I think there is a TSB on this. You might call your dealer. Sry I don't know more.

Collector, you can search this site for starter issues...could be worn contacts which are replaceable in many Toyota starters.

Here's an example of what you might find.

http://yotarepair.com/startercontacts.html

Hi allI have owned my '03 CE (57,000 KM) for about a month now, and I have noticed that on occasion when I go turn the key to start the car, I get no response. When I turn the key back to the full "off" position, and try it again it fires right up. I thought that maybe I didn't have the clutch fully depressed and the "safety" was kicking in, but now I'm not 100% sure...it happens very sporadically, maybe half a dozen times since I've owned the car. I have read bulletins from this site that the 2005 'rolla and Matrix have problems like this due to software issues and insufficient fuel pressure...does anyone know if these problems are inherent with the 2003 year model(s), or do I just have a dead spot on my starter armature? Battery connections seem fine, as well as the starter leads....any way to test the clutch "safety" to see if it's malfunctioning?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

LOL-that is very ironic, because I had to do the exact same thing on my old' 88 3.0L pickup-I printed off the identical article for reference

Incidentally, it didn't help, because I had a "dead spot" on the starter armature, and had to replace the whole unit. (a LOT of fun, by the way, especially because I had to remove and replace the starter twice...on the 3.0 liter, it ain't no picnic!)

I don't think that worn contacts are the culprit here though, as my CE has only 57,000KM on it, but I thank you for your input!