Toyota Solara

mikecai · August 2003

Ok, realistically, when should I replace it? 60k sounds low? Also, I need to do a coolan flush and transmission flush, the toyota dealer quoted me for $89 and $149 respectively today. What a rip off. Has anybody tried drain the coolan and refill? I can't find the drain plug on the radiator though.

webguyster · August 2003

Whats chugging? Do you get hard down/up shifts? Is it automatic, or manual?!

ka9zyw · August 2003

Chugging is a problem with the auto where the car jerks. Seems to happen around 40mph. Seems like the rpm is too low for the overdrive.When you turn off the overdrive at low rpm the chugging stops.

#noname · August 2003

This is a normal thing that happens to any car.Try cranking the heat with the control on fresh air for a while to dry out the system.

mackabee · August 2003

intervals went up to 90k miles back in 2000 if IRC. Check your factory maintenance schedule.
: )
Mackabee

bwiebe · August 2003

I've had sporadic problems with chugging for about 18 months. I have not been able to get it fixed. At one point the dealer said to turn off the Trac Control in the summer as the computer had too much to do and that was causing the problem???? I had the ECM replaced last fall due to another problem and the chugging seemed to stop but it started again this spring. The service techs at the dealership don't seem to be able to diagnose, let alone fix the problem. It seems to be worse in the summer than in the winter. The sporadic nature of this problem also makes it difficult to fix. I've learned to live with it but if anyone has some ideas I'd appreciate it as I'm just about out of warranty, 57,000 km.

webguyster · August 2003

Et vous sound like Canc! His car was repaired. Yours will too! These Solaras are now American and not Canadian! God, help us!

mackabee · August 2003

Just curious; what type of fuel are you using?
: )
Mackabee

lenscap · August 2003

I was with a friend of mine who was looking at the new Solara over the weekend. Beautiful car. The most shocking part was the low price of the navigation system on the car - $1,350, which included a JBL stereo upgrade.

On nearly every car the nav is $2,000, including the 2003 Camry. This price drop is simply unbelieveable.

bwiebe · August 2003

Webguyster - HUH!! How did canc fix his?

Mackabee - I've tried both premium and regular, each for extended periods of time and it doesn't seem to make a difference. It almost seems like its gear hunting, can't decide whether to go into overdrive or not.

webguyster · August 2003

That was a lot of posts ago, a long time ago, but I believe a replacement computer?? Anybody...anybody??? Canc??? Anyone rememeber Canc's chugging problem, that seemed to go on forever?

canc · August 2003

Ka9zyw and bwiebe, I'm sorry to hear that you guys have had this problem too. Bwiebe, you describe the exact problem I had. It seemed like it disappeared in the winter and then when summer began, so did the chugging. It was even worse when it was really hot outside. Weird.

The techs at the dealership and at Toyota couldn't figure it out. The dealership even went around town with my car with their computer attached to my car's ECM and couldn't find anything. They eventually changed the whole ECM, thankfully under warranty, and the problem stopped. I came back from a 1300 km. trip where it was really hot all the way and it didn't do it once. Get your ECM changed, it seems to do the trick.

sequoiasaurus · August 2003

What are the chances of the convertible being shown in Detroit in January and early spring launch? Likely or unlikely?

steveb84 · August 2003

I would guess a debut at Chicago - that is where the first one was shown as a concept.

Arrival is supposed to be in March-April time frame.

(waving at Jack)

alpha01 · August 2003

Anyone interested in the 04 Solara should check out the "Short Take" in the Oct. issue of Car and Driver. They seem really impressed by the redesign. The new 3.3L V6/5sp auto combination moves the car to 60 in under 7 seconds- besting Car and Driver's initial test of the 98 Solara SE V6 Manual, and not surprising given that the 3.3L can move the RX330 AWD and Sienna 8-pass to 60 in 7.8 by the the C/D stop watch.

Does anyone know if Toyota is dumbing down the output figures of this engine?

By any means, this is an AWESOME, stylish car, and an excellent value at an as tested (SE Sport V6) price of 23,380.

~alpha

webguyster · August 2003

We need to wait until winter! YIKES!!! Brrr!

ezshift5 · August 2003

...to 60 with only auto available.

..wonder what a decent Honda-type clutch and manual could do for this.

Oh, well: I'm part of the two per cent that Toyota can do without. Really (looking at the bottom line as they must) hard to fault 'em..ez

webguyster · September 2003

Why would anyone want to spend $25,000 for a mid/entry vehicle, "luxury" sport coupe, and not get auto? Toyota should keep the sticks in the little sports cars, so the kids can torque em out, and burn out the clutches, like they seem to like to do in their Hondas. It's like wanting manual roll up and down yourself windows, instead of power windows. Seems like the deomographic for the Solara is the empty nester, or the working perosn that wants a nice car to drive, not a car to work at driving. Keep the sticks in the sports cars, for high performance autos. I would tend to believe most Solara owners would be suburban people, often sitting in grid lock traffic.

Marty684 · September 2003

I know this issue was addressed many years (???) ago but I forget what the resolution was regarding a rattling sound coming from the front passenger seat. I don't know if there was a TSB addressing this issue or what the fix was. I have a '00 Solara and I am getting an intermittent rattle coming from the front seat when I go over some but not all bumps. I think it is more pronounced now than it was in the past. Any help would greatly be appreciated.

s852 · September 2003

Anyone have excellent interior photos of their 2004 Solara online?
The pics on the Toyota website and other places are pretty small and not very high resolution.

webguyster · September 2003

The cables are bad, and need to be "shrunk" with a heat gun, or the seat rack replaced. Mine has been fixed 3 times so I just turn up the radio now. The local mechanics won't fix it, but will send it to their trim shop to fix or replace. Good luck getting a service advisor to acknowledge your issue, and expect to be with a car for a day if they send it out, unless your buddy buddy with the service advisor, and get their 1st thing in the morning.

At 48,000 miles my 00 SE V6 has a noticable drop in engine power. I have always used good ol' midwestern premium. Is it time to bring it in to the dealer again, or is the car getting old. Example, from stop to go, it feels slugish as if the parking brake was on, then gets good acceleration.

coolguyky7 · September 2003

For some great pictures, go to http://www.wieck.com

Click "Public" and then type in "Solara". There should be a ton of great images that show up.

webguyster · September 2003

#2995 of 2996 RE: Intermittent Passenger Seat Rattle - '00 Solara by webguyster Sep 12, 2003 (1:52 pm)
The cables are bad, and need to be "shrunk" with a heat gun, or the seat rack replaced. Mine has been fixed 3 times so I just turn up the radio now. The local mechanics won't fix it, but will send it to their trim shop to fix or replace. Good luck getting a service advisor to acknowledge your issue, and expect to be with a car for a day if they send it out, unless your buddy buddy with the service advisor, and get their 1st thing in the morning.

At 48,000 miles my 00 SE V6 has a noticable drop in engine power. I have always used good ol' midwestern premium. Is it time to bring it in to the dealer again, or is the car getting old. Example, from stop to go, it feels slugish as if the parking brake was on, then gets good acceleration.

2k1trd · September 2003

I should have my 04 SLE V6 in about a week or so and was wondering if anyone has gotten a new one yet to talk about...

icangelat03 · September 2003

Go to the 2004 Solara discussion, there are a few people there that have bought '04s and are talking about it.

kari3400 · September 2003

Hi, I am new to this so please forgive me in advance if I drag out issues that the rest of you are through with - but I am confused about the engine oil sludge issue. The Toyota statement in the dead discussion says their SPA applies to 99-2001 models. Did they do something different in the 2002 model to fix this problem?

Also, were there any changes to the 02 affecting the "cowl shake" and paint chipping problems, or are you 2002 owners having those problems as well?

Thank you for any responses, I am planning to buy my 02 on Monday and if I need to change my mind I hope someone will tell me soon!

russklass · September 2003

ezshift5: I know it's not the same, but the "manumatic" 5 speed on the '04 is at least better than an auto-only.
'04: Ours is on the way, expect delivery later this week.
For those (like us) concerned about the lack of protective bodyside moldings on the '04, check out www.trim-gard.com. They have OE style moldings in several popular colors. We ordered their BT90 that perfectly matches the "Absolutely Red" color of the SLE we have coming.

silversolara · September 2003

i was able to drive my girlfriend's 6 cylinder last week. my (somewhat biased) impressions:

wonderful acceleration. 240 hp is a good thing. relatively quiet cabin. from all the bouncing & jittering due to road conditions/suspension, it felt like i was back in a Mustang - not a good thing. also - the stock stereo was nowhere near as good as the JBL in my car. but the kicker: even with the seat back and the telescoping steering wheel set away and high - i still couldn't get my legs under the steering wheel. i'd hate to think of how this would have worked if the car had a manual transmission.
overall: i still love my car.

ezshift5 · October 2003

....while I think the '04 - with the nice manu you've indicated - is a nice car..........

I will continue with my '00 DWP SE's clutch, shifter, 2l5's and such for a bit longer.......

....better MPG, less maintenance, more involvement (but less resale) sums it up........

best, ez

russklass · October 2003

Thanks for the note...
The new Solara will replace my wife's 2001 Chrysler Sebring LXi w/Autostick ... the sequential shift is more for me than for her.
We have the Autostick on our Chrysler Pacifica also, and I use it often.
For pure fun, however, I still prefer the 5 speed manual on our '90 Mazda Miata!

russklass · October 2003

We bought 4 16" wheels to mount winter tires on our '04 Solara SLE (picking it up tomorrow).
The wheels are 16 6.5, sparkle silver finish, with Toyota center caps. Price was $350 the set of 4, delivered, no tax, plus $26 for wheel lugs & valve stems.
Anyone interested can find them by typing "Toyota Solara Wheels" in the E-Bay search engine.

carmalo · October 2003

I took a 2001 Solara SLE that I am considering buying into a trim shop and he recommended against buying it saying that Camry can't make a decent convertible top. Anyone out there had trouble with leaks, bent frames, and/or clanking when it opens? How well have your tops held up to the weather and UV? Thanks!

rsblaski · October 2003

I have a 2001 SLE convertible that I bought about 30 months ago. I have had no mechanical problems with the top. It has never leaked (although here in southern Nevada we don't get much rain). I haven't noticed any particular problems with rattles. Being a convertible, there is more wind and road noise than you will find on a hardtop, but nothing that makes ordinary conversation difficult.

canc · October 2003

Is is just me, or has anyone else found that the Toyota logo on the trunk of the new Solara disproportionately huge?

mogal1 · October 2003

I totally agree. The rear logo on the Infiniti G35 coupe is even worse--splayed double-spaced across the entire rear end--it ruins the look of the car, IMO. (They also have their name/logo imprinted prominently on the interior leather seats, btw...At least Toyota is exercising some restraint.)

This seems to be a growing trend, in-your-face marketing. I think it detracts from the class of the car. Tacky tacky tacky.

cooldude1755 · October 2003

Mine is a 2000 camel top and I've not had any problems. I clean and treat it about twice a year with Ragtopp cleaner and protectent so it repels water, bird dropings, etc. BTW, the material is acrylic which is impervious to UV rays.

ragtop · October 2003

Hi Everyone, I haven't been here in years and I know this issue was addressed back in 2000 and that a TSB has been issued but guess what. It finally happened to me. The Bass on my radio has just started to boom and I hear a bad rattling distortion coming from the back seat. I assume it is from the subwoffer. Since the car is not longer in warranty. (I tried to get the dealer to take a look at it but no luck) I think I remember reading that some one on this board disconnected their subwolfer all was well again. Right now, I am looking for a quick solution. Anyone still round that owns a 2000 convertible ?

cooldude1755 · October 2003

Hey ragtop, good to see your still checking in. I've got a 2000SLE convertible and had problems with my sub. The TSB was for adding foam between the sound chamber and the frame to prevent ratteling. Your problem sounds like mine, a blown sub. The dealer replaced mine while under warranty and they had the whole backseat and trunk apart. I'd never disconnect the sub, it just wouldn't sound the same. Good luck.

ragtop · October 2003

Hi cooldude, yes it's been a while since I've been over on this board. I've been mostly hanging out in the Accord and Odyssey board since we just bought those cars.
I found the references on the radio in the now "read only" solara convertible board and I read your post back two year ago. I think your right and the sub woofer is blown. I tried to disconnect the subwoofer but couldn't find the connector. For now I adjusted the radio to fade to the front speakers only and they work fine. When I have time, I'll have to take apart the rear seat and see if the sub is truly blown. Thanks for the help.

The solara board seem to be a little quite. Not many posts. Two or three years ago, this board was so active. Guess we've all moved on.

Jimmy.....2000 Solara SLE Conv with only 23,000 miles.

JGT74 · October 2003

I have a 2001 Solara SE-V6 with the manual air conditioner. The light behind the fan and temp dial has recently gone out. It is more of an inconvenience at this point, but will probably get it fixed the at the next major service (60k). My question is if anyone else has had this problem and if so, is this a do it yourself type fix or is it one better left to the dealer? My main concern is how difficult it is to open up the center stack to access the A/C control panel, which I know can be a bear depending on the vehicle.

Also if you had this problem, is the fix as simple as changing out a light bulb or is it more involved (like changing out the A/C control panel). My recirculate button has been on the fritz as well, so a replacement of the panel may be in order anyway.

With 51k on the odometer I am over all pleased with this car. These electrical glitches are annoying, but hardly a condemnation of the car itself. Besides this, the only other problem the car has had was a bad passenger seat track that was addressed under warranty.

Just sat inside an 04 Solara. The exterior will have to grow on me, but the interior is a very nice evolution of the previous model. Must resist temptation... LOL

cooldad24 · November 2003

I start disregarding your comments since I found they are lacking valid proof or logical sense. Either you like the Solara so much so you try to discourage people buying it so you can bargain better price (most likely not). Or you are very unlucky to get a troublesome Toyota and try to pursued others to buy from it. No matter what the reason is, it's unfair to add false or misleading information to affecting someone who need the true info to help them making decision. And for whoever concern the problem of camry: Be concern the problem reported but compare with other brand you are comparing. You might find out it's common on other brands. Remember one thing: Camry to Toyota like Accord to Honda, 3 series to BMW. This is the main model to obtain market share and build customer loyality which lead to buy other model based on the experience from it. No one will be so stupid to ignore big problem without solving it. None of any brand any model doesn't have bug in the design but the number of it. No one can tell which is most reliable since no one can tell the future. History is the major one index to tell particular brand and model on reliability. New model often based on the previous platform so this index won't change much in general. Any improvement and degrading happen gradually not suddenly.

loucopits · November 2003

I've heard some good things about these tires - long wearing, good traction and quiet. Has anyone tried them on their Solara?

silversolara · November 2003

.. before a Host comes along...

JGT - besides trying Edmunds own Toyota forums, try camryman.org - you have to sift through the kiddie posts, but you'll end up with some decent help.

anyone else unfamiliar with him - just read through past posts from WebG - he bought a lemon without fully researching/testing the car, and occasionally rants in here. it's cool tho'; we need opinions from all corners in order to make this a democracy...

rbleland · November 2003

.....is running true to form - LOL !!!

silversolara · November 2003

i guess there is a certain grace in being consistent. glad to see ya!

WebG - don't want to get too personal here, but: i don't work for toyota - never have. was a computer tech, now i help manage a rare book company. don't U remember our lovely chats from the past?

why subaru? if Toyota sold a 4-wheel drive rival for the WRX Sti, i'd be all over it; my fantasy is doing brake turns going downhill in a rally like Carlos Sainz or Tommi Makinen - much fun!

geez, and U call me rude... just call me fair. you posted how you bought your car, and you've been living with it since then. you posted how you didn't want to take a financial hit by trading her in - that's your decision to live with a lemon. and i am occasionally happy you still post to this forum; life is always green grass and blue skies with Toyota.

realistically, i probably won't re-up when it comes time for me to get a new car; i am not fond of the 2004 styling - i really like the old lines, and even the old rear spoiler. however, just to make everyone happy:

coming up on 60K trouble-free miles, and loving my 2000 Solara SE-V6.

rbleland · November 2003

regarding past history is accurate (at the risk of being yelled at by certain parties - oh well, life is no fun if you don't take the occasional shot!!!) ;>))

pbc · November 2003

Replaced the OEM Mich Energy MXV4's on my '99 Solara recently. 90,000km were put on the Mich, probably could've lasted another 5,000km in dry weather but with winter coming didn't have much choice!

Purcased Toyo TPT Proxy's, same OEM size (205-60-16), about CDN$35-40 cheaper per tire.

The car used to gradually drive to the right (I remember several people had this issue) and I'd have to constantly keep the steering wheel turned ever so slightly to the left to go straight. Not a big pain, but took some enjoyment out of the car. Had it aligned 2 or 3 times when I first bought it. Then Toyota finally said that it was either the steering rack was manufactured slightly off, or it was simply a natural effect of the roads being built to drain off to the right (which amused me the most since although this is true about drainage, I've never driven a car where this was an "issue"!!).

Well, it was definatlely the tires. The Toyo's hold a straight line MUCH better than the previous Michelins, I can actually let go of the steering wheel and the car will drive a straight line for a long time! Not that I recommend doing that very often! I wonder if I had a defective set of Michelins or they just weren't balanced properly. The car is now a renewed joy to drive.

I'm only 1,000km in, but so far the tires handle better and are as smooth and quiet as the Michelin's were, maybe a tad less so but hardly noticeable. So far wet weather transaction is very good, we'll see with the Toronto winter how they stack up in the snow.

If they can last as long as the Michelin's did I'll be pleased!

Just thought I'd post!

pbc · November 2003

Oh yeah, one other thing. Can't complain about the reliability of the car through 90,000km either. Aside from one brake pad change (at 85,000 km) and regular oil changes and maintenance, no problems at all.

Knock on wood.

rbleland · November 2003

My wife's '99 Solara SLE is going to need new summer tires soon, probably next Spring when the winter wheels/tires come off again. She still has the Mich.Energy MXV4 OEM tires but she has less KMs than you. Fact is, 90K on OEMs is pretty good. I am going to print/keep your post for future reference. Interesting comment about the OEM tires seeming to cause the pulling problem; also interesting that your SLE seems to pull right when all other complaints I heard were pulling left!! Maybe it is the OEM tires; but you'd think Toyota would have corrected that mis-match earlier?? We have had zero problems with hers also and reliability has been super. And no pulling!

steve05401 · November 2003

well... "new" to me, at least! just purchased a '99 SLE V6 in that really pretty Silver Stream Opalescent color. 40000 miles, which i thought was pretty reasonable for a 4-- almost 5-- year old vehicle.

had made a mistake a few months ago and purchased a new Mazda6i in August.... relatively hasty decision; the 4 cyl wasn't satisfying, and the Bose upgraded audio-- while producing very nice mids and trebles in the front of the vehicle-- was quite a disappointment in other respects. i had actually traded in my 90000 mile '95 Avalon XLS for the Mazda6! oy vey.... live and learn, i guess. took a hit $-wise, but hopefully not TOO much......

Toyota Solara

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles