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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
45 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
46 / 0
Average Mileage:
71,069 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 Corolla seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2003 Toyota Corolla Owner Comments (Page 1 of 16)

problem #312

Jun 052023

Corolla

  • miles

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

I was driving as usual and suddenly the air bags exploded inside the dash causing damage to the passenger window and the front crystal. Seconds after the drivers airbag also opened and consequently the alarms. I did not impact anything and the car won-??t start again.

- San GermáN, PR, USA

problem #311

Feb 192022

Corolla

  • miles
The airbag light came on suddenly, even though I had the airbag recall work done for my vehicle. I took it to a Toyota Dealership who wanted to charge me for the repair which I was willing to and perhaps work with Toyota directly to get reimbursed for but the parts weren't available.

- Roselle, IL, USA

problem #310

Jul 112022

Corolla

  • miles
I received a recall notice, scheduled an appointment and then went to Bev Smith Toyota in Fort Pierce, FL. My appointment was for 9:30 AM. I decided that as long as I was there, I would get my oil changed (normally I do not use dealer oil changes because they are expensive, but since I was there anyway...). At 11:10, I was presented the bill for the oil change and told that they refused to service the airbag. There was some garbage on the floor of the passenger side that the service manager claimed rendered my vehicle unsafe to work on. I pointed out that no one asked me to clean out the front seat when I scheduled the appointment, that the items were there at 9:30 when received the car, and that the car apparently was safe enough for them to perform an overpriced oil change. I offered to remove the items (it later took me all of 3 minutes to clear the area). The service manager refused and refused to complete the recall work. He still demanded payment for the oil change and was unwilling to compensate me for my wasted time.

- Fort Pierce, FL, USA

problem #309

Jun 142021

Corolla

  • 53,000 miles

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

Takata Recall. The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V741000 (Air Bags). The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the recall was confirmed to be completed; however, the recall appears open for the VIN. The contact was receiving recall notices for the same recall repair. The contact called the manufacturer to inform them that the dealer had completed the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. There were no warning lights illuminated or a failure experienced. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #308

Mar 192010

Corolla

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owned a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated while she was driving at 60 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was transported to the hospital by the emergency unit. The contact sustained a herniated disc. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact received an unknown recall notification for the air bag failure and the recall repair was completed by the dealer. The contact stated she received a second and third unknown recall notification for the air bag failure and the recall repair was completed by a second dealer (Thousand Oaks Toyota 2401 Thousand Oaks Blvd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362), however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while her son was driving at 40-50 MPH, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact's son sustained back injuries and sought medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

- Calabasas, CA, USA

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problem #307

Oct 312019

Corolla

  • 0 miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V741000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact called a unknown dealer where it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was invalid.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #306

Apr 232021

Corolla

  • 172,000 miles

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

I received a recall letter from Toyota for my airbags. Recall id nhat-fzj. I contact them to schedule a repair and they tell me since there's another recall for my vehicle they can't help me further. Seems crappy that something they should also fix somehow hinders Toyota's ability to fix the airbag.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #305

Feb 242021

Corolla

  • 107,000 miles
Traveling on us hwy 70 at 35 mph. Accidently hit the rear end of another vehicle traveling straight ahead of me and suddenly stopped. My passenger airbag deployed while turned off with no passenger on board. This airbag deployment busted my windshield which will cost me $400 and Toyota says the airbag will not deploy unless there is a passenger or weight which no weight and no passenger. Just me alone.

- Havelock, NC, USA

problem #304

Dec 102020

Corolla

  • miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V741000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. An unknown dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Choctaw, OK, USA

problem #303

Jul 272020

Corolla

  • miles
The manufacturer did not notify me of the safety recall concerning my airbags. I need to know where to take my vehicle to have this repaired.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #302

Apr 082017

Corolla

  • 127,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. After the vehicle was serviced per an unknown recall regarding the front passenger side air bags, the air bag warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken three times to claremont Toyota (located at 601 auto center dr, claremont, ca 91711, (909) 542-1828), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 127,000.

- Pomona, CA, USA

problem #301

Oct 232019

Corolla

  • 240,000 miles
The contact owned a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving approximately 45-50 mph approaching the top of a hill, the driver crashed into another vehicle that was stopped on the road. None of the frontal air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The driver sustained a bruised chest and was transported to the hospital via ambulance. The vehicle was driven to the drivers residence. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. Reliable Toyota (3521 East sunshine, springfield, mo 65809) replaced the air bags on April 15, 2019 under an unknown recall related to the air bags that was received by mail. The approximate failure mileage was 240,000.

- Lebanon, MO, USA

problem #300

Aug 302019

Corolla

  • 217,000 miles
Takata inflators recall I believe I've contacted Toyota numerious times about getting a rental because the parts are not in yet for my recall and they are passing the buck and making me wait. We dont feel safe to drive our car, seeing what happened on the news. I've contacted Toyota and they have provided me with a Toyota customer experience center case #[xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Redlands, CA, USA

problem #299

Jan 022017

Corolla

  • miles
"takata recall" I had a recall to get airbag fixed, took to dealer, and was supposedly fixed. After a few weeks the light came back on; took back to dealer, they wanted a lot of money to check it out and fix it again. I don't have, I am a disabled veteran on a fixed income. The light has been on for about 2 years.

- Milford, DE, USA

problem #298

Jul 052019

Corolla

  • 182,000 miles
Takata recall - my dash airbag light has been on for about a week and it looks like there was a recall on this airbag according to consumer reports. Please advise.. https://www.consumerreports.org/car-recalls-defects/Toyota-recall-takata-airbags/

- Folsom, CA, USA

problem #297

Dec 212017

Corolla

  • 117,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. While driving, the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The contact was concerned that the air bags might deploy. The vehicle was taken to maita Toyota of sacramento (located at 2500 auburn blvd, sacramento, ca 95821, (919) 265-5666) and stated that there would be a fee for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired due to the diagnostic and repair fees. The contact was also informed that the previous air bag repair was a one time remedy. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #296

Mar 112010

Corolla 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles
The contact owned a 2003 Toyota Corolla. While driving 10 mph, the vehicle in front of the contact abruptly stopped. As a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle and another vehicle crashed into the contact's vehicle. The air bags deployed and metal fragments struck the contact. The contact sustained facial injuries that required medical attention. The contact was unaware of the injuries to the occupants in the other vehicles. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The dealer was not made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available. * consumer stated both airbags 11/8/18

- Matamoras, PA, USA

problem #295

Mar 012018

Corolla

  • miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the dealer (san marcos Toyota, 5101 I-35, san marcos, tx 78666, (512) 392-1999) serviced the vehicle for an air bag recall. The dealer was notified that shortly after the repair; the air bag warning indicator remained illuminated. The dealer refused to service the vehicle again. The dealer was waiting for the approval of the manufacturer to diagnose the vehicle. The contact had not contacted the manufacturer. The VIN and failure mileage were not available.

- New Braunfels, TX, USA

problem #294

Aug 152017

Corolla

  • miles
I crashed my car and the airbag burst and it burned my leg and it did not inflate. I am reporting this recently because I just received a certificated letter about 'urgent safety recalls'. the car was in motion.

- Tamarac, FL, USA

problem #293

Feb 262018

Corolla 4-cyl

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that the air bag warning indicator illuminated and remained on for approximately three months. The dealer and independent mechanic were not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. The consumer stated only the paint of the car is peeling.

- Miami, FL, USA

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