2003 Toyota Camry Wipers & Visibility Problems

2003 TOYOTA CAMRY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO ACCESSORY OUTLET(CIGARETTE LIGHTER) AND REAR WINDOWS NOT WORKING. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO HER, SHE WAS INFORMED THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER HAD A SHORT AND HAD BEEN FIXED. SHE WAS ALSO TOLD THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW MOTOR WAS BURNED OUT AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE TWO FRONT WINDOWS WERE WORKING. THE CONSUMER DECLINED THE REPAIRS FOR THE WINDOW. HOWEVER, THE NEXT WEEK, THE PASSENGER WINDOW STOPPED WORKING. A FEW WEEKS LATER, SHE RECEIVED A NOTICE IN THE MAIL, IN WHICH A RECALL HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR A FAULTY WINDOW CONTROL BUTTON ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR, BUT FOR THE 2006 MODELS. THE CONSUMER STATED ONE DAY IT RAINED, AND AFTER IT STOPPED, THE WINDOWS STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. *JB

SUN ROOF/MOON ROOF GETTING JAMMED AND NOT CLOSING PROPERLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR DROPPED AND BLOCKED THE CONTACT'S VISION OF THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SUN VISOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

THERE'S A DESIGN FLAW IN TOYOTA SOLARA MODELS 1999-2003 (THE MODEL CHANGED IN 2004), AND IT'S THIS: AT THE VERY TOP OF THE BACK OF THE BACK SEAT, WHERE THE SEAT FABRIC IS TUCKED INTO THE PLASTIC BACK, THIS BACKING HAS A 'LIP' THAT STICKS OUT AND CATCHES ON THE CONVERTIBLE TOP EACH TIME IT'S LOWERED OR RAISED, USUALLY SNAGGING THE TOP OF THE BACK WINDOW. THIS CONSTANT SNAGGING OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP ON THIS HARD PLASTIC LIP CAUSES TWO ISSUES: 1) THE PLASTIC 'LIP' ITSELF IS WEAKENED, LOSES INTEGRITY, SUFFERS A FATIGUE CRACK, AND BREAKS. 2) THE STITCHING OF THE CONVERTIBLE TOP AT THE TOP OF THE BACK WINDOW LOSES ITS INTEGRITY, AND THE BACK WINDOW BECOMES SEPARATED FROM THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. THIS RESULTS IN A GAP BETWEEN THE CONVERTIBLE TOP AND THE TOP OF THE BACK WINDOW, WHICH CAN (AND DID, IN MY CASE) RESULT IN THE WINDOW CATCHING ON THE BACK OF THE SEAT AND COMPLETELY SHATTERING. WHEN MY WINDOW SHATTERED, I TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE PERSON THERE TOLD ME HE HAS FREQUENTLY SEEN THIS ISSUE WITH MY MODEL OF SOLARA (UP TO YEAR 2003) SOLELY DUE TO THE LIP AT THE TOP OF THE SEAT BACK ITS ALWAYS SNAGGING THE CONVERTIBLE ROOF WITH EACH OPENING OR CLOSING. HE TOLD ME THAT THIS DESIGN FLAW WAS CORRECTED IN THE REDESIGNED TOYOTA SOLARA THAT WAS RELEASED IN 2004, AND ALL SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS. FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE COVERAGE, THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. FOR THOSE, LIKE ME, WHO HAVE COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE COVERAGE, THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO PAY FOR. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AS A CONSUMER, AND FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM -- AT NO CHARGE -- OF ALL EFFECTED MODELS. THE REPAIR IS SIMPLE: THEY NEED ONLY CUT AWAY THE LIP FROM THE SEAT BACK, AS IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE INTEGRITY OF THE BACK SEAT, ITSELF, AS SHOWN BY ITS DISAPPEARANCE IN THE LATER MODELS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA CAMRY. WHILE DRIVING HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND THEN THE SUN ROOF SHATTERED. HE SWERVED INTO ANOTHER LANE, BUT QUICKLY REGAINED CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING INSPECTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 22,714. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2003 TOYOTA CAMRY LE; SUN VISOR AND CUP HOLDER BROKE, REAR CAR STEREO SPEAKERS HAVE BECOME SO BRITTLE, THEY CRACK AT THE TOUCH. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE QUALITY OF EVERYTHING IS SO BAD AND THE CONSUMER SUFFERS AS A RESULT OF IT. A TOYOTA DEALER GAVE ME A PRICE OVER $900 FOR ALL REPAIRS, BUT OVER $400 FOR THE SPEAKER COVERS, THEY SAID THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE WHOLE BACK PANEL. I WENT TO AN AUTO ACCESSORY SHOP, HE CAN BUY THE COVERS FROM A TOYOTA DEALER FOR $40, PUT THEM ON FOR $65, TOTAL $105. WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA I WAS TOLD THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. PRIOR TO THIS, THE UPHOLSTERY IN THE ROOF OF MY CAR CAME APART AT THE REAR WINDOW. TOYOTA REPAIRED THIS PROBLEM, BUT THEY NEVER EXPLAINED TO ME WHY I HAD TO REPLACE MY TIRES BEFORE I HAD 10, 000 MILES ON THEM, I THINK THEY WERE JUST BAD TIRES. IF ANY OF THESE ISSUES CAN BE ADDRESSED I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE NEWER CARS. THIS IS MY THIRD TOYOTA, BUT I NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS WHEN THEY BELIEVED IN QUALITY. *TR

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH FRONT DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS, WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LOCKS. AFTER A WHILE, BOTH REAR DOOR LOCKS FAILED. THE DEALER HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK THE POWER WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE. UPDATED 01/11/06. *JB

GLASS IN SUNROOF UNEXPLAINABLY "EXPLODED" WHILE DRIVING.

WINDOW MOTOR BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. MECHANIC SAYS NO WAY SHOULD A MOTOR BREAK ON A 2 YEAR OLD CAR. INTERNET BLOGS FULL OF STORIES OF WINDOW MOTORS BREAKING ON TOYOTA VEHICLES. REPLACEMENT COST IS $700 WHICH IS RIDICULOUS.

THERE IS A CRACKING SOUND COMING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER CHECK THE VEHICLE AND STATED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER ONE YEAR AGO AND THEY STATED THEY HAD NO RECORD. *JB. NOISE WAS CAUSED BY OOSE MOLDING, WHICH IS COSMETIC AND NOT SAFETY RELATED. *AK

THE VEHICLE WAS HIT BY A SEMI TRUCK AND TOTALED. NONE OF THE VEHICLE'S AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *NM THE HEADREST WAS SHAPED INCORRECTLY FOR A SHORT PERSON AND THE WINDSHIELDS REFLECTIVE PROPERTIES WERE DISTRACTING WHEN DRIVING ON BRIGHTLY SUNLIT DAYS. *SC

REARVIEW MIRROR INADEQUATE SERIOUS BLIND SPOTS. WORSE THAN ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE DRIVEN IN 40 YEARS! 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY-ALL. *AK

THE OWNER INDICATED THAT THE DEFROSTER IN THE FRONT AND REAR WINDOWS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. WHEN THE OWNER PICKED UP THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALER, THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING. *AK

WINDSHIELD HAS ONE TINY MARK THAT I WOULD DESCRIBE EXACTLY THE WAY THE FIRST COMPLAINANT DESCRIBED IT, LIKE A TINY NAIL MARK. THE WINDSHIELD IS CRACKING BY THIS MARK. PERIODICALLY, I WOULD HEAR A LOUD NOISE LIKE A ROCK HAD HIT MY WINDSHIELD BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DISCERN WHAT HAD HAPPENED. IT WAS A MYSTERY BECAUSE THE FIRST COUPLE OF TIMES THAT I HEARD THE NOISE, THERE WERE NO VEHICLES AROUND ME THAT COULD HAVE THROWN A ROCK. AFTER HEARING THIS NOISE A FEW TIMES, A CRACK STARTED APPEARING AT THE TOP OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. I HAVE HAD THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW FROM EXAMINE IT AND THEY CLAIM IT WAS CAUSED BY A ROCK. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WHEN IT HAPPENED I HAD MY STEREO ON AND DID NOT KNOW IT HAPPENED. BUT THE STARTLING SOUND THAT A ROCK DOES MAKE WHEN IT HITS THE WINDSHIELD WITH THAT MUCH FORCE IS HARD TO MISS. *JB

I PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA SOLARA IN OCT. 2003. ON JANUARY 17, 2004 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH CARS ABOUT 50 YARDS OR MORE IN FRONT OF MINE AND NOTICED A CRACK IN THE CENTER OF MY WINDSHIELD THAT LOOKED LIKE IT STATED AT THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD. IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE UNTIL IT CAME UP ABOUT 10 INCHES FROM THE BASE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND CLEAR OVER TO THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (NOT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR) TO LOOK AT IT. THE SERVICE TECH. SAID SOMETHING MUST HAVE HIT IT BECAUSE THE HE SAW A CHIP IN THE GLASS JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE CRACK ABOUT 2-3 MILLIMETERS IN DIAMETER AND ABOUT 1-2 MILLIMETERS IN DEPTH. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE IT AT ANY CHARGE TO ME. I KNOW NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD AND I FEEL THE GLASS IS DEFECTIVE AND CRACKED DUE TO THE COLD OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AND HEAT FROM THE DEFROSTER.

THE CD CHANGER INITIALLY HAD ISSUES WITH PLAYING CDR (CDS MADE ON A COMPUTER AT HOME). IT WOULD SKIP ALL OF THE TIME. IT ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH REGULAR CDS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO FAST-FORWARD OR REVERSE TO A SPECIFIC AREA OF A SONG TRACK. IT TOOK A VISIT AND A COUPLE TELEPHONE CALLS TO TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE TO GET THEM TO AGREE TO REPLACE THE CD CHANGER. EVER SINCE THIS WAS REPLACED, I HAVE HAD NO FURTHER ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE THEN. HOWEVER, IN THE CAMRY THAT I HAD AS A LOANER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN ON 7/28/03, THAT VEHICLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH ITS CD CHANGER AND I TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER ABOUT IT. THE MOON ROOF HAS HAD ISSUES SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2003. BASICALLY, IT HAS BEEN LEAKING AND A WATER NOISE IS HEARD WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WHICH IS NOT NORMAL AND THE RADIO NEEDS TO BE TURNED UP TO DROWN THE SOUND OUT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS FOR FOUR TIMES. THE LAST TIME IT WAS IN WAS ON 7/28/2003. AT THAT POINT OF TIME, THE MOON ROOF WAS NOT EVEN CLOSING COMPLETELY. TOYOTA FLEW A FIELD TECHNICIAN FROM CALIFORNIA TO KANSAS CITY FOR THE REPAIR. HE CLAIMS THAT THE REASON FOR THE MOON ROOF NOT CLOSING WAS BECAUSE THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED WHEN THE HEATED LEATHER SEATS WERE INSTALLED AND THAT CAUSED THE TIMING FOR THE ROOF TO BECOME CORRUPTED. THE DEALERSHIP NEVER SAW THIS PROBLEM EVER WITH ANY 2002-2003 MODEL CAMRY AND THAT IS WHY A FIELD TECH WAS SENT OUT. AFTER HE FIXED THE SUNROOF, I WAS ASSURED BY CHARLES EPP, TOYOTA'S REGIONAL MANAGER, THAT MY VEHICLE WAS FULLY REPAIRED AND HE PERSONALLY ASSURED ME THAT IT WAS TESTED FOR WATER ISSUES TOO AND THAT EVERYTHING WAS CORRECTED BY RESETTING THE TIMING. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE SHORTLY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE MOON ROOF IS STILL LEAKING AND HAVING WATER NOISES DURING HIGHWAY OPERATIONS DURING RAINSTORMS. RECENTLY, I HAD AN ARBITRATION HEARING AT JAY WOLFE TOYOTA WITH AN ARBITRATOR FROM NCDS.

I PURCHASED A 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY IN JAN. 2003 SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS, BUT THE ONE THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST IS TINY POCK MARKS ALL OVER MY FRONT WINDSHILED. IT LOOKS AS IF SOMEONE TOOK A NAIL AND TAPPED LITTLE TINY NICKS ON THE GLASS. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS HAPPENED, SEEING AS I DO NOT TAILGATE ANY VEHICLE ESPECIALLY TRUCKERS. THE DEALERSHIP IS GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT BUT THEY THINK THIS IS MY FAULT SOME HOW.

WHILE TRAVELING, THE CONSUMER FELT HOT AIR BLOWING FROM THE AIR VENTS WHILE THE UNIT WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONSUMER HAD TO TRAVEL WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AT ALL TIMES. DEALER CONTACTED. *AK *CB *JB

MY 2003 TOYOTA XL CAMRY HAS A CONTROL THAT CLOSES THE DRIVER'S WINDOW. WHEN ACTIVATED YOU CAN RELEASE THE BUTTON AND THE WINDOW CONTINUES TO CLOSE. THERE IS NO SAFETY STOP WHICH STOPS THE ACTION WHEN THE BUTTON IS RELEASED. THIS CAN BE A FATAL EXPOSURE TO A CHILD OR ADULT CAUGHT IN THE PATH OF THE WINDOW. *JB

THE POWER WINDOWS WENT UP BY THEMSELVES, WITHOUT THE BUTTON BEING PRESSED.*JB