ToyotaSolara2000L4/toyota/solara/2000/l4/

2000 Toyota Solara — L4

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2000 Solara L4.

Body PASSENGER CAREngine L4Transmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2000 Toyota Solara L4 serves as a passenger car powered by an L4 engine and Automatic 4-spd transmission that delivers EPA fuel economy ratings of 20/28/23 mpg. Maintenance requires 3.8 qt of 5W-30 API oil for a unit that recorded 0 recalls and 10 total owner complaints predominantly concerning Engine & Engine Cooling. Within the 1997-2008 model complaint history, this year sits well below the generation's 2004 peak of 161 complaints while exceeding the 1998 low of 1, indicating a relatively low-complaint standing within the model's reliability timeline.

Model year200420032002200120001999

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity3.8 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque76 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy20/28/23 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 35 · 360 CCA battery, OE oil filter 90915YZZD1. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 35 · 360 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnLIGHTOEM · verified
Tire sizeP205-65HR15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter90915YZZD1 alt 90915YZZN1
Engine air filter1780103010
Fuel filter2330020040 alt 2330079545
Front wiper blades8522206020 alt 8521204031
Thermostat90916A3003 alt 9091603090

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length190.2 in
Overall width71.3 in
Overall height55.1 in
Wheelbase105.1 in
Track (front / rear)61 / 59.8 in

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined20 / 28 / 23 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 3.8 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, ATF in the differential. Torque lug nuts to 76 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear OilATF
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.4 Pints
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity3.8 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts80 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts159 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts76 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)700 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)50 rpm
Ignition Coil Secondary Resistance9200-16,700 ohms
Spark Plug ManufacturerDenso
Spark Plug Gap0.043 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR12
Refrigerant Capacity1.76 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.61 oz
Standard BCI Group Number35
Standard BCI Cranking Performance360 cca
Optional BCI Group Number24F

Service checks

RPM44.0-50.0 rpm
Residual Pressure21 psi
Injector Primary Resistance13.4-14.2 @ 68 degreesF ohms
Injector Primary Resistance12-16 na ohms
Engine Compression142-178 psi
Engine Compression145-218 psi
Engine Oil Pressure4.3 psi @ Idle, 43-78 psi @ 3000 rpm psi
Engine Oil Pressure4.3 psi @ Idle, 36-71 psi @ 3000 rpm psi

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs / 80 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle34 ft-lbs / 76 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.039; Rear: 0.039 in
Minimum Shoe Thickness0.039 in
Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Runout Limit0.0059 in / 0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.472 in / 1.102 in

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 60,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miEngine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miBrake Drum Assembly (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (inspect) · Steering Gear Box Assembly (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect)
Every 30,000 miDifferential (inspect fluid level) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect) · Fuel Tank Filler Cap O-Ring (inspect)
Every 60,000 miSpark Plugs (replace)
Every 90,000 miTiming Belt (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2000 Toyota Solara sits at a notable inflection point in this generation's federal record: the three preceding model years (1997–1999) registered only 1–2 complaints each, while 2000 jumps to 10 — still modest, but the first clear uptick in a generation that subsequently escalates to 86 complaints in 2002, peaks at 161 in 2004, and remains elevated through 2008. The target year itself carries a clean regulatory footprint, with zero recalls, zero open investigations, zero fire complaints, and just one crash-related filing among the ten complaints. Engine & Engine Cooling dominates the breakdown at 5 of 10, followed by Service Brakes, Hydraulic (2), with Suspension and Visibility each contributing a single report, though the data does not specify a root cause for any of these clusters. TSB volume also steps up from 10 in 1999 to 13 in 2000, signaling growing manufacturer awareness of issues even before the post-2001 complaint surge. Within this generation's arc, the 2000 model is materially cleaner than the 2002–2008 run but already shows the leading edge of the upward trend, making it a defensible used buy provided the engine cooling and brake systems are inspected and the absence of later-generation common failures is confirmed through a pre-purchase inspection.

0
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
13
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
10
Owner complaints
1 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 10 complaints on record, top 5 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
Suspension1
Visibility1
Tires1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 13 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
TC001022002-05-24Power TrainSUBJECT REGARDING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID REQUIREMENTS. *TT
BO023012001-09-14Seat BeltsSUBJECT REGARDING SEAT BELT EXTENDERS. *JG
4352001-03-13StructureTHIS ELECTRONIC MAIL MESSAGE STATES THAT TOYOTA IS OFFERING RETRO-FIT INTERNAL TRUNK…
BO002012001-01-26Seat BeltsTOYOTA CUSTOMERS WHO FIND IT NECESSARY TO INCREASE THE LENGTH OF THEIR SEAT BELTS MAY…
BR004002000-10-20Service Brakes, HydraulicINFORMATION REGARDING BRAKE PAD CLICKING NOISE. *JB

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

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Vehicles with shared specs

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Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2000 Solara L4 take?

3.8 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2000 Solara have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 0 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the L4 get?

EPA figures are 20 city / 28 highway / 23 combined mpg.