2007 Toyota Camry Solara Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report two things: headlights that switch off by themselves while driving, and a dashboard that becomes sticky, shiny and cracked. Both are described as gradual and recurring, and many complaints come from cars with fairly low mileage. A smaller group reports air bags that did not deploy in a collision, and some report delayed or unexpected acceleration.

1. 1
   Exterior lighting

   Headlights turn off by themselves while driving

   • 28 complaints (22%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 6.3 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2022

   Complaints describe low-beam headlights, often the HID units on Sport models, going dark while the car is moving, sometimes one side and sometimes both. Switching the lights off and back on restores them briefly before they drop out again, and the interval between failures can shrink over time. Owners who replaced bulbs often found the symptom returned; some dealers quoted diagnostic fees or replaced lamps without resolving it. Several owners say they were told there was no recall covering the symptom. Reported from roughly 53,000 to 130,000 miles, usually at night or on unlit roads, and often intermittent at first.

   What to check: Drive the car at night and watch both low beams for several minutes, including after switching between auto and manual modes. Ask whether the headlamp assemblies or bulbs have been replaced and whether the symptom came back.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The passenger side hid headlight turns off while driving. I can turn it off and then back on, and it might stay on for 15 seconds to 15 minutes. Now, the driver side hid headlight is starting to do it, too. I didn't realize I had no lights until I got up on the highway where there are no street lights.”

   NHTSA complaint #10319163, filed 2010-03, 53,347 miles

   “The passenger side headlamp turns off after approx. Two minutes. I can turn the lights off then back on and the light will come back on. Then approx. 2 minutes later it will turn off again. I have replaced the bulb twice already. Toyota stated they can take a look at it to try to determine the problem, but they want to charge me for it. I believe this is a safety defect and not normal wear and tear.”

   NHTSA complaint #10365736, filed 2010-11, 90,000 miles
2. 2
   Body and structure

   Sticky, melting or cracked dashboard and glare

   • 30 complaints (24%)
   • median 80,500 mi at 7.6 yrs old (20 state mileage)
   • filed 2013–2022

   Owners describe the dash pad turning sticky and shiny, then cracking around the steering wheel, ignition, glove box and passenger air bag area. The glossy surface reflects sunlight and oncoming lights onto the windshield, and owners say visibility into the roadway suffers. Some report a film forming on the inside of the glass. Dealers generally said the dash needed replacement or that no remedy was available, and repairs were often not made. Reported from as low as about 14,000 miles up to 130,000, with owners noting the stickiness worsens in hot weather and direct sun.

   10 related service bulletins

   What to check: Press a fingertip into the dash in warm weather and look for an imprint or tacky residue, and check the glove box and air bag cover for hairline cracks. Inspect the windshield for a haze film and view the dash at a low sun angle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The dash of my 2007 Toyota Camry Solara began to melt and crack in 2012, creating an extremely sticky surface as well as a severe glare on the windshield. This has continued to worsen over the last two years. The stickiness and glare worsen with high temperatures which is a critical issue when living in florida. Even when I travel to northern states in the winter, the stickiness and severe glare does not completely go away in freezing temperatures. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10661969, filed 2014-12, 35,000 miles

   “All of a sudden, the dashboard on my solar became sticky and started to crack in multiple spots. After doing a little research online, I learned that the solara and other Toyota models had issues with the dashboards. I learned that my issues was not isolated. Countless other Toyota owners were reporting the same issue online. Shortly after learning this, I took my solara to my local Toyota dealership for assistance and was told there is nothing we can do for you . …”

   NHTSA complaint #10617793, filed 2014-07, 21,000 miles
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Hesitation, delay or unexpected acceleration

   • 20 complaints (16%)
   • median 14,000 mi at 2.1 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2026

   Owners describe a pause of several seconds when asking for acceleration, especially when pulling out of a turn or merging, followed by a sudden downshift or surge. Others report the accelerator pedal sticking momentarily at a stop light, or the engine revving and the car accelerating without a corresponding pedal input. Some report that turning the car off and on resets the behavior, and dealers often told owners the transmission was behaving as designed or that learning logic explained it. Reported from very low mileage up to about 80,000, often in stop-and-go traffic, at low speed, or when merging.

   What to check: Test acceleration from a rolling stop and from about 20 mph on a safe road, and check the pedal returns freely. Ask whether the throttle body or pedal assembly has been replaced and whether the computer was ever reflashed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I recently bought a brand new Toyota solara 2007 in april 2007. Since then I have brought my car to the Toyota dealer for more then 5 times in 3 months for the same defect. But they cannot repair it. I realized that the vehicle hesitate on acceleration on all occasion. Whenever I make a turn (let or right turn) the car will pause and lost in power, lost of transmission for seconds. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10199038, filed 2007-08, 100 miles

   “I own a 2007 Camry Solara, my cars gas pedal gets stuck when I am at a stop light and proceed into traffic the cars momentarily stays in an idled position for several seconds, until it kicks forward and accelerates. I am afraid to drive the car and financially I am still paying for a car that is parked, because I do not feel it safe to drive. Toyota needs to put the Camry Solara on the list. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10323566, filed 2010-04, 24,500 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Air bags did not deploy in a collision

   • 6 complaints (5%)
   • median 77,000 mi at 8.6 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2020

   Complaints describe frontal and side impacts in which the air bags did not inflate, including a driver-side impact and a passenger-side impact with substantial damage. Some owners also report a seat belt warning light that stayed on, or an air bag warning that could not be cleared cheaply. In these reports the vehicles were not diagnosed or repaired for the deployment concern. Reported from about 31,500 to 122,000 miles, in crashes at city and highway speeds.

   Recall 06V488000

   What to check: Have the air bag system scanned for stored codes and confirm the warning lamp behaves normally at startup. Ask whether any air bag recall or campaign work was completed for this vehicle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My two sons were involved in a car accident to where my car ended up being totaled and what is disturbing to me is that the air bags did not deploy at time of impact. The brunt of the damage was on the passenger side which is where my 13 year old was sitting.”

   NHTSA complaint #10823527, filed 2016-02, 74,000 miles

   “Was t-boned on my driver's side door at 40mph and no airbag deployed.. Not even the side curtain airbag and the whole driver's side window shattered. Was turning left at a light when I was tboned.”

   NHTSA complaint #11315476, filed 2020-03, 122,000 miles

Buying note. Give the car a night drive to check both headlights, and inspect the dash in warm weather for tackiness or cracks before agreeing on a price. Also confirm oil level and service history, since owners report consumption at moderate mileage on the four-cylinder.

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.