2003 Toyota Camry Engine Problems
- 43
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 43 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- head gasket · 13 records
- head bolts · 11 records
- failure mileage · 10 records
- intake manifold · 8 records
- engine light · 7 records
- check engine · 6 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 100–150k mi | 15 |
| 150–400k mi | 12 |
| 60–100k mi | 6 |
| 1–30k mi | 4 |
| 30–60k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
Engine overheated and head gasket blown due to head bolt threads being stripped. This is a safety issue since the vehicle cannot be driven when this happens and there is a good chance of being stuck on a dangerous road or left to walk alone in a dangerous situation. Toyota should repair this.
ODI 11291428
Engine
Car engine head bolts are stripped and caused the coolant to leak into engine and and damage engine,the head bolts won't torgue to toyota standards because the engine block is aluminium and bolts are steel ,this has been widely reported but still toyota has not issued recall
ODI 11165711
Engine
Toyota camry 2003 - head gasket leak caused by head bolts that come loose due to bolt hole problems at the block. A machinist will be required to fix the issue. The cost to fix exceeds what the car is worth. Estimates range from $2500-$8000. Issue was identified at 162,000 miles. Toyota will not compensate because there is no recall and the car is not under warranty. Due to this issue, the engine coolant continues…
ODI 11111221
Engine
OIL CONSUMPTION AFTER 1200 MILES DRIVEN
ODI 11063464
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. While the vehicle was stationary, the contact detected liquid leaking under the motor. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the head bolts on the engine were stripped out and loose. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 162,000.
ODI 11164921
Engine
One day i start my car and leave it to warm up for about 15 minutes, when i got in it i notice it was blowing cold air from vents,i started driving and it start getting hot ,so didn't pay much attention, about few days after my wife drove to church and call me to say there's no heat inside, i told her co come back home ,when i check the radiator it was almost dry,i could not believe it,i fill it back up and the…
ODI 10934912
Engine
I must saddly add my name to the list of deeply disappointed toyota owners with the head gasket/ stripped bolts problem. My 2003 camry has 105k miles and has been well maintained when the head gasket blew last week during normal usage. I have done enough research now to realize that the car was poorly engineered and the stripped bolts are pervasive with this make, model and year of car. I now require a new engine,…
ODI 10862496
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. While operating the vehicle, the odor of coolant was present, the temperature gauge suddenly increased to high, and smoke was present coming from the engine. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had blown due to failure of the head gasket bolts. The failure was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The vin was unavailable. The…
ODI 10809735
Engine · Unknown Or Other · Vehicle Speed Control
I too have been noticing a surge when i back up and turn the vehicle and step on the gas to drive out. I have avoided crashes with cars near by, i have found that i have to keep the speed on low and out of drive to avoid hitting a car near my parked car. I am not sure of the mileage above as i am just backing out of a parking space and turning my car to drive, i make sure it is on low.
ODI 10723244
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. While making a left turn at an unknown speed, the engine revved and the vehicle independently lunged forward. The contact depressed the brake pedal to avoid a collision. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 25,000.
ODI 10706652
Engine
The "check engine" light came on while driving on the freeway. About 2 minutes later, a rattling sound could be heard under the hood. While changing lanes to exit the highway, the car would not accelerate and a loud pounding sound could be heard when trying to accelerate. Just after turning onto the side street from exiting the highway, the car died. All of this occurred within a 5 minute period. Upon opening the…
ODI 10706467
Body · Electrical System · Engine
Car had been driven to get gas 1/[redacted]. When returned from gas station we pulled onto property , turned off car and there were flames coming from the hood. Fire dept arrived and put out the fire. Total loss for car. *tr
Fire reported
ODI 10691323
Engine
Bad oil leaks. Mechanics couldn't find where leaks were coming from. Took it to another mechanic and he said that the head bolts are most likely stripped. I went online and found a lot of other owners of this vehicle with the same problem. And fumes were coming into the car. If this vehicle has this problem , why wasn't it recalled to be fixed. I can't get anyone to fix this problem. Toyota just wants to sell me a…
ODI 10758989
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine seized while the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that there was a leak in the radiator and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure…
ODI 10676996
Engine
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry le. The contact was traveling 45 mph, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician determined that the bolt connected to the intake valves to the engine had become loose and allowed coolant to run on to the exhaust. As a result, exhaust fumes emitted into the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the…
ODI 10680850
Engine
I own a 2003 toyota camry and noticed that it was overheating!!! Went to replace the gasket and the head bolts were stripped and had to have to have a head bolt repair kit put in along with the gasket kit which with labor cost me over 4,000 dollars in repairs! The first problem was the aluminum block that over heated because of the coolant leak which in that overheated the block/bolts and caused them to strip the…
ODI 10651189
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. The contact stated that oil leaked from the engine of the vehicle. The dealer stated that the leak was due to a faulty head gasket. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 115,000.
ODI 10632767
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
As we were driving on the highway the check engine light, lit up and the car started making odd noises when the acceleration pedal was pressed, we quickly pulled over to the shoulder of the highway. When we opened the front the engine and coolant were smoking. There was no indication before this that anything was wrong, apparently the oil had been leaking and the engine had overheated, even though the car gave no…
ODI 10627000
Electrical System · Engine · Exterior Lighting
While driving the car, the engine and electrical components suddenly shut off. The first few times this happened, i was able to simply re-start the car with everything working again. I then brought the car to 3 different mechanics who could not find anything wrong with the battery or alternator (or anything else). The problem was erratic so it never occurred with the mechanics. Now the problem occurs occasionally…
ODI 10649044
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. The contact stated that there was oil leaking from under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, who indicated that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 188,000. The vin was not available.
ODI 10593001
Engine · Service Brakes
I pulled into a parking space, stopped, and was in the process of pulling up the emergency brake, when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The car bolted going over the parking curb and continuing on into a building, all with no momentum as the car was stopped. One witness said it was a very loud revving sound. Two others said it sounded like a truck. The person who was behind me said my brake lights were on. *tr
Crash reported
ODI 10587442
Engine
My car was leaking oil and when i had it diagnosed, there was no more thread on the screws to hold the motor on correctly, after a month of the rethreading, my head gasket/motor both stopped working. *tr
ODI 10626957
Engine
My family and i were out of state on a trip for a funeral in february. It was very cold where we were, so i started our camry to warm up the car. However, instead of warming up, it actually started to overheat due to low coolant. Suspecting a cracked hose or a radiator issue, i searched for the leak, but could not find one. We kept the car filled with fluid, watched the temp gauge like a hawk, and limped the car…
ODI 10628377
Engine
This is to report a failure on engine model #2az-fe (effects 2002-2007 camrys, highlanders and rav4) due to stripped cylinder head bolts on the back side of the engine. There is at least one technical service bulletin issued by toyota tsb2740 that relates to this recognized problem of steel cylinder head bolts stripping out of the aluminum engine, especially on the firewall or backside of the engine possibly due to…
ODI 10559691
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. The contact stated that the cylinder heads were fractured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage and vin were unavailable.
ODI 10551446