2003 Toyota Camry Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Camry years
- More complaints than other years 5th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 781 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Camry. That ranks 5th out of 30 Camry model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is vehicle speed control (259 complaints, 33%), typically at around 37,310 miles. Complaints mention 228 crashes, 10 fires, 106 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 781owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 228complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Toyota Camry problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 259 | 33% | 37,310 | “suddenly accelerated” (19%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 112 | 14% | 76,000 | “intake manifold” (23%) | $4,100 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 91 | 12% | 13,500 | “brakes pedal” (8%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 72 | 9% | 77,125 | “air bag” (26%) | — |
| Steering problems | 53 | 7% | 36,726 | “steering column” (25%) | $1,350 |
| Engine problems | 52 | 7% | 128,400 | “head bolts” (27%) | — |
| Power Train | 40 | 5% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 29 | 4% | 58,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 29 | 4% | 21,822 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 20 | 3% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 20 | 3% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 19 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 17 | 2% | 148,247 | — | — |
| Tires | 16 | 2% | 19,685 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 2% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 12 | 2% | 31,500 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 12 | 2% | 40,250 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 11 | 1% | 61,241 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 1% | 128,535 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 1% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 7 | 1% | 59,770 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 1% | 88,483 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 5 | 1% | 13,500 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 138,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 0% | 183,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 1 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | 12,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Toyota Camry recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: On certain vehicles equipped with curtain shield air bags (csa), one or both of the curtain air bags may be twisted near the inflator due to improper assembly.
Risk: If this occurs, the csa may not deploy rapidly enough when activated in a side impact collision. This may result in failure to provide the intended head protection, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the csas and replace the air bag assembly if necessary. The recall began on august 6, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine surging (DP06003) — opened Sep 14, 2006, closed Apr 3, 2007.
- Vehicle speed control (DP05002) — opened Aug 5, 2005, closed Jan 5, 2006.
- Throttle control system (PE04021) — opened Mar 3, 2004, closed Jul 22, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I am reporting a serious nighttime visibility and roadway-safety concern involving excessive glare from modern LED headlights while driving my 2003 Toyota Camry. When vehicles equipped with extremely bright LED headlights approach from the opposite direction or follow behind me, the glare can…
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle would suddenly accelerate or lunge forward and had done so several times, both while idle, pressing the brakes, and while driving at various speeds. Suddenly accelerated downhill, and when approaching the inner section, the…
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,888, and at the time of…
No incident. But it's a problem with the ABS. Dealership says it's nothing wrong with the brakes. But it is. Had a diagnostics done at Auto Zone, and it came back showing a code for the ABS system. But showed the service dept the code that it showed something is wrong with ABs. They still say…
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for service and the mechanic informed her that the subframe, muffler, the brakes, and the gas tank were extremely corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the…
Other Toyota Camry years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Camry | 51 | 1 |
| 2023 Camry | 65 | 2 |
| 2022 Camry | 62 | 1 |
| 2021 Camry | 157 | 1 |
| 2020 Camry | 275 | 3 |
| 2019 Camry | 398 | 6 |
| 2018 Camry | 748 | 8 |
| 2017 Camry | 148 | 3 |
| 2016 Camry | 184 | 2 |
| 2015 Camry | 271 | 1 |
| 2014 Camry | 455 | 3 |
| 2013 Camry | 274 | 2 |
| 2012 Camry | 590 | 2 |
| 2011 Camry | 601 | 5 |
| 2010 Camry | 604 | 9 |
| 2009 Camry | 1,293 | 10 |
| 2008 Camry | 933 | 7 |
| 2007 Camry | 2,887 | 9 |
| 2006 Camry | 317 | 5 |
| 2005 Camry | 721 | 5 |
| 2004 Camry | 638 | 3 |
| 2003 | 781 | 1 |
| 2002 Camry | 953 | 4 |
| 2001 Camry | 272 | 2 |
| 2000 Camry | 454 | 2 |
| 1999 Camry | 501 | 1 |
| 1998 Camry | 600 | 2 |
| 1997 Camry | 555 | 3 |
| 1996 Camry | 417 | 2 |
| 1995 Camry | 303 | 1 |
See all Toyota Camry problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota Camry?
Owners most often report vehicle speed control, engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, vehicle speed control, accounts for 259 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota Camry?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Toyota Camry a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Camry model years, the 2003 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.