Problems with 2003 Toyota Camry VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Consumer stated the brakes locked when he attempted to stop at a toll booth. this caused a rear end collision upon impact, air bags did not deploy consumer sustained a bruised chest, and consumer's wife sustained 2 two broken ribs. consumer stated that when he hit the vehicle in front it was as if the vehicle accelerated, and even though he had feet on the brakes, vehicle kept going. he states that he pushed the vehicle in front of him, immediately cut the ignition off, put on emergency brakes, and coasted to the side of the road. vehicle came to a stop on the shoulder. he says that the only thing that saved he and his wife was the seat belts. consumer stated he saw on tv that toyota was recalling 2002-2003 camrys for excessive acceleration. *ak *sc *jb

While driving consumer applied the brakes and vehicle suddenly accelerated. consumer was unable to maintain control of the vehicle, and it hit another vehicle head on. upon impact, both airbags did not deploy. consumer had vehicle towed to repair shop, but mechanic was not able to duplicate the problem.*ak

After getting the vehicle washed, the consumer moved the gear shift from neutral to drive and the vehicle lurched forward. the consumer's vehicle collided with the vehicle in front and injured a pedestrian standing in between the two vehicles. the pedestrian suffered serious injuries to the legs and was taken to a hospital. *ak *jb

In november 2003 vehicle experienced sudden acceleration, two months later, once again while driving, vehicle experienced sudden acceleration. dealer indicated both times that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. *ak

The vehicle accelerated on its own which caused the consumer to crash into a wall and damaged the front of the vehicle. *jb the sudden acceleration occurred on three separate occasions. the first incident happened when the consumer was trying to make a turn. the second time, the vehicle accelerated on its own, it collided with another vehicle. the third incident, the consumer crashed into a wall. the consumer took the to the dealership, where it was examined, but no repairs were done because the employees went on strike. *la *cb see also 10132649. *dsy updated 7/3/12 *cn

Unexplainable sudden surge caused $5,389.95 in damages to my toyota camry. *bf no answer required - see response to congressional correspondence (ccmmercury ref. no. es04-009988, odi ref. no. 10101790) *mjj the surging was an intermittent problem. the vehicle surged forward and hit a concrete wall. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc

Owner of 2003 toyota camry experienced sudden acceleration suggest nhtsa initiate investigation. *bf while the consumer was parking the vehicle it sudden surged forward hitting a concrete wall. as a result the consumer sustained some bruises. the accident caused $5000 worth of damage to the vehicle. this incident was followed by two more similar occurrences. no answer required - duplicate of odi ref. no. 10101616. *mjj see also 10063095 (sipek). *dsy

Speedometer was registering speed to fast and the odometer was 4% over to many miles. (nar) *ph *cb

Upon putting vehicle in park while at a complete stop with foot depressed on the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated at a rapid speed. as a result, the vehicle side swiped another vehicle on it's right side. a factory representative inspected the vehicle but couldn't locate the cause of the rapid and sudden acceleration. *nm *nm updated 7/3/12 *cn updated 07/12/12

My mother bertha sussman was driving at a slow speed when she approached the gate of her community. she stepped on the brake and the car accelerated. she hit a tree as the car picked up speed. she has spent the last year in the hospital, hospice, and nursing home.*ak

Consumer complained about unexpected acceleration problem. consumer was driving and pulled into a parking space, and vehicle unexpectedly accelerated, knocking down a parking sign. *ak b *nm

When applying brakes vehicle surges forward without warning. *ak

While driving, the vehicle accelerated. the consumer could not stop the vehicle even though her feet was on the brake. the vehicle surged. the consumer stated it seemed like a computer problem. an accident did occur, however there were no injuries. the consumer had to make the vehicle spin before she could stop it. please provide any further information. *jb

After backing out of the driveway and coming to a stop sign consumer depressed the brakes and vehicle surged forward. when the brake pedal was depressed again at another stop vehicle surged, nearly causing an accident. vehicle surged forward while depressing the brakes on three occasions. vehicle was taken to the dealer on two occasions but, the problem was not resolved. *ak *nm updated 7/5/12 *cn

The vehicle continued to accelerate upon depression of the brake pedal. this resulted in the consumer broad siding another vehicle. *ak the dealer informed the consumer that the brakes would eventually adjust to the consumer as the computer sets itself. *sc *jb

Consumer stated the vehicle experienced sudden acceleration when shifting from park to1 reverse and the vehicle collided with fuel pump guard rail. drove though it and crashed into the rear of a vehicle. *ak *jb

Sudden acceleration in reverse. on 2/18/07 two incidents of sudden acceleration in drive avoiding accident by shifting into n and braking. info has been forwarded to vrtc on this vehicle. *tr

2003 toyota camry accelerated as i pulled in driveway,causing damage to my vehicle,my son-inlaw's vehicle,minor damage to house & basketball goal. *ak

2003 toyota camry developed numerous problems.***no answer required***. *mr the vehicle pulled to the left when the brakes were applied, it required 2 or 3 attempts to start the vehicle, the radio was replaced, the power door locks did not work, the engine light stayed on and the gauges were erratic, the right rear strut and mount were broken. *jb the brake light was inoperative. the hood release latch was reconnected, because the consumer heard a rattle noise. the exhaust converter was replaced. *jb updated 03/04/10 *bf the consumer stated he experienced sudden acceleration twice. updated 06/28/10*jb

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.*ak

While pulling into a parking space the vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit the cement block in the parking space. *ak *nm

While parking, the engine started racing and crashed into a wall in a parking lot. cause of problem has not been determined. *ph while parking the vehicles engine suddenly began to race. the vehicle accelerated forward about 3 feet and crashed into the wall of the parking structure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but the vehicle has not been inspected to find the cause of the accident. *ts *nlm

2003 toyota camry xle while stopped with foot on the brake in a line of cars waiting for the traffic light to turn green, car suddenly accelerated and crashed into the rear of the car in front causing significant front-end damage to our car. again, the driver's foot was on the brake. the floor mat (1) was all the way back against base of the seats and not in the area of the accelerator pedal and (2) the mat is by design, cut back 3 to 4 inches short of the carpeted area under, near and around the accelerator pedal, and (3) the base and rear of the accelerator pedal are suspended 2 1/2 to 3 inches away from the carpeted floor and it is very difficult to press the accelerator to a position close to the floor--and it definitely beyond the pedal travel distance that drivers would/could press on the accelerator pedal. problem was reported to toyota dealer service associate who said "no problem found." problem continues to occur periodically, but we now know to press down harder than normal when stopped at traffic lights and in stop and go traffic. (we also noted a similar problem with our 2006 toyota camry xle--but the problem happens when car is in reverse. when starting up in the morning and backing out of the garage with foot covering the brake (and not on the accelerator pedal), the engine rpms suddenly accelerate and if you aren't aware of the problem and don't have your foot on the brake, the car can speed up significantly and go out of control. this problem was also reported to toyota dealer service associate who also said: "no problem found.") *tr see also 10174244, same complainant, different vehicle. *dsy

Surge problem. i have a 2003 toyota camry se. at times, when i slow down almost to a stop and then re-accelerate my car surges forward rather than accelerating smoothly.*ak

2003 toyota camry is equipped with electronic computer controlled throttle, electronic computer controlled transmission, and cruise control. at various times the car will either hesitate for 5-10 seconds when accelaration is demanded or alternatively under light throttle it will shift down several gears the engine racing madly and accelarate. in cruise control it sometimes shifts down and accelarates 15 mph over the setpoint.*ak

While traveling the vehicle surged forward, suddenly accelerated and crashed into a fence. *ak consumer was maneuvering the vehicle in a parking spot and lifted her foot from the brake to allow the vehicle to drift forward a short distance. the vehicle accelerated and ran over a parking stop, a sidewalk curb and then ran into a wooden fence where it stopped. on prior occasions, the vehicle had similarly surged forward while stopped in traffic waiting at a traffic signal. in these instances, the consumer was able to control the vehicle by applying the brakes.

While pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and hit a wall. the cause of the sudden acceleration was undetermined. *jb *sc *jb

A 2003 toyota camry, v-6, with all safety equipment experienced intermittent cruise control disengagement, actual turn-off, at highway speeds. sometimes the brake pedal needed to be lifted with the left foot to restart/re-engage the cruise control. later, while parallel parking, on applying the brake, the car surged ahead hitting the suv parked ahead. toyota dealer, and field technician drove vehicle and the only thing noticed was the cruise control went off when turning around in a driveway. the problem was sporadic on the highway when first observed. toyota legally denied the claim after over 3 months time from reporting to their regional center. no injuries occurred. the master cylinder has been replaced and the front end repaired. the car appears to be operating satisfactorily. *la the consumer stated if the brake pedal is depressed slightly to disengage the cruise control, he still has to lift the pedal to engage it again. updated 03/05/10

Sudden acceleration caused car to jump concrete curb and hit a tree. driver was entering a 90 degree parking stall. vehicle speed before sudden acceleration was less than two miles per hour (nearly stopped).*ak updated 7/5/12 *cn

Within 3 weeks from purchase date the car accelerated when i attempted to brake. this happened twice. i took the car to the dealer who was unable to find anything wrong. they had the car for a month in that time corporation reps also tried to find the fault. they were unable to. i was told car was fine. i was terrified to drive it and would not take it . the dealer would asume no responsibility and said if i wanted a new car i would have to trade this model in towards the purchase of a new car. because i was so afraid to drive it and would not take the car anyplace else to sell because i knew how dangerous it was (and so did the dealer and if they sold that dangerous car to another it was on their responsibility not mine) i accepted the conditions put forth by my dealer and traded my 3 week old toyota in for a new toyotaand had to pay an additional $4000.00 because the 3 week old car with less than 1200 miles on it was now a used car. *ak

2003 v6 camry has engine surges/shuddering through all speeds. is really noticeable at38-40 mph. diagnostics showed engine computer needed to be reprogramed - problem was more noticeable when driving in citty where speeds were more increased and decreased. continued to take back to dealership. *ak

In 2003, i purchased anew 2003 toyota camry se and within the first month or so had a "sudden acceleration" and a minor accident-- no injuries. i reported details to nhtsa at that time, and to toyota who denied any liability. a long story. eventually, the dealer replaced the master brake cylinder @ my request, which is the location of the cruise control cut-off, i believe. i have had no recurrence since then. however, the cruise control is still an issue, for if one just taps the brake to come off control, it does that. but to re-nter the cruise system, the pedal must be lifted manually, or depressed and released quickly, or the control re-engaged at the steering wheel switch. details of this experience are in my earlier submission. i believe this demonstrates an electronic problem with this system and i felt toyota was derelict in their handling of my concern and perhaps since then with the whole sudden acceleration problem. i thought you should be reminded and should, perhaps, review my earlier submission.. *tr

Consumer complained about an intermittent acceleration problem. when this occurred consumer applied the brakes, but, vehicle did not stop. consumer had to shut off the engine in order to get the vehicle to stop. *ak dealer can't locate the problem on vehicle. *la

I have an 2003 camry xle which i purchased new in march 2003, i also have a problem with sudden acceleration. it usually occurs only a couple of times a year. i did not report it to the dealer because it was not a continuous problem and not a problem which could be reproduced on command. until all the publicity the last few months i assumed it was only a problem with my car which happens infrequently. *tr

The vehicle raced backwards when the gear was shifted into reverse. *mr *tt *jb see odi 10019875 *dsy

The vehicle experienced sudden acceleration when the gear was shifted from park to drive, and collided with seven other vehicle's. *jb consumer tried to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes however the brakes failed and the engine continued to race. *tt *jb see also odi 10025068 *dsy

The consumer experienced sudden acceleration immediately after the purchase of a certified used vehicle. the consumer applied the brake but the vehicle didn't respond. the ignition had to be turned off in order to stop the vehicle. (model xle) mr scc *jb the consumer stated another vehicle pulled in front of him, he braked and swerved to avoid a collision. as he braked an swerved to the right, the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated. the vehicle continued to accelerate as he steered to the left and attempted to brake to correct the initial swerve to the right. he then steered back to the right, then left, then right, in an attempt to control the vehicle. all of that time, he was applying the brake. in trying to gain control of the vehicle, the consumer crossed three lanes of traffic before the vehicle finally slammed sideways into a concrete median. *jb updated 04/09/10. *jb

When the vehicle was placed in reverse, it all of sudden surged forward. *jb updated7/2/12 *cn

2003 toyota camry 3.0l v6 (midyear 210hp motor) the vehicle did not accelerate the way it was designed. the toyota representative stated it was normal. the consumer believed it was dangerous when the accelerator pedal was pressed, because sometimes the vehicle did not move immediately. when the pedal accelerator pedal was pushed further toward the floor, the vehicle bolted out into traffic with a rush of power. the toyota representative stated that was how the car was engineered, and he could not do anything about it. the lead mechanic said the consumer needed to get used to it. it had been 5 months since the consumer purchased the vehicle. *ak *ts *jb

I had backed out of parking space. when i put 2003 toyota camry in drive, it surged forward. i braked but the vehicle accelerated. i depressed brake fully, nonetheless the car accelerated uncontrollably and very quickly. vehicle only stopped by violent collision with two parked vehicles and cement blocks. only good fortune prevented deaths of any passers by. witnesses observed my foot fully on the depressed brake pedal as the car was at rest after the accident.

Followup to odi #10256120. informed by toyota rep that your agency performed two investigations f the 2003 camry respecting acceleration surges but returned no findings of vehicle failure.your website recounts about 130 reports of such 2003 camry failures mostly (102) under vehicle speed control , some under power train auto trans & vsc accelerator pedal. for ford taurus i counted 12; honda accord and chevrolet malibu 20+ - all for model year 2003. as % of cars sold quite small even for camry but as an occurrence ratio of 6-1 or 10-1 vs. the other models quite impressive.. the fact you conducted two investigations of camry is telling in and of itself. how many accelerator investigations did you conduct for the 2003 taurus, accord & malibu? absent an airplane like recorder how can you be assured that there was no vehicular failure? the alternative is to imply that camry operators are less competent than drivers of other makes... *tr harvey miller

Toyota camry-2003-sudden surge. *ak updated 7/3/12 *cn updated 07/12/12

I own a 2003 camry xle purchased new from a local dealer in carson city, nv. i have had problems with the transmission surging, lurching and hesitating since purchased. i requested the service dept to check it out many times. they always said nothing was wrong leading me to believe i was crazy. after the 4th time i printed out many other consumer complaints, they still told me "nothing was wrong" but they said toyota is putting in a whole new transmission. that was in 2006. wow, if nothing was wrong why would they go to that expense? now after all that has come to light with the toyota problems, i see why. i am not comfortable with this car and know that it has the potential for sudden unintended acceleration. updated 03/19/10