Most common 2005 Toyota Camry Solara problems
Share of the 92 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Camry Solara complaints by model year
Best Camry Solara years: 2003, 2001, 2002. Years to avoid: 2004, 2007, 2006. Compare all years →
2005 Toyota Camry Solara recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2004 avalon vehicles; 2004 and 2005 camry, camry solara, highlander, and sienna vehicles, 2006 highlander hybrid; 2004 and 2005 Lexus es330 and rx330; and 2006 Lexus rx400h vehicles manufactured from June 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005, equipped with the 1mz-fe or 3mz-fe engine.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will check the crankshaft pulley to identify whether it was produced by the U.S. Supplier. If so, the dealer will replace the pulley with a new one at no charge.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2005 Toyota Camry Solara:
Engine surging
The petitioner owns a my 2006 Toyota camry with a 4-cylinder engine that was purchased new in January 2006. The petitioner also previously owned a my 2005 camry. He alleges that both vehicles exhibited vehicle engine surging, which he described as a short duration (1 to 2 second) increase in engine speed occurring while the accelerator pedal is not depressed.
Vehicle speed control
In a letter dated July 8, 2005, and after experiencing two incidents (and one crash) where he alleges his model year (my) 2002 camry accelerated without driver input, mr. Jordan ziprin petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration?s (NHTSA) office of defects investigation (odi) to commence a proceeding to determine the existence of a defect within the etc system in my 2002 to 2005 Toyota and Lexus…
What 2005 Toyota Camry Solara owners say
Body & structure all 24 →
Dash is cracked all over, including where airbag is on front right passenger side, causing airbag light to stay lit. This is a safety hazard and should be repaired or replaced by Toyota. I was already informed by Toyota when I had called that there had been a recall on this matter for cosmetic reasons several years ago and now it was "too late" for them to be responsible, but I did not know of that condition/recall. This is not only a cosmetic issue, this is a safety concern and needs to be addressed immediately. I was informed by an employee at the number I was given that safety issues do not fall under the statue of limitations for recalls. I've been trying to get a response from the National Highway Safety Division but I haven't received an actual determination as to whether Toyota had to replace the dash or not. Please help with this urgent safety concern. …
Apparently Toyota had a recall for the dash of their camry solara models back in 2015 for dashes that melt, bubble, become extremely tacky/sticky & peel when temperatures rise. However, I never received any notice of said dash recall for which my 2005 Toyota Solara qualified for, nor did I hear of any recalls in my local area on any MN news stations. A melting, sticky dash causes glare that is highly reflective reflecting the sun up into the driver's face. The glare from this design defect has caused accidents & injuries. Not only is a melting dash a safety issue but it's also non-compliant as a design defect/defective part with the standards of Toyota assembled parts. Safety & compliance recalls have no expiration date so why is Toyota not honoring that & replacing design defects/defective parts as such for an original owner of a recalled Toyota such as myself? …
Speed control & acceleration all 20 →
I went to back up my car out of a parking space at church. Put the car in reverse, and touched the gas pedal, and suddenly the car took off backwards at an extremely high speed and became uncontrollable. Would appear that the accelerator was stuck. The accident resulted in property, damage to another car, financial loss and mental anguish. Car was on church property at the time of the accident car was totalled by safeco, not repaired. I could not find an open recall on this car, but do not believe that should rule out the defect.
I own a 2005 Solara sle v6 automatic: pulling into a restaurant parking space, making a right turn, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward: jumping the curb, forward onto a muddy open space, an approx. 25* incline, and into a low barrier wall between the two neighboring restaurants' parking lots (with cars on the other-side of the barrier). Fortunately, no vehicles or persons were stuck!; just, the damage to my vehicle! When it accelerated, my foot was off the accelerator petal, about to brake; stood on my ABS brake; and, the barrier, I believe, stopped most of the forward motion; hit hard; air bags did not deploy !!! Nothing like this has ever happened to me before; not in any of my past vehicles !!! It's my understanding that Toyota is denying problems with the Solara models, when they're the sporty model the Camry !!! Dealership said to contact corporate, but, this is not ... …
Transmission & drivetrain
While entering a parking space the vehicle surged forward without provocation, crashing into a concrete barrier which thankfully stopped the forward motion. I don't know if related, but the vehicle has a history of hesitation and rough sequencing through gears of the automatic transmission. Advised by manufacturer this is a wireless transmission, and that there was a software update, installed 1/27/06. Condition continued thereafter though never anything approaching this. Speed at incident difficult to know and component failure best guess.
The second generation Toyota Solara uses "drive by wire" technology instead of a throttle cable. My car experiences a lag between the time when I press the gas pedal and when the car actually starts to move. This happens in a specific scenario where the car is decelerating, but then the driver resumes accelerating. The lag can last up to 2 seconds and presents a critical safety issue which has LED to three near miss accidents in intersections for me. This feels like it would if your car stalled in the middle of the intersection and then the light changed. A technical service bulletin was issued for certain VIN solaras which reflashed the ECU to a new program in an effort to reduce the lag. This was not an effective corrective action. Toyota has no solution at this time and this puts my safety at risk.,
2005 Toyota Camry Solara engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 4-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 29 / 24 |
| 2.4L 4-cyl | 5-speed manual | FWD | 21 / 30 / 24 |
| 3.3L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 27 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Toyota Camry Solara a good car?
Based on 92 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Camry Solara rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Camry Solara at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Toyota Camry Solara?
The body & structure — 24 complaints, 26% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the speed control & acceleration (20) and transmission & drivetrain (16).
How many recalls does the 2005 Toyota Camry Solara have?
There is 1 recall for the 2005 Toyota Camry Solara, the most recent from November 9, 2011 (engine and engine cooling). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Camry Solara?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2003, 2001 and 2002. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2004, 2007 and 2006. See the full Toyota Camry Solara years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Toyota Camry Solara problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 47,000 miles; 54% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.