2003 Toyota Camry Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 112 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Toyota Camry, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 76,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (23% of reports).
- 112engine and engine cooling complaints
- 76,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 25%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 26 of 112 complaints (23%)
- Head bolts: mentioned in 15 of 112 complaints (13%)
- Engine block: mentioned in 10 of 112 complaints (9%)
- Coolant leak: mentioned in 7 of 112 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2003 Toyota Camry at $4,100, and half of them between $1,100 and $6,650.
Based on 21 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2012), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 86 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 112 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 1 an injury.
Toyota Camry engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Camry | 4 | 1% | 97,150 |
| 2019 Camry | 2 | 1% | 106,769 |
| 2018 Camry | 5 | 1% | 70,000 |
| 2017 Camry | 1 | 1% | 200,000 |
| 2016 Camry | 2 | 1% | 39,368 |
| 2015 Camry | 1 | 0% | 25,000 |
| 2014 Camry | 5 | 1% | 5,500 |
| 2013 Camry | 4 | 1% | 2,716 |
| 2012 Camry | 4 | 1% | 87,719 |
| 2011 Camry | 9 | 1% | 10,905 |
| 2010 Camry | 15 | 2% | 10,000 |
| 2009 Camry | 46 | 4% | 20,000 |
| 2008 Camry | 12 | 1% | 53,000 |
| 2007 Camry | 152 | 5% | 45,000 |
| 2006 Camry | 9 | 3% | 43,305 |
| 2005 Camry | 35 | 5% | 51,918 |
| 2004 Camry | 30 | 5% | 65,250 |
| 2003 Camry | 112 | 14% | 76,000 |
| 2002 Camry | 107 | 11% | 82,630 |
| 2001 Camry | 47 | 17% | 73,000 |
| 2000 Camry | 54 | 12% | 70,700 |
| 1999 Camry | 110 | 22% | 66,000 |
| 1998 Camry | 92 | 15% | 93,613 |
| 1997 Camry | 96 | 17% | 86,000 |
| 1996 Camry | 76 | 18% | 77,350 |
| 1995 Camry | 34 | 11% | 130,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Toyota Camry. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Toyota Camrys have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 112 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Toyota Camry (14% of the 781 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota Camry engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 76,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Toyota Camry?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,100 (half paid between $1,100 and $6,650), from 21 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Toyota Camry?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 26 of 112 complaints, followed by “head bolts” (15).
Other 2003 Toyota Camry problems
See all 2003 Toyota Camry problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Camry years.