Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
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).
Sudden Unintended Acceleration: I had been out doing errands in the morning. I returned home, pulling up in front of my townhouse which is on a cul de sac. After gently coming to a stop, I planned to back up just a bit to park my car along the curb. (I did not have my foot on the accelerator, as the car normally goes gently backwards when you put it in reverse.) When I put it in R, the car accelerated backwards and crashed into a car that was parked along the curb about 15-20 ft behind me. I instinctively put the car in D to stop going uncontrollably backwards. The car shot forward; the brakes did not work. The car was out of control, making very loud revving sounds and loud screeching sounds from slamming on the brakes. Somehow, it did finally come to a stop by itself of the way around the cul de sac. …
Today I pulled over to drop off child at school, was already to park and car accelerated and hit the car in front of me. My foot was clearly on brake as I was already going no more than 5 miles an hour to park. It was not driver error. That feeling of the car thrusting forward when my foot was on brake was something I never felt before. I called Toyota and checked the recall list the car is not listed. I am sending it tomorrow to Toyota for service. The impact was so hard, my body is completely tense even 5 hours later. The thrust was not driver error, thank god for the car in front of me that I hit or else would have been worse. All I could do out of panic was put the car in park but I think it stopped because I hit the car in front of me.
I was involved in a rear-end collision in my 2003 Toyota Camry when my ABS brakes failed. The car was taken to the dealership the next day to have the brakes inspected. The inspection was visual only. The ABS brake light was not on and no defect was observed. The service advisor recommended that we have our tires replaced, in case the tires contributed to the failure. We replaced all four tires. One week later, we experienced another incident in which the brakes failed to deploy correctly, causing us to feel unsafe at a stop light in tight traffic. We took the car in for a second inspection. A Toyota technician took me for a test ride and said they had received complaints of "soft, cushy" brakes, but that whenever tested, these brakes met the Toyota specifications. Again, we were dissatisfied and felt that our safety was compromised in this car. …
I have owned my 2003 Camry since it was brand new. During all that time, I have noticed that whenever I brake as the car travels over small bumps, cracks or other imperfections in the road (especially if I brake hard), the ABS system kicks in and appears to pump the brakes (though it does not actually stop the car) and does not shut down until I lift my foot off the brake thereby preventing a proper stop and significantly lengthening the stop. Note that this occurs on dry roads. This also seems to occur if there is a need to stop hard just as I am accelerating, such as an unexpected short stop by the car in front. It has not LED to any serious accidents (though a couple of light rear-ends), which I credit to my being able to compensate for the problem, until last week when the problem caused a more serious rear-end collision. …
Almost at end of exit ramp from i264 to bardstown rd near gardiner lane intersection. Had green light. My vehicle was going approx 25 MPH with no car in front of me to exit onto bardstown rd (hwy 31?). Only myself, driver. I was in left hand lane to exit to westbd (?) bardstown rd. Toward downtown and a smaller car whipped right in front of me from right hand kane (two exit lanes going in same direction. Perhaps, this car wanted to cross over three lanes on bardstown rd to get to fat left turn lane at gardiner ln. This light is often backed-up. Even though I applied my brakes, they were not stopping my car in time and I hopped curb to left to smsll triangular median. Airbags deployed. I could not make wise decisions without seeing and I was hit by airbags, bruised in face, etc. I was wearing my seatbelt. …
2003 Toyota Camry le we have a 1999 Toyota Camry and a 2003 Toyota Camry. My wife generally drives the 2003 Camry. I have always felt that the brakes were unresponsive or pressing the brakes would generally cause the car to skid irrespective of road conditions - wet /dry. I have taken the care to the shop to check if there was a leak in the brake system, ensured that the brake pads were new etc. 3 weeks ago I was in a rear end collision - I had plenty of room to stop and hit the brakes and the car did not slow down and continued to skid. I used the car in front to effectively halt our car. With all the discussion of the Toyota recalls, I believe there are more cars that Toyota is not revealing. After the accident, I drove the 1999 Camry and there is definitely a difference I the responsiveness and performance of the brakes/braking system.
The brake pedal goes to the floor in emergency situations but the car does not decelerate any harder. I have notified the mfg numerous times, even got their legal dept involved (case # 200301090284) according to Toyota this is by design - even though the brake pedal height & stopping distances are outside the published specs. I have found numerous similar complaints on the nttsa website and am concerned this has fallen in a crack. This is so rampant that I am considering a class-action lawsuit should all other methods fail (I really don't want to do this!!) thanks for your attention in this crucial matter. I have filed a complaint a while back - I called the 800 number to inquire whay no research has been done & I know you are spread very thin - please accept my apolgy but I really think this is a important matter
On December 7,2017, I was in a parking lot in florida. As I started going into a parking space, the car began to surge. I had a loss of steering and braking.I almost hit the car next to me. Luckily that did not happen. I kept pressing down on the brake, but it took time for the steeering wheel to respond to me. I shut off the car because it seemed like the car had a mind of its own. I had 2 witnesses in the car.who saw that my car was in drive, and that my foot was on the brake pedal. The passenger checked the floor mat, and it was lying completely flat. I do not know why I had this loss of control. This also happened to me in 2010, when I had unintended acceleration,and my car hit a tree. I am now afraid to drive my car, and willl not do so because I feel it is unsafe.
I was driving north on route 93 in my 2003 Toyota Camry during rush hour traffic when traffic went from approx. 40 MPH to a sudden stop. The cars in front of me all jammed on there brakes and successfully stopped, but when I stepped on my brakes, I could feel the brake pedal compressing and doing something, but I was unable to barely even slow down from approx. 3 car lengths away. I hit the car in front of me and my car crumbled. My 2 complaints are that the brakes definitely have a malfunction along with the air bags not deploying. Luckily, I had my seat belt on. The road conditions were dry and weather was sunny and clear. After this accident and my car has been repaired, I will be trading my car in and never buy a Toyota again.
I slowly pulled into a parking space, stepped on the brake, and the car failed to stop and surged forward. The car hit the store wall, five feet from the parking stall. I reported this to my insurance company. The brakes were checked and I was told they were okay. When I took my car for it's first maintance at the Toyota dealer, I told the service person to check the brakes and why. The service technician informed me that the 2003 Camry's rpms go up if you have the air conditioner on and you simultaneously step on the brakes lightly. They did not replace any brake parts, instead they suggested that I press hard on the brakes if the air conditioner is on to avoid an other surging incident.
Brake complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2003 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 118 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Toyota Camry, 15% of the model year's 782 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (26 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Camry brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes 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 brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 25,000 miles, and 50% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 31 crashes, 1 fire and 12 injuries to brakes 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.