

The electric door switch, drivers side, does not always open or lock. either by inside door lock/unlock switch or wireless/remote control. this has been happening for the last 6 months, on and off. other doors open & unlock with inside switch and wireless/remote control. but not always the drivers side. this happens on a weekly basis. most times it corrected, after i turned the locking button manually in, instead of hitting the electronic switch. but more and more frequently, i have to lock the door manually, by pushing in the lock button. or having to use the key, to get inside the car. the car is a 2003 camry le, with 29,500 miles on it. don't drive it that much. the electronic actuator switch, solenoid switch, or perhaps the master lock switch is not working properly. a camry should not be having this kind of a problem, with so few miles on it!!! especially when the parts to replace them with are so expensive! not counting the diagnosis labor fee, than the actual labor fee to repair!!! *tr

A serpentine belt pulley detached from the engine disabling the power steering making turns difficult. this happened at low speed, so there was no accident, but at high speed would have been a real problem. *tr

My toyota camry 2003 became noisy a few weeks ago. yesterday, i sent the car to toyota dealer. the dealer told me that intake manifold should to be replaced. i spend ~$600 to replaced the manifold. now the noise is gone. after i search internet, same problems have happened in lots of toyota camry 2003. thus, i have to believe that this intake manifold problem is a deficiency from manufacture. toyota should recall this problem. *tr

I purchased my 2003 toyota camry in august, 2003. two years later, the steering column started to make noise. dealer replaced the whole steering column assembly. after 3 and half years, the steering column failed again. i can not believe toyota built this kind of quality vehicle. it totally ruined their reputation. i will never purchase toyota's vehicle any more. *tr

Followup to odi #10256120. informed by toyota rep that your agency performed two investigations f the 2003 camry respecting acceleration surges but returned no findings of vehicle failure.your website recounts about 130 reports of such 2003 camry failures mostly (102) under vehicle speed control , some under power train auto trans & vsc accelerator pedal. for ford taurus i counted 12; honda accord and chevrolet malibu 20+ - all for model year 2003. as % of cars sold quite small even for camry but as an occurrence ratio of 6-1 or 10-1 vs. the other models quite impressive.. the fact you conducted two investigations of camry is telling in and of itself. how many accelerator investigations did you conduct for the 2003 taurus, accord & malibu? absent an airplane like recorder how can you be assured that there was no vehicular failure? the alternative is to imply that camry operators are less competent than drivers of other makes... *tr harvey miller

In january 2008, my 2003 toyota camry v6, with 35000 miles on it, developed a squeak in the steering column when the wheel is turned during parking or during any 90 degree turn. the toyota dealer greased the steering column, and the squeak went away. in january of 2009, the same problem recurred. the dealer wanted to repack the steering column instead of greasing it at a cost of $225.00, or replace the steering column at a cost of $700.00. i asked if there was a recall on that particular model for that problem, and the service representative said no. i don't know if there is a safety issue or concern arising from this problem, and is it common among that make and model toyotas. *tr

The front of my car hit head on into the drivers side of another car. i was going approx. 35 to40 miles per hour and my air bags did not deploy on either side,driver and passenger. in turn, my car was a total loss. i do have several pics. *tr

The intake manifold was making alot of noise. apparently toyota was aware of the problem because they replace it for free on low mileage vehicles (within the 3 yr, 36k mile factory warranty) or on higher mileage cars up to 70k miles. my vehicle has 114k miles so it was not covered. i will be issuing a complaint with toyota as well. *tr

2003 toyota camry automatic trans. put in reverse to back out of garage. surged cut wheels to avoid hitting house next door, brick 50 ft from garage. avoided a direct collision. but clipped some bricks at corner. another 75ft into a small creek opposite bank stopped car. braking was to no avail. injury minor - pinched nerve in left shoulder. counted 75+ reports for same model year involving spontaneous acceleration on your site. your investigation in '03 or '04 found nothing suggesting unfamiliarity w/vehicle. we are the original owners. a goodly number of the reports are for recent years taking unfamiliarity out of the play. what are you doing currently respecting camry acceleration issues?....regards, harvey miller *tr

The gas filling tube is corroded, the result is the ¿engine¿ trouble indicator is always on. my mechanic tells me that this occurs with all toyota camry¿s that are older than 5 years. mine is a 2003 with 80,000 miles. the only solution is to replace the entire tube leading to the fuel tank. it seems that the metal corrodes and the gas cap cannot be sealed, the result is the engine indicator comes on the dash board. *tr

They replaced the steering shaft assembly and charged me over $700 to do this and i found technical bulletins stating this was a defect with the camry and i wrote to toyota and nothing happened. *tr

My complaint is about the front suspension of my camry> suspension appears to be off from factory and it causes uneven wear of the front tires> my vehicle has about 52 k miles and it's had 4 sets of tires already. it has been aligned 3 times and the alignment shop says there is no issues. my mechanic says he has seen the same problem with many toyota camry's. this problem has been continues since i purchased this vehicle brand new. *tr

The intake manifold of my 2003 toyota camry is faulty from the time the car was built. toyota is saying that they won't cover as its not in warranty. how can a part that was faulty from the date it was installed not be covered. it is clearly a factory issue in their own admission. how can they not be responsible for fixing? *tr

While driving home one day i began to smell antifreeze in my car. my husband took the vehicle to a local garage who informed him that it was the head gasket. my car has only 77,000 miles on it. i took the car to my mechanic who confirmed that it was the head gasket. while repairing my vehicle the mechanic noticed that all four screws popped out. it cost me over 1700.00 to repair. my mechanic reported this to be unusual for any car's head gasket to go with such low mileage. "it's unheard of". toyota claims i am not covered because i'm over the mileage and would not help me. clearly this should be a recall. *tr

Water pump failure,replaced 3 times 1st. time15months into new car warranty 2ndtime 13months later still under warranty 3rdtime after 5 year warranty toyota covered. *tr

Engine noise caused by intake manifold crack as diagnosed by a toyota service dealer. *tr

The car was idling, with the transmission in park, for about three minutes. i placed my foot on the brake in order to shift the car from park into drive. the instant the shift lever went into drive the car engine roared, the tires squealed, i was pushed back into the seat and the car shot forward heading toward vehicles on a busy street. i seemed to have no control of the vehicle, except for steering, from that point on. to avoid a broadside collision with vehicles the street i followed the contour of the banks drive through lane which was a 90 degree turn to the left. nothing i did seemed to have any effect on the motion and operation of the car. in making the turn the right front wheel climbed over the driveway curb. in correcting for that i over steered the car and climbed the curb on the left side of the driveway striking a wells fargo sign on the property adjacent to the left side of the driveway before advancing into the main bank parking lot. the car proceeded forward where, just after entering the parking lot, it struck the right front fender and bumper of a usps mail truck. the car ricochets off the mail truck and proceeds into and almost through the adjacent cvs pharmacy parking lot before coming to a stop. the gasoline tank was gutted when the car ran over the sign resulting in gas being dumped on the bank driveway. the vast majority of the gas was spilled on the bank driveway just after the sign. the gas continued to spill but diminished as the car proceeded through the cvs parking lot to the point where there was no gasoline spill at all where the car came to a stop. it is my belief the car stopped for no other reason than it ran out of gas. nothing i did or tried to do appeared to have any effect. *tr

There is clattering noise in the intake manifold. the noise started about 6 months ago and has gotten continually worse. i took the car to a local dealership and was told they had no idea what the noise was. the manufacturer claims it is not a defective part. *tr

Due to anti freeze leak the mechanic found leak to be coming from cylinder head gasket, when head was removed found 3 center bolts were loose, threads were stripped and damaged. i was told this is a defect in 2003 4 cyl toyota camry engines. dealer would not cover, as it was repaired elsewhere. *tr

Door slammed shut and side air curtain deployed. car was not running and at a full stop. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle overheated. the contact filled the vehicle with water and drove to a mechanic. the mechanic stated that the engine coolant leaked water between the cylinder head and the block. it was also discovered that three cylinder head bolts were loose. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 100,000. updated 10/16/08. *lj updated 10/17/08.*jb

Transmission started to act up at around 40 mph. took it to certified transmission who in turn tried different parts, they even took to the toyota dealer for assistance with the problem. after over a month, they decided i should replace the transmission. even after the new transmission certified transmission still was testing the car and would stall. the car never stalled before the new tranny. certified finally called for me to pick up my car. i asked if he was sure it was safe and he said yes. friday late afternoon i picked up the car and paid $4,000 for transmission. drove it saturday once and it started to dog a few times. sunday i went to grocery store and on the way home the car died in the middle of the busiest street in kansas city. i was pulled off to the side calling my ins. tow service when i was rearended at about 40 mpg. when it was all said and done with fighting with everyone, with no care or concern from anyone, i finally gave up fighting. i ended up losing money with the other ins. co. because even if they repaired the damage, the car still didn't work and certified tried to say it could have been something else. now after what i know, i feel certified transmission did not treat me fairly. *tr

I have a 2003 toyota camry and you can see where the heat from the summer has caused a large gap in the dash where the airbag on the passenger side is. you can see a yellow cover inside which i am afraid is the airbag. *tr

My wife was pulling into our daughters daycare to drop her off as she does every morning and while pulling into the parking spot and when applying the brake the vehicle surged forward at a high throttle speed jumped the curb and went crashing into the building. even pumping the brakes didn't stop the car. the only way to get the vehicle to stop going forward was to jam the gear selector into reverse and then the vehicle went backwards at a high rate of speed (brakes still didn't work) and then had to jam the gear selector to park to stop the vehicle. update as of today. our vehicle is currently at a toyota dealership and service center and the service manager said there is no problem with the brakes, and we are scared of the through of driving this vehicle again. it seems to be a electronic issue and connected to the speed control. i have found a message board on the internet where 97 other similar incidents have been reported. and toyota does a recall on the floor mats? hmm i smell a cover-up and a possible class action lawsuit. *tr

Wife turned into our driveway which slopes down (10 - 20 degrees) as she has been doing for the last 20+ years with her foot on the brake. the pavement was dry. the brakes failed to stopped the car. she veered left to avoid going over a 20 foot embankment at the end of our driveway and crashed into a stone wall. based on the angle of impact the car rolled over onto its roof. air bags did not inflate. my wife remained suspended by the seat belt upside down until emergency forces arrived. she sustained multiple bruises and chest pains attributed to the seat belt. if she had gone over the embankment only god knows what the extent of her injuries would have been. new tires had been installed on the car (front wheels) during june 2008 at which time the front brakes were also checked for wear by an auto mechanic. the car was "totaled" as a result of the accident. subsequently i checked the brake fluid in the car (after the accident); the brake cylinder was full. further, the toyota camry is equipped with brake wear indicators. no indication (sound) of excess wear was given prior to the accident. my wife is adamant she had her foot on the brake pedal. i surmise two things could have happened: 1. the brakes failed completely and gravity acceleration down the driveway contributed to the car's speed and subsequent impact; or 2. the car surged due to a failure of the electronic throttle control (etc) in which application of the brakes was inadequate to stopped the car. based on prior nhtsa complaints/actions (ref nhtsa action numbers pe04021; dp05002; and dp06003) and the similarity of circumstances, i believe the etc failed. i recommend the nhtsa and toyota take action to remedy this unsafe situation. *tr

2003 toyota camry le; sun visor and cup holder broke, rear car stereo speakers have become so brittle, they crack at the touch. i don't understand why the quality of everything is so bad and the consumer suffers as a result of it. a toyota dealer gave me a price over $900 for all repairs, but over $400 for the speaker covers, they said they had to replace the whole back panel. i went to an auto accessory shop, he can buy the covers from a toyota dealer for $40, put them on for $65, total $105. when i contacted toyota i was told the warranty had expired and there was nothing they could do. prior to this, the upholstery in the roof of my car came apart at the rear window. toyota repaired this problem, but they never explained to me why i had to replace my tires before i had 10, 000 miles on them, i think they were just bad tires. if any of these issues can be addressed i would appreciate it. i'm sure i'm not the only person having problems with the newer cars. this is my third toyota, but i never had these problems when they believed in quality. *tr

About a year ago, one rear speaker cover started to crumble. the next month, the entire cover crumbled with no external force applied. one week ago, my other speaker collapsed in on itself the same way...with no outside pressure or influence. as a chemist, i can say definitively that the material used for the speaker cover is defective. the plastic during the molding process was not heated thoroughly. now, toyota says that it will be around $650 to replace the entire back cover which they will not pay for. *tr

My 2003 toyota camry's steering column was making clunking noises as i turned corners so i took it in to have it looked at. it required a complete replacement of the intermediate steering shaft. i've never had to replace a steering assembly on any of my other cars ever....so why would this 89,000 miles, 2003 toyota camry need this part completely replaced? and because it was repaired with a new updated genuine toyota part......doesn't that indicate that toyota knew this part was bad and choose not to issue a recall but pass on the repair issues to the consumer? and what if i hadn't gotten it repaired when i did....i could i have lost steering all together. *tr

2 flat tires, one on aug 2 and one on aug 6, 2008. cause of both was a failure of a rubber tire valve stem. both failures occurred in rear tires. after failure, rapid loss of pressure in tire with a complete flat tire within 1 to 3 minutes no injuries occurred. *tr

My passenger side air bag cover looks like is coming apart. i see a good gap between the cover and the dashboard. inside the airbag cover, i can see a yellow plastic sheet kind of material. i am worried whether it will affect the performance of the airbag or whether if dust or something gets in , it will create problem on its functionality. i took it to gene messer toyota in lubbock,texas, the service advisor said "tech states separation appears to be caused do to excessive heat. air bags operating as designed. does not appear to have been tampered with. cost to replace ....". they claim it is not an issue and if i want i can replace my entire dashboard to seal the gap on my expense. 1. it may look fine now what if tomorrow if the cover comes out fully that when i am driving in a highway. 2. anything can get-in in such a big gap. 3. excessive heat ( the max temperature on this month-june was around 98+) so they mean to say the dashboards are not designed to withstand that outside temperature ?(probably it will be little more inside). so are they saying excessive summer heat can create a gap between dash-board and air bag cover for any car?. air bag is such a critical safety part. how can toyota allow such gap between the cover and dash-board for the summer heat? *tr

Rear speaker covers disintegrating. *tr

Vehicle started making a loud rattling/vibrating noise that started around 57,000 miles. it sounded like there was no oil in the car, though oil change had been done less than 1,000 miles prior to noticing this. sound got worse and worse over the next week or so and was usually loudest when the car was first started up in the morning or after it had been sitting all day. heard mostly when it was idling in park and when you first started driving. once you got going, the sound wasn't so bad. took it back to the oil change place and they said it sounded like a lifter problem. did some research at http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/toyota-camry/t9mgd2f66frtckkid and various other places on the internet and found out many people are having the same problem. it's actually the intake manifold. i called toyota and was told warranty was 5 years or 50k miles. since car was purchased used i had them research date of first use and, of course, my 5 year cutoff was 2 months prior to my phone call. the sound got so bad by 58,000 miles i took it to our local repair shop and without telling them what i had found out, they told me the intake manifold had to be replaced for a cost of $600. vehicle is in the shop being replaced at my expense as i write this. toyota should be made aware that this is a big problem and recall this part since it is clearly defective. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a loud clunk. the vehicle then turned left and landed in a ditch. after the vehicle came to a stop, the air bag deployed and struck her in the face. she and her grandson sustained injuries and were transported to an area hospital. the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. a police report was filed. the failure mileage was 71,309 and current mileage was 71,359.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while backing into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and caused the contact to crash into another vehicle. he attempted to apply the brakes, but the vehicle would not stop. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed from the scene to a local repair shop and is only being repaired for body damage. the failure has occurred approximately ten times. the speed was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 20,000. updated 07/16/08.*lj

Toyota camry- speaker grills disintegrate--defective product. grills in the rear of the car. sunlight causes the plastic to disintegrate and crumble. very little use and happened shortly after car purchase. researched online to discover hundreds of similar complaints regarding the speaker grills. *tr

It has been over a year that i complained to toyota customer service about my headliner coming down. they initially agreed to repair or replace it and then after the customer service representative got involved they rescinded their initial agreement to repair it. i asked customer service who is located in torrance, calif. to send me a written letter stating why they refused to repair or replace it as they initially agreed to and they refused to do so. my vehicle was purchased at the end of 2003 and as stated, it has been over a year that i have had no satisfaction to this problem. the headliner is continually coming down and i feel it is a safety issue and a manufacturer defect. toyota concludes it is wear and tear. your headliner should last the life of the vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. every time the contact drove the vehicle at various speeds, he noticed a noise coming from the engine, which he believed to be the valve. he took the vehicle to the dealer and a technician stated that there was excessive sludge damage in the engine. he further stated that the engine needed to be rebuilt at the contact's expense because the warranty expired. he has had the oil changed routinely at 5,000 miles; therefore, the sludge build-up was abnormal. the contact has a copy of each time the vehicle was personally serviced. he also has a sample of the sludge taken from the vehicle. the failure mileage was 36,949. update 05/13/08 *bf after a breakdown of the engine, huge amounts of gel oil sludge was visible in the engine cylinder head. updated 05/13/08. *jb

The check engine light came on again and i scanned for codes which indicated code number 0456 leak in the fuel system. i have twice before had the same problem and each time had to clean a large amount of rust from the fuel filler neck to correct the problem. i had previously taken the car to the dealer and advised them of the problem. they advised if the check engine light came on again to bring it in for service. when the light came on this time the dealer scanned the same code and diagnosed the fuel filler neck and gas cap must be replaced at a cost of over $300. i contacted toyota corporation but they indicated the car was not covered. the car can not pass inspection because of the poor quality materials used in the fuel filler neck. refer to complaint odi id number 10223726 dated september 10, 2007 with the same problem. *tr

Passenger side curtain airbag deployed on hard door slam. *tr

September of 2007- i noticed the check engine light came on in my 2003 toyota camry le car and i was due for a car inspection for the month of october. the dealership and other repair shops stated that the car would not pass the car inspection with that light on. on september 10th,2007, i took the car to a toyota dealership and a mechanic found a leak at the fuel filler neck. they replaced the fuel filler neck and cap. the costs were $225 for labor, $143.60 for parts, and $25.80 for sales tax for a total repair job of $394.40! the car was over 3 years old. that shouldn't be happening in a young car. i bought the car in october of 2005 from a toyota dealership. the complaint is why should the customers be paying for " poor quality" by the toyota manufacturer when i couldn't have passed a car inspection for their "poor quality " parts? if i can't pass an inspection then we have an emissions and safety issue by the fault of toyota. *tr

I was involved in a rear-end collision in my 2003 toyota camry when my abs brakes failed. the car was taken to the dealership the next day to have the brakes inspected. the inspection was visual only. the abs brake light was not on and no defect was observed. the service advisor recommended that we have our tires replaced, in case the tires contributed to the failure. we replaced all four tires. one week later, we experienced another incident in which the brakes failed to deploy correctly, causing us to feel unsafe at a stop light in tight traffic. we took the car in for a second inspection. a toyota technician took me for a test ride and said they had received complaints of "soft, cushy" brakes, but that whenever tested, these brakes met the toyota specifications. again, we were dissatisfied and felt that our safety was compromised in this car. we contacted toyota's corporate headquarters and registered a complaint. an accident report was taken over the telephone. we were given no further help. we recontacted the dealership and requested that the district technician take our car for a test ride. on 4/4/08, the technician and the service manager of the dealership took the car out on a test ride. they informed us that the abs brakes met toyota's specifications. despite the dealerships assurances, my husband had a third incident recently in traffic where the brakes failed once again. we fear for our safety in this car and do not want to drive it in traffic or otherwise. *tr

The speaker panel behind the back seat has cracked and this has made holes in this back panel. there has never been anything placed in the back window to have created this to happen. we contacted our toyota dealer and was told it would cost $500.00 dollars to fix which in my opinion it was caused by faulty material that the toyota company used. in all of the cars i have bought over the years many different makes this has never happened. i went into a part site to see if this can be replaced and many other toyota owners had the same problem with this panel. i love my 2003 toyota camry but if i have to pay to have this part fixed i will not buy another toyota. i also emailed the toyota corp office and they did not give me any responds to this matter. *tr

My wife was pulling into a parking lot the car accelerated on its own out of control. my wife was able to get stopped without hitting anything but she is so shook up she won't drive it anymore. nothing has been done about fixing the problem it just happened today. *tr

2003 toyota camry-mileage about 101,000. unbelievable that my 2003 needs a new catalytic converter. i have had more trouble with this 2003 toyota then any other toyota i have ever purchased. i have purchased several toyotas over the years and was going to get a new 2008 or 2009 toyota camry but not now. also the catalyst converter is on back order and the dealer is not sure when it will be in - it was ordered 02/12/08 and not due in until may be 02/21/08. didn't know i had a problem until i went for an emission check. this piece is very expenses and i'm just wondering is it not usual for this converter to go bad so early. i do not pull any heavy loads or anything like that. *tr

2003 toyota camry with cracks appearing on the rear speakers. consumer states that by 2006 the plastic piece was beginning to fall into the loud speaker assembly, creating a black hole in the rear dash. *kb *jb

In 3/2003 i purchased a toyota camry. within 1-2 years i noticed minor cracks developing on the two speaker covers at the back of the car under the back window and behind the back seats. the cracks progressed with time but i had forgotten to bring it up to the dealer because the speakers are located in a place i do not normally look and because i thought they were only cheap plastic covers. by 2006 the plastic was actually disintegrating and falling into the loudspeaker assembly creating an ever bigger black hole. the dealer pointed out to me that this problem exists on camrys and that you must replace the whole back panel behind the back seats not just the plastic cover for $450 plus labor. i was told that other toyotas do not have this problem since they use a different vendor for the speaker covers. since the car was out of warranty toyota declined to replace the covers. on the advice of the ca nmvb i searched the internet (http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/toyota-camry/ttpveun8tert6nbkj) and was surprised to find that owners of 2002-2004 camrys have the same problem. i have discovered camrys in parking lots have the same problem. it now appears to me that this problem is a manufacturing defect which toyota failed to disclose to new camry buyers. the toyota dealer also failed to disclose this problem whenever they inspect the car, including the interior, during service. i am requesting that toyota repair my camry and return it to its original appearance. i am recommending that a fine be levied on toyota for failing to disclose a known manufacturing defect to new and used camry buyers. i believe toyota should recall all 2002-2004 camrys. the government should also be concerned for the public's potential exposure in the interior of the car to fine particles/gasses from this disintegrating plastic and exposure to toddlers who place their hands in the loudspeakers and then eat potentially toxic material. (see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22360355/). *tr

The dealership states that the manifold has a problem causing a very lour rattling and needs to be replaced. many many individuals have this same problem forums on this site: http://www.topix.net/forum/autos/toyota-camry/t9mgd2f66frtckkid. *tr

Have a 2003 toyota camry, the intake manifold is broken. toyota won't help even though it seems to be an occasional problem with the camry. *tr

Brake-abs-vsc-trac off lights in my dash have been coming on for the last couple weeks with increasing frequency. first just once, then a week later every couple days, finally 3 times in one morning. when i took it to my personal mechanic, they said there were no codes. then i called the dealer where purchased and someone suggested venting the gas cap. it still came on again later that day, and i took it to the dealer with the lights illuminated. i have been told my brake, abs/vsc and trac off lights have been coming on in my 2003 camry lev6 because the vsc computer needs replacing for almost $1,800. on a car with only 25k miles that is absurd and i refused!! the dealer consultant even said that was odd. there is obviously a defect for this to go bad. i have read on-line forums where many truck and suv owners are experiencing this same problem. i feel that this is a safety concern and a problem toyota is responsible for. i am not about to spend this much money on a problem that should not have occurred in the first place. some owners say they have been told that various sensors could be at fault and not the whole computer. one owner said he found it was a bad brake pad! i think the sensors should be checked for replacement. whether it is the sensors or the computer, it is a factory defect, and toyota should pay for it. *tr

The seat would not properly retract after unbuckling on our 2003 toyota camry le. pulling it out to retract it caused it to become fully extended so that the seat belt could not be worn. we had to drive it to the dealer in violation of ohio seat belt laws. the dealer could not retract it either and charged us $322.00 to repair it. if we were in an accident we would not have a seat belt restraint. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving 65 mph, the contact lost control of the vehicle when another motorist cut the consumer off. the consumer could not regain control due to the wind and rain. the vehicle struck the median and was destroyed. the air bags failed to deploy. the police department and paramedic's arrived at the scene. a police report was filed. three occupants sustained head and neck injuries. the current and failure mileages were 32,000. updated 12-12-07. *kb

Getting a large chatter or rattle from the plastic intake manifold, which after reviewing internet info appears to be a common problem that warrants a defective issue. this has been occurring for almost a year. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact switched gears from neutral to drive and the vehicle accelerated to maximum speed. the accelerator pedal was stuck and the vehicle would not stop. she drove into some bushes and trees that were in front of a two foot wall. the undercarriage, transmission housing, tie rod, and bumper were all damaged. the repairs would cost $5,800. the fire and police departments along with an ambulance arrived at the scene. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed and the contact refused to go to a hospital, even though her blood pressure was 200. the dealer stated that nothing could be done. the speed was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 43,960. see odi 10206896 also. *dsy

Car constantly rolls when vehicle is in drive. it is an automatic and we have to keep our foot on the gas pedal when completely stopped and a flat road. *tr

After installing four new tires noticed thumping noise in front. had mechanic check the tires. he told me there was a high spot and chopping along the edge. had tire replaced. *tr

2003 toyota camry passenger air bag cover coming apart. consumer is concerned about this gap in between the dashboard and the air bag cover affecting the performance of the air bag if it is needed. *kb the dealer stated the separation appeared to be caused by excessive heat.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving approximately 40 mph, the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and he stated that there was sludge in the engine. the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. the dealer stated that the failure was impossible and accused the contact of not using the recommended amount of oil and inspecting the vehicle. he filed a complaint with the manufacturer. the vehicle is unable to be driven. the current and failure mileages were 42,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated at an unknown speed without warning when the gear was shifted into drive. as a result, the vehicle traveled approximately 200 yards and then crashed into a wall. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal stuck and she was unable to depress the brake pedal. the air bag failed to deploy. nhtsa campaign id number 04v346000 (air bags: side/window) was referenced. a police report was filed. the insurance inspector felt that the electrical system caused the failure. as of october 25, 2007, the manufacturer had not inspected the vehicle. the current and failure mileages were 41,000. see 10209036 also. *dsy. updated 01/11/08. *lj

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact stated that the headliner roofing material fell. the dealer stated that the failure was caused by faulty glue or wear and tear. the vehicle has not been repaired. the powertrain was unknown. the current mileage was 30,000 and failure mileage was 10. updated 12/12/2007 *bf the consumer stated the headliner is detaching from the back by the rear all the way across. updated 12/12/07 *tr

My 2003 camry has had a popping sound/feel in the steering wheel. i first noticed it in 2004 and took it to the dealer several times before they could verify the problem. they replaced something in the steering column which solved the problem until about 4 months ago. when i got my car from the dealer i asked if this would be an on-going problem, and the shop manager told me it would not happen again. well....4 months ago it started popping again. my car is no longer under warranty and i was told it would cost 900.00 to be repaired. i just hope it is nothing going on in the steering column that could cause an accident. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while pulling into a parking space between 3-5 mph, the engine began to rev. the vehicle surged forward when the contact applied more pressure to the brake pedal. the vehicle crashed into a concrete wall and the air bags failed to deploy. her knees were badly bruised. the hood and front bumper were damaged, but the majority of the damage was on the passenger side of the vehicle. the side panels were moved and misaligned, which impacts the opening and closing of the doors. the purchase date was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 58,500.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving 20 mph she heard a loud pop. she pulled over and noticed that there was a blow out on the left front tire. the road was smooth and dry. the failure mileage was 102,000 and the current mileage was 102,628.

Began to hear rattling noise shortly before taking car to dealer for 90,000 mile servicing. advised by dealer that intake manifold was broken and needed to be replaced at a cost of $600. had manifold replaced under extended warranty. *tr

2003 camry le, 39,000 miles. the car completely shuts itself down while driving. luckily, this happened in a parking lot of a dealership when we brought the car in for a seemly unrelated issue. should this happen outside, it could be deadly. this should be a recall item given its dangerous failure mode. the car initially had start issue a day earlier. it only started after the hood has been opened for a few minutes. brought the car to the dealership next day. the start issue happened a few more times in the dealers lot. after it finally started, it had a power window failure, followed by the shutting down of the car by itself while the car was physically moving. the dealer could not pin point the problem but suspected the body ecu (engine control unit) because of the power window failure. they replaced an ecu and that solved the problem. *tr

2003 toyota camry faulty acceleration customer states vehicle accelerated out of control and caused her to hit another car and a house**sb *jb see also 10183782 *sy

Defective intermediate steering joint in the steering column. *ak

My passenger side air bag cover looks like is coming apart. i see a good gap between the cover and the dash-board. inside the airbag cover, i can see a yellow plastic sheet kind of material. i am worried whether it will affect the performance of the airbag or whether if dust or something gets in , it will create problem on its functionality. i took it to the local toyota dealer, the report says "tech states separation appears to be caused do to excessive heat. air bags operating as designed. does not appear to have been tampered with. cost to replace ....". they claim it is not an issue and if i want i can replace my entire dash-board to seal the gap on my expense. 1. it may look fine now what if tomorrow if the cover comes out fully that when i am driving in a highway. 2. anything can get-in in such a big gap. i have photos for evidence. and i have attached it. 3. excessive heat ( the max temperature on this month-june was around 95+) so they mean to say the dash-boards are not designed to withstand that outside temperature ?(probably it will be little more inside). so are they saying excessive summer heat can create a gap between dash-board and air bag cover for any car?. air bag is such a critical safety part how can allow such gap between the cover and dash-board for the summer heat? . i am planning to take this to nhtsa to see a pattern. the explanation of excessive heat looks unrealistic. safety is my first concern not only the person driving or passengers and to the other cars on the road too. if the air bag pops out when i am driving, it can definitely distract any driver. or if dust gets in it can mal-function too. whether toyota is installing a car dash board which cant even withstand sun light temperature ? if that's the case, am i going to see the gap increasing by end of this summer ? my incident # with toyota is : 070625-000298 and my email is documented at their toyota national headquarters under file #200706260111. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that there is a gap in the dashboard above the air bag cover. the air bag can be seen through the gap. he took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the air bag is in still in place and that there is nothing wrong with being able to see the air bag through the gap. the current and failure mileages were 46,009.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that the vehicle accelerated automatically to 45 mph as she was pulling into a parking space. there were no warning indicators. the vehicle struck a cement block. the air bags failed to deploy. the vehicle sustained front end damage and was towed away. the body damage must be repaired before the dealer can attempt to diagnose the cause of failure. the current and failure mileages were 24,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact noticed holes in the rear speaker covers and pieces of the covers had fallen into the trunk of the vehicle. the failure began in march of 2007 and still persists. the dealer agreed to split the cost for parts, but the contact must pay the labor fees. when the windows are rolled down, the speaker cover fragments float around inside the vehicle. the powertrain was unknown. the current mileage is 45,000 and failure mileage was 40,000. updated 02-01-08 *bf updated 02/01/08 *tr

Delayed response of engine and forward motion of the car when applying acceleration. for lack of better words, it seems to create a revving or surge in the engine...like something is out of synch. other issues relate to persistent problems with the hydraulic brake and grinding in the steering column that have been dismissed by the dealership that works on my car. as of today, i cannot safely drive my car because i am not confident i will be able to stop the car. i am scheduled to bring the car in this week, but will need to expedite it given the rapid change in brake response in the last few days. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that there is a glitch in the computer that prevents the vehicle from stopping safely. the failure has occurred twice while driving 35 mph. the vehicle will be taken to the dealer. the current mileage is 90,000 and failure mileage was 87,000.

The driver's seat which is adjusted using buttons on the side of the sea became stuck all the way forward 3 times, making it impossible for my husband to drive. the toyota service department removed the seat, and found shards of plastic in the track. they suggested that i refrain from moving the seat all the way forward, which is tricky when you are 5' 1" tall. *ak

Cruise control did not disengage upon pressing brake pedal. hydraulic brakes would not stop vehicle. method used to stop vehicle included putting vehicle in neutral and applying emergency/parking brake. narrowly avoided collision with other vehicles which had stopped by squeezing between them and the concrete medium. my vehicle was scraped on drivers side but no other vehicle was damaged (thank god!). could not duplicate. *jb

I purchased the 2003 toyota camry in september 2005. while i love my car i do have some concerns after hearing the other complaints. i hear sloshing sound under the dash. it is really loud when braking, accelerating, or parking. i asked the dealer about it several times, and was told it was normal for your car. also , hear a squeaky, grinding sound when turning the steering wheel to either side. this happens every time i turn the wheel, no matter hot or cold weather. the delaership could not find anything wrong with it the first time i took it them. they kept it 2 days, and said nothign was wrong. it continued for antoher week, and i returned with it to the dealership, and they kept it overnight and called me the next day, and told me they did not have time to look at it, but they were sure nothing was wrong with it. they will not return any phone calls or even talk to me when i go there. the las thing, was the paint continually chipping and peeling of in chunks on the hood, front bumper, and rear bumper. i have spoken to toyota about this several times, and they continued to say it was not their fault, and my car was not under warranty. so they could not do anything. this all started about 3 weeks after i bought the car and continued today. please advis me if therewas anything i could do to fix any of these problems. thanks. ak

2003 toyota camry accelerated out of control and rear ended second vehicle and then a building before stopping. operator attempted to stop the vehicle by fully depressing brakes, pumping brakes and shifting to neutral to no avail. vehicle was brought to dealer for problem in 06/06 and again in 02/07. in 06/06 dealer stated there was a computer problem and an adjustment was made. in 02/07 dealer stated they could not find any problem. operator state he had four failures before servicing in 2006 and only one failure before bringing it in in 2007. there was direct frontal impact that caused extensive damage, neither air bag deployed. *nm see also 10196913 *sy

Toyota dealer advises replacement of intake manifold on 2003 camry 4-cylinder due to loud rattling noise. technical service bulletin addresses this issue. many similar complaints noted. *nm

2003 toyota camry. the consumer stated when she placed the vehicle in drive with her foot on the brake, the vehicle suddenly surged forward.***cc *jb see also 10181803. *dsy

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact put the vehicle in reverse and it accelerated on its own without warning. the contact stated that his foot remained on the brake pedal and the vehicle continued to accelerate, it lunged forward over a curb and hit a tree. the rear axles were damaged. the vehicle was towed. there were no injuries. a police report was taken, and the contact had photos of the vehicle. the vehicle has not been diagnosed at this time.*ak the vehicle lunged in reverse, onto a manin street, jumped the curb and hit a tree. updated 03/19/07. *jb

I bought a brand new toyota camry xle in may 2003. about 1 1/2 years after purchasing it, i began to hear a sloshing sound under the dash board. the producing of the sound wasn't consistent because some days it wasn't present at all. when the sound first started it was very faint and the passenger could not hear it even when i pointed it out. i checked for leaks but i could not find any. today, the sound is a lot more noticable; however, it still does not presnet itself everyday. i tried to observe if it only happens when it is cold out side or hot, but the sound is not consistent. when the sound is present, i would have to turn my music up a little to ignore it. my car's performance does not seem to be hampered by this sloshing or splashing noise so i thought my fluids weres just circulating. but it has become quite embarassing and annoying having to deal with it. i read another consumer had the same problem and toyota could not resolve the issue so they bought their car back. i am now inquiring to toyota about the issue, but i wished i had when my car was still under warranty and the problem first arised at the 20,000 mile mark. *jb

Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. a popping sound in the steering wheel occurred when turning the wheel in any direction. the failure happened since the vehicle was purchased. toyota stated that there was an internal memo due to several complaints. the current and failure mileage was 83397. the vehicle was purchased on january 9, 2007. *ak

Sudden acceleration of 2003 camry with 27,000 miles on it. i was parked, had foot on brake, turned car on . put car in drive while foot still on brake and car surged forward. this was so frightening as a mom and child were walking in front of my car. i smashed my foot on the brake, put car in park and turned motor off to make it stop. *jb see also 10184772. *dsy

2003 toyota camry xle, pulls to the left after repeated alignments, complaints to dealers, and tire rotations. danger is that it pulls into the line of oncoming traffic and causes premature tire failure. internet is full of "left pull" complaints, but almost no "right pull"...strut mount design or assembly is dangerously flawed. *jb

Power locks - beginning in 2005, the power locks in my 2003 toyota camry began to fail. the driver's door was the first to malfunction, followed by the right rear passenger door and, most recently, the left rear passenger door. the failure begins with intermittent functioning of the locks - the doors will lock/unlock unpredictably. i have replaced 2 of the 3 mechanisms at significant cost. now the third is failing. i consider this to be a safety issue for a couple of reasons - children in the car and the risk of theft from a car that failed to lock.

The contact stated the front airbags did not deploy. the vehicle has 54,000 miles. there were four passengers all were wearing seat belts. the driver and passengers sustained minor injuries. the contact was traveling 55 mph on the highway. the traffic was heavy and the road conditions were dry. a vehicle merging onto the highway cut in front of the contact's vehicle. the driver swerved to avoid hitting the van and lost control of the camry. the vehicle was traveling north after losing control the front passenger side hit the cement median. the passenger rear door was the only door that would open after the crash. the passenger side of the vehicle was up against the cement median. the vehicle came to a stop facing southbound. the vehicle was towed away. the repair shop stated the airbag sensor was completely smashed. the contact has been told the vehicle was totaled. the only recent work done on the vehicle was an oil change. the police came ,but no report was filed. *ak

When turning the steering wheel it makes a very awkward squeaking sound. i noticed the squeaking in the winter of 2004. it does it all the time most noticeably during cold weather. i took it to the local toyota dealership around july 2006. they lubricated it and it stopped for a while. i had to take it back in december of 2006 to have it lubricated again. i don't know what the problem is, but i wish it could be corrected. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated on three separate occasions the vehicle accelerated without warning when placed into gear. the vehicle was driven to the dealer both times however the problem could not be duplicated. updated 01/30/07. *jb

03 camry manifold at 45k took car to dealer with complaint of knocking/vibration coming from engine. dealer replaced water pump under warranty and recommended tensioner be replaced, out of warranty item, to fully correct noise. noise persisted and i learned to deal with it since it wasn't harming the engine. progressively got more annoying and at 58k took back to dealer. sservice rep listened to it for 2 minutes and said it was the intake manifold which would cost $591 for parts and labor. i decided not to leave car and have work done again since it was not harming the engine and more of a nuisance than anything. at 60,500k i e-mailed toyota and asked about the emissions warranty coverage and was told the intake manifold was covered up to 60k or 5 yrs. i only have self to blame for not being proactive sooner, but toyota should own up to this rather common problem. please note that i was told by toyota that "the warranty coverage for the intake manifold is 5 yrs or 60,000 which ever comes first from the vehicles date of first use..."*jb

At about 40,000 miles, a knocking sound began to be audible when turning the vehicle in both directions. it is most noticeable when turning the wheels several degrees at low speeds such as in parking. the knock appears to be associated with a slight vibration of the same frequency as the knock and a slight looseness in the steering. the noise and slight jerk in the steering wheel gradually worsened with time, and the car was just beyond the general warranty period when the problem was reported to the dealer. the diagnosis by the dealer was "bad steering column; needs to be replaced". as it was not considered a drive train component, there was no warranty coverage. the cost would have been about $1000 at the time. no repair has yet been done. the knock has continued and at about 80,000 miles a squeaking noise began to accompany the knock. no difficulty steering at normal speed (e.g. drifting) has been experienced and no abnormal tire wear. the incidence date is the date the squeaking noise was first noticed. *jb

Intake manifold leaking only 51000 miles 2003 camry . toyota dealers est. $675.00 to repair . i noticed on line a number of people having this problem with 2003 camry. *nm

Since soon after i purchase my toyota camry new i have noticed that it pulls hard to the left. fortunately i have yet to have a vehicle accident, though several times my car has drifted into the oncoming lane. *nm

Engine light has been coming on frequently for the last 30 to 35k miles and headquarter toyota has charged me too replace several different items related to the computer code given, totaling some $1,200.00 and now they have had my car for nearly 1-month and now says they can not fix the problem we went today too pickup the car , of course their is no further paper work except that they checked the car in back in september/2006. i have been charged for all types of cures for which they too did not work, not afforded a rental replacement but for 3 prior days ???? *nm

Looseness and noise in intermediate steering shaft. occurs when temperatures above 75 degrees or when vehicle warm from operation. feeling of loose connection in steering linkage felt in steering wheel. metal against metal noises heard also. dealer and toyota refuse to repair this problem even though vehicle under extended warranty coverage and numerous nhtsa and toyota tsb's exist for this defect on this year and model vehicle. incident date is for most recent occurrence. problem is always there every day. *nm

I recently purchased a 2003 toyota camry with abs brakes. the vehicle is toyota certified with the 160 point inspection which includes brakes. the brakes are very spongy, i have to depress the pedal two inches before the brakes begin to engage and another three inches for the brakes to fully engage. the dealers service manager told me that this was a problem on the 2003's and a new brake design eliminated the problem on newer models. i asked what could be done to upgrade my brakes and was told that no improvements or adjustments were possible. they also told me that numerous customers had the same problem and had "learned to live with it". i have small children and i was upset at the prospect that a known defect that the dealer acknowledges should place lives in jeopardy. those two inches could be the difference between life and death. i wonder how many accidents which involved 2003 camrys could have been avoided. i feel this warrants a safety issue and possible recall. thanks !!!

Have a 2002 camry and i have now purchased my third inside door latch. toyota must have discovered they have a problem because the newer camry's are metal. i would hope the nhtsa would give consumers some help with this problem. *nm

Rear brake lights of 2003 -2006 camry's are inoperable on a more frequent basis than statistics would indicate. please investigate what appears to be a manufacturer defect that affects the safety of the general driving public. *jb

My 2003 toyota camry, which i maintained in a normal manner, w/appropriate oil changes. the oil light came on, i put in 1 qt of oil, the light went off. a short time later, i drove the car and it started making a loud clacking sound, check engine light came on. i drove it home and parked it; called a mechanic to come take a look. he said it was the engine and needed to be taken to a toyota dealership, and we could not drive it at all. i towed it to the closest dealership, approximately 30 miles away. they checked it over couple of days, then called and said the engine had sludge in it, and needed a $7,000-$8,000 repair. they also said it was my fault, because the oil had obviously not been changed properly. when i purchased the car, the toyota dealer talked me into a $999 extended warranty plan, which he assured me would cover any major issues that might come up with a car -- their tender loving care package. now the warranty (which toyota is distancing themselves from, saying is an outside company, therefore not anything to do with them) company denied the repair. also, toyota denied covering the repair, even though i have researched and found tons of material online indicating that they've had an ongoing problem with the camry engines and sludge issues. it looks like thousands of consumers have had the same problem, and toyota always says it is the owner's fault. i had regular oil changes, and have some of the records. i do not have all of the receipts, but have well over half of them. the car has 96,000 miles on it, and the extended warranty is for 100,000 miles. toyota should fix the engine properly at their expense. a $7-8k repair is a monumental expense for our family. this may not seem like a safety issue, but i believe it is, as an engine locking up or stopping cold could present a serious driving issue, and certainly seems to be a very broad problem with the toyota camrys. *nm

At about 40,000 miles, a knocking sound began to be audible when turning the vehicle in both directions. i am not aware of any precipitating incident; no collisions or hard contact with curbing, pot holes, etc.. the knock could also be felt as a slight jerk in the steering wheel. there was (and still is) no noticeable difficulty controlling the car. the noise and slight jerk in the steering wheel gradually worsened with time, and the car was just beyond the general warranty period when the problem was reported to the dealer. diagnosis by the dealer was "bad steering column; needs to be replaced". as it was not considered a drive train component, there was no warranty coverage. the cost would have been about $1000 at the time. no repair has yet been done. *nm

Brake failure. has happened before and complaint filed previously. this time, brakes failed when approaching intersection. vehicle speed before braking about 35 mph. vehicle had been driven about 5 miles with occasional gentle braking after being parked for approximately 6 hours. outside temperature about 85 degrees, sunny and dry. failure hadn't happened all winter, warmer weather only time problem occurs. in this instance, brake pedal went to floor upon initial application. braking effort insufficient even though both feet pushing pedal. i'm 210 lb active cyclist. pushing effort definitely not lacking. nearly broadsided car in cross traffic. swift evasive action by other driver only reason accident didn't occur. in past, dealer said they were unable to duplicate condition. brake pedal has "quiver" when pressed quickly. dealer replaced brake booster but problem not corrected. brake pads, shoes, rotors and drums in excellent condition. brake fluid clean and at correct level. feels like flaw inside master cylinder or in pedal linkage design which is different than most motor vehicles. i feel car is dangerous to operate and i won't let other 2 drivers in the family use this vehicle. toyota should know of camry braking problems as they are posted many places and have been brought to toyota's customer, including myself. thses defective vehicles are highly prevalent on the highwqys and are a ticking time bomb waiting to kill or maim some unsuspecting person. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated that the brake pedal and the accelerator were too close together, and the brake pedal moves down too far. the position of the brake pedal and accelerator caused a collision while backing out of a parking spot. the accelerator was accidentally depressed causing the vehicle to increase in speed and collide with another parked vehicle which subsequently pushed that vehicle into a third. there were no injuries. a police report was filed, and there were no mechanics consulted.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving slowly at 1 mph wit foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated suddenly causing an accident. the vehicle crashed into three other vehicle's causing property damage. the seat belts were in use at the time. the air bags did not deploy. there were no problems prior to this accident. the vehicle was towed to local dealership where they were unable to duplicate the problem. the vehicle has been inspected by toyota. the police were alerted to the scene and a report was filed. updated 6/19/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 7 mph in heavy stop and go traffic with the brakes applied, the vehicle accelerated into the rear of another vehicle. the contact was wearing a seat belt and no injuries were sustained. minor damage was sustained to the vehicle. the police were on the scene and a report was taken. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer. updated 7/13/2006 - this acceleration problem occurred 6-7 time prior to this accident. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 25 mph depressing the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated. this occurred four times. the first 3 times the vehicle was stopped with excessive pressure to the brake pedal. the last time the vehicle struck a pole. there was a police report taken at the scene of the accident. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for body repairs caused by the crash. when the vehicle was inspected the first three times diagnostic testing did not identify any codes. also, while carrying 125 pounds of bird seed in the trunk, the vehicle began to veer to the left on a slushy road. when the bird seed was moved to the front passenger seat the vehicle operated normally. the manufacturer was alerted. updated 7/11/2006 - the consumer reported these incidents to the dealer but they told the consumer that nothing was wrong. *nm

I was driving into the automatic car wash, slowed to go up slight ramp to top. gave the car a little gas and it started reving, did not stop when brake pedal pushed, jumped the track and hit the side of the car wash. the car was able to be moved to outside carwash, still reving but was able to stop and turn off the engine. the front bumper and driver's side front fender were replaced, and suspension damage repaired. *nm

I was parked in a strip mall where i had just picked up some dry cleaning. i entered my car, a 2003 toyota camry xle, and started the engine. i then put the car in reverse gear, and removed my foot from the brake. the car suddenly accelerated in reverse,,and went totally out of control, hitting another car parked across from mine and continued in a somewhat circular path until i was able to apply the brake and come to a stop. i have called nhtsa today and was told that there have been 83 previous complaints for this vehicle under "vehicle speed control," and 15 complaints under "vehicle speed control, accelerator pedal." i have also called toyota motor sales (1 800 331-4331) and was told that they would make an appointment with a nearby toyota dealer to have my car inspected for any defects. i have also gone to a auto body shop where the damages to my car have been estimated at $3,879.13. in addition, the police arrived at the scene and i was cited for "careless driving," and paid a fine of $107.70. i am also been required to attend a 4 hour traffic school where the fee is $35.95. i wish to have this matter investigated.

Dt*: the contact stated the rear passenger seatbelt would not retract. the vehicle was taken to the dealership, which determined the seatbelt assembly needed to be replaced.

2003 camry accelerated out of control causing consumer to crash into a wall. *ts the consumer wanted to know if any action will be taken regarding her complaint. *jb

Car makes clicking noise when idle and in first gear. i got a diagnostic test by toyota dealer and the problem is a broken airflow deflector in the intake manifold which is flapping around. this problem is reportedly common on camrys. *nm

To whom it may concern: i am writing with regard to a 2003 toyota camry, vin [xxx], purchased in the summer of 2003. on december 14, 2005, i took the car into jon lancaster toyota/scion dealership. prior to bringing the car in, on 3 occasions, the brakes failed. upon attempting to brake, the brake pedal began vibrating and there was a thudding sound. the car did not brake and i had to push the pedal 5 times in order for the car to slow down. however the car did not stop completely. according to the documents, a technician checked over the brake system and stated there was no problem. an employee stated that the thudding noise and the inability to stop was normal which this type of brake system and that he has had several customers in the past complain of this problem. since the inspection, the car has failed to brake on two occasions. i contacted rosemurgy toyota, the dealership where i purchased the car, and they informed me to bring the car back to jon lancaster. however, jon lancaster dealership is insisting that the brake system is functioning normally. this car is extremely unsafe not only to it occupants but also to others on the road. this car is under warranty and i am writing to insist that this matter be looked into and resulting in repair or replacement of the car. i have contacted an attorney regarding this matter. also, i will be forwarding a copy of this letter to the wisconsin consumer protection agency and the us department of transportation. *jb updated 07/17/2012 *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was at a stop, the steering wheel continued to move to the left. the dealership was unable to determine a problem. updated 03/28/06. *jb

Though they have been replaced entirely at least once, the brakes on my 2003 camry still squeak upon a gradual brake during the day. other than the squeak, i must admit that they brakes do work well. this may not be a safety problem unless i get so used to the squeak that i don't catch the 'telltale' that many pad manufacturers put in their pads to give an audio clue to change their brake pads. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while turning, the steering wheel made a grinding noise. an independent repair shop determined the steering wheel needed to be removed and lubricated. updated 03/20/06. *jb

Rust spots appeared on 2003 toyota camry le, especially on trunk lid , throughout 2003-2006. toyota denying any responsibility, stating it was environmental. my son' car axle of same year has same problem . he lives 60 miles from me. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated a hissing noise was coming from the engine immediately after starting the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the local dealership, and the problem was diagnosed as an intake manifold leak, and the intake manifold was replaced .*ak updated 2/7/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle surges forward while the accelerator pedal is barely being touched. this is an intermittent problem and occurs when the vehicle is accelerating from a stopped position. the dealership is unable to duplicate the problem. *ak the consumer stated when on a level highway, with the cruise control engaged,it will activate and deactivate on its own. updated 02/07/06. *jb

The torsion bars on our 2003 toyota camry suddenly failed to work. when the trunk was opened, it then had to be manually pushed up to the top open position, however it would easily and quickly come down if it was windy outside. twice i was hit in the head or back while leaning into the trunk and putting something in or taking something out, a major problem because we were always putting in or taking our baby stroller out of the trunk, and we were afraid the trunk might also close on our son's hand or head if he were standing nearby. we reported this problem to our local toyota dealer; they at first denied there was anything wrong with the trunk. but the service manager eventually understood and agreed with me about the problem. he ordered and replaced the torsion bars in our trunk; it fixed the problem at that time. this was one year ago. in october 2005, the same thing started happening again. while the trunk doesn't slam down on us yet, it does idle halfway up and must be pushed up or down to lock the position. we brought it back to our toyota dealership and asked for the same service manager directly. he remembered us and is going to replace the torsion bars again, but claimed that he hasn't seen this problem happen in several years; apparently it was a recurring problem on older models. my main concerns with this issue are that first, it keeps on happening and secondly, this past summer on long island, ny, two young boys who were missing, were later found dead in the trunk of a toyota camry on their street. apparently the trunk was broken and it shut on them, trapping them inside the vehicle during a heat wave. the police didn't find them in the car until a few days later. i don't know if the broken trunk had the same issue with the torsion bars that we have, but the news story concerned us enough to report this to you. *jb

Dt: the contact stated the vehicle pulled to the left and to the right. however, more to the left. the tires have been maintained with proper air inflation. road conditions or speed did not appear to impact the pulling. after the first incident the dealer aligned the front of the vehicle. this did not correct the pulling problem. the vehicle was returned to the dealer, and the rear of the vehicle was aligned. this, too, did not correct the problem. the vehicle has not been returned to the dealer for further inspection. *ak

Dt: the contact stated the automatic door locks were defective. the dealer replaced both front door lock actuators, which corrected the problem with the door locks. after a while, both rear door locks failed. the dealer has not inspected the vehicle to determine the cause of the problem. *ak the power window was inoperative. updated 01/11/06. *jb

Dt: contact stated the right rear seat belt came undone on a passenger during an accident. the vehicle slid in a snow storm and crashed. a police report was taken. the dealer has not been contacted. the manufacturer gave the contact case number, and offered no free remedy. *ak

2003 camry was involved in 2 accidents in which the vehicle surged forward. *ts the electronic part for the accelerator was replaced at the dealer after each accident. *nm

Inside door latch on 2002 camry made of plastic and break for no apparent reason. i have purchased 3 for my car. i am afraid that in an accident situation that the handle could break preventing exiting the car. *jb

Dt: the contact stated when placing foot on the brake pedal the vehicle accelerated. it became airborne and did not stop until it crashed into an embankment. both the driver and passenger have fractured vertebrae's. a police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was totaled. *ak updated 12/27/05. *jb

Dt: the contact was putting the vehicle into park and the vehicle suddenly accelerated. it went from 2 mph, to being out of control. the vehicle surged and crashed into a wooden retaining wall. the contact was not injured in the crash. there was property damage to the wall. the vehicle was not totaled. she contacted the manufacturer, and they said they would investigate the incident. there has not been any representative from the manufacturer in touch with the contact. a police report was taken. *ak

When consumer buckled child in seat shield arm broke off on both sides. *ts *nm (11/21/05) *sc

Glass in sunroof unexplainably "exploded" while driving.

The steering wheel was very loose and difficult to control when driving. i also heard a strange noise when turning to either direction. the dealership replaced the whole steering column shaft assembly for $1016.57. *jb

For past 6 months my power door locks take turns not working. sometimes they stop working in two at a time and remain broken for a couple of weeks. there are time when they will not even open manually(even from the inside). this is very scary in the event i need to get out and cannot because of the locks. it usually starts with the left front, then left front and rear, then left rear, left and right rear, then right rear, right rear and right front, then right front, then right and left front doors. then they will all work fine for a month. it appears, to me, to be some type of short in the wiring. *jb

Intake manifold failure on 2003 toyota camry 2.4 engine (toyota motor co.) will not replace. they know that they have a problem because they replaced them with a new type of intake manifold. my camry has 65000 miles. *jb

Dt: 2003 toyota camry. the engine i 2003 toyota camry caught on fire. had not contacted dealership or the manufacturer. did not notice anything unusual about the way vehicle was operating before the fire started. the consumer called the fire department. the fire department said it was up to the insurance company to investigate how the fire started. did not know if it was an electrical or fuel. the engine compartment was burned completely. vehicle was damaged by the fire. called the police department, they said it was the highway patrol department who needed to do the report. took pictures of vehicle at the junk yard. vehicle had all the original parts. there was no injuries or property damage outside of vehicle. *ak

Dt: the consumer stated that his 2003 toyota camry was having a problem with the front end of the car. the car was pulling to the left when driving. the car was taken to the dealership three times, but problem recurred. the alignment has been checked five times to see if that was the cause of the problem. there has been so success in the correction of the pulling to the left. the manufacturer has been contacted, and a claim was filed for the consumer. the vehicle was involved in an accident since the last time that the dealer saw it. the car pulled to the left and ran off the road. then, hit a tree. the consumer could not prove that the car was at fault. there were no injuries. a police report was taken. at this point, no one could determine what was wrong with the car, it could be the suspension or the steering. the speed was 35 mph when the accident occurred. *ak

Car surges to maximum revolutions on tachometer when moving gear shift from park to reverse. has happened 2 times in the last 3 months. at the time of both incidents, car was idling with air conditioner on. application of brake controlled situation but i am worried about severe accident if this occurs. there are 2 other drivers in the family, of which one is a teenager and a fourth will start driving in 6 months. this is the same as the current defect investigation nhtsa action number dp05002. my complaint is against the manufacturer, not the dealer. the dealer did a diagnosis after the first incident and detected no problem. there needs to be a diagnosis for this issue and a national recall on this problem. *jb

2003 toyota camry developed numerous problems.***no answer required***. *mr the vehicle pulled to the left when the brakes were applied, it required 2 or 3 attempts to start the vehicle, the radio was replaced, the power door locks did not work, the engine light stayed on and the gauges were erratic, the right rear strut and mount were broken. *jb the brake light was inoperative. the hood release latch was reconnected, because the consumer heard a rattle noise. the exhaust converter was replaced. *jb updated 03/04/10 *bf the consumer stated he experienced sudden acceleration twice. updated 06/28/10*jb

My 03 camry with 22k miles, automatic transmission, has an issue with the safety button on the shifter, or the shifter itself. with the engine off and no key in the ignition, i can slide the shifter from park to any other gear, without pressing in the safety button. i cannot slide the shifter back into park. here's how i found out. i parked in my drive, put the car in park, removed the keys, grabbed my shopping bag and went inside. my husband came in a few minutes later with some shocking news. apparently, my camry had rolled down the drive, took out our mailbox, went across the street and stopped in our neighbor's front yard. our drive is over 100' long and slopes down toward the street. i handed my husband the keys and he went to the car. it was in drive. what i can figure is that when i grabbed my shopping bag, which was fairly heavy, i hit the shifter and took the car out of park. but that doesn't explain how the shifter was able to move without my pushing in the safety button. i called toyota customer relations in torrance, and they arranged a service appt for me at the dealer. the dealer indicated they had to make an adjustment. during a follow-up call from their customer service rep, they indicated they had never heard of the problem before. when i asked if it could happen again, the rep said if it does, bring it in. i will try very hard to remember to use my emergency brake whenever i park my car. but what if i forget? i don't want to be responsible for my car rolling into a child, adult or other vehicle. it is only dumb luck that no one was hurt when the car rolled down our drive. had it been daytime, the chances are very high that someone would have been injured or killed. we live on a cul de sac, and those in our development walk with their children on a regular basis throughout the day. this is very frightening. are you aware of this issue happening previously?*jb

Dt: vehicle stalled in the middle of the road on august 12, 2005. took the vehicle to the dealer and they could not find anything wrong and sent the consumer home with the invoice. there was no for warning. about 6 weeks before when pushing on the accelerator pedal it seemed like it took a few seconds for the vehicle to accelerate. *ak

Dt: the vehicle accelarated on its own and surged forward 6 or 7 times. contacted toyota and dealt with the liability department. and they didn't see anything wrong with it. this started happening on november 12, 2003. *ak see also 10055728. *dsy

The problem is with the aluminum alloy chrome wheels. i purchased new tires at sears in december of 2004 with all new valve stems and speed balances. approximately 2 to 3 months later, 2 & 3 tires were losing air (slowly) constantly. sears showed me that the alloy rim was deteriorating around the valve stems and that i should take it back to the dealer. because it was over the warranty mileage, the dealer (route 44 toyota in raynham, mass.) wouldn't do anything about this. i even went to the district managers office with no luck. i explained to them that all i wanted was the standard wheel for replacement with wheel covers. my point is, if tires lose the air inflation, there's likely to be "tire failure" contributing to more accidents on our national highways. i'm sure i'm not the only one with "alloy wheels" with this problem. can we do something to prevent road deaths on our highways because of these flawed "aluminum alloy wheels"?*jb

The brake pedal goes to the floor in emergency situations but the car does not decelerate any harder. i have notified the mfg numerous times, even got their legal dept involved (case # 200301090284) according to toyota this is by design - even though the brake pedal height & stopping distances are outside the published specs. i have found numerous similar complaints on the nttsa website and am concerned this has fallen in a crack. this is so rampant that i am considering a class-action lawsuit should all other methods fail (i really don't want to do this!!) thanks for your attention in this crucial matter. i have filed a complaint a while back - i called the 800 number to inquire whay no research has been done & i know you are spread very thin - please accept my apolgy but i really think this is a important matter

Window motor broke without warning. mechanic says no way should a motor break on a 2 year old car. internet blogs full of stories of window motors breaking on toyota vehicles. replacement cost is $700 which is ridiculous.

Brake pedal frequently goes nearly to floor. has happened even when car stopped at lights. when pedal travel excessive, braking performance very poor. no warning. brakes work fine for a while then pedal travel and brake performance drgrade severely without warning. nearly in several collisions. also, fraquent vibration in pedal linkage, especially when pedal pushed quickly. dealer replaced brake booster but no imporvement in performance. dealer says there is nothing else to be done. often feels like internal leak in master cylinder. complaint to toyota turfed back to dealer. feel car is dangerous in this condition but toyota and northway toyota not interested in repairing problem. last date listed in incident date, but has happened many, many times. afraid to operate vehicle in heavy traffic, especially at highway speeds.

Dt: door would not open on driver's side or any of the other doors, consumer could not unlock the doors with key or lock button. the transmitter would not respond either. before when it would get real hot the transmitter wouldn't work and lights wouldn't work. but could open the doors and get out. last night had to crawl out the window to get out of the vehicle. *ak

Dt: on december 8, 2003, at 6918 miles consumer was at a stop sign and tried to apply brakes and they failed. consumer was in a school zone and tried to stop at a traffic light, took the vehicle to dealer to be inspected, and the service department couldn't find anything wrong. again, had the vehicle out and was at a 3 way stop and tried to apply the brakes, and they failed again. took vehicle to dealership on april 21, 2005 at 13096 miles, and they did find that because of a brake failure there was internal failure in master cylinder, and the front rotors were warped.*ak

Dt: consumer states that the vehicle takes off by itself. this can happen while at a traffic light with foot on brake. at one time consumer was putting the car on planks to change oil and the vehicle accelerated, and hit consumer's spouse, who sustained injuries.*ak

2003 toyota camry experiencing problems with hesitation upon acceleration.***no answer required*** *mr this would occur as the consumer would attempt to pass other vehicles. there was a break and or chatter in the left front wheel. the hesitation would occur at all speeds and there was a rubbing noise in the steering column. *sc *jb

Dt: toyota camry 2003. the consumers car hesitates when trying to accelerate. it actually slows down by 10-20 mph. *ak the vehicle would lurch forward after hesitating. the problem occurred when turning corners or when attempting to drive onto the highway from a rolling start. *sc *jb

As i put car on drive,it just accelarated out of control..brakes did not work,emergency brake neither,thanks to curb i did not run thru a fence that separates supermarket's parking lot and housing's playground full of kids and parents enjoying mother's day.

Toyota failed to fix defect with brakes under warranty, left front brake failed, and caught fire after short drive. dealer failed to fix second time claimed it was not their problem, car had been tampered with, toyot0 dealership was lone repair shop ever used. *ak

Drivrers seat is loose. it was repaired once at 12000 miles, and at 26000 miles, the problem resurfaced. the manufacturer refuses to repair the seat again. every time i start and stop the seat moves. the problem gets progressively worse as time goes by.*ak

While driving the consumer's vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. the consumer hit the brake pedal but it went down tot he floor and the vehicle did not stop. just as quickly as the vehicle started accelerating it stopped. the vehicle was towed tot eh dealer but hey were unable to find anything wrong. *ak *nm

I pulled into a business parking lot and came to a complete stop, shifted into reverse, took my foot off the brake, slightly touched the accelerator, removed my foot from the accelerator and the car suddenly accelerated rapidly on its own. i firmly applied the brake to stop but the car continued to accelerate. the action of the brakes left a long patch of rubber, but did not slow the car. after striking an suv, moving it out of the way and into another car, the car continued to accelerate until it was stopped by a metal light pole. the car has yet to be examined by a toyota dealership.*ak

Tire failure - continental touring contact as * p205/65r15 *(not p215/16 per form) the tire was oem with 2003 camry and had 30,480 miles on it and had been rotated as directed by manufacturer. no evidence of any puncture through tread. tire failed on highway during rush hour and was driven a mile wherein sidewall was chewed up. unable to determine cause of failure.

The right rear tire blew out while consumer was on the road. she was able to get to the shoulder of the road. the tires completely separated. *ak

The intake manifold failed, causing a rattle noise from the engine area. rattle was heard at idle speed and became louder when accelerating. toyota replaced the intake manifold at a total cost of over $500 (part + labor) because the failure occurred just outside the warranty period. this problem is described in tsb eg018-2004. *ak

The car was stolen and the interior was soaked in gas. the insurance company wanted to clean the seats, but owner feared that this could cause a fire safety issue.

2003 toyota camry has problems with brake equipment.*mr the brake pedal went to the floor and the brakes faded while attempting to stop. the vehicle was taken to the dealer three times but they didn't find anything wrong. *nm

When driving and going down hill brakes were hard, and a noise could be heard. consumer was driving in the ice and snow on both occasions. vehicle went into a fish tail, almost causing a collision. dealer was unable to duplicate the problem.*ak

2003 toyota camry le, anti-lock brake system failure. *bf the consumer noticed that every time when pressing on the brake pedal, and continue to steadily hold it depressed, the abs would activate immediately, but the vehicle failed to come to a timely stop. *jb

My mother bertha sussman was driving at a slow speed when she approached the gate of her community. she stepped on the brake and the car accelerated. she hit a tree as the car picked up speed. she has spent the last year in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home.*ak

While driving at 35 mph vehicle hesitated when trying to accelerate and then stalled. owner contacted the dealer , and had the transmission replaced. however, the problem recurred. *ak

While driving, the vehicle accelerated. the consumer could not stop the vehicle even though her feet was on the brake. the vehicle surged. the consumer stated it seemed like a computer problem. an accident did occur, however there were no injuries. the consumer had to make the vehicle spin before she could stop it. please provide any further information. *jb

While driving at 35 mph vehicle accelerated without warning. when applying the brakes vehicle accelerated even more. as a result, the vehicle collided into two parked cars and a brick wall. driver sustained head injuries. *ak the consumer recieved a check 18,636.18 in full payment for auto loss. when the consumer pressed the gas pedal the rpms where high. one airbag deployed. *tc

When taking off in first gear while being cold the vehicle sputters, and acts if it is missing. this happens intermittently. owner took the vehicle to the dealer, and was told that it was totally normally. after the vehicle warms up it does fine. *ak

Anti-skid brake system on my 2003 camry xle v6 malfunctioned, and caused the car to cross 3 lanes and crash into a guard rail. i was uninjured, but the car sustained $11,000 damage. *ak

Went to drive 2003 toyota camry xle out of the garage. started the car tried to put in reverse and gear shift would not move out of park, the motor started racing during this time. turned off car got out of car to wait till later to run errand and decided to try one more time. start car again tried to put in reverse. it seceeded this time but the car accellerated out of the garage rapidly w/ out my assistance. damaging several items on its way out of the garage.*ak

While pulling into a parking space the consumer heard a loud noise coming from her vehicle. the vehicle accelerated and the consumer crashed into a brick wall. no injuries were reported. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the problem could not be determined. jb updated 03/04/10 *bf updated 04/12/10.*jb updated 08/26/10. *jb

The exhaust system on my 03 camry hangs down. it is 4 inches off the ground. i have tried to get toyota to fix it but they say it's the design intent. i'm afraid that if the car bottoms out the system will fly off the car. i watch two people die because a muffler flew off a vehicle and wedged itself into the gas tank of a truck. it caught the highway on fire and killed the guys in the truck. the system is not installed on the car correctly. there is a bracket that is not hooked up and the system does not tuck into the exhaust channel. all the camry and other models on this frame are like this. please help. *jb

When disengaging the vehicle from park the vehicle accelerates without warning. no impact reported. the cause has yet to be determined. please provide additional information. *jb

Approaching intersection the traffic light changed and attempting to stop vehicle, the brake pedal went to the floor board, but the vehicle did not stop before impact with another vehicle. speed at impact was approx. 20 mph and neither airbag deployed. just recently had vehicle at dealership to have soft brake pedal checked, and was told of similar complaints concerning problem. *jb

Ower of 2003 toyota camry experienced sudden acceleration suggest nhtsa initiate investigation. *bf the vehicle suddenly surged forward and had run into a concrete wall and occurred on two more occasions. *sc see odi 10063095 (sipek). *dsy duplicate of 10101790. *dsy

I purchased a 2003 camry new,the vehicle has since been involved in two signifigant frontal collisions in which neither airbag deployed,the latter resulting in injury to myself and my wife. i am alarmed that this is the second occurence of airbag failure on this same vehicle and the degree of injury which could have resulted due to their failure. we are currently contacting the manufacturer to hopefully resolve this matter.*ak

While driving 40 mph front end vibrated violently. *ak

Owner of 2003 toyota camry experienced sudden acceleration suggest nhtsa initiate investigation. *bf while the consumer was parking the vehicle it sudden surged forward hitting a concrete wall. as a result the consumer sustained some bruises. the accident caused $5000 worth of damage to the vehicle. this incident was followed by two more similar occurrences. no answer required - duplicate of odi ref. no. 10101616. *mjj see also 10063095 (sipek). *dsy

There is a cracking sound coming from the bottom of the driver side windshield. the dealer check the vehicle and stated they could not duplicate the problem. the consumer filed a complaint with the manufacturer one year ago and they stated they had no record. *jb. noise was caused by oose molding, which is cosmetic and not safety related. *ak

The vehicle surged backwards with inappropriate speed, shot through a parking space behind me, into next row of parked cars, and hit a parked vehicle, totaling it. *bf *sc

Unexplainable sudden surge caused $5,389.95 in damages to my toyota camry. *bf no answer required - see response to congressional correspondence (ccmmercury ref. no. es04-009988, odi ref. no. 10101790) *mjj the surging was an intermittent problem. the vehicle surged forward and hit a concrete wall. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc

The vehicle was hit by a semi truck and totaled. none of the vehicle's air bags deployed. the consumer sustained injuries. *nm the headrest was shaped incorrectly for a short person and the windshields reflective properties were distracting when driving on brightly sunlit days. *sc

When driving 30 mph rpms accelerated to 80 mph. this caused the consumer to go off the side of the road, causing damage to the vehicle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

While applying the brakes ,the pedal went to the floor. the consumer noticed less of braking power. the abs light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. the consumer drove to the dealer to have the vehicle inspected. the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem. please fill in additional information. *jb

Car dealer says two of the car's original tires are worn out with car at 19,970 miles. tires are worn to the indicators on the outside. tires were rotated to the back of the car. dealer did not indicate if other two tires were wearing also. my son noticed side wear on the tires at about 18,000 miles. dealer says car needs alignment but no alignment check was made to my knowledge. dealer could not do alignment this day, i will take care of asap. tires have been rotated at manufacturer's recommendations and kept at proper inflation.car has been serviced on a regular basis. tires are bridgestone, potenza, p205/65r15 92t.*ak

While backing out of a driveway and shifting from reverse into drive vehicle suddenly accelerated out-of-control into adjacent neighbor's yard. immediate and continual application of brakes did nothing -- engine continued to rev and i narrowly avoided striking a house. instead, i was forced to strike a row of trees to stop run-away vehicle. frontal air bags failed to deploy on either sides. had it not been for the trees, i would've struck a 500 gallon propane tank, 2 parked pickup trucks, and the original house from which i was departing from. my lone passenger and i will be emotionally scarred forever by this incident. please force toyota to issue a recall here! please don't wait for a death... please!!!*ak

Complaint received via e-mail this car pulls to the left and steering feels loose and car drifts. dealership is not providing any assistance. alignment and tire balancing did not help. this is a safety issue.*ak

While parking vehicle accelerated and crashed into a wall. upon impact, air bags did not deploy. no injuries reported. *ak

While in a parking lot and backing out of a parking space vehicle accelerated suddenly hitting a pedestrian. *ak one person was injured and one person was killed in this accident. the consumer refused to drive the vehicle after this incident and returned the vehicle to the dealer. *nm updated 03/05/10 *bf updated 09/23/10 updated 9/21/2011*cw

The outer edge of tires started wearing bald just after 15,000 miles. car was serviced at 15,000 at dealership and alignment checked out ok. at 19,000 steel belts started appearing on front set of tires. continental was contacted and requested car manufacturer.*ak

The consumer parked the vehicle and exited to retrieve a gas can. when the consumer turned around the vehicle was moving forward into her garage. *nm *sc *jb

Inquiry regarding why no investigation or recall has been done regarding brakes for 2003 toyota camry. *mr *nm

Consumer received recall 04-v346-000 for replacement of the curtain shield air bag. no parts were available. service manager cathy. *ak *tc

While backing out of driveway, with foot on brake pedal, i shifted the 2003 camry from park into reverse. the car immediately accelerated backward at high speed out of driveway, crossed the road, and crashed into a tree. 3 people in car, no injuries. so far, estimated body damage is about $8000, but undercarriage has yet to be inspected. reason for sudden acceleration is unknown.ak

Was parking the car when the motor suddenly sped up causing the car to go over the curb and run at high speed into traffic. the car was finally stopped by repeatedly applying the brakes.*ak

I was driving north on route 93 in my 2003 toyota camry during rush hour traffic when traffic went from approx. 40 mph to a sudden stop. the cars in front of me all jammed on there brakes and successfully stopped, but when i stepped on my brakes, i could feel the brake pedal compressing and doing something, but i was unable to barely even slow down from approx. 3 car lengths away. i hit the car in front of me and my car crumbled. my 2 complaints are that the brakes definitely have a malfunction along with the air bags not deploying. luckily, i had my seat belt on. the road conditions were dry and weather was sunny and clear. after this accident and my car has been repaired, i will be trading my car in and never buy a toyota again. *jb

When the gear was placed in reverse, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit a concrete wall. please provide further information. *jb gas peddle stuck and brakes would not hold the car from moving. consumer was injured as a result of accident. the consumer sprained her leg as a result of putting so much force on the brake trying to stop the vehicle. *tc

Brakes on vehicle are unusually soft and require an abnormal amount of travel before they engage.*ak

While attempting to park suddenly vehicle surged forward. consumer was depressing the brakes, but, vehicle jumped a curb, struck a bench, and several other items. consumer was not injured in the incident. dealer examined the vehicle, and claimed that the air conditioner was causing the prob