no report yet
Air bags: side/window
Risk. IF THIS OCCURS, THE CSA MAY NOT DEPLOY RAPIDLY ENOUGH WHEN ACTIVATED IN A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION.
2003 Toyota CamryProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 783 owner complaints about the 2003 Toyota Camry, most often about the vehicle speed control. It is covered by 1 safety recall.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: SsmIntrigue, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Toyota Camry has problems
783 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
260Vehicle speed control169 crash/fire/injury
112Engine and engine cooling9 crash/fire/injury
91Service brakes, hydraulic26 crash/fire/injury
73Air bags47 crash/fire/injury
53Steering
52Engine
40Power train
29Structure
29Suspension
17720 other systems31 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 260 | 169 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 112 | 9 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 91 | 26 |
| Air bags | 73 | 47 |
| Steering | 53 | 4 |
| Engine | 52 | 5 |
| Power train | 40 | 8 |
| Structure | 29 | 9 |
| Suspension | 29 | 4 |
| 20 other systems | 177 | 31 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
1 recall
2003 Toyota Camry recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.
Mileage at failure
When do vehicle speed control problems start?
37kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 198 vehicle speed control complaints. 83% were reported before 100,000 miles.
90under 30k miles165under 100k miles33100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Engine and engine cooling
23 owners mentioned a cost$2,700median
Middle half: $718 – $4,300
Vehicle speed control
10 owners mentioned a cost$4,840median
Middle half: $3,000 – $7,500
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other Camry year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Camry median. How we score
68133258641131341495652602873034175556005014542729537836387213172,8899331,294604602590274455271184148757405276158666753
'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Toyota Camry safety ratings
2003 Toyota Camry 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Toyota Camry, and the recalls they led to.
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROLNo recall
- ENGINE SURGINGNo recall
- THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEMNo recall
In owners' words
What Camry owners report
Recent vehicle speed control complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
On XXX in [XXX], my well-maintained 2003 Toyota Camry LE (69,019 miles) experienced Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA). After stopping with my foot on the brake, I shifted into reverse without touching the accelerator. The engine surged to full throttle, launching backward into a parked car…
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…
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
Own a 2003 Camry?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.