Car Accelerates On Its Own problems of the 2003 Toyota Camry - part 1

On December 7,2017, I was in a parking lot in florida. As I started going into a parking space, the car began to surge. I had a loss of steering and braking. I almost hit the car next to me. Luckily that did not happen. I kept pressing down on the brake, but it took time for the steeering wheel to respond to me. I shut off the car because it seemed like the car had a mind of its own. I had 2 witnesses in the car. Who saw that my car was in drive, and that my foot was on the brake pedal. The passenger checked the floor mat, and it was lying completely flat. I do not know why I had this loss of control. This also happened to me in 2010, when I had unintended acceleration,and my car hit a tree. I am now afraid to drive my car, and willl not do so because I feel it is unsafe.

During normal highway driving vehicle unexpectedly accelerated to full throttle. Gas pedal was tapped several times which did not remedy the problem. Vehicle was placed in neutral and engine shut off.

The contact owned a 2003 Toyota Camry. While idling, the vehicle accelerated rapidly in reverse on its own without warning. As a result, the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle and a picnic table. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed and destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

When backing out of the driveway the car suddenly accelerated and at a high rate of speed shot across the street hitting the curb blowing the tires and hitting a telephone pole and tore up the neighbors lawn before coming to a stop due to the lack of traction. My wife was stepping on the brakes and the car continued to accelerate. We had owned the car for 5 years and never had any issue with it. I looked and the mat had not moved in any way to impede the foot pedal. We contacted Toyota and let them examine the vehicle and the reply said it was due to an aftermarket floor mat. They did not reveal what the computer data recorded. They refused to acknowledge it could of been anything else.

I was pulling into a parking spot at a local dry cleaners. As I was pulling into a parking spot, the vehicle suddenly surged rapidly forward going over a concrete barrier and hit a concrete wall. Unintended sudden acceleration.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while at a stop light, the vehicle exhibited abnormal and unintended acceleration, crashing into the rear of a second vehicle. No police report was taken. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 53,000.

2003 Toyota Camry. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle sudden acceleration. The consumer stated as she was driving into a covered parking garage, retrieved her parking ticket and proceeded up the ramp, the engine suddenly revved to a speed she could not control. She tried to pump the brakes, but to no avail. She hit a parked truck and that stopped the vehicle, moving the truck approximately 6-8 feet. The consumer stated it was practically a front end collision and the air bags failed to deploy. The insurance company totaled the vehicle. Updated 05/13/jb.

I was driving into a parking spot. As I lifted my foot off the accelerator to slow down the car suddenly accelerated. Under my foot, the gas pedal moved on its own, speeding up to frightening intensity. My first attempt to brake did not disengage the acceleration. I continued to apply pressure on the brake. Finally, the abs kicked in (I felt the pulsating of the braking) and car stopped, after going over a concrete parking barrier, a curb, up an incline and striking a 6 foot tall commercial fence. The impact pushed over the fence to about a 75 degree angle. I had the car towed to my local Toyota dealer which examined the car (they said), checked for "codes" regarding my model and told me there is no problem.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. While stopped a traffic stop, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently and without warning. The contact crashed into a fence, causing damage to a residential home. The police reported to the scene and a report was filed. The driver of the vehicle was transported to the hospital via ambulance and was treated for a concussion, bruises and lacerations. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and ruled as destroyed. The cause of the failure was undetermined. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while driving at a low speed and parking her vehicle, it suddenly accelerated. The vehicle crashed into a glass window of a business. No one was injured in the crash. The police were contacted. The vehicle was towed to a independent mechanic where the cause of the failure is pending an investigation. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure and current mileages were approximately 115,000.

My mother had complained of her 2003 Toyota Camry having minor sudden acceleration. She asked my uncle (a "backyard" mechanic). My uncle said he didn't have the expertise to check that; so she had my sister check online who found that her car was not under recall for this problem. We believe mother had it checked out at an auto repair shop. Since dealerships are typically much more expensive than local auto repair shops, we believe she had the car checked out at the latter. This was about 2 years ago. On may 2, 2011, she was killed in a single automobile accident. When we received the police report, it said the witnesses said the car seemed to accelerate when it left the city street. Since she was coming up to a stop sign, she should have been going between 15-25 mph, but the car was totaled, and the police officer said the damage to the car was consistent with the reports that she accelerated. The way I interpret the police report drawing is that mother tried to avoid a collision twice: it appears to me that she may have swerved to the left lane to avoid hitting the rear of the car in front of her and, seeing the car in the opposite lane coming toward her, she may have swerved again, which took her off the street and directly, almost immediately, in the path to the tree which she hit with great force. According to paramedics, she probably never had consciousness after impact, so we don't know what happened for sure. The hospital er physician reported in error to the police that mother had brain cancer and may have had some sort of event (blood clot bursting in her brain). She did not have brain cancer, and from what I've learned from speaking with my physician, it is very rare that an event causing a person's leg to stiffen forcing acceleration. Add all the information we have about this accident combined with the fact that she had complained of sudden acceleration leads us to wonder about the cause of the accident.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that when the driver was making a turn and slowing down, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a tree. The driver was injured as a result. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was filed. The manufacturer had not been notified. The VIN was unavailable. The current and failure mileages were approximately 43,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact was entering a parking space and accelerating slightly when the vehicle abnormally lurched forward and then accelerated. The contact attempted to abruptly apply the brakes and shifted into park yet the vehicle crashed into a concrete slab which stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and a diagnostic was performed. The dealer advised that a failure was not located within the vehicle to cause unintended acceleration but did advise that the brakes failed. The contact was awaiting repairs to the body damage. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry le. The contact was sitting at a stop light when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact abruptly applied the brakes and was able to stop the vehicle against the curb. The manufacturer advised having the vehicle diagnosed by an authorized dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 107,768.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. While the contact was driving in reverse approximately 2 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The vehicle uncontrollably traveled over a curb and continued onto the lawn, then crashed into a wooden fence. There was no personal injury. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to a dealer where they refused to inspect the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was waiting upon a response from the manufacturer pertaining to the unintended acceleration. The failure mileage was 50,420.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact was reversing 2 mph when the vehicle independently, rapidly accelerated. The contact attempted to apply the brakes but the vehicle did not stop. The vehicle drove over several curbs and crashed through a fence before independently stopping. The rear bumper, tires and rims were damaged. A police report was available. Both the manufacturer and the contact's insurance company were investigating the cause of failure. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 50,400.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated that while parking and shifting into reverse, the vehicle suddenly accelerated backward and crashed into a tree. The contact suffered minor injuries. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not examined for the cause of the failure. The current and failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Only owner of 2003 Camry, after pulling into covered parking deck into normal parking space which happens to be on an incline (ramp going up to next level) I felt sudden acceleration in the gas pedal and the vehicle lurched forward. I immediately tried to brake in time, but not before the car jumped over the concrete stopper in the spot and made impact with the concrete ledge ahead. Damage to front fender, hood and left front quarter. No physical injury was sustained. Contacted personal insurance and filed case with Toyota. Toyota will inspect the vehicle and respond within 30 business days. Meanwhile I am responsible for my $1000 deductible and left driving a vehicle that I do not feel safe in.

Letter from congressman van hollen on behalf of constituent, re his concerns about unintended acceleration of his 2003 Toyota Camry the consumer stated as soon he started the vehicle and made a turn in front of his building, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. He attempted to apply the brakes, but the vehicle did not stop and continued to accelerate out of control. The vehicle continued out of control onto a grassy area, hit three curbs and as a result, the front tires went flat and the wheels were completely bent. The vehicle finally jumped the side of the curb of the parking lot and the front end crashed to the ground. The air bag deployed and the consumer suffered second degree burns on his right arm, and his wife's left hand and fingers were bruised. Updated 08/24/jb.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. While traveling at 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning causing the contact to crash into a nearby wooden fence. There were no injuries and a police report was filed for the incident. The vehicle was not diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 38,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact was driving 20 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact was unable to stop the vehicle and crashed into a tree. The vehicle was towed to the contacts home to be inspected by the insurance company. The current and failure mileages were approximately 85,000. Updated 11/03/10. Updated 11/22/10 updated 11/23/jb.

While pulling into a driveway with right foot on the brake my 2003 Camry suddenly accelerated striking another vehicle parked in the same driveway. Sudden acceleration has been a frequent problem when driving at higher speeds and is corrected by tapping the brake. Nothing has been done yet to correct the problem as the vehicle is out of warranty.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 mph in reverse, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into a garage door. The contacts foot was depressing the brake in an attempt to stop the vehicle; however, upon impact, the vehicle continued the unintended acceleration and proceeded into traffic. The vehicle crashed a second time into the front end of another vehicle. There were no injuries. There was no mention of a police report being filed. The vehicle continued to stall intermittently but was restarted. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop. The manufacturer advised the contact that an investigator would further inspect the vehicle failures. The failure and the current mileages were 44,000. Updated 5/6/10 the consumer stated as he was backing out of his driveway, when the vehicle swerved with a great amount of force and crashed in his garage doorway and did severe damage. The consumer stated he placed his foot on the brake and a split-second later, the vehicle was rushing forward at a high speed through his parking space and into traffic on a two-way road in front of his driveway where he collided with a passing vehicle that was turning left. Updated 05/13/10.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. Yesterday the contact wife experienced an unintended acceleration. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked and upon putting the gear in reverse, the vehicle accelerated across the parking lot and crashed into an iron fence. The contact had the vehicle towed to an authorized dealership and the dealer has informed the contact that the vehicle was destroyed. The police were called and the contact will be obtaining a police report. The passenger hit her head but did not see a doctor. The manufacturer was not contacted as of yet. The failure mileage was 99,200 and the current mileage was 99,220. Updated 04/09/10. Updated 09/16/jb.

Backing into parking space in front of back porch about 8 feet form porch car suddenly accelerated in reverse causing damage to car and porch.

On 11/10/09,while backing out of a parking lot, my vehicle suddenly accelerated colliding with a parked utility truck. My insurance company paid approximately $9800 for repairs to my vehicle. On 1/4/2010 my vehicle suddenly accelerated, coming out of a parking lot, even depressing the brake pedal as hard as I could would not stop the vehicle. I went out into the main traffic stream. Luckily there was no accident, just irate drivers. Each incident lasted only seconds then went to normal operation. I have a 2003 Toyota Camry, xle, v-6 which I purchased new and the mileage was approximately 44,000 miles. I have experienced no other problems but am wondering if I will and when. Have you had any other reports such as mine?.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. While entering a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated over an embankment, and then into a cement wall. The driver received injuries to the lower part of the body. The insurance company took the vehicle to the body shop. The insurance company also investigated the accelerator, and concluded that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. However, two years prior the vehicle suddenly accelerated several times. When the failure occurred he was able to regain vehicle control, the failure mileage was 55,000. The current mileage was 60,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. While entering a parking space with his foot on the brake pedal at speeds of less than 15 mph, the vehicle accelerated and crashed into a retail store. There were three people inside the store that were severely injured and transported to a hospital. The police were also called to the scene and a report was filed. None of the occupants in the contacts vehicle were injured. The contacts insurance company hired an outside expert to assess the vehicle failure. The expert stated that the floor mat was not properly secured on the driver's side and could have caused the unintended acceleration. The insurance company deemed the cause of the crash due to a possible defect in how the vehicle was manufactured. The VIN was not available. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. Updated 05/25/bf updated 06/02/10.

Driver/owner of 2003 Toyota Camry in garage. Placed veh. In reverse and experienced sudden unintended acceleration, causing driver to zoom across street and crash into a tree, sustaining serious personal injuries including but not limited to neurological injuries, partial paralysis, hematoma, fractured vertebrae in upper thoracic area, spine damage, rectum/colon damage and injuries, requiring driver to wear diapers and be fed through feeding tube. Passenger sustained chipped tooth, whiplash, and other injuries.

10/06/09 accident--uncontrolled acceleration 2003 Toyota Camry causing extensive damage to car and rear garage wall. Because car has not appeared on recall lists my insurance CO. Advises I am responsible for the accident and will face increased premium. I feel this unfair and unjust. This was the most terrifying experience of my life. Any help you can give me would be appreciated. I was advised to register my complaint with you by tv consumer advocate "7 on your side". The car was parked when I started it to put in garage--therefore, I cannot put proper speed in area subsequent to this section.

I was slowly pulling into a parking spot at the mall and the car suddenly accelerated and I crashed into a tree. The engine sounded like it was driving 100mph. I called the Toyota dealer and they said it was probably due to the car mats. I don't believe that because my mats were in place after the crash. There was major damage to the car and the tree.

I purchased a 2003 Toyota Camry in the fall of 2002. One week after the purchase I was at a stop sign, with my foot on the brake, and the car suddenly accelerated. I tapped the accelerator but the engine continued to accelerate with the tachometer reading nearly 9,000 rpm's. I turned the engine off with the ignition. The next day I called my dealer (fitzgerald Toyota, chambersburg, PA. ) and reported the incident and it was suggested I had stepped on the accelerator vs. The brake. I didn't argue the point and the car performed fine up until two weeks ago when the same thing happened twice within three days. I spoke with fitzgerald Toyota yesterday (jay newcomer) to ascertain if anyone else had reported a similar problem. I was told "fitzgerald hadn't heard anything about a problem with sudden acceleration. This morning I checked on the internet and found this problem was fairly common with Toyota's of that year plus other year's models. Is the NHTSA aware of a problem with Toyota's and sudden acceleration?.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) hello, I know the last thing you people need is yet another complaint about Toyota, but I had an incident last year while driving my father's 2003 Camry. I never filed a complaint with NHTSA or Toyota, because after the incident when I took the car to the local Toyota dealer, they tried to belittle me when I inquired about running a diagnostics on the car's behavior. I really thought it was just one of those things I couldn't go up against, so I let it go. I experienced sudden acceleration while parking the car and the car surged forward and hit another car. Nobody was hurt, thankfully. We got the car fixed, but since then nobody wants to drive the car. It's been sitting in the garage, driven about 3x in the entire last year. I am 38 years old, great driving record, and am totally positive my foot was on the brake (as we were slowing to a stop). I have read other incidents that are almost identical to mine. Anyways, that's it. I am more than happy to provide more information if necessary. [xxx].

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Camry. While attempting to turn at 40 mph the vehicle began to accelerate without intention. After repeated brake application he was able to stop the vehicle. Shortly afterwards while reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle rapidly accelerated. He was able to stop the vehicle by using the same method. He was in process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. The current mileage was approximately 80,000. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. Updated 2/26/10 the dealer was unable to find any problems/ updated 05/17/10.

I have experienced several incidents of sudden acceleration in my 2003 Toyota Camry. I took it into a Toyota dealer when it first happened, but they did nothing.