Problems with 2003 Toyota Camry VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while in a parking space, the contact was driving at approximately 15 mph in the reverse position with an excessive increase in the acceleration without warning. the vehicle would not stop when the brakes were engaged and crashed into two parked vehicles in which there were no occupants inside. there was no personal injury. a police report was filed of the incident. the contact's vehicle front end passenger side sustained severe damages; and the two parked vehicles sustained minimal damages. the vehicle was driven from the scene and repaired a collision center. the failure mileage was approximately 44,000. updated 10/15/10 *bf the consumer stated the repair cost was approximately $3000. a toyota engineer inspected the vehicle and stated there was no problem with the accelerator link or any other components for that matter. updated 10/21/10*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving 20 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into a tree. the vehicle was towed to the contacts home to be inspected by the insurance company. the current and failure mileages were approximately 85,000. updated 11/03/10. *lj updated 11/22/10 *bf updated 11/23/10*jb

I was driving 2003 toyota camry when all of sudden, it accelerated to a high speed, even when i applied the break, it failed to stop and was uncontrollable. the vehicle only stopped when it slammed on a residential building. i suffered injuries along with my daughter who was in the car with me. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph when she attempted to stop. when the brake pedal was depressed the gear selector was shifted into the reverse position. the vehicle began to accelerate. the engine was turned off to gain control of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the dealer stated that the throttle body needed to be replaced at the owner expense. the failure mileage was 47,000. the current mileage was 47,000.

2003 toyota camry le was running, sitting in driveway, but in park with emergency brake on. car "took off" in reverse, and only came to a stop when driver jumped into car, pushed hard on foot brake, turned off ignition, and car door slammed into another parked vehicle. *tr

While pulling into a driveway with right foot on the brake my 2003 camry suddenly accelerated striking another vehicle parked in the same driveway. sudden acceleration has been a frequent problem when driving at higher speeds and is corrected by tapping the brake. nothing has been done yet to correct the problem as the vehicle is out of warranty. *tr

I was driving my 2003 toyota camry on highway with cruise control on interstate i-40. i was driving 55 mph along a construction zone when it suddenly speed up, became uncontrollable and crash into the wall. i was unable to stop the vehicle by pumping on the brake and it was finally stopped when the vehicle was deep in the sand on the side of the highway. the vehicle was a total loss due to its severe damages.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving in reverse out of her driveway at speeds of under 5 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated forward without driver intent. the vehicle began to spin in a circular motion and proceeded to crash into a vehicle. the engine exhibited a loud revving noise while accelerating. the vehicle did not stop until finally crashing into a tree. upon impact, there was a tire blowout, exact location unknown. a police report was filed. the contact suffered minor injuries from the crash. the failure and current mileages were 47,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the driver was at a complete stop when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. he tried to apply the brakes but the vehicle did not slow down or stop until it crashed into a pole. the police report stated that the brakes were applied numerous times and that the failure was caused by a stuck accelerator pedal. there were no injuries. the dealer stated that there were no related recalls. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the current and failure mileages were approximately 32,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph in reverse, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into a garage door. the contacts foot was depressing the brake in an attempt to stop the vehicle; however, upon impact, the vehicle continued the unintended acceleration and proceeded into traffic. the vehicle crashed a second time into the front end of another vehicle. there were no injuries. there was no mention of a police report being filed. the vehicle continued to stall intermittently but was restarted. the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop. the manufacturer advised the contact that an investigator would further inspect the vehicle failures. the failure and the current mileages were 44,000. updated 5/6/10 *cn the consumer stated as he was backing out of his driveway, when the vehicle swerved with a great amount of force and crashed in his garage doorway and did severe damage. the consumer stated he placed his foot on the brake and a split-second later, the vehicle was rushing forward at a high speed through his parking space and into traffic on a two-way road in front of his driveway where he collided with a passing vehicle that was turning left. updated 05/13/10.*jb

Sudden increase in rpms as i was backing up my car up to my wood pile..it rammed into my wood pile and the wheels were still spinning when i finally turned off the car. same thing happen when i was coasting up to a stop sign feb 2010.. both times i put all the strength i could on the brake pedal to stop the car. it never stopped in 2009 but i did get it stopped on the 2010 incident because i put the car in neutral. some minor damage to the back end of the car on the 2009 incident from the car hitting the stack of wood.. went to the dealer and they said it was nothing they could do about it.. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. yesterday the contact wife experienced an unintended acceleration. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked and upon putting the gear in reverse, the vehicle accelerated across the parking lot and crashed into an iron fence. the contact had the vehicle towed to an authorized dealership and the dealer has informed the contact that the vehicle was destroyed. the police were called and the contact will be obtaining a police report. the passenger hit her head but did not see a doctor. the manufacturer was not contacted as of yet. the failure mileage was 99,200 and the current mileage was 99,220. updated 04/09/10. *lj updated 09/16/10*jb

Was entering a parking spot at walmart in stafford, va. when gas pedal rev up high in my 03 toyota camry and ran over steel pole barriers . *tr

Backing into parking space in front of back porch about 8 feet form porch car suddenly accelerated in reverse causing damage to car and porch. *tr

2003 toyota camry le 4-cylinder. 66,000 miles. occasional minor "lunging forward" from stationary position. on one occasion, while sitting at a bank drive-up window, there was a rapid increase in gas feed when i depressed the accelerator pedal slightly but when i depressed the brake it returned to normal idling. i am concerned that the problem is related to the general toyota accelerator problem and could get worse. no accidents to date. date indicated is only approximate. i would have made a specific notation of the date if i had known about the general problem with toyotas at the time of the incidents. i reported my concern verbally a few days ago to the national toyota telephone contact (and was told that my call was being recorded) but have not received a reply. another concern is the general "check engine light" problem that toyotas have. toyota says the problem is caused by clicking the gas cap more than once when reattaching it after filling up with gas. this seems to be a rather flakey excuse, and i had to pay the dealer to turn off the check engine light more than one year ago but recently received an offer from the dealer to fix these problems for free. are the accelerator problem and the check engine light problem related to the toyota computer system? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving 2 mph into the garage, when the vehicle accelerated and crashed into the garage wall. the contact states that smoke was coming from the tires. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic and testing. the dealer drove the vehicle around and found no problem with the accelerator. the front bumper of the vehicle was damaged.the contact sustained injuries as a result of the crash. the approximate failure and current mileages was 6300. updated 04/20/2010. *lj updated 07/13/10.*jb

On january 12, 2010, i had my 2003 camry detailed (washed inside and out-including the carpet)at a car wash. i proceeded to a nearby mall,where i stopped briefly at a store. upon exiting the parking lot, i made a full stop at the stop sign. i then proceeded to go by stepping on the accelerator. at this point the car suddenly accelerated to a high speed, and i was not able to stop it, even though i was pressing on the brake. the car went across 3 lanes & up, over, and down a median,continued to go across another 3 lanes and finally came to rest after hitting a tree on another median. to the best of my knowledge, the accelerator became stuck in the down position, and pushing down on the brake to the left of it did not help, nor did the steering wheel turn as i was trying to avoid hitting the tree. also, please be aware that my front air bag did not deploy. at the time, i had no visible signs of injury, but injuries became apparent soon after, and can be verified by a doctor. a police report is available, if needed. the vehicle was towed to a collision shop, waiting to be repaired. a claim was filed with toyota manufacturing. the failure mileage was about 52,000. *jb see odi 10301845 *dsy

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving 5 mph the vehicle accelerated across the parking lot and as she depressed the brake pedal the vehicle would not stop and crashed into a tree. there were no injuries. a police report is available if needed. the vehicle was towed to a dealer to be repaired. a claim was filed with the toyota manufacturer. the failure mileage was 52,700. see odi 10306036 *dsy

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving approximately 5 mph into a parking space the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a store. there were no injuries. a police report is available. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, repaired and inspected by a technician who was unable to find the cause of the failure. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 123,000.

In the process of pulling into a parking space in a parking lot on december 8, 2009, my 2003 camry accelerated, jumped the curb, ran up an embankment and hit a tree. i took it to the dealer, who test drove it and found no problem. please extend the recall to 2003 camry. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph into a parking lot. there was pressure applied to the brake pedal, followed by an unintended acceleration. the vehicle failed to slow down and crashed into an air conditioner unit outside of her residence. there were no personal injuries. the police was called to the scene. the body damage to the vehicle was repaired for $800. the vehicle has not been repaired at this time. the failure mileage was 38,000.

On 2 occasions the gas pedal has stuck on my 2003 toyota camry. on the first occasion, it occurred while i was on the highway traveling forward with the transmission in drive. the 2nd occasion was on saturday, november 21, when i put the car in reverse. on both occasions i was able to get the car under control by forcefully stepping on the brake pedal, but the second time this occurred was a very near accident - came within inches of hitting a parked vehicle. *tr

I have a 2003 camry. on nov. 8, 2009 i had a very big problem with the accelerator. when stepping on the gas pedal i couldn't get any gas, and then the car would jerk forward at a rapid rate so that i had to apply the brakes. it was totally undrivable. the mechanic replaced the gas pedal assembly, and i have the old part in my possession. the part was $428.01 plus the labor cost. my old camry i drove for 12 years without any problems. i feel the part was defective and that toyota should reimburse me for the cost of replacement. would your agency please look into this for me? *tr updated 11/16/10*bf the mechanic replaced the accelerator pedal assembly the pedal position sensor. updated 11/19/10 updated 11/24/10*jb updated 01/06/11 *bf updated 04/12/11

On 11/10/09,while backing out of a parking lot, my vehicle suddenly accelerated colliding with a parked utility truck. my insurance company paid approximately $9800 for repairs to my vehicle. on 1/4/2010 my vehicle suddenly accelerated, coming out of a parking lot, even depressing the brake pedal as hard as i could would not stop the vehicle. i went out into the main traffic stream. luckily there was no accident, just irate drivers. each incident lasted only seconds then went to normal operation. i have a 2003 toyota camry, xle, v-6 which i purchased new and the mileage was approximately 44,000 miles. i have experienced no other problems but am wondering if i will and when. have you had any other reports such as mine? *tr

S10 appropriate handling-letter regarding toyota problems *tgw 2003 toyota camry. the consumer stated while on her way to work, she discovered the brakes were no longer functional. the vehicle began to accelerate on its own despite of how hard she applied the brake pedal. the vehicle then went on a grassy area, struck two trees and finally came to rest in a river.. the consumers vehicle was totaled. the consumer suffered a minor injury. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while entering a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated over an embankment, and then into a cement wall. the driver received injuries to the lower part of the body. the insurance company took the vehicle to the body shop. the insurance company also investigated the accelerator, and concluded that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. however, two years prior the vehicle suddenly accelerated several times. when the failure occurred he was able to regain vehicle control, the failure mileage was 55,000. the current mileage was 60,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while entering a parking space with his foot on the brake pedal at speeds of less than 15 mph, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a retail store. there were three people inside the store that were severely injured and transported to a hospital. the police were also called to the scene and a report was filed. none of the occupants in the contacts vehicle were injured. the contacts insurance company hired an outside expert to assess the vehicle failure. the expert stated that the floor mat was not properly secured on the driver's side and could have caused the unintended acceleration. the insurance company deemed the cause of the crash due to a possible defect in how the vehicle was manufactured. the vin was not available. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was approximately 20,000. updated 05/25/10*bf updated 06/02/10.*jb

I am writing about my 2003 toyota camry. i have had the same gas pedal sticking problem. i was turning into a parking space and all of a sudden the car revved up and would not stop. i had to use all of my power to stop the car and it would not stop. i had to turn the key off for it to stop. i would like to know if there is any recourse for me. i contacted my local toyota dealer and they said that my car was not part of the recall. i would not believe this problem if it had not happened to me. that has not happened again but i am very fearful now that i hear that others are having this problem. *tr

Driver/owner of 2003 toyota camry in garage. placed veh. in reverse and experienced sudden unintended acceleration, causing driver to zoom across street and crash into a tree, sustaining serious personal injuries including but not limited to neurological injuries, partial paralysis, hematoma, fractured vertebrae in upper thoracic area, spine damage, rectum/colon damage and injuries, requiring driver to wear diapers and be fed through feeding tube. passenger sustained chipped tooth, whiplash, and other injuries. *tr

10/06/09 accident--uncontrolled acceleration 2003 toyota camry causing extensive damage to car and rear garage wall. because car has not appeared on recall lists my insurance co. advises i am responsible for the accident and will face increased premium. i feel this unfair and unjust. this was the most terrifying experience of my life. any help you can give me would be appreciated. i was advised to register my complaint with you by tv consumer advocate "7 on your side". the car was parked when i started it to put in garage--therefore, i cannot put proper speed in area subsequent to this section. *tr

I have a 2003 toyota camry. i frequently experience excessive engine acceleration when initially putting the car in drive. also, on occasion, the brake and accelerator pedals engage at the same time, which may or may not be an operator issue. i brought the car in for repairs to toyota service center last year but they said it involved the electronic controls and there was nothing they could do. seems that the toyota repair people knew about the problem already. *tr

I was slowly pulling into a parking spot at the mall and the car suddenly accelerated and i crashed into a tree. the engine sounded like it was driving 100mph. i called the toyota dealer and they said it was probably due to the car mats. i don't believe that because my mats were in place after the crash. there was major damage to the car and the tree.*tr

I purchased a 2003 toyota camry in the fall of 2002. one week after the purchase i was at a stop sign, with my foot on the brake, and the car suddenly accelerated. i tapped the accelerator but the engine continued to accelerate with the tachometer reading nearly 9,000 rpm's. i turned the engine off with the ignition. the next day i called my dealer (fitzgerald toyota, chambersburg, pa.) and reported the incident and it was suggested i had stepped on the accelerator vs. the brake. i didn't argue the point and the car performed fine up until two weeks ago when the same thing happened twice within three days. i spoke with fitzgerald toyota yesterday (jay newcomer) to ascertain if anyone else had reported a similar problem. i was told "fitzgerald hadn't heard anything about a problem with sudden acceleration. this morning i checked on the internet and found this problem was fairly common with toyota's of that year plus other year's models. is the nhtsa aware of a problem with toyota's and sudden acceleration? *tr

On august 20, 2009, started my 2003 toyota camry. with gear shift in "park", car engine raced as if accelerator was floored. engine was screaming, i was afraid to shift it into "drive". shut off car and re-started, car idled fine at normal speed. proceeded to drive car without further incident. am sure that problem was not caused by my having my foot on the accelerator at the time.this has only occurred once in 74,000 miles and 7 years of family ownership. *tr

I pulled into my brother's driveway and was getting ready to park when my car suddenly took off as if i had the gas to the floor(which i didn't). i crashed into my brother's truck knocking it into his house, still couldn't stop the car, it acted like it was going to climb his truck. it then veered to the left and side swiped his other vehicle. when i finally got it stopped, i had both feet on the brake and the engine was still revving and trying to go. i finally got it stopped where i could turn it off with the key. the damage to my car was nearly $14,000.00 plus the damage to my brother's property. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact placed the vehicle in reverse gear, slightly pressed the accelerator pedal and the rpm's rapidly increased without warning and continued to increase until the contact shut the engine off. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer and there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 102,000.

I own a 2003 toyota camry that experienced the same unexplainable acceleration being aired on television newscasts only a couple of months ago. as i was driving in front of a popular shopping area my car accelerated at an alarming speed. it felt like a jet. i quickly attempted to press on my foot brake and even tried the hand brake. the car ceased to stop. the car crossed a major intersection and dangerously entered a busy parking lot at a popular mall. i was barely able to dodge pedestrians, moving and parked cars until i turned suddenly and crashed into the median that divided the parking rows in the parking lot. on-lookers came to check on me and spoke of how the back tires were smoking because my car was going so fast. shaken up, my passenger and i called family members who rushed to the scene and proceeded to call a tow company because the vehicle was clearly not capable of being driven. the front wheel axle was bent, and there was much damage to the front right wheel area due to the angle of the crash. thankfully, neither my passenger nor i were injured, but very shaken up. once the car was towed to a nearby service center, they were able to surmise that the car was a bit mangled and required parts not readily available in hilo, hawaii. the estimate to repair the car exceeded $3,000. i contacted my car insurance carrier to report the incident. nearly one month later, the car was repaired. my daughter took the car to a toyota service center and asked them to please examine the car and evaluate whether it was safe for driving. the micro chip did not indicate anything abnormal according to the service agent. *tr

2003 toyota camry involved in an 8 car accident on 6/20/09. car accelerated uncontrollably and driver was unable to stop car.*tr

Vehicle accelerated on its one in driveway after shifting into drive. *tr

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) hello, i know the last thing you people need is yet another complaint about toyota, but i had an incident last year while driving my father's 2003 camry. i never filed a complaint with nhtsa or toyota, because after the incident when i took the car to the local toyota dealer, they tried to belittle me when i inquired about running a diagnostics on the car's behavior. i really thought it was just one of those things i couldn't go up against, so i let it go. i experienced sudden acceleration while parking the car and the car surged forward and hit another car. nobody was hurt, thankfully. we got the car fixed, but since then nobody wants to drive the car. it's been sitting in the garage, driven about 3x in the entire last year. i am 38 years old, great driving record, and am totally positive my foot was on the brake (as we were slowing to a stop). i have read other incidents that are almost identical to mine. anyways, that's it. i am more than happy to provide more information if necessary. [xxx] *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact was driving into a parking space and the gear was placed into the park position. suddenly, the engine surged without warning. the vehicle traveled over a curb and crashed into a tree. there were no injuries sustained during the crash. the police was called to the scene and a report was filed. the current and failure mileages were 79,000. updated 02/26/10 *bf updated 04/29/10

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while attempting to turn at 40 mph the vehicle began to accelerate without intention. after repeated brake application he was able to stop the vehicle. shortly afterwards while reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle rapidly accelerated. he was able to stop the vehicle by using the same method. he was in process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the current mileage was approximately 80,000. the failure mileage was approximately 78,000. updated 2/26/10 *cn the dealer was unable to find any problems/ updated 05/17/10.*jb

Tl* contact owned a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated she had several problems with this vehicle when she had it. she almost ran threw her window when the vehicle was in park. she no longer has the vehicle but thought that filing a complaint was the right thing to do. the failure mileage 70,000.

I have experienced several incidents of sudden acceleration in my 2003 toyota camry. i took it into a toyota dealer when it first happened, but they did nothing. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. while driving 15 mph, the contact attempted to apply the brakes to slow the vehicle down; however, it accelerated rapidly while driving down a hill. the contact and passenger were forced to apply extreme pressure to the brake pedal in order to slow the vehicle down. the vehicle crashed into some small trees which caused damage to the passenger mirror, parking lens, and the washer fluid container. the contact shut the vehicle off for approximately 15 minutes, restarted it and was able to safely drive the vehicle to his residence. the following day the dealer was unable to find the cause of the failure; however, the damages were repaired. the contact is concerned about the safety risk since the accelerator was sticking and caused the failure to occur. the failure mileage was 43,587. updated 03/04/10. *lj

Previously reported acceleration surge of 2003 camry while backing out of the garage. reports of acceleration surges on your site exceed 140 for the 2003 camry versus (as best i could identify) 29 for the malibu, 26 for the accord and 12 for the taurus, all 2003 models. in light of recent toyota findings are you going to reopen investigations of the 2003 camry?...*tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota camry. the contact stated that as she drove through a green light, the vehicle in front of her stopped short and when she applied the brakes, the vehicle failed to stop. she crashed into the vehicle in front of her since the accelerator pedal became stuck. there were no injuries. she also stated that brakes failed intermittently. she has not contacted the dealer or the manufacturer. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was 54,867. the failure mileage was approximately 52,500.

I was parking my 2003 camry in a mall parking lot when it suddenly accelerated. i had no control and smashed into a parked car. i never had an accident in 60+ years of driving. now i know it was the toyota accelerator that caused the crash. my ed morse toyota dealer in delray beach fl. turned me away from service saying it is not their problem but i should contact toyota. i have not been able to reach anyone there. i know it is not in the recall but i told the dealer i want toyota to know this happened to my 2003 camry and i want them to find the cause and remedy it. my wife also has a 2003 camry and we drive them both with fear. *tr

S10 appropriate handling re toyota problems, owner of a 2003 camry experience sudden unintended acceleration in november 2008(photos inside envelope) *tgw as the consumers mother pulled into her garage, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into the wall, causing significant damage to the bathroom that was on the other side of the wall. the vehicle was inspected and the consumer was informed that the brake and accelerating systems were operating as designed. (daughter wrote in on behalf of mother, owner of the camry) *jb

Sudden acceleration without warning: 2003 toyota camry xle: four incidents to date: while driving car it began to accelerate rapidly without warning. taking foot off accelerator and putting onto brake did not get the car slowed down. had to cut off ignition at the key switch. the only thing in common was that each time this occurred it had been either damp, misty, raining or raining hard. this is not an accelerator pedal/floor mat problem. it is a throttle problem! our floor mat was locked down and did not get near the accelerator pedal but we removed the floor mat anyway. incidents as follows: 24 july 2008 - traveling to roanoke va south on i-81. female owner driving. cruise control on. daytime. raining gently. car made a roaring sound (like revving the motor while in neutral) and suddenly increased speed rapidly. we got the car stopped without an accident. 28 aug 2008- traveling to roanoke va south on i-81. female owner driving. cruise control on. night. raining very hard. car suddenly made the roaring sound and the car accelerated rapidly. we got the car stopped without an accident. 17 oct 2008 - on a city street in lynchburg va. male owner driving. cruise control off. daytime. had been raining hard all day. driving slowly in heavy traffic. car made roaring sound and accelerated rapidly. car hit vehicle in front of it. no serious damage. 14 oct 2009- traveling on city street in henrico va. male owner driving. cruise control off. slowing down to make a left turn. morning and just starting a misty rain. car made roaring sound and car accelerated rapidly. no accident. mcgeorge toyota, broad st., henrico(richmond)va has made every effort they know to try to find out what caused these incidents, without results. they kept the car and drove it in good and rainy weather and did not duplicate the problem. they called the engineers in california who don't have answers. *tr