AI Damage2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder filed 13 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 13
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 31% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 31% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 23% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 15% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 8% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 8% of all complaints
- 8 Equipment 8% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (31% of all).
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (31% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (23% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 2 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 2 complaints (15% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 13 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
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.
- new toyota camry le purchased january 2004 - on february 25th key would not turn (took 10 - 15 minutes to start it) - later while parking, the car the steering locked turning the car to the right - the car accelerated and surged despite depressing the brake (same as odi peo4021) - though the car broke a metal flag…
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.
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.
While driving, the cruise control switch became intermittent in operation, with potential of being unable to disengage it.
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.
Plate under engine comes loose, hanging under car and exposing the engine compartment to the road. This plate had come loose several times and I have replaced screws to put it back in place, but this time it completely failed and broke.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 9,843 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 27% most complained about).
On average one model year of the MR2 Spyder has 6 complaints (5 years in the data). This year has 13, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, powertrain, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 13. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: jerking, harsh shifts (23%), airbags did not deploy (8%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2003 Toyota MR2 Spyder from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2003 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.