2003 Toyota Camry Solara problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 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.
5 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2003 Toyota Camry Solara vehicles were involved in 7 fatal crashes with 6 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 8 | 33% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 13% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 8% |
| Seats | 2 | 8% |
| Structure | 2 | 8% |
| Suspension | 2 | 8% |
| Visibility | 2 | 8% |
| Engine | 1 | 4% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“When backing out of the driveway the car suddenly accelerated and at a high rate of speed shot across the street hitting the curb blowing the tires and hitting a telephone pole and tore up the neighbors lawn before coming to a stop due to the lack of traction. My wife was stepping on the brakes and the car continued…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 19, 2015
“I have a 2003 toyota solara sle v6. I have been having an issue with my car, where the speedometer stops working while driving. It happens frequently, but without warning. Sometimes the speedometer will go to zero for 1-3 seconds, other times it will stay there for 10 minutes. I have also had times where the car stops…”
Electrical System · filed Aug 4, 2014
“Driver airbag failed to deploy when the vehicle was involved in frontal passenger side crash. This crash was severe enough to destroy front bumper, headlights, hood, passenger side fender, wheel/ tire. The vehicle was total loss. The driver sustained severe injuries to face & eyes with several facial fractures, broken…”
Structure · filed Dec 6, 2013
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
101 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.