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.
I bought the car last week. Noticed a heavy thump from the rear which sounded like a bad strut or two. Returned to the dealer the next evening, two mechanics drove it, and confirmed problem. Left the car for diagnosis the next week. The head mechanic says it is characteristic of all new Camry's and there is nothing he can do unless Toyota issues a recall after getting enough complaints.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I bought the car last week. Noticed a heavy thump from the rear which sounded like a bad strut or two. Returned to the dealer the next evening, two mechanics drove it, and confirmed problem. Left the car for diagnosis the next week. The head mechanic says it is characteristic of all new Camry's and there is nothing he can do unless Toyota issues a recall after getting enough complaints.
- Arthur J., Nashua, NH, US