Toyota Camry Solara 2003
Model Camry Solara made in 2003 by Toyota got 29 consumer complains there are 6 investigations as well as 14 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to air bags, electrical system and engine and engine cooling. Technical service bulletines regarding engine and engine cooling, equipment and power train. The car had one investigation (vehicle speed control). The car has 2 modeles with engines 2.4, 3.
Model 2003
| Engine [L] | Cylinders | Transmission | Drive | Estimate MPG (city/highway/combined) | Unadjusted MPG (city/highway/combined) | Fuel | Fuel cost | Class | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4 | 4 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | F | 23/32/27 | 26/40.8/31.0721 | Regular | 860 | COMPACT CARS | |
| 2.4 | 4 | Manual, 5 gears | F | 23/33/27 | 26/41.9/31.3542 | Regular | 860 | COMPACT CARS | |
| 3 | 6 | Lockup/automatic, 4 gears | F | 20/27/22 | 21.7/34.2/25.9717 | Regular | 1058 | COMPACT CARS |
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 06205 | 11/23/2005 | 10018404 | Ecm calibration update: 2-az-fe engine malfunction indicator on diagnostic trouble code p2238. *ak | 12/22/2005 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 01507 | 04/06/2007 | 10021542 | 2az-fe engine block. *kb | 05/14/2007 | |
| 05104 | 12/21/2004 | 10011863 | Malfunction indicator lamp on diagnostic trouble code p0604, p0606 and/or p0607. *tt | 02/02/2005 | |
| 04004 | 09/08/2004 | 10010160 | Accessory drive belt squeal/ belt tensioner rattle. *nm | 11/04/2004 | |
| 01404 | 05/24/2004 | 01404R | 10007650 | Excessive sulfur dioxide odor. *tt | 07/07/2004 |
| EG01303R | 09/29/2003 | EG01303 | 10004636 | Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p0440, p0441 and/or p0446 stored. *tt | 12/29/2003 |
| EG01303 | 09/29/2003 | 10003965 | Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p0440, p0441 and/or p0446 stored. *tt | 11/07/2003 | |
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - AIR CONDITIONER | |||||
| 00304 | 03/01/2004 | 10006608 | A/c compressor installation procedure. *mr | 05/06/2004 | |
| EQUIPMENT - ELECTRICAL - RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. | |||||
| 00103 | 01/30/2003 | 10001046 | Boomy or excessive bass from the jbl audio system. *tt | 04/11/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 01005 | 08/01/2005 | 10016637 | A541e transmission solenoid identification. *tt | 09/26/2005 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 00504 | 08/26/2004 | 10009397 | Proper identification of the 5 solenoids used in the u240e/u241e automatic transaxles. *tt | 09/29/2004 | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - FOUNDATION COMPONENTS - DISC - ROTOR | |||||
| 02802 | 12/17/2002 | 10000652 | Wheel film for brake rotor rust prevention. *tt | 03/26/2003 | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||||
| 00207 | 04/26/2007 | 10022143 | Techstream ecu flash reprogramming procedure. *kb | 07/06/2007 | |
| WHEELS | |||||
| 02802 | 12/17/2002 | 10000652 | Wheel film for brake rotor rust prevention. *tt | 03/26/2003 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||
| PE04021 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 03/03/2004 | 07/22/2004 | THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM | ||
| The lexus models were the subject of defect petition (dp) 04-003.twelve odi complaints are duplicative to toyota reports, including the two minor crashes.the v6 equipped solara models have been excluded because they do not contain the subject throttle control system.toyota introduced electronic throttle control (etc) on the subject vehicles beginning in model year (my) 2002.odi opened the investigation to determine if the system could be the cause of complaints alleging the engine speed increased, or failed to decrease, (for a short duration) when the accelerator pedal was not depressed (the alleged defect).during the course of the investigation, odi analyzed agency data and reviewed vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) reports, conducted interviews involving 113 voq and 36 toyota reports, inspected two complainant vehicles, reviewed relevant toyota service and new car feature documentation, reviewed and analyzed toyota | ||||||
| DP06003 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 09/14/2006 | 04/03/2007 | ENGINE SURGING | ||
| The petitioner owns a my 2006 toyota camry with a 4-cylinder engine that was purchased new in january 2006. the petitioner also previously owned a my 2005 camry. he alleges that both vehicles exhibited vehicle engine surging, which he described as a short duration (1 to 2 second) increase in engine speed occurring while the accelerator pedal is not depressed. in an initial interview, the petitioner estimated that 6 to 8 surge incidents, of varying severity, occurred in the my 2006 vehicle over the course of 10,000 miles and 7 months of ownership. the petitioner reports that the brake system is effective at overcoming the surge. however, he is concerned about reports filed with nhtsa alleging uncontrolledsurging in my 2002 to 2006 camry vehicles bringing those vehicles to a high rate of speed (in some cases, purportedly, with the brakes applied).after review and analysis of the available information, odi has not identified a vehicle-based defect that would have produced the alleged engine surge in the petitioner | ||||||
| DP05002 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 08/05/2005 | 01/05/2006 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||
| In a letter dated july 8, 2005, and after experiencing two incidents (and one crash) where he alleges his model year (my) 2002 camry accelerated without driver input, mr. jordan ziprin petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration | ||||||
| DP06003 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 09/14/2006 | 04/03/2007 | ENGINE SURGING | ||
| The petitioner owns a my 2006 toyota camry with a 4-cylinder engine that was purchased new in january 2006. the petitioner also previously owned a my 2005 camry. he alleges that both vehicles exhibited vehicle engine surging, which he described as a short duration (1 to 2 second) increase in engine speed occurring while the accelerator pedal is not depressed. in an initial interview, the petitioner estimated that 6 to 8 surge incidents, of varying severity, occurred in the my 2006 vehicle over the course of 10,000 miles and 7 months of ownership. the petitioner reports that the brake system is effective at overcoming the surge. however, he is concerned about reports filed with nhtsa alleging uncontrolledsurging in my 2002 to 2006 camry vehicles bringing those vehicles to a high rate of speed (in some cases, purportedly, with the brakes applied).after review and analysis of the available information, odi has not identified a vehicle-based defect that would have produced the alleged engine surge in the petitioner | ||||||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | ||||||
| DP06003 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 09/14/2006 | 04/03/2007 | ENGINE SURGING | ||
| The petitioner owns a my 2006 toyota camry with a 4-cylinder engine that was purchased new in january 2006. the petitioner also previously owned a my 2005 camry. he alleges that both vehicles exhibited vehicle engine surging, which he described as a short duration (1 to 2 second) increase in engine speed occurring while the accelerator pedal is not depressed. in an initial interview, the petitioner estimated that 6 to 8 surge incidents, of varying severity, occurred in the my 2006 vehicle over the course of 10,000 miles and 7 months of ownership. the petitioner reports that the brake system is effective at overcoming the surge. however, he is concerned about reports filed with nhtsa alleging uncontrolledsurging in my 2002 to 2006 camry vehicles bringing those vehicles to a high rate of speed (in some cases, purportedly, with the brakes applied).after review and analysis of the available information, odi has not identified a vehicle-based defect that would have produced the alleged engine surge in the petitioner | ||||||
| DP06003 | TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC. | 09/14/2006 | 04/03/2007 | ENGINE SURGING | ||
| The petitioner owns a my 2006 toyota camry with a 4-cylinder engine that was purchased new in january 2006. the petitioner also previously owned a my 2005 camry. he alleges that both vehicles exhibited vehicle engine surging, which he described as a short duration (1 to 2 second) increase in engine speed occurring while the accelerator pedal is not depressed. in an initial interview, the petitioner estimated that 6 to 8 surge incidents, of varying severity, occurred in the my 2006 vehicle over the course of 10,000 miles and 7 months of ownership. the petitioner reports that the brake system is effective at overcoming the surge. however, he is concerned about reports filed with nhtsa alleging uncontrolledsurging in my 2002 to 2006 camry vehicles bringing those vehicles to a high rate of speed (in some cases, purportedly, with the brakes applied).after review and analysis of the available information, odi has not identified a vehicle-based defect that would have produced the alleged engine surge in the petitioner | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIR BAGS | |||
| 04/19/2010 | 46000 | ||
| Our 2003 toyota camry/ solara accelerated while in neutral and with the parking brake on. the regular brakes also failed as well as the airbags | |||
| 07/22/2009 | 90000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry solara convertible. while driving 50 mph and attempting to avoid hitting an animal the driver crashed into a stationary wooden power pole. the front passenger side on the vehicle was damaged; however, the air bags did not deploy. the driver sustained numerous injuries such as 10 broken ribs, numerous back injuries, injured spleen, an injury and cut to left bicep. the driver also sustained numerous bruises and broken bones in her right hand. the vehicle was towed and was destroyed. the contact stated that the air bags were defective since they failed to deploy. the current and failure mileage was 90,000. | |||
| 1 | 08/04/2003 | ||
| While driving, the consumer lost control of the vehicle and was hit on the front driver side by a truck. none of the air bags deployed. please describe further. *jb | |||
| AIR BAGS - FRONTAL | |||
| 02/04/2008 | 1 | ||
| 2003 toyota solara airbags failed to deploy. consumer states that she hit another vehicle and the airbags did not deploy. she states that she suffered neck and chest pain from hitting the steering wheel due to the airbags not deploying. *kb | |||
| 02/04/2008 | 68000 | 1 | 05/21/2003 |
| I was involved in a traffic accident in which the front of my 2003 toyota solara hit a car that was parked in front of me. road conditions were snowy and icy. because of this, rear-ending the car in front of me was unavoidable. i was unpleasantly surprised that my airbags did not deploy upon impact. when i bought the car i never thought i would have an accident; however i was assured by the salesman that the car was safe, and airbag deployment was part of the outstanding customer protection toyota offers. the outcome of the airbags failing to deploy was that i was taken to the hospital and suffered discomfort since upon impact i slammed into the steering wheel. i believe this could have been avoided if the airbags had deployed upon impact as they are supposed to do. the solara, of course, was totaled. i would greatly appreciate your looking into this matter. *tr | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer's vehicle was involved in a crash. it was hit from the rear and pushed into the vehicle ahead. however, upon impact, frontal air bags failed to deploy. vehicle was totaled. *ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 09/10/2009 | 95000 | 1 | |
| My toyota solara lse, 2003, with 125,000 miles has electrical problems and broken mount and struts problems. 1. my rear mount and struts broke and i was told by an auto mechanic it may cause a seriouse accident if not repaired. as soon as i repaired the problem in the rear, immediatly the following day front mount and struts broke. it is very expensive to fix. 2. my headlights keep going out monthly and i cannot tell my lights are not on because lights on the dashboard are out and some warning lights are on and automechanics can't get them off (although the warning lights are not linked to any actual problems); 3. my defroster is not working due to an electrical malfunction as well. i live in chicago and cannot see out of the rear windown in the winter months. *cn | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 2 | 12/30/2002 | |
| Extreme sulphur smell inside cabin of automobile. this air qua;ity cannot be beneficial to the occupants complaint has been ongoing to local dealer, but not yet resolved ecu must be adjusted and catalytic converter changed. *ak | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL - CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | |||
| 02/01/2005 | 2 | 12/30/2002 | |
| Extreme sulphur smell inside cabin of automobile. this air qua;ity cannot be beneficial to the occupants complaint has been ongoing to local dealer, but not yet resolved ecu must be adjusted and catalytic converter changed. *ak | |||
| EQUIPMENT | |||
| 01/08/2010 | 31358 | 1 | |
| On january 8, 2010, my accelerator pedal stuck while pulling into a parking space and my 2003 toyota solara slammed into a parked suv sending it halfway out of it's parking space. only a small rubber mat was on the floor, not touching the pedal. the original carpet mat had previously been removed for cleaning. insurance covers auto body damage but does not address this new recall problem because my car is not in the listed affected years (2007-2010). what recourse do i have? do i repair the car and forget that this could happen again? i am afraid to drive it even to the repair shop. i could fix it or not fix it and try to sell it, but who would want the car, in light of the recent publicity about the recalls and toyota's response to it. i suppose i will wait and see how this all plays out, but wanted to put on record (somewhere) and perhaps others are in the same situation as i coincidentally found myself in. my car has been garaged and well maintained with only 30,000 miles on it and i have never had a problem with the accelerator in the past. *tr | |||
| INTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 09/10/2009 | 95000 | 1 | |
| My toyota solara lse, 2003, with 125,000 miles has electrical problems and broken mount and struts problems. 1. my rear mount and struts broke and i was told by an auto mechanic it may cause a seriouse accident if not repaired. as soon as i repaired the problem in the rear, immediatly the following day front mount and struts broke. it is very expensive to fix. 2. my headlights keep going out monthly and i cannot tell my lights are not on because lights on the dashboard are out and some warning lights are on and automechanics can't get them off (although the warning lights are not linked to any actual problems); 3. my defroster is not working due to an electrical malfunction as well. i live in chicago and cannot see out of the rear windown in the winter months. *cn | |||
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES - DOORS - LATCH | |||
| 04/10/2006 | 40048 | 100 | 07/10/2003 |
| The driver side door on my vehicle does not close properly. the latch does not engage and the door open light goes on. *jb | |||
| PARKING BRAKE | |||
| 04/19/2010 | 46000 | ||
| Our 2003 toyota camry/ solara accelerated while in neutral and with the parking brake on. the regular brakes also failed as well as the airbags | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 04/19/2010 | 46000 | ||
| Our 2003 toyota camry/ solara accelerated while in neutral and with the parking brake on. the regular brakes also failed as well as the airbags | |||
| SEAT BELTS | |||
| 10/12/2007 | 40000 | 1 | 11/18/2003 |
| I have a 2003 toyota solara convertible. my seat belt would lock up on me on a regular basis and have to work at it to loosen it from my neck.- this has happen several times. it was so bad i had to manually roll the seat belt back into the holder every time i got out of the car for the past year and a half. finally the other day it just wouldn't roll back in at all, so it was pulled out all the way and would not roll in. i had to take get an entire new mechanism and set belt installed. this cost is over $400.00 to replace i really feel that this is a safety defect. i had a chrysler for over 13 years and never had a problem with a seat belt, in fact i also have a 1992 gm and have never had a problem with the seat belts. *jb | |||
| SEATS | |||
| 07/22/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving and applying brakes driver's seat moves forward, released brake and seat will move back. dealer replaced all seats, and still experienced the same problem. *ak | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 07/15/2008 | 1 | ||
| In july of 2007 or 2008 while attempting to park my 2003 toyota solara in a kohl's lot the car suddenly accelerated while i had my foot on the brake. the acceleration was strong enough to cause my head to be thrown back but i didn't have time to check the odometer for the registered speed. i was pulling into a parking stall with one car directly in front of me and a car on either side of me. i stomped on the brake as hard as i could and was able to stop within an inch or two from the car in front of me. this was probably the scariest thing that has ever happened to me in an automobile. i checked the nhtsa website and found that other owners of solaras had experienced similar occurrences with their autos and had been told that it was possibly a problem with the electronic throttle. i filed a report and spoke with a woman from nhtsa who called me but i was never notified again. i brought my solara to the dealer where i had purchased it and was told that they could find nothing wrong other than the floor mat was pushed forward. this has happened on and off when i've been braking to turn left or am slowly coming to a stop at a traffic light or stop sign and always when i have the brake pedal depressed. it feels as if i've hit an oil slick in the road and the only thing i can do is press very hard on the brake to stop the car from going forward. none of these incidents has ever been as scary as when the car accelerated when i was parking but they've all occurred when i was stepping on the brake. *tr | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 04/10/2006 | 40048 | 100 | 07/10/2003 |
| The driver side door on my vehicle does not close properly. the latch does not engage and the door open light goes on. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 09/10/2009 | 95000 | 1 | |
| My toyota solara lse, 2003, with 125,000 miles has electrical problems and broken mount and struts problems. 1. my rear mount and struts broke and i was told by an auto mechanic it may cause a seriouse accident if not repaired. as soon as i repaired the problem in the rear, immediatly the following day front mount and struts broke. it is very expensive to fix. 2. my headlights keep going out monthly and i cannot tell my lights are not on because lights on the dashboard are out and some warning lights are on and automechanics can't get them off (although the warning lights are not linked to any actual problems); 3. my defroster is not working due to an electrical malfunction as well. i live in chicago and cannot see out of the rear windown in the winter months. *cn | |||
| 01/02/2004 | 2000 | 5 | |
| While driving the at 65 to 70 mph vehicle vibrated, and at any speed vehicle pulled to the left. dealer inspected vehicle five times and could not fix it. *ak | |||
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 48000 | ||
| There's a design flaw in toyota solara models 1999-2003 (the model changed in 2004), and it's this: at the very top of the back of the back seat, where the seat fabric is tucked into the plastic back, this backing has a 'lip' that sticks out and catches on the convertible top each time it's lowered or raised, usually snagging the top of the back window. this constant snagging of the convertible top on this hard plastic lip causes two issues: 1) the plastic 'lip' itself is weakened, loses integrity, suffers a fatigue crack, and breaks. 2) the stitching of the convertible top at the top of the back window loses its integrity, and the back window becomes separated from the convertible top. this results in a gap between the convertible top and the top of the back window, which can (and did, in my case) result in the window catching on the back of the seat and completely shattering. when my window shattered, i took it to a repair shop. the person there told me he has frequently seen this issue with my model of solara (up to year 2003) solely due to the lip at the top of the seat back its always snagging the convertible roof with each opening or closing. he told me that this design flaw was corrected in the redesigned toyota solara that was released in 2004, and all subsequent model years. for people without comprehensive insurance coverage, this is a very expensive repair. for those, like me, who have comprehensive insurance coverage, this is a very expensive repair for the insurance company to pay for. i'm concerned about this as a consumer, and feel toyota should correct the problem -- at no charge -- of all effected models. the repair is simple: they need only cut away the lip from the seat back, as it has nothing to do with the integrity of the back seat, itself, as shown by its disappearance in the later models. | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 02/09/2010 | 103000 | 1 | |
| Gas pedal non response ,when foot was taken off gas pedal,cause loss of control. *tr | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - ACCELERATOR PEDAL | |||
| 09/29/2009 | 74000 | 1 | 02/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota solara. the all weather floor mats interfered with the accelerator pedal. as a consequence, her risk for a vehicle crash was increased. the dealer and the manufacturer have not been notified. the failure and current mileages were 74,000. updated 11/3/09 *cn the consumer stated even when the floor mat was attached, it always became detached maneuvering itself under the accelerator pedal. the floor mat has never stayed in place since the consumer owned the vehicle. updated 11/05/09. *jb | |||
| 06/21/2007 | 67000 | 1 | 04/15/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry solara. on june 21, 2007, the vehicle surged while pulling into a parking space at 5 mph. the vehicle accelerated so quickly that it whipped the contact's head back and left skid marks on the ground. she had to remove her foot from the brake and depress the brake pedal again before the vehicle finally stopped. the contact stated that there was an investigation (# dto6003 - vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal) that was closed in april. the contact stated that she would take her vehicle to the dealer the following morning. the current and failure mileages were 67,000. | |||
| VISIBILITY - WINDSHIELD | |||
| 01/17/2004 | 0 | 10/17/2003 | |
| I purchased a 2003 toyota solara in oct. 2003. on january 17, 2004 i was driving down the highway with cars about 50 yards or more in front of mine and noticed a crack in the center of my windshield that looked like it stated at the base of the windshield. it progressively got worse until it came up about 10 inches from the base of the windshield and clear over to the drivers side of the car. i took it to my local toyota dealership (not the dealership where i purchased the car) to look at it. the service tech. said something must have hit it because the he saw a chip in the glass just to the right of the crack about 2-3 millimeters in diameter and about 1-2 millimeters in depth. they will not replace it at any charge to me. i know nothing hit the windshield and i feel the glass is defective and cracked due to the cold outside temperature and heat from the defroster. | |||
Car dealers selling
| State | City | Zip | Name | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | LOS ANGELES | 90015 | TOYOTA CENTRAL | 213748-8301 |
| CO | CENTENNIAL | 80111 | H.M. BROWN | 303-414-7739 |
| NJ | EATONTOWN | 07724 | GALAXY TOYOTA | 732-544-1000 |
| NJ | TURNURSVILLE | 08012 | TOYOTA OF TURNERSVILLE | |
| NY | STATEN ISLAND | 10305 | MANAFREDI TOYOTA | 718-987-7100 |