What's Wrong with the 1st Generation Solara?

Front 3/4 view of a Toyota Solara

The 1st generation Solara started in 1999 and runs to 2003.

Its PainRank™ score of 0.67 ranks 12th out of 81 eligible generations in reliability. The score is based on relative complaint analysis of the 16 owners complaints on CarComplaints.com. A majority of the complaints are about body problems..

Compare With Other Solara Generations

The Worst 1999-2003 Solara Problems

Oil Sludge in Toyota Engines

Updated on

Toyota settled a class-action engine-sludge suit in 2007 that covered an estimated 2.5-million Toyota and Lexus vehicles made between 1997 and 2002. In that case, Toyota agreed to repair 'sludged-up' engines for up to eight years from the t…

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Melting Dashboards

Updated on

One of the automotive world's worst science projects is coming to an end. Toyota dashboards have long been known to melt under the heat of the sun. The melted dashes warp and extrude a strange, goo-like substance that is oddly shiny and sti…

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What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

Worst Topics

Worst Years

Timeline of 1st Generation Solara News

  • One o

    f the automotive world's worst science projects is coming to an end. Toyota dashboards have [long been known to melt and warp][19] under the heat of the sun. The deformed dashes have also been known to extrude a strange, goo-like substance that is oddly shiny and sticky; like something you'd find in a toddler's coat pocket.

    Posted on
    Tagged
    #news
    Source
    carcomplaints.com

By the Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 16 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 12th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 81 eligible generations.