CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware of the NHTSA complaint data for the 2003 Camry. It is almost certainly misleading.
The problem with NHTSA data for the 2003 Camry is that for months on end, the news media repeatedly told the public that several Toyota models had an unintended acceleration defect, & to go to safercar.gov (the NHTSA's website) to file a complaint.
So, the NHTSA received a disproportionate number of complaints about Toyota unintended acceleration issues because of the national news media attention, to the point where their data is unreliable taken in context with any other vehicle that did not receive national news attention.
CarComplaints.com typically receives more complaints per day about vehicles than the NHTSA does, but the news media did not repeatedly say "go to CarComplaints.com to report your Camry acceleration problems" like they did about the NHTSA -- so although we have less complaint data than the NHTSA for the 2003 Camry, our data for the Camry is a far more statistically accurate representation of the Camry's reliability than what the NHTSA data shows.
The driver's side seat belt comes unfastened when going down the road. This happens several times a week. Seems to happen more often if just hit a big bump like a rock the size of a baby's head or a deep pothole at speed. Went to junk yard to get a different latch and learned that the guy's neighbor has a 2003 Camry, same year as mine, with exact same problem. Can pull and pull on the seat belt and it stays fastened. Seat belt IS secure and light is off. Then it comes unfastened and light/buzzer sound while driving down the road. Very dangerous! Can't believe there isn't a recall for this.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The driver's side seat belt comes unfastened when going down the road. This happens several times a week. Seems to happen more often if just hit a big bump like a rock the size of a baby's head or a deep pothole at speed. Went to junk yard to get a different latch and learned that the guy's neighbor has a 2003 Camry, same year as mine, with exact same problem. Can pull and pull on the seat belt and it stays fastened. Seat belt IS secure and light is off. Then it comes unfastened and light/buzzer sound while driving down the road. Very dangerous! Can't believe there isn't a recall for this.
- maryeileen, Stanfield, US