Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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).
I was going 45 to 50 mph and my car shut off in middle of highway and we barely got out of highway before getting hit there is recall on same kind of car for throttle body and that's what's wrong with mine so it has too be that they missed my car
After oxygen sensors were changed the VSC and track off lights came on and wouldn't turn off and it's using a lot of fuel consumption and it takes a second for the car to pick up after stepping on the gas pedal
On October 24, 2012, I parallel parked my 2003 Toyota Camry on the street. The car in front of me was leaving, so he asked me to move back a few inches so he could get out. My car was still running so I shifted the car into reverse, and as I began to take my foot off the brake pedal, my car accelerated backwards at a very fast speed into the car behind me. Wanting to pull up a few inches to get out and assess the damage, I shifted the car into drive and as I did, my car accelerated forwards into the parked car in front of me. It accelerated at such a high speed that it pushed the three cars in front of me together. At no point during these two rapid accelerations did I ever apply my foot to the gas pedal. This incident caused damage to several cars and could have ended up with much more severe consequences had I not been in that location.
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.
Driving with the cruise control set to approximately 45 MPH. Cars ahead were stopping, so the cruise control cancel button was pressed. Instead of the car decelerating, it quickly accelerated as if the gas pedal had been pressed to the floor. The brakes were quickly pressed, but before the car came to a stop, it hit the rear end of the car ahead. The person in the other car had a precautionary medical exam a few days later, but no injury was reported. The driver and passenger of the Camry were not injured and air bags were not deployed. The Camry was declared totaled by the insurance company. The other car was repaired.
On June 20 shortly before 6:00 pm I backed out of the parking space of our condo building, and I proceeded to drive the car with about 10 mls/hour toward a street cca 50 yards away. Before entering the street the car has to be stopped, however, without pressing the gas pedal, the car on its own accelerated. Immediately I applied the brakes, but the car did not respond. The car speeded into a grassy area, and from there to our overflow parking lot, and from there to a second parking lot. The tires burned the grass due to the applied brakes. Picture of the burned grass can be supplied if requested. The unstoppable car traveled about 170 yards. Due to the force by which the car hit four curves, the front tires were flattened and the front right wheel was severely damaged. The front end collapsed to the ground and the car finally stopped. …
On Sunday, August 31, 2014, at about 1:00 pm, I was leaving the church parking lot after the service at san martin de porres catholic church. I was in my 2003 Toyota Camry with my friend (name provided on request). I drove from the lower level parking to the upper level parking lot where the exit is located. I was going approximately 5-10 miles per hour. We were coasting toward the exit when all of a sudden the car revved up really loud and accelerated/sped through a short street that feeds the parking lot. A witness told me he thought the car was going about 40 miles per hour. The car continued on at a high speed on the dirt parking lot on the southwest side of the church. It was burrowing through the dirt and spewing out dirt like we were in a tornado. I steered the car along the church fence to prevent it from going into the street. …
We filled up our 2003 Camry le at costco (on a Monday). We shopped at costco and then drove about 17 miles to our home. We backed up our incline driveway and unloaded the trunk. We drove to safeway (about 2 miles away) that same day and dropped a relative at their house about a mile away. We drove a total of about 25 miles after the fill up at costco. The Camry was not driven for the rest of the week until Friday. On Friday the car was driven no more than three miles before it started to hesitate and then stalled. It did this four times before getting back to the house. We had it towed to the Toyota dealership for repair. We were told that we overflowed the fuel tank and the carbon canister was filled with gas. This caused the computer to stall the car out because it is sensing an over rich condition. …
September of 2007- I noticed the check engine light came on in my 2003 Toyota Camry le car and I was due for a car inspection for the month of October. The dealership and other repair shops stated that the car would not pass the car inspection with that light on. On September 10th,2007, I took the car to a Toyota dealership and a mechanic found a leak at the fuel filler neck. They replaced the fuel filler neck and cap. The costs were $225 for labor, $143.60 for parts, and $25.80 for sales tax for a total repair job of $394.40! The car was over 3 years old. That shouldn't be happening in a young car. I bought the car in October of 2005 from a Toyota dealership. The complaint is why should the customers be paying for " poor quality" by the Toyota manufacturer when I couldn't have passed a car inspection for their "poor quality " parts? …
The check engine light came on again and I scanned for codes which indicated code number 0456 leak in the fuel system. I have twice before had the same problem and each time had to clean a large amount of rust from the fuel filler neck to correct the problem. I had previously taken the car to the dealer and advised them of the problem. They advised if the check engine light came on again to bring it in for service. When the light came on this time the dealer scanned the same code and diagnosed the fuel filler neck and gas cap must be replaced at a cost of over $300. I contacted Toyota corporation but they indicated the car was not covered. The car can not pass inspection because of the poor quality materials used in the fuel filler neck. Refer to complaint odi id number 10223726 dated September 10, 2007 with the same problem.
Fuel System complaints in other Camry years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2003 Toyota Camry?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2003 Toyota Camry, 3% of the model year's 782 complaints. The component named most often is fuel injection system (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Camry fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system 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 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 27% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.