Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Toyota Camry owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for service and the mechanic informed her that the subframe, muffler, the brakes, and the gas tank were extremely corroded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 206,000.
As I turned slightly right into my parking space with my foot lifting from the gas pedal toward the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly took on a life of its own and sped up then crashed right thru the gate that divided the parking space from the sidewalk. I was in shock and thought there was a ghost of some kind that just took over the gas pedal as it sped up. My front bumper was destroyed and front grill along with the lower head lights of vehicle along with the hood of the car.
Car had been driven to get gas 1/2 mile down road. 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.
I was in the process of parking the car in a parking lot when the vehicle accelerated on its own. When I attempted to apply the brakes there was no effect. In order to avoid traffic I had to steer the vehicle into a stone wall.
My car went into a deep ditch and the driver of my car incurred a terrible concussion while banging her head on the steering wheel upon impact. Her seat belt was on. I want to know why the airbag did not deploy.
Takata inflators: every time I fix my vehicle individuals cause hate crimes damaging my vehicle as I go to sleep or when I am not viewing my vehicle they must know exactly when I go to sleep because I cant catch them even though I think I know who it is I can not prove it so this is why I am complaining I remember checking my tires in the night noticing nothing wrong with them then checked in the mourning and noticed nails nailed in the tires then I noticed dried turtle wax all over the body of the car messing up the paint wheel alignment out of line right door power window malfunction trunk open power switch broken power sun roof sliding window broken vehicle was stationary this happened on different date in combination to the damage between 06/16/06 to 04/21/17.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a bulge on the dashboard where the frontal air bag was located. In addition, the contact noticed that the seam had separated and there was a colored substance around the separation area. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the dashboard pads assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 110,000.
The steering on my 2003 Camry shakes during high speed. At times, there is a whistling noise coming from the driver front side. I thought it was related to low air pressure or unbalanced tires, but that's not the issues. Secondly, the paint on my car is peeling off, mostly the clear coating layer. I can not verify if there is a recall on this issue or not. Someone had informed me there was a recall. I am unable to locate any documented information.
I was involved in a crash where I was hit on the passenger side. Although the impact was severe enough to cause damage to the frame of the car, none of the six (6) air bags deployed. As mentioned in a previous complaint, there is now a gap on the dashboard around the area for the passenger air bag.
I was slowing down to make a signaled left turn into a paking space at cvs pharmacy. As I braked and turned, the car lurched forward hitting a stacked stone pillar and came to a crashed stop. The air bag did not deploy and I had a scrape on my scalp from the sun visor.
Body complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2003 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the body & structure of the 2003 Toyota Camry, 4% of the model year's 782 complaints. The component named most often is body (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Camry body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2003 Toyota Camry, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Toyota Camry body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.