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CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware of the NHTSA complaint data for the 2003 Camry. It is almost certainly misleading.

The problem with NHTSA data for the 2003 Camry is that for months on end, the news media repeatedly told the public that several Toyota models had an unintended acceleration defect, & to go to safercar.gov (the NHTSA's website) to file a complaint.

So, the NHTSA received a disproportionate number of complaints about Toyota unintended acceleration issues because of the national news media attention, to the point where their data is unreliable taken in context with any other vehicle that did not receive national news attention.

CarComplaints.com typically receives more complaints per day about vehicles than the NHTSA does, but the news media did not repeatedly say "go to CarComplaints.com to report your Camry acceleration problems" like they did about the NHTSA -- so although we have less complaint data than the NHTSA for the 2003 Camry, our data for the Camry is a far more statistically accurate representation of the Camry's reliability than what the NHTSA data shows.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
64,596 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Toyota Camry fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2003 Toyota Camry Owner Comments

problem #8

Jun 012022

Camry

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was going 45 to 50 mph and my car shut off in middle of highway and we barely got out of highway before getting hit there is recall on same kind of car for throttle body and that's what's wrong with mine so it has too be that they missed my car

- Florence, AL, USA

problem #7

Jan 272021

Camry

  • miles
After oxygen sensors were changed the VSC and track off lights came on and wouldn't turn off and it's using a lot of fuel consumption and it takes a second for the car to pick up after stepping on the gas pedal

- Commerce City , CO, USA

problem #6

Jun 162006

Camry

  • miles
Takata inflators: Every time I fix my vehicle individuals cause hate crimes damaging my vehicle as I go to sleep or when I am not viewing my vehicle they must know exactly when I go to sleep because I cant catch them even though I think I know who it is I can not prove it so this is why I am complaining I remember checking my tires in the night noticing nothing wrong with them then checked in the mourning and noticed nails nailed in the tires then I noticed dried turtle wax all over the body of the car messing up the paint wheel alignment out of line right door power window malfunction trunk open power switch broken power sun roof sliding window broken vehicle was stationary this happened on different date in combination to the damage between 06/16/06 to 04/21/17.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #5

Oct 152014

Camry

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Can't take my kids anywhere because it not safe can't gave friend ride.cause it un safe this car is un safe please can fit my car when I got car did no it had problems with bags..my right side dash has line across it bust open. C

- Vista, CA, USA

problem #4

Aug 062013

Camry

  • 190,000 miles
Driving with the cruise control set to approximately 45 mph. Cars ahead were stopping, so the cruise control cancel button was pressed. Instead of the car decelerating, it quickly accelerated as if the gas pedal had been pressed to the floor. The brakes were quickly pressed, but before the car came to a stop, it hit the rear end of the car ahead. The person in the other car had a precautionary medical exam a few days later, but no injury was reported. The driver and passenger of the Camry were not injured and air bags were not deployed. The Camry was declared totaled by the insurance company. The other car was repaired.

- Springfield, MO, USA

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problem #3

Oct 172014

Camry 6-cyl

  • 129,600 miles
I experienced unintended acceleration of my vehicle while driving slowly in a parking lot. The vehicle accelerated to a high speed and revved to very high RPM's. I managed to slam on the brakes and finally shift the controls to neutral. The car immediately returned to normal RPM's and I turned off the key. Toyota first claimed "driver error", then entrapment of the gas petal by a floor mat, then "driver error" again, alleging I had "braked incorrectly and must have hit the gas by mistake"!! I was simply low-speed driving with my foot on the gas, when their car raced suddenly on its own Accord. I had not hit the brakes until I had to emergency-stop a runaway car! dealer says they "checked the computer" and there are "no issues" to resolve! this is a blatant, lethal defect in their product!

- Lincoln, CA, USA

problem #2

Aug 312014

Camry

  • 69,700 miles
On Sunday, August 31, 2014, at about 1:00 pm, I was leaving the church parking lot after the service at san martin de porres catholic church. I was in my 2003 Toyota Camry with my friend (name provided on request). I drove from the lower level parking to the upper level parking lot where the exit is located. I was going approximately 5-10 miles per hour. We were coasting toward the exit when all of a sudden the car revved up really loud and accelerated/sped through a short street that feeds the parking lot. A witness told me he thought the car was going about 40 miles per hour. The car continued on at a high speed on the dirt parking lot on the southwest side of the church. It was burrowing through the dirt and spewing out dirt like we were in a tornado. I steered the car along the church fence to prevent it from going into the street. After a while it crashed into the church's fence and slowed for a few seconds. (a witness reported he ran after the car to get the license plate.) then the car revved up again and spun to the left and proceeded forward a short distance and then plowed into the block wall going down to the lower parking lot. At this point, the car got stuck on the block wall and died out. The air bags did not deploy in the crash. Someone had called 911 and the ambulance, paramedics, and police arrived. They advised us to go to the emergency room for care. We did go to the er and were evaluated. My friend had muscle soreness for several days. I continue to have muscle soreness, and my wrist and right elbow were bruised and hurt. I was very concerned because someone could have been struck and killed in the parking lot if I had left right after the service. The insurance company has considered my car a complete loss.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #1

Oct 242012

Camry 4-cyl

  • 127,470 miles
On October 24, 2012, I parallel parked my 2003 Toyota Camry on the street. The car in front of me was leaving, so he asked me to move back a few inches so he could get out. My car was still running so I shifted the car into reverse, and as I began to take my foot off the brake pedal, my car accelerated backwards at a very fast speed into the car behind me. Wanting to pull up a few inches to get out and assess the damage, I shifted the car into drive and as I did, my car accelerated forwards into the parked car in front of me. It accelerated at such a high speed that it pushed the three cars in front of me together. At no point during these two rapid accelerations did I ever apply my foot to the gas pedal. This incident caused damage to several cars and could have ended up with much more severe consequences had I not been in that location.

- Bergenfield, NJ, USA

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