2003 Toyota Echo Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Echo years
- Far fewer complaints than other years 4th of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 17 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Echo. That ranks 4th out of 6 Echo model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (5 complaints, 29%), typically at around 29,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 3 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year.
- 17owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Toyota Echo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 5 | 29% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 4 | 24% | 13 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 18% | 13,979 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 2 | 12% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 12% | 71,768 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 6% | 25,834 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 6% | 25,834 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 6% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 6% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 6% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 6% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Toyota Echo recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2003 Toyota Echo.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA ECHO. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED RAPIDLY ON ITS OWN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. DUE TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE RAN A RED LIGHT. THE CONTACT PULLED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE…
On march 17, 2005 i purchased a 2003 toyota echo from toyota of nashua in new hampshire. After purchasing the car and leaving toyota of nashua to drive home, the engine stopped as i approached a stoplight at the end of the highway exit near my house. I had simply depressed the clutch to coast…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota echo. The contact stated that while his spouse was driving at approx 65 mph, the vehicle began to accelerate. The driver had to steer to the side of the road and hit a snowbank to avoid a serious accident. The contact noticed no prior experiences with the sudden…
2003 toyota echo with manual transmission shuts off when slowing or stopping, especially on downgrades when clutch is depressed. I have learned to lessen these occurrences by not pushing in the clutch until the car is almost stopped, by never coasting with the clutch in, and by making turns with…
From the date of purchase of this vehicle i hear a high pitched whine coming from the car. From doing research on forum sites dedicated to the echo it seems to be common on all cars. The whine is loudest on the highway between 45 - 65 mph. I contacted two different dealers about this issue and i…
Other Toyota Echo years
See all Toyota Echo 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 Echo?
Owners most often report air bags, power train, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 5 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Toyota Echo?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2003 Toyota Echo a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Echo model years, the 2003 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.