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2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 8 of 12 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports1 fire reports0 injury reports

Power Train complaints

4 reports
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30,800 miles · Sep 29, 2014
Electrical SystemPower Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE GEAR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE COMPUTER CHIP AND HYDRAULIC PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILUR…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE GEAR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE COMPUTER CHIP AND HYDRAULIC PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,800. UPDATED 12/2/14*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10640007

Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2014
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

2003 TOYOTA MR2 SPYDER 6-SPEED TRANSMISSION/ SHIFTING MALFUNCTION - WHILE AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE CAR JERKED FORCEFULLY FORWARD WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PROCEED FROM STOPPED POSITION, THEN TURNED ITSELF OFF. THE CAR BECAME INCAPABLE OF SHIFTING AND HAD TO BE TOWED. ECU WAS REPLACED. SIMILAR PROBLEMS RESURFACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10632785

76,000 miles · Sep 13, 2010
Power Train

SEQUENTIAL MANUAL TRANSMISSION CLUTCH FAILED TO COMPLETELY DISENGAGE LEAVING THE CAR IN GEAR WITH POTENTIAL CRASH RESULTS. TRANSMISSION COMPUTER WAS REPLACED AFTER 3 SEPARATE TIMES IN THE SHOP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10355396

1,100 miles · Jan 15, 2004
Power TrainService Brakes, HydraulicCrash

PROBLEM 1: TRANSMISSION WILL AT RANDOM TIMES DURING DRIVING GO INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING AND LOSE POWER SLOWING THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT DIES. THE CAR WILL THEN NOT HAVE POWER STEERING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC TWICE CAUSING A NEAR SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT HAS LEFT MY WIFE …

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PROBLEM 1: TRANSMISSION WILL AT RANDOM TIMES DURING DRIVING GO INTO NEUTRAL WITHOUT WARNING AND LOSE POWER SLOWING THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT DIES. THE CAR WILL THEN NOT HAVE POWER STEERING MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC TWICE CAUSING A NEAR SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT HAS LEFT MY WIFE STRANDED AND REQUIRING THE DEALER TO TOW THE VEHICLE AS IT WOULD NOT RE-START. IT HAPPENED ONE TIME WHERE THERE WAS ROOM TO PULL TO THE ROADSIDE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE CAR RAN ROUGHLY AND WOULD NOT IDLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AS WELL AS NOT GO INTO FORWARD OR REVERSE GEAR. AFTER ABOUT 1/2 HOUR I WAS ABLE TO GET IT INTO GEAR, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE AND SEQUENTIAL TRANSMISSION LIGHTS WERE ON. BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE DEALER ABOUT 15 MILES ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. THEY FOUND SOME CODES BUT NO ONE COULD FIND THEM IN THE BOOK. PROBLEM 2: AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR ABOUT TEN DAYS, MY WIFE PARKED THE CAR IN OUR DRIVEWAY WITH THE E-BRAKE SET AND THE CAR IN GEAR AS PER THE OWNERS MANUAL AND THE INSTRUCTION OF THE SALES TEAM. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, OUR NEIGHBOR CAME TO OUR DOOR AND TOLD US OUR CAR HAD ROLLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND OUR GRANITE MAILBOX. I HAVE STATEMENTS FROM THEM AS THEY WERE EYE-WITNESSES. ONE OF THE WITNESSES IS A CERTIFIED ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR FOR MANY YEARS. THE DEALER CHECKED THE BRAKE ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND EACH TIME SAYS THE BRAKE IS WORKING AS IT SHOULD. TO THIS DAY, I CAN GET THE VEHICLE TO ROLL ON MY DRIVEWAY WITH THE BRAKE ON. I HAD THE SHOP FOREMAN LOOK AT IT WITH ME IN THE CAR AND HIM DRIVING IT. WE PARKED ON A HILL BEHIND THE DEALER, HE SET THE E-BRAKE AND RELEASED THE FOOT BRAKE AND THE CAR ROLLED. AFTER TWO MORE ATTEMPTS AND THE BRAKE LEVER AT THE MAXIMUM PHYSICAL TRAVEL, THE BRAKE SET TO HOLD THE CAR, BY NOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. HE THEN STATED THAT THE BRAKE WAS IN WORKING ORDER.

NHTSA ODI #10070899

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.