2002 Toyota Camry Solara problems & reliability
60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Toyota Camry Solara. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
6 complaints report injuries (9 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Toyota Camry Solara vehicles were involved in 19 fatal crashes with 14 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 14 | 23% |
| Air Bags → | 12 | 20% |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 10% |
| Power Train | 5 | 8% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 4 | 7% |
| Seats | 3 | 5% |
| Tires | 3 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 3% |
| Steering | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 70,008 miles (middle 50% between 34,050 and 97,600 miles), based on 39 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tire size P205 60R16 evolution tour series This is the second tire of the set of 4 that suddenly had a belt shift inside the tire and the steering wheel would violently shake , one of the tires when failed pulled to left into oncoming traffic (luckily I retained control)”
Tires · filed Mar 25, 2024
“While driving, after the vehicle gets hot, not overheated, the brakes go soft and you cant stop! If you slam them they work, if you press normally, nothing. We replaced, master cylinder, brake booster, brake lines, calipers, and all pads, had a pressure bleed performed, nothing helps! It's the seal on the fire wall…”
Service Brakes · filed Jul 8, 2019
“The air bag light continues to go on. I've spent many dollars to get if fixed, however, no one seems to know why the light is constantly on. It seems to be on the passenger side. The light goes on whenever the key is engaged.”
Air Bags · filed Feb 10, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- ENGINE SURGING
Defect Petition DP06003 · opened Sep 14, 2006 · closed Apr 3, 2007
- VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Defect Petition DP05002 · opened Aug 5, 2005 · closed Jan 5, 2006
- THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM
Preliminary Evaluation PE04021 · opened Mar 3, 2004 · closed Jul 22, 2004
Technical service bulletins
107 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Toyota Camry Solara. The 10 most recent:
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 12, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2002 Toyota Camry Solara in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Toyota Camry Solara?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 70,008 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.