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U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Toyota CAMRY SOLARA: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

60 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

70,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: . 41 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 10 of 60 complaints (16.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Braking behavior1931.7%
Transmission and shifting46.7%
Steering behavior35.0%
Engine operation11.7%
Electrical and battery issues11.7%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Vehicle Speed Control
10
Air Bags
9
Seat Belts
6
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
5
Air Bags:Frontal
3
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
3
Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal
3
Engine And Engine Cooling
2
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Vehicle Speed Control10
Air Bags9
Seat Belts6
Service Brakes, Hydraulic5
Air Bags:Frontal3
Power Train:Automatic Transmission3
Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal3
Engine And Engine Cooling2

Vehicle Speed Control: 10; Air Bags: 9; Seat Belts: 6; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 5; Air Bags:Frontal: 3; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 3; Vehicle Speed Control:Accelerator Pedal: 3; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
10
25,000 to 49,999
6
50,000 to 74,999
7
75,000 to 99,999
9
100,000 to 149,999
8
150,000 and above
1
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,00010
25,000 to 49,9996
50,000 to 74,9997
75,000 to 99,9999
100,000 to 149,9998
150,000 and above1

Under 25,000: 10; 25,000 to 49,999: 6; 50,000 to 74,999: 7; 75,000 to 99,999: 9; 100,000 to 149,999: 8; 150,000 and above: 1

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (10). 19 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2002
4
2003
4
2004
8
2005
2
2006
3
2008
4
2009
5
2010
12
2011
2
2012
1
2013
2
2014
3
2015
3
2016
4
2019
2
2024
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20024
20034
20048
20052
20063
20084
20095
201012
20112
20121
20132
20143
20153
20164
20192
20241

2002: 4; 2003: 4; 2004: 8; 2005: 2; 2006: 3; 2008: 4; 2009: 5; 2010: 12; 2011: 2; 2012: 1; 2013: 2; 2014: 3; 2015: 3; 2016: 4; 2019: 2; 2024: 1

Pattern summary

Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 19 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 4 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 3 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10006153 · 2003-02-03 (February 3, 2003)

THE ENTIRE MUFFLER HAD TURNED BLACK. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND JUMPED OUT BEFORE CAR WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT. DOCTOR DIAGNOSED CONSUMER WITH CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING. PH *TT

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006153 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007847 · 2003-02-20 (February 20, 2003)

TRANSMISSION LINKAGE PROBLEMS. WHEN SLOWING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS OR WHILE IN MOTION, UPON ACCELERATION, TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS AND THEN UPSHIFTS ABRUPTLY IN A VERY DISTURBING ABNORMAL WAY. IT HAPPENS CONSTANTLY DURING NORMAL CITY DRIVING. YOU MUST BE VERY CAREFUL TO BE "GENTLE" WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER SLOWING DOWN. THIS WILL BE MY VERY LAST TOYOTA.

Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10007847 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017187 · 2003-04-18 (April 18, 2003)

CONSUMER BACKED VEHICLE INTO POLE AND APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE THEN WENT INTO EXTENDED ACCELERATION WHICH RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. UPDATED 7/2/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN SHE PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERESE, SHE HIT A POLE WITH HER REAR BUMPER, SHE THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVER, AND THE ACCELERATOR JAMMED INTO THE ON POSITION, AND THEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATOR OUT OF CONTROL. UPDATED 08/06/12

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10017187 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10019774 · 2003-07-03 (July 3, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. NEITHER OF THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. *NLM THE CONSUMER HIT AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD AND LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER HEAD ON. *SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10019774 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10056537 · 2004-02-04 (February 4, 2004)

I WAS IN "REVERSE" AND BACKED INTO A CONCRETE POLE IN MY OFFICE PARKING GARAGE. I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CAR JUMPED INTO "DRIVE," AND RAPIDLY ACCELERATED, AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO MY EFFORTS TO BRAKE. I THEN HIT A CONCRETE POLE HEAD ON, WHICH TOTALED MY VEHICLE.*AK ON A PRIOR OCCASION THAT HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY 2003, THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET TO 60-65 MPH. WITHOUT INPUT, THE VEHICLE SPEED INCREASED RAPIDLY TO 80-85 MPH. THE CONSUMER CANCELLED THE CRUISE BY APPLYING THE BRA…

Owner-reported narrative. 14,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10056537 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10060901 · 2004-03-10 (March 10, 2004)

WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON THE CAR SURGED FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES, ALTHOUGH NO INJURIES OR WRECKS HAVE STEMMED FROM ANY OF THIS INCIDENTS. ALSO WHEN I PUT THE CARE IN DRIVE FROM REVERSE SOMETIMES THE CAR SURGES FORWARD WITHOUT APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 19,101 miles reported. Look up ODI 10060901 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10061905 · 2004-03-11 (March 11, 2004)

AT JUST OVER 17,000 MILES ON THE SPEDOMETER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALERSHIP, WHICH INFORMED ME THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A SHIFT SOLENOID. UPON REPLACING THE SHIFT SOLENOID, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE, AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE THE TORQUE CONVERTER ON THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE TECHNICAL EXPERT WAS CONTACTING TOYOTA BECUASE HE COULD NOT DEFINITIVELY PINPOINT THE PROBLEM. I ENQUIRED WHETHER THE PROBLEM COULD BE RELATED TO THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION OF THE THROTTLE VALVE ON 2002 SOLARA'…

Owner-reported narrative. 17,183 miles reported. Look up ODI 10061905 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10062832 · 2004-03-10 (March 10, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH AND ENTERING A TURN LANE CONSUMER PRESSED THE BRAKES AND VEHICLE NEVER SLOWED DOWN. BUT, SURGED FORWARD, AND COLLIDED WITH THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THERE IS A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 27,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10062832 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.