2003 Camry LE Power Seat Recline Clicking Noise

Hi,

I have a 2003 Camry LE. The driver’s seat, which is a power seat, moves back and forth fine (aka the entire seat moves closer and further from the steering wheel without issue) but when I attempt to recline or bring the seat up using the other lever, the range of motion is abnormally small. The seat reclines and comes back up normally in this range, but when the seat is reclined too far or about 75% up, it makes a clicking noise, shown here in this video I posted to youtube: 2003 Toyota Camry LE Power Seat Reclining Clicking Noise - YouTube Once this clicking noise engages, the seat does not move. Any idea how to fix this? Thanks!

It sounds like a gear is slipping and ratcheting. My uneducated guess is that some physical obstruction is preventing the seat from moving but you need an eyes on examination.

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I actually had something like that with the passenger seat back on my Park Ave. It was only a couple years old and found if I helped it along, it would be ok so never fixed it. I suspect the gears are plastic and a gear is stripped. You’d have to pull the seat out and replace the gearing. Need to check the factory parts detail to see exactly what the parts would be.

If you search for “2003 toyota power seat parts” you get pictures of some gears, motors, seat frames, and links to factory parts (most of which are not available anymore). But you first need to get the seat up off the floor and see what is clicking, then go from there with either the gears or junk yard mechanisms.