Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
EQUIPMENT
AX0040209/06/2002635859This bulletin contains detailed instructions covering the removal and replacement of the ashtray / lighter. *tt11/01/2002
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL
0030212/11/20020030210003608Diagnostic tester immobilizer functions - revised. *tt10/24/2003
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER
0110506/03/200510015482Countermeasures to the air conditioner (a/c) magnetic clutch relay for a/c light flashing (inoperative a/c) issues on some vehicles equipped with a magnetic clutch compressor. *tt07/26/2005
0030403/01/200410006608A/c compressor installation procedure. *mr05/06/2004
0010304/15/20030040310001585Air conditioner performance and durability improvement. *tt06/09/2003
0040303/21/200310001356Air conditioner performance and durability improvement. *tt05/01/2003

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
EQUIPMENT
03/16/20101000001
 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
01/21/200950000110/01/2002
 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
01/01/20031
 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
03/01/200315000103/01/2003
 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
01/15/2003750
 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 moon roof 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 moon roof 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 moon roof 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 moon roof 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.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE
08/31/200301
 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
08/15/20081300001
 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
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL
09/14/20122
 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
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER
07/14/200423000104/18/2003
 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 problem. *ak the consumer states that the malfunction may have been cause because of the a/c cycled through on/off. rpm increased. a witness stated that he heard the engine racing. the consumer stated that the a/c was on. the incident was reported to the building security. *tc
09/12/20031
 While traveling on the highway without prior warning, chemical smells are coming through the air conditioner vents. dealer has inspected the vehicle and could not duplicate or correct the problem. also, the consumer has a problem with the driver seat belt. please provide further information. *ph
EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
07/17/20081
 Rear speaker covers disintegrating. *tr
03/05/200740000210/04/2003
 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
09/08/2003106/18/2003
 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