2004 Toyota Camry Solara Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2004 Camry Solara most often describe a dash panel that cracks, becomes sticky and in some cases melts, a condition many say began in the first few years of ownership. A second recurring theme involves the car drifting or pulling to one side and, on some examples, steering-shaft or power-steering failures, while a smaller group describes sudden or unintended acceleration and inconsistent brake response.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Cracked, sticky or melting dashboard

   • 36 complaints (22%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 8.3 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2021

   Owners describe cracks appearing across the top of the dash, often spreading from the passenger side or around the instrument and glovebox areas, and in many cases a sticky or melting surface that produces glare in the windshield. Some say the cracking began while the car was still fairly new or within the first few years of purchase. Dealers generally told owners the panel had to be replaced rather than repaired, quoted repair estimates of roughly $2,000 to $3,000, and said no recall applied, although some owners were told a manufacturer warranty enhancement covered similar vehicles. Several owners also worried that cracks near the passenger airbag area could affect airbag function. Reported from very low mileage up to about 130,000 miles, with many complaints filed on cars of 5 to 10 years old and in warm, sunny climates.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the entire dash top, especially above the gauge cluster, around the passenger airbag seam and at the glovebox, for cracks, tackiness or a shiny melted film. Ask whether the dash was ever replaced or covered under the manufacturer's warranty enhancement.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased my car in 2004, new from lipton Toyota. After the warranty expired, the dashboard keeps melting and peeling and cracking. I complained to lipton Toyota to no avail. It is really unfair to pay so much for something and have it falling apart in a matter of years. I think Toyota should own this claim and fix my car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10680765, filed 2015-02, 21,100 miles

   “The dashboard is cracking and melting--it has affected the GPS and I am afraid other instruments may be affected as well-- the melting causes a terrible glare in the windshield making driving it safely ialmost impossible--this is a one owner-well maintained auto--I contacted the dealer and was told this is a relatively common problem with '04 solaras and a repair was offered for about $3,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #10638002, filed 2014-09, 75,000 miles
2. 2
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden or unintended acceleration

   • 25 complaints (16%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 16 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2017

   Owners describe the engine surging or the car lurching forward or backward at low speed, sometimes while parking or in stop-and-go traffic and sometimes with the brake applied. Some report the pedal going to the floor with no response and the vehicle only stopping after the ignition was shut off, with several resulting collisions. Dealers sometimes replaced the throttle body or a pedal sensor, and in other cases told owners the behavior was normal or could not be duplicated. Described across the mileage range, from a few thousand miles to over 130,000 miles, and frequently at parking-lot or stop-and-go speeds.

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body, pedal sensor or ECM has been serviced, and test low-speed creeping and parking maneuvers. Have a shop scan for stored throttle-related codes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was in the process of parking my car in a parking garage when it suddenly started accelerating and hit the concrete wall of the garage. The car was drivable, but after getting it inspected, it was found to have significant frame damage and was totaled by my insurance company.”

   NHTSA complaint #10704566, filed 2015-04, 117,000 miles

   “On 09/20/08 I drove my 2004 Toyota solara to a greek festival on mountainview avenue in santa rosa. I was directed to park my car in the parking field. I accelerated slightly to go over a small bump and the motor roared out of control. I had to quickly throw it into another gear to kill the motor. When I restarted the car it seemed to be ok. It was a very frightening experience. On 9/22/08 I took it to the freeman Toyota dealership in santa rosa. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10289759, filed 2009-10, 29,161 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Vehicle drifts or pulls to one side

   • 24 complaints (15%)
   • median 289 mi at 1.2 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2013

   Owners report the car pulling or drifting to the left, or occasionally to the right, at highway speeds even after alignment work. Several say multiple alignments at the dealer and at independent shops did not correct it, and some were told the drift was normal due to road crown. A few describe the car feeling as though it slips sideways into the next lane. Often noted within the first few hundred to a few thousand miles of new-vehicle ownership, and again on older cars around 50,000 to 90,000 miles.

   What to check: Drive it at highway speed on a straight, level stretch and check whether it tracks straight hands-off briefly. Ask for alignment printouts and whether the steering shaft or front-end parts have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Hi -- I am very concerned about the safety of my 2004 Toyota Camry Solara I purchased from ira Toyota. The car has had a constant pulling to the left and they have repurchased 1 Camry Solara from me already. After stating that it was 1 bad car and that they had problems with the sport suspension , I purchased an sle without the sport suspension. I am having the same problem and they have told me that it is the 'crown of the road', not the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10073162, filed 2004-05, 500 miles

   “Purchased a 2004 Toyota solara. Ever since the day I picked it up the car has drifted to the left. Now with 9000 mile on it ,it has started to pull right once in a while. The dealer has re-alined the front end 5 times and I have also had a private shop do it once . The dealer has completed the work which Toyota sent out on a bulletin however it still drifts. Toyota sent an engineer up from chicago to drive my car, he told me that all Toyota's are designed to drift left due to road crown. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10065902, filed 2004-04, 278 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Inconsistent brake pedal and stopping

   • 26 complaints (16%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (23 state mileage)
   • 11 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2004–2019

   Owners report the brake pedal traveling close to the floor, a low or inconsistent pedal, and longer stopping distances that persisted after pads, master cylinder and bleeding work. Some describe the brakes feeling as though they faded after a single hard stop on a bumpy road, and others link the weak braking to the same incidents in which the engine surged. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 100,000 miles, often following a specific hard-stop or bumpy-road event.

   What to check: Test the pedal feel at a stop and during a firm stop from moderate speed, and ask for service records on the master cylinder, brake fluid and ABS. A soft or low pedal should be diagnosed before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2004 Toyota Camry Solara and the brakes on my car are not as accurate as they should be. I recently had my brakes repaired in dec. 2009 at sandy springs Toyota in atlanta and was still not pleased with the resistance of the brakes. I am concerned that the 2004 Camry Solara should be researched further due to the brakes. Often times I have to press my brakes to the floor before they stop completely.”

   NHTSA complaint #10308470, filed 2010-02, 62,000 miles

   “I just read an article about the braking problem with the new Toyota prius. It stated while driving on a bumpy or uneven surface the car would experience braking problems. I have experienced a similar problem with my 2004 Toyota solara. I was coming to a stop on a rural road that was very bumpy just before the stop sign.the brakes responded like what I thought was the ABS actuating. The brakes seemed to fade. After that incident my brakes never seemed to be the same. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10304757, filed 2010-02, 50,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Steering shaft or power steering failure

   • 8 complaints (5%)
   • median 77,600 mi at 11.0 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2017

   Owners describe clicking or looseness in the steering wheel, a broken intermediate steering shaft bolt, and in some cases power-steering loss that returned after the pump was replaced. One owner reported the steering wheel locking while driving at low speed. Several note that parts were redesigned or that no recall covered their vehicle. Reported from about 50,000 to 100,000 miles in the complaints describing this specific part.

   What to check: Turn the wheel while stationary and at low speed and listen for clicks or feel for play, and ask whether the intermediate shaft or power-steering pump has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “With only 27,000 miles on the car, the steering knuckle on my 2004 solara began to fail. This caused looseness in the front end when turning around corners. Previously, my car also suffered from the left pull problem listed on this site. I believe the solara has some very serious problems, but don't know what to do.”

   NHTSA complaint #10143072, filed 2005-11, 27,500 miles

   “When turning right at about 25mph, the steering wheel completely locked up. I applied the brakes immediately but they car still impacted, then continued over the curb. The steering wheel remained locked for a while after the car came to a stop and then finally released. Prior to this incident the steering wheel had locked on several occasions only when the car was shut off and parked, although it remained locked stubbornly even after the car was put in drive and the steering wheel adjusted slightly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10712768, filed 2015-04, 130,000 miles

Buying note. On a car this old, the dash condition is the easiest thing to verify and the most commonly reported concern, so factor a repair or cover into the price. Also drive it at highway speed and test low-speed braking and creeping to see whether the alignment, throttle or brake behavior described by owners shows up on the specific car.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.