# 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY — ENGINE
> NHTSA complaint `967068` · 2013-03-07 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** CAMRY
- **Year:** 2003
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** ENGINE
- **Miles at failure:** 173,000
- **Speed:** 35 mph
## Narrative
IN NOVEMBER 2012, I WAS TOLD BY MY THE DEALER THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN MY WATER PUMP IN MY 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY.  I GOT A SECOND OPINION AND I WAS TOLD THAT MY WATER PUMP HAD A SLOW LEAK AND THAT I SHOULD GET IT REPAIRED.  IN DECEMBER 2012, MY CAR RAN HOT AND WAS SMOKING REALLY BAD.  DEALER STATED THAT MY I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.  I ASKED WHAT WAS THE ISSUE AND THEY STATED THAT MY HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN.  I ASKED THE DEALER COULD THEY REPAIR THE HEAD GASKETS AND THE ANSWER WAS I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE.  GOT A SECOND OPINION WHO THEN TOLD ME THAT I HAD STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS AND CAR COULD BE REPAIRED.  HAD CAR REPAIRED AND THE CAR IS RUNNING FINE 173,000.  I STARTED DOING RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND LITERALLY I FOUND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE.  I PROCEEDED TO CALL TOYOTA (TWICE) AND THE SECOND CALL DID ADMIT THAT THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED IN NOV 2011 ALERTING THE DEALERS HOW TO REPAIR THE STRIPPED HEAD BOLTS.    I COULD NOT BELIEVE HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS ISSUE AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 2.4 ENGINE FOR THE 2003 TOYOTA CAMRY.  TOYOTA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THIS YEARS CAMRY.  AND WHAT IS FURTHER MORE DISHEARTENING IS THAT THE REPRESENTATIVE AT TOYOTA SAID THAT I SHOULD EXPECT TO MAKE REPAIRS ON MY CAR WITH THE TYPE OF MILEAGE I HAVE.  AND I DO AGREE BUT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET MORE WITHOUT THE DEFECT.    IS THERE ANY WAY I CAN GET TOYOTA TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT BY FILING THIS CLAIM AND 
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*