Vehicle Data Hub

2003 Toyota Camry engine problems

159 complaints about engine have been filed for the 2003 Toyota Camry, which is 17% of all its NHTSA complaints. It is the 2nd most reported problem area for this model year.

At a glance

Complaints
159 17% of this year's complaints
Typical mileage
92,000 miles 123 complaints with mileage
Crashes and fires
6 and 6
Injuries and deaths
2 and 1

Source: NHTSA owner complaints

When engine problems show up

Engine complaints by mileage, 2003 Toyota Camry Complaints by odometer reading in 20,000-mile steps. The median is about 92,000 miles. 0k to 20k miles: 13 complaints 20k to 40k miles: 9 complaints 40k to 60k miles: 11 complaints 60k to 80k miles: 15 complaints 80k to 100k miles: 20 complaints 100k to 120k miles: 17 complaints 120k to 140k miles: 12 complaints 140k to 160k miles: 8 complaints 160k to 180k miles: 9 complaints 180k to 200k miles: 4 complaints 200k+ miles: 5 complaints 040k80k120k160k200k miles Typical: 92,000 miles
Based on 123 complaints that include mileage. 27% were reported before 60,000 miles. The amber marker shows the median: half of these complaints happened before that mileage.
View the numbers
MileageComplaints
0k to 20k miles13
20k to 40k miles9
40k to 60k miles11
60k to 80k miles15
80k to 100k miles20
100k to 120k miles17
120k to 140k miles12
140k to 160k miles8
160k to 180k miles9
180k to 200k miles4
200k+ miles5

What the data shows

Of the 123 engine complaints that report mileage, the median is about 92,000 miles, and 27% were reported before 60,000 miles.

These complaints mention 6 crashes, 6 fires, 2 injuries, 1 death.

What owners wrote

The vehicle engine was running very ruff after start then shortly after the engine light came on. The fault codes on the engine light was a number two and three cylinder misfire. The vehicle was taken to the dealership for analysis. The dealership stated the head gasket was leaking between the number two and three cylinders (no coolant was leaking outside the engine). The dealership attempted to remove the head, but the first bolt started to strip and the technicians stopped at that point.

Reported at 85,500 miles, June 2012 Injury

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle onto her driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine bolts had sheared off. The contact stated that the bolts were replaced and torqued to specs however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 215,000.

Reported at 215,000 miles, November 2021

Other problems reported for the 2003 Toyota Camry

Engine problems in other years

Engine problems across all Toyota models