2003 Toyota Camry: Reliability Data

945
Total Complaints
47,000mi
Median Mileage
Vehicle Speed Control
Top Issue
299
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

12,549 25th Percentile
47,000 Median Mileage
98,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Vehicle Speed Control
231
Engine And Engine Cooling
52
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
52
Engine
52
Air Bags
51
Steering
38
Engine
32
Accelerator Pedal
27
Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
26
Automatic Transmission
22

Severity Assessment

299
Crashes
13
Fires
139
Injuries
5
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"ESTIMATED SPEED WAS BETWEEN 30 - 35 MPH WHILE PERSUING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION ANOTHER VEHICLE CROSSED RIGHT IN FRONT OF HER. THE FRONT HAD IMPACTED THE OTHER VEHICLE AND THEN WAS KNOCKED AROUND. THE OTHER VEHICLES' AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND EVEN AFTER THE OWNER OF THE CAMRY HIT A TREE, NEITHER AIR BA..."
"WHILE DRIVING, STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT SO CONSUMER PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE WAS VERY HARD TO TURN. CONSUMER INSPECTED UNDER HOOD AND NOTICED A SMALL FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. TS"
"VEHICLE WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP. CONSUMER HAD THEIR FOOT ON THE BRAKES, AND THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE PEDAL ARE TOO SOFT. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL/YEAR BRAKES, AND THINKS THE CAUSE IS THE MASTER CYCLINDER. PH"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Vehicle Speed Control 231 complaints
25th: 12,200 mi Median: 38,000 mi 75th: 70,000 mi
Engine And Engine Cooling 52 complaints
25th: 67,822 mi Median: 89,000 mi 75th: 116,250 mi
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 52 complaints
25th: 3,725 mi Median: 37,250 mi 75th: 72,342 mi
Engine 52 complaints
25th: 91,250 mi Median: 128,400 mi 75th: 162,000 mi
Air Bags 51 complaints
25th: 47,402 mi Median: 83,000 mi 75th: 104,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 132 FL: 82 NY: 67 NJ: 47 PA: 44 MA: 44 VA: 42 TX: 40 GA: 38 MD: 36

Who Files Complaints?

29.3%
Original Owners
70.7%
Second+ Owners

Toyota Camry — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
19901605
199118611
199264638
199333458
199436478
199537359
199656769
199768592
199875187
1999660133
2000577152
200135687
20021183324
2004797263
2005901292
2006392137
20073666386
20081134121
20091609204
2010762137
2011777154
2012806127
201337564
201463293
201535847
201624261
201720340
2018103980
201952137
202036220
202118431
20227318
20237615
2024627
202515719

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Side/Window
Campaign 04V346000 | 13/07/2004
IF THIS OCCURS, THE CSA MAY NOT DEPLOY RAPIDLY ENOUGH WHEN ACTIVATED IN A SIDE IMPACT COLLISION. THIS MAY RESULT IN FAILURE TO PROVIDE THE INTENDED HEAD PROTECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE CSAS AND REPLACE THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 6, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

General Vehicle Maintenance

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
  • Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
  • Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
  • Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
  • Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28