We found the following complaints for TOYOTA HIGHLANDER (2003)
Read complaints for TOYOTA HIGHLANDER (2003)
I purchased my vehicle in 2003 in california. In 2005 i moved to north port, florida.i have seen on the media that if i live in a humid area, my air bags are unsafe.i went to www.safercar.gov and entered my vin#i was told my car has "no recalls".
I was in motion when we hit a cow going 45mph that jumped out at my husband and i my air bags did not deploy the car is totaled was city street
Head on collision air bags did not deploy speeds 25-40 mph
In very cold maine temperatures, after the vehicle has set unused all night, the airbag warning light comes on in the morning when the vehicle is started. This also happens in very warm temperatures after vehicle has set unused all night.after the vehicle has run a short while and warmed up or cooled down, the airbag signal warning goes off.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving various speeds, the contact felt lightheaded and crashed into a light pole. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact did not sustain injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was later taken to an insurance lot where the vehicle was repaired for the body damage. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired for the air bag failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.
The contact owned a 2003 toyota highlander. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated independently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to effectively slow down the vehicle. The gear shifter button was pushed into drive and the vehicle sped forward and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure recurred twice prior to the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was destroyed.
Dt*: the consumer hit a patch of black ice traveling at 45 mph when approaching a stop sign; the vehicle proceeded through a stop sign striking another vehicle in the passenger side.the airbags did not deploy.the pre-braking was minimal due to the icy road conditions.both occupants of the vehicle were wearing seat belts and sustained minor injuries.police were on the scene and a report was taken.the vehicle sustained extensive damage, but was not totaled due to assessment of the insurance adjustor and the lack of airbag deployment.prior to the accident, the airbag warning light illuminated in cold temperatures, but the vehicle was not seen by a dealer for this problem.prior to the accident, the rear brakes and rotors were replaced. Updated 03/03/06. Updated
During a wreck airbags did not deploy when i hit an unmarked utility pole in the roadway of a parking lot exit.
Air bag computer system had a defect that caused the air bag warning light to come on, and the system to malfunction. Dealership indicated thatair bag would not deploy in an accident. The dealership replaced the computer system.
Parking light is not functioning, will not be able to drive at night. Safety issue.
Check engine light keeps reporting an issue and despite takata recall - spending thousands of dollars on coded repairs, the light comes back on.i have spent numerous dollars to replace cat converter, 2 sets of injectors, fuel pump, on and on......within 2 days, the light is back on.i saw a service campaign release 12/6/2006, but my 4 cylinder highlander vin does not show up on your list.next would be a class action suit for lost monies?
Driver side rear brake lights will not illuminate even when you depress your brakes even after you replace bulb and light socket. Right side rear is ok. I have looked online and it appears other 2003-2006 highlanders are having similar issues. Some on right side and others on left like myself.
While driving on the highway, the temperature gauge went above the half way mark and within 15 minutes of stopping and starting it approached the red but never actually went into the red zone. No dashboard lights ever went on to alert me to an engine problem.when stopped, it went above the half way mark and when driving it went down to the halfway mark.i got home ( 20 minutes later), i parked the car and drove it the next day to the toyota dealer ( 8 minutes away from my house). It did not go above the halfway mark at this time.fyi, all maintenance and check ups have always been on time and done at this dealer.the dealer called later that day and informed me that the head gasket was bad and in order to see what else may be damaged, it would cost $550. Just to investigate into to head cylinder and the engine.the $550.would be applied to any repairs.the next business day, the dealer called to tell me that the bolts of the head cylinder were stripped and the threads were in the block.i would need a new short block at the cost of $6,375.00 plus tax.all due to the overheating incident, which had never happened before.
Right side (passenger) brake lights do not light bright when brakes are applied, driver of another car almost hit our vehicle when turning right on to main road. Our car was stopping, but other driver did not see our brake lights on the passenger side as they were not working... The left (drivers) side works fine, but was not visible to the other driver. This seems to be an on going problem with 2002-2007 toyota highlanders,dealer said no recall was issued? this is a real safety issue that could be fatal. Not to mention the cost of a ticket for having a defective brake light. There are many other toyota highlander owners that have experienced the same problem with no recourse from toyota. Just google "toyota 2003 highlander brake light problem" time to issue a recall for safety issues.
Driver side rear brakes will not illuminate after you depress your brakes. Replaced bulb and socket that houses bulb and will not work. Check online for similar issues and read reports of 2002-2006 highlanders having either left or right side rear not working.
My daughter had parked her car at the school parking lot on 5/27/2014 at 7:02 am , she went to school stayed the whole day at school , she went to dance practice after she got out at about 3:30 pm she headed to the parking lot to go home, she said as she was approaching the vehicle she hit the alarm to open the door but the alarm did not go off, so she contined to get closer to the car and she could smell something burning when she opened the door to the vehicle a cloud of smoke came out , she started coughing and could not believe what happened , she called me right away hysterically crying couldnt even talk and she was telling me that hercar had blown up , i said what your car blow up how could that be ,i could not understand what she was telling me how can your car blow up? i was like what the heck !! i told to her hang on and if she was ok i was on my way to her, i called my husband and told him and he had the same reaction as me like what?? . When i arrived to the school i could not believe what i saw the whole dashboard of the vehicle had caught on fire crackedthe front windowglass, melted the sun visors and the whole middle dashboard was melted completely. I had to call the police and fire i had no clue if this was going to blow up , when the firemen came they watered it down and looked at it and said that there was no foul play it had looked like an electrical fire . What coud have caused this and imagine if my daughter would have been driving the car when the fire occured.
Temp (hot/cold) dial electrical short.temp setting continuously fails to hold set temp & blows opposite of setting.fear of electrical fire plus unable to defrost windshield for good visibility.feel there should be a recall or some help on this item as after investigating i found that one dealership replaced 1,100 last year and has replace several already this year. I wouldn't have a problem except the failed switch can not be replace the whole assembly has to be replaced and that part cost $669.00 plus labor to install.being a single mom i don't have that kind of money and truly feel this is a safety issue due to the possibility of fire and not being able to defrost properly.
Brake light bulb burns out periodically
I have a 2003 highlander. When i press the brake, only the driver side of the tail/brake light becomes brighter. When the lights are on, the bulbs illuminate on the passenger side but they do not get brighter when the brake is pressed. When the lights are off, the brake lights do not illuminate on the passenger side. I saw the same problem today on a highlander just like mine.
The rear left brake light does not workdespite having replaced the bulb and fuse.
We have had unreliable operation of the driver-side brake light for some time (approximate incident date above was for most recent incident).web search turns up numerous complaints with same symptoms - one example is at www.topix.com. Several reporting this problem replaced major components of taillight assembly only to have problem recur.a call to toyota asking about tsb or recall yields nothing.
Clarification from previous submission (10/21/14).......heating system blows cold air intermittently when the heat is on. The system was cleaned, worked well to a short time. Within two weeks the problem returned. The mechanic noted this was a common problem with the heating control panels of the early model toyota's.safety factor: this is hazardous in the winter, as the windows become foggy resulting in the limited visibility especially while the vehicle is in motion.??
Electrical short in headliner between sun roof and sun visor.burn mark 5-6 inches long through headliner.no fire or flames but could smell strong odor of smoke.
Dt:2003 toyota highlander.the vehicle died while going 70 mph.the vehicle was pulled over.the consumer pulled outthe fuses and started the vehicle.then, he drove the vehicle home.the dealership stated they could not duplicate the problem.consumer had no warningthat this was going to happen.
This car has been dealer maintained from day one. Last year, we began noticing an odd, loud drumming sound occurring along with resistance to acceleration in slow speed situations. This included parking lots, stopping for a left turn within an intersection, and every other situation where we needed to maneuver at low speed. The vehicle would vibrate, the engine would not accelerate, and sometimes the car would lurch within a turn. It became alarmingly severe and the periods between incidents began to shorten. While still intermittent, we began to be concerned and took it to the ny dealer who had been servicing the car since it was new. We reported exactly what i have written above, including the comment that the anti-skid light would come onthe dash when this happened.after charging us over $900 for fluid replacement and reattaching a vacuum hose, we were told we had no problem, that the noise was normal.it occurred again when we left the dealers lot.the pavement was dry. After a few weeks of increasing difficulty we took it to a different dealer, to be told that our tires were worn. We replaced the tires, and the problem persisted on either wet or dry pavement. With a cross-country trip coming up, we took the car to an aamco, who test drove it and said we had an abs brake problem. They kept it for three days, and charged us $400 having found a piece of rusted metal they believed was preventing one of the wheel sensors from making constant contact.it felt better, but the problem began to show up again in a couple of days. We could not put the trip off, and drove the car cross country, having the problem re-occur in almost every low speed situation, when we got to new mexico we made an appointment with the dealer who sold us the car. They said it was unsafe to drive and after four days, told us the abs ecu was malfunctioning. It cost $2178 to replace. The replaced component is a sealed electronic module with no moving parts. It should have lasted.
Vsc skid control/ecu failure in 2003 highlander. This has happened to me on three separate occasions: my car lightly skidded on ice or water and the check engine/vsc and traction control lights came on. Every time the car skids, the lights come on and the skid control appears to be disabled.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that there was coolant was leaking from the fire wall. The contact attempted to contact the dealer to schedule a diagnostic test but the contact could not get a response. The contact then called the manufacturer regarding the failure and the manufacturer advised that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 106,000.
I've had my toyota highlander for about 11 years now. I got it as brand new car and i am the single owner and well maintained car.at about 138,000 miles the temperature gauge started going up , almost to red. It would go up and then down to normal and repeat. Turned out i blew a head gasket. While it was at the shop being repaired they found that the head bolts were stripped which is a known problem with this year ,make and type of engine my highlander has. Now they can it will cost me $4500 to rebuild the engine.real toyota design problem, need action and support from toyota
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that she noticed red fluid leaking from the bottom of the vehicle. The vehicle was able to be driven to a private mechanic where it was confirmed that the head bolt on the engine failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been contacted. The failure and current mileages were 105,000. The vin was not available.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander.the contact stated that the engine released a pink fluid as a gurgling noise emitted from the steering wheel column. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic for inspection, who found that the engine cylinder, bolt head and the thread were stripped from the cylinder block due to defective material. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 99,900 and the current mileage was 111,500. Updated 6/17/14the engine block and valve were replaced. Updated 07/03/14
I saw a small pool of a red-brown liquid on the garage floor, under the engine.i drove it to my mechanic and he thought it was a head gasket problem.the mechanic called the next day to say the head bolts in the engine block were stripped and the car was undriveable. This required an engine replacement.my mechanic stated that this never should have happened.the mechanic had checked online and called his engine friends and it appears to be a defect with this year and model.www.carcomplaint.com details this problem which is exactly what happened to my car. My 2003 toyota highlander has been very reliable up to this point. When i reported it to toyota, they stated that they will not offer any financial assistance because the car is out of warranty, and they will let me know if there are any recalls.i understand the car is older and is out of warranty and am letting you know because this appears to be a "defect", rather than normal wear and tear on a vehicle. The total bill for the engine replacement, with getting a few other parts replaced was $6,272.86.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the vehicle overheated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.updated 4/24/13 the consumer stated a mechanic advised that 3 bolts were stripped out of the block. It couldn't be rebuilt. The mechanic also advised this was due to a manufacturer problem. Replacing the motor is not a guarantee the failure wouldn't recur. Updated 05/21/2013
Head bolts stripped in engine , 66k miles - coolant loss - all mechanics prefer to swap engine - toyota service shop by me quoted me 5,000 for an engine and 1 year warranty. The car is worth 8,000 tops. Heartbroken by this - will have to find a way to make repairs on my own and hope to drive again.
Head gasket failed, head bolts stripped, coolant leak, a/c blows hot.
I took my 2003 toyota highlander to the garage after i noticed that coolant was leaking from the engine block.it had just gone over 100,000 miles and we bought it new.i was told that a head gasket was blown which was due to a defect since the engine didn't overheat.there weren't any issues other than the fluid leaking.i did some research and found that many other highlander owners have had the same issue (head gasket blown, leaking coolant, and stripped bolts on the block).i called my local toyota dealership and they said there was nothing they could do.this is very frustrating that they are not taking accountability for a manufacturing defect.
2003 toyota highlander 2.4 l 4-cylinder engine, 108,000 miles, perfect service, until it developed coolant leak on the back side of the top of the engine, adjacent to an insulator pad at the back of the engine block. The back 3 head bolts are completely stripped, allowing coolant to leak onto the engine.
My 4 cylinder engine overheated very quick, very high, causing a gasket to blow. Upon repairing the catalytic converter and gasket, the mechanic ran into another issue that i've been reading about happening to others, the threads are stripped where they hold the engine block. Something needs to be done. There are too many people writing about having this issue for it be a rare occurrence for this type of vehicle. The costs are high to fix and toyota needs to help rectify the problem.
Needed to have a total engine rebuild due to faulty head bolts that stripped and allowed coolant to enter the engine and burn. Lucky-i guess-that i acted quickly so as to avert catalytic converter issues or sensors getting damaged by burning coolant. I also avoided the total loss of antifreeze and the resulting damage &/or inconvenience that thousands of others had. Still, a huge inconvenience and huge$5425.82 cost due to manufacturer's defect: weak metal that couldn't withstand the torque/pull on them... Perhaps the threading played a part.i only know that 1000s upon 1000s of people suffered the same issue from toyota on this engine in several years/models. There should be a recall. There should be compensation.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle began to overheat. The temperature gauge increased however, the contact did not see any smoke or steam coming from under the hood. The contact allowed the vehicle to cool before resuming operation. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic for inspection where they advised that the engine bolts were stripped. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they could not provided any assistance. The failure mileage was 145,000.
While driving on the highway, the temperature gauge went above the half way mark and within 15 minutes of stopping and starting it approached the red but never actually went into the red zone. No dashboard lights ever went on to alert me to an engine problem.when stopped, it went above the half way mark and when driving it went down to the halfway mark.i got home ( 20 minutes later), i parked the car and drove it the next day to the toyota dealer ( 8 minutes away from my house). It did not go above the halfway mark at this time.fyi, all maintenance and check ups have always been on time and done at this dealer.the dealer called later that day and informed me that the head gasket was bad and in order to see what else may be damaged, it would cost $550. Just to investigate into to head cylinder and the engine.the $550.would be applied to any repairs.the next business day, the dealer called to tell me that the bolts of the head cylinder were stripped and the threads were in the block.i would need a new short block at the cost of $6,375.00 plus tax.all due to the overheating incident, which had never happened before.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While traveling 55 mph, the contact noticed that the vehicle had began to overheat. After examining the vehicle, the contact noticed that the radiator was leaking from the bottom of the lower block. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 115,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the temperature gauge increased suddenly. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic where the contact was advised that the motor bolt was stripped, causing the radiator to leak fluids and the engine to overheat. The contact was advised that the motor needed to be replaced.the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure.the failure and current mileage was 140,000.updated 07/10/13*lj updated 07/11/203
Driving in town traffic, car overheated for the first time ever having this car.thought it was probably a thermostat so took to firestone, they called and said i have a blown head gasket!at only 95000 miles.i have babied and had every single regular service done to this vehicle since it was the first new car i ever bought.i thought toyotas were long lasting vehicles.apparently not.i'm going to have to come up with over $2000 dollars to have it repaired.i've taken the vehicle to the toyota dealership in town that i bought it from and they are going to call me to let me know if they agree with firestone's assessment.i understand that the head bolts are also stripped in this year model.i'm very upset that i couldn't pay what i paid for this suv (expensive) and have it even make it to 100,000 miles.my american made car went to 130,000 and that's supposed to be the opposite.toyota needs to pay for my repairs to this vehicle!!i am the only owner and i'm not buying toyota again...i'm very sad.
Engine started to leak coolant from the head gasket, and after a couple days was leaking about a gallon a day. At that point i stopped driving the vehicle and took it in to have it looked at. They said it was leaking from the head gasket because the head bolts are striped out. Cost would be around $5000 because it had to be striped down and taken to a machine shop to be fixed. And more then likely it would need a new motor block. I still haven't had the car fixed because i cant afford to spend that kind of money right now. I have done alot of research on this and seems many people are having the same issue with the 2003 highlander. This for sure is a design defect in the highlander and toyota will not acknowledge it and help resolve the problem because there has not been a recall. I wrote several letters to toyota and that is basically the same answer i got every time.
Original owner of a 2003 toyota highlander 2.4l 4-cylinder engine, serviced by toyota dealer and local repair shop.my wife was driving the care when the engine temp shot up.pulled over and took car to shop for diagnosis.--- my repair shop serviceman told me the radiator was almost empty, and it likely had a blown head gasket - a $2500 repair by my local repair shop. But when he went to take off the head, the bolt cylinders came out too, almost all were loose and apparently caused the leakage over time. He didn't have the tooling to fix the bolt sleeve issue, and i'd need a water pump, too. There are numerous reports online of this happening with this engine.toyota should recall this to restore consumer confidence.
The incident occurred on a family road trip from chicago, il to hamilton, on, canada. After driving about 7 hours into the 8.5 hour trip, i noticed the check engine light appear and the temperature gauge rise to the very top. I immediately pulled over and assumed that there was not enough coolant to keep the engine cool, as it was a hot day. After several minutes, i restarted the car and noticed the temperature gauge had returned to its normal position. I re-entered the highway and was only able to drive for about 10 minutes before i noticed the temperature gauge begin to rise once again. I exited the highway and found a canadian tire store in london, on, canada where a mechanic looked at the vehicle and concluded that there was some sort of leak in the engine. I was told that it could be one of two very uncommon problems that would both cost a great amount of money to fix and would most likely extend my family's stay in canada. We were told that we could stay in london and have a mechanic begin working on the vehicle the next day or continue on to hamilton by stopping every few miles to refill the coolant, as we were only about an hour away. We decided to continue on to hamilton and stopped around 5 times to refill the coolant level. Upon reaching hamilton, on, canada we found a local mechanic who took a closer look at the vehicle and its engine. We took the vehicle to him on friday, july 6, 2012 and he told us that it looked like an intake manifold gasket leak. On saturday, july 7, 2012 the mechanic informed us that the leak was in fact coming from one of the 4 cylinder heads as the bolts on the engine were stripped. Our only option was to completely replace the engine. The mechanic was able to find a matching engine nearby and completed the replacement by tuesday, july 10, 2012. We returned home to chicago the very same day without any problems along the way.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the engine overheated. An independent mechanic was contacted and the technician diagnosed that the motor bolts were stripped, causing radiator fluid to leak. As a result, the motor needed to be rebuilt. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 146,000. Updated 11/12/13
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated while driving 25 mph, the vehicle began to overheat and coolant abnormally leaked from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the engine would need replacing due to the head gasket not being able to be removed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 160,000.
Head gasket bolts stripped out causing coolant to leak and loss of cylinder compression.this occurred on a toyota 2.4 liter engine.this is a common failure mode on these engines due to a design defect.the thread fatigues at the intake side of the engine because the manifold is plastic and there is a rubber insulator between the manifold and block which traps the heat in that part of the block and fatigues the aluminum threads on the head bolts.this happens on many models from 2001-2006 that utilize the toyota 2.4 liter aluminum engine.this is a $2,500-$5,000 repair.toyota has issued a service bulletin on this.i believe they should have some responsibility in fixing this design problem.engines shouldn't fail at 100,000 miles without cause such as overloading or abuse.i don't have a tow package and have garaged this vehicle.there was no cause and effect.this failure i've come to learn is common for this engine.
I was backing my car from across the street. After shifting to drive, my car jumped back in reversed full speed crash in to my garage. I had my foot on the brake but wouldn't stop till it hit my garage wall.
Original owner of a 2003 toyota highlander 2.4l 4-cylinder engine, serviced by toyota dealer and local repair shop. 4 months ago it was making a fluttering noise and i had it serviced, it needed an oil pan gasket, got a full oil change, too.but apparentlyit also had a bad water pump, and had developed a coolant leak, and was burning oil. -- we never noticed any white smoke coming out the back, and no coolant temperature variance, always in the middle after warming up.we never got a low oil light warning, no check engine light while driving.--- the suv shut down on it's own just coming off a highway exit ramp.i started it up again to pull over a block away and then shut it off. It steamed up, overheated. The tow service guy couldn't restart it. --- my repair shop serviceman told me the radiator was almost empty, and it likely had a blown head gasket - a $2500 repair by my local repair shop.but when he went to take off the head, the bolt cylinders came out too, almost all were loose and apparently caused the leakage over time.he didn't have the tooling to fix the bolt sleeve issue, and i'd need a water pump, too.so for less than the cost of all the repairs, known and possible future problems, like rust or other worn internal parts, he recommended a rebuilt engine, with higher quality steel bolt sleeves, (the way the original engine should have been made).he investigated and alerted me to the complaints online, and reminded me to keep the repair receipts. --- i am devastated, and had to borrow money from retirement to pay for this, since the kelly blue book value was still a few thousand higher than the repair cost.i bought this car new and serviced it with the anticipation of driving it for at least another 50k miles. It never had a single overheat problem, ran like a top, driving me back and forth to work 45 min away.
2003 highlander , 2.4 engine started leaking antifreeze on driveway. Pressure tested ok. Head gasket leaking due to stripped head bolts.mechanic stated this is a common problem with the 2.4 engine. Usually between 80,000 & 120,000 miles.repair estimated at $2000.
The engine was pouring anti freeze on the road from the engine. The engine's head bolts were striped causing the head gasket to leak. This was a manufacturers defect and even sent out a service bulletin but should have been a recall due to the safety of other cars on the roadway. The epa should also be involved due to the hazardous material being placed in the ground.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the temperature gauge fluctuated then increased to max. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The mechanic stated that the engine had to be replaced because the bolts were stripped. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
I have been the owner of my 2003 toyota highlander, for almost 8 years. I got it in nov.2008 at around the 69,000 mark. Since then, i have made sure that my car/baby has had the works in care, to keep the quality and value of the vehicle up. This would include:oil changes, new brakes, new tires, repairs of belts/filters etc, hoses, tune ups, great gas and car washes/body care. Most of this has been done by the dealership here in culver city ca. I've depended on them to tell me what was good/bad about my car and trusted themin doing so. I also made sure to do the repairs they suggested. Sometimes however they said it was fine, but would come to find out, i did have issues. This made me wonder if toyota was trustworthy/doing their jobs right and now i feel the same lack of trust in my cars performance /current state. I can say i have only put 50,000 miles or soon my car in the last 8 years, and i know toyotas can/should last until 250,000 or so, without major issues. However since 2015 i have dealt, with one thing after the next with the car. Most recently this past weekend where my engine completely blew. How could a engine blow out on such a well maintained car? well after reviewing other complaints online, it seems this year and model has this problem often, once they reach around 110,000 mark or so. Why? it seems to be a faulty engine /something that should definitely be recalled. We as consumers shouldn't have to spend thousands on a car, thousands to keep it in great condition and then thousands when are engines fail and this has been reported. Other may simply think there is no hope and don't bother. But i am bothered, because now i am without a car. I don't have the funds for this repair. I have a young child and when i bought this car, thought it would last. I also have had problems with braking/cars pedal going into the floor! this is unacceptable!! help!!
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact was traveling between 65 and 70 mph when the air conditioner stopped emitting cool air and started emitting hot air. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop. The repair shop stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired.the failure and current mileages were 115,000.updated 08/16/12*ljthe consumer would like to have the complaint deleted. Updated 08/21/12
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle temperature increased. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The mechanic stated that the engine block bolts had stripped. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
On 7-11-13, going at highway speed on route 52 in north carolina, the throttle became stuck wide open causing my car to accelerate beyond my control.i slowed down to get off on the side of the highway, but i could not stop the car, only slow it down, to approximately 10-15 mph.got back on the road and took the next exit.again i could not stop the car, and though i slowed again to about 10-15 mph, i drifted through the intersection at the stop sign, with traffic approaching from both left and right!i turned sharply left, got off to the side of the road, and turned the key off to stop the car.god was watching, because no collision occurred.when i started the engine again, it roared like i've never heard it before.somehow, i don't remember how, i got the car about 100 yards down the road to a marathon gas station, to get completely off the road and out of the way.a man stopped and walked over to me, telling me that my throttle was stuck because of a faulty tps (throttle position sensor).he introduced himself as a mechanic, who formerly worked at a toyota dealership, and said that was a ?known? problem with toyotas.he towed me to his house, replaced the tps, and we tested the car, to the satisfaction of both of us.it ran just fine, so i followed him to the pnc bank to get money to pay him.while there, the lady helping me, in response to my story, told me that her toyota parked outside had the very same problem!except it cost her a lot more than my tow & repair did.my incident was most definitely a part failure, not an operator error, or a problem due to floor mats, as is alleged in the pending unintended acceleration? litigation against toyota, and my 2003 highlander is not specifically listed in that litigation information on-line.i am sending a letter to toyota, the ntsb and our local dealership where we purchased the car.
Cylinder head bolts separated from lower engine block causing a major coolant leak (eng:2az-fe) had to replace engine with a remanufactured engine only to have same problem again forcing me to once again replace engine with a remanufactured engine and theirs 22 complaints on car complaints website for same issue, toyota is refusing responsibility.
I was taking a short drive on the freeway and first my a/c started blowing hot air and then the engine overheated.my toddler was in the car and i had to get over to the side of the road quickly and was stranded.it was dangerous and scary.the mechanic said the head gasket blew and that i have to get a new engine because there is a defect in the materials in 2003 toyotas that means the screws won't stay in the block.my car was carefully maintained, serviced and oil changes every 3,000 miles.this was a toyota!, and i was just getting back on my feet with new job after losing my job, and now i can't drive to my different job sites -- and buses can't cover what i need.i bought this car new when i was doing better financially and thought that as long as i kept it maintained, i'd have 6 years or more left of a running vehicle.i am just shocked that toyota won't take responsibility for this defect, nor will the service manager where i bought the car new even offer me a discount on the replacement engine or labor.he says there must be a recall ordered first.i'm a single mom hoping that toyota is made to take responsibility for their error, and that i'm not left without a car until i can save to buy a cheap used one.
My 2003 toyota highlander ( 2.4l 4-cylinder) developed a coolant leak on the back side of the engine. My mechanic informed me it had a blown head gasket and that the back three head bolts are completely stripped,allowing coolant to leak onto the engine. After some research on the computer i find this is a very common problem. What will it take to get toyota to step up and take care of their problem?
Leak at rear of engine, under intake manifold. Head gasket, or warped head.cylinder head bolt threads damaged .toyota said some vehicles equipped with the 2az-fe engine may exhibit damaged cylinder head bolts.
The engine overheated suddenly, blowing hot air from the ac and the temperature gauge went up.we managed to get home and get to the toyota dealership the next day.the dealership mechanic told us the engine bolts stripped due to the block being soft, and that he had seen this problem before.the issue of the soft block was confirmed in a subsequent search of the internet.apparently toyota is aware of this flaw, but there is no warranty remedy.the 2003 inline 4-cylinder engine is the model with the bolt stripping problem.neither the dealership nor another japanese auto repair place would consider trying to replace the bolts. They said that because of the soft metal in the block, a new set of larger bored bolts would be unlikely to hold. The cost to put in another engine is approximately the value of the car, if there were used engines available.a new engine would be in the $15k range, much more than the car is worth. We will likely sell the car for scrap. When we bought the car, we felt we could reasonably expect a 250k mileage life.the engine failed at 128k.just half of its useful life.
Noticed white smoke coming out of the tailpipe in june. Then i noticed reddish/pink fluid accumulating on garage floor in july. Took it in assuming either a coolant or transmission fluid leak. Toyota told me i needed a new engine because the back headbolts were stripped and the head gasket was blown. All this was determined without removing valve cover and cams, but instead because it's a known issue. Many owners report the same thing on message boards.
2003 toyota highlander 4 cyl. Service bulliton from them #310436.head bolts coming undone inside motor causing catastrophic failure of motor.bolts not holding down mfgr knows about this. Was a manufacturing process that did not work. On carcomplaints.com this is a rampant problem reported. Reads almost like a play book on how the motor overheats and fails, told headgasket, after opening up the motor it is found that the head bolts backed out.toyota is normally a great car. I still owe money on this car and toyota is basically not taking care of their customers and leaving us out to dry. Please issue a recall on this. Vehicle was driving and quickly overheated. This happened twice in a short distance. Easily can leave one stranded. No steam out the tailpipe and water gushed out side of motor. Dealer left motor apart when i went to pick it up after being dragged about. They promised to fix it at first as they dug into the motor they backed out of their word.
Check engine light went on the morning of february 23, 2015.white smoke emerged from vehicle as i was driving.then, the vehicle started overheating.mechanic indicates head gaskets were blown and short block screws stripped and bent, leaking coolant on my 4 cylinder 2003 highlander.he repaired the same make, model and year the prior year with the same issue.$69,000 for a new engine.$44,00for a rebuilt one.i have never had any mechanical issues with this car since i purchased it two years old in 2005.although, i have kept up with the servicing, this type of sudden malfunction is a shocker.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving approximately 65 mph with the air conditioner on she noticed hot air began to flow from the vents. She also noticed that the temperature gauge malfunctioned. The vehicle was driven onto the emergency lane and shut off while she added coolant to the engine.the vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer where she was informed that there was an engine leak and some of the bolts were loose. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 109,171. The current mileage was 110,000.
There are two speeds associated with this.it was on the freeway driving back home when the check engine light came on at about 65 mph.later, after exiting the freeway and driving for about 10 minutes, the radiator hose blew off from the pressure, shooting coolant and contents of the radiator back onto the engine (4 cylinder). I was going 40 mph at the time.the thermostat must not have been working because i wasn't reading any overheating going on, though there obviously was.after getting it diagnosed, apparently the bolts were stripped, the head gasket blew, and the engine got too hot.i am now asked to pay almost $3,000 to rebuild the engine (rethread, etc.).this thing with the head gasket and the bolts failing at relatively low mileage (114,000 in my case) seems to be a recurrent problem with this particular make and model.i had been driving it and keeping it well maintained for about five years with relatively few problems until this happened.
I have a 2003 toyota highlander with a @azfe motor in it. There is a major problem with these motors stripping out the headboltsin the back of the motor.i am now in a predicament as i have to get a block when i know it will mess up again and toyota has as of yet to do anything about it.
While driving on the highway, my engine temp in my 4 cyl, 4wd 2003 highlander suddenly spiked high.i had to pull of the road.towed to dealer.dealer said bolts on short block of engine were stripped and allowed coolant to leak out and engine overheated.i was at 68,000 miles, so over the warranty period.i took it to my local dealer and they said i had a bad water pump...i paid to have that fixed, but the car still overheated. I took it back to the dealer and they then said it was the engine itself..the short block, something about the screws were stripped, that i had gotten a bad engine with stripped screws.dealers service manager told me this was a known issue on some 4cyl 2003 highlander but couldn't help me as it was out of warranty!!!the service manager called me back later and said that toyota would help out...i ended up paying a total of almost $1000 for the replacement short block, with toyota paying the rest of the cost for the short block replacement.this was on top of the cost i paid just a few days prior for a water pump that turned out to not be the issue. Very frustrating...i have all my receipts for maintenance and for these repairs. I am filling out this complaint over a year after the incident, because i have seen the same thing in the complaints and wanted to add mine.i do have all the documentation for my repairs for this and am more than willing to answer any questions, thank you.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving approximately 55 mph the check engine, asc, and traction control lights began illuminating on the dashboard. The vehicle began to lose control and the wheels would spin uncontrollably while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where they were unable to diagnose the failure because the check engine light was no longer illuminated. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was told that the oxygen sensors failed.the oxygen sensors were replaced.the failure continued to recur intermittently. After each failure the oxygen sensors were replaced again.the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 55,000.
Sudden rapid increase in engine temperature.mechanic found leak at back of head gasket.two bolts to engine block were loose enough to be removed by hand and new bolts could not be reinstalled due to defect in threads.only repair said to be new engine.vehicle was previously well maintained and had 73,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander.while driving approximately 25 mph, the engine began to overheat.he pulled to the side of the road, and the vehicle was restarted to resume operation.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection.the rear head bolts and a blown head gasketwere stripped.also the cylinder head gasket was replaced. The total cost of the service repair was $1,972.the failure mileage was 120,047.the vin was unavailable.updated 05/06/10. *lj
Car temp gage went up past h and there was no heat in car.i stopped as soon as possible at a mall parking lot and called service.had car towed to garage.per owner of garage, the head gasket leaked due to bolts stripping in the engine. He then fixed the problem and then upon test drive the tensioner failed and chain jumped causing further repairs to not be cost effective.through research he informed me that this is a well documented problem with the 2003 highlander engines and that toyota is not backing the problem.i called toyota and since recall has not been issued they stated they cannot help me.i feel the highlander should have lasted more than 8 years as i had kept up with required maintenance.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the engine overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was located at the head gasket. In addition, the dealer advised the contact that the engine bolts were stripped. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer replaced the head gasket and the bolts thread. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and the current mileage was 145,000.
2003 toyota highlander (4 cyl. Engine) developed a coolant leak.vehicle was taken to dealership who advised the water pump was leaking.water pump was replaced at a cost of $600.vehicle was driven home and immediately found to still have a coolant leak.dealership was contacted and owner advised to bring the vehicle back.dealership checked and advised that cylinder head bolts were stripped out and that engine would have to be replaced at a cost of $5400.the engine never lost enough coolant to overheat but the only repair option given by the service manager was to replace the entire engine rather than replacing the head gasket and repairing the stripped out threads to head bolts.service manager slipped up by saying this is a defect in the engine but when questioned further about the problem he stated he only sees it "once in a blue moon".this seems to be a contradiction to all the other similar complaints for this 4 cylinder engine.toyota issued a service bulletin march 2, 2011 for the highlander, rav4, camry, and solara which states: there may be damaged cylinder head bolts.the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who stated he has seen this problem before and knows how to fix it (and will give a 2 year 24000 mile warranty on the repair).why does a vehicle defect have to kill someone before it prompts a recall.this is obviously a vehicle defect and is still hazardous to consumers if they are sick, elderly, or left stranded on the side of the road.how many people are killed every year when they are stranded on the side of the road and struck by another motorist.(too many!)come on toyota, does it take a lawsuit over someone's death for you to correct the problem?
My wife's truck began leaking coolant.i was told the head gasket was blown.i paid nearly $1600 for the repairs.a year later, the coolant is leaking.when the head was pulled, the thread stripped out on 3 bolts.i found the same complaint numerous times on this website and on others.at this point, the options are thread inserts that may work or a new engine!at this point, i have been attempting to get help from toyota.there has been nothing to date.
My car engine is filled with sludge and the manufacturer (toyota motor corp.) will not honor the warranty.
1. Engine overtemp2. Engine continually runs hot.cannot use vehicle3. Replaced head gasket, radiator, thermostat.
I noticed that the engine noise changed. Took the suv to the dealer to check it out, dealer stated that the noise was ok and returned the vehicle to me. After driving the vehicle less than 10 miles returned it to the dealer and the engine was blown.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the head bolt detached from the engine block while driving 65 mph. The vehicle began running hot and water was leaking from the back of the engine. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who inspected the vehicle and advised that the head bolt was stripped from the engine block.the mechanic advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not yet taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 189,000.
2003 toyota highlander has head bolts stripped from block, causing fluid to slowly leak from engine and overheat. First symptom is ac blows hot air. Most folks who experience this burn up the engine, but i was fortunate and was able to have it repaired at a cost of $2750.00 !!!!!this is a clear defect, head bolts do not simply get stripped from a block.
I have a 2003 toyota highlander 2.4l that had engine failure due to 3 headbolts on the intake side of the head become loose as other numerous folks have experienced.the engine blew the headgasket and lost compression/power and died.the seems to be a very well known issue by toyota, repair shops, and salvage yards.seems someone should hold toyota responsible for repair cost - i.e new engine since this is an obvious manufacturing/engineering design flaw.beware of highlanders, camrys and ravs since they all have this 2.4l engine.
Faulty electronic computer module on 2003 toyota highlander throws multiple error codes to indicate a number of problems with emission components.error codes call out oxygen sensors, (there is four sensors on 2003 (4) cylinder highlanders).fix one sensor and another pops up bad according to the error codes.another $400 repair bill !toyota will replace the module on cars with warranty,no problem.however, they deny there is anyproblemswith the module when no warranty is involved. Codes at times also show a faulty catalytic converter ($1000 repair bill ).if you visit the toyota nation web site you will see many reports of the component at issue.this is on the same vehicles as the one i own.some people have reported toyota charges unsuspecting customers $1600 to repair these four sensors.( not my words, taken off the toyota nation forums).please demand toyota replace the modules on these vehicles.thank you !
Engine overheated while driving, and vehicle was parked overnight and coolant restored. When taken to local toyota dealer for repair was informed that bolts holding engine block had failed due to threads inside block being stripped, and coolant was leaking from seal in engine block. Aside from hitting a deer once (minor vehicle damage in which the headlight needed to be replaced), this vehicle has not been in an accident. In reading information on web, this issue has been reported by other toyota owners.
2003 toyota highlander 2.4l 4-cylinder engine, 108,000 miles, developed coolant leak on the back side of the top of the engine, adjacent to an insulator pad at the back of the engine block. The back 3 head bolts were stripped, allowing coolant to also leak into the engine. The toyota dealer says that the short block or entire engine must be replaced, with no other option. The head had never been off since original factory manufacture/assembly. Based on the frequency of identical engine failures, faulty assembly and/or design assures eventual failure of the engine.
Two months after buying my new 2003 highlander it developed a loud ticking in the engine.toyota told me that this was common after 3000 miles or so but that there was nothing wrong with it, nor could it be fixed.i think this significantly reduces the value of the vehicle since i have had passengers ask me what was wrong with my car.
The engine on this vehicle required a complete rebuild, at a cost of over $5000 due to oil leaking into the engine and fouling the components. In the months leading up to the complete engine failure, the vehicle stalled repeatedly on both city roads and highways, creating a dangerous situation several times. Whenever the oil was changed, the problem became worse and the vehicle would use up to 4 quarts of oil per week for several weeks. I contacted toyota's corporate office by letter and phone and was told that no defect existed. Toyota is currently recalling earlier models of this vehicle for the same problem. The vehicle was emitting white smoke from the tailpipe for several months before the engine failed. Eventually, it would only sustain a speed of 30 mph. The vehicle was checked by three mechanics who all found the same problem. This vehicle is used to transport a handicapped person, and was also used to transport children frequently. In order to save the money for the repairs, which i had to make because i am still making payments on the loan for this car, i had to purchase a very old and inexpensive car to get to work. The toyota sat parked for 9 months before it could be fixed. Had i not been able to buy this second car, i would have lost my job. I could not put my daughter's wheelchair in the other car. She is able to walk only for short distances. This created a severe hardship and also contributed to her developing a foot wound and infection of the bone in her foot. This medical issue required 3 surgeries and 5 hospitalizations, plus over 6 months of iv antibiotic therapy. I narrowly avoided several accidents when the car stalled in traffic. If i was not such an experienced driver, it is highly likely that a serious accident would have occurred.
2003 toyota highlander 4.0 heater has gone out in this vehicle and only the a/c now works this happened right after the purchase of this vehicle and the cost to fix this is very high and should be dealt with per toyota since it seems alot of others are also having the problem due to a faulty knob becoming loose and breaking a tiny wire.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated thatthe vehicle was parked in his garage when he noticed coolant leaking from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the technician stated that the failure was contributed to a defective engine block. The contact notified the manufacturer who confirmed that the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was unable to provide assistance and informed the contact that there were no related complaints pertaining to the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. The failure mileage was 118,000.updated 01/24/11 updated 04/18/11
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph the vehicle started to overheat. She drove onto the emergency lane and waited for the vehicle to cool off. The vehicle was then inspected by a independent mechanic who advised her that the engine bolt was stripped and caused the coolant to leak onto the engine. The mechanic also stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were approximately 111,400.
Vehicle suddenly leaks engine coolant to the outside of vehicle without any warning of overheating. Leak is coming from a defective head bolt and cannot be fixed. Entire engine block needs replacement. A very common issue among 4 cylinder 2001-2006 toyota engines in the camry,highlander and rav 4 leaking harmful coolant to the outside of vehicles that is deadly to humans and animals if consumed. Not to mention overheating of engine that can result in loss of engine power and vacuum that supplies power to steering and brakes.
The suv was out of coolant & water and my husband take the car to the dealer to check this problem and for regular maintenance (the car only has received service at the dealer, except for tires).the diagnostic was that the shock block has it threads separated from the screws (or bolts).the engine has to be removed in order to change the shock block.the repair has cost $4701.31, because it was also recommended to change the oil pump.previous to this repair, the suv was taken to the dealer because there was a recall to reprogram its computer because the check engine light turned on (this happened twice).we have a full record in the dealer of all maintenance checks and repairs the suv had.
My 2003 highlanderheat gage indicated the engine was starting to get hot.i pull into service station to check coolant level and noticed coolant leaking on the ground.i waited for about 15 minutes to assure myself it was safe to take off the radiator cap.i could not see any coolant so, i purchased a gallon of pre-mixed coolant and poured in about 1/2 to 3/4 gallon to bring it up to full.i made the trip home without the car getting hot, but noticed the leak was still there.i had the vehicle looked at by a local toyota dealer and was told the car needed major repairs.there is a technical support bullitin on the engine in question.a 2.4 litre (4 cylinder) engine common on camarys and highlanders.i feel toyota should have to repair this vehicle in light of the fact toyota has known of the design defect on other models (camary and highlanders).when i took the car in for repairs the service scheduler knew exactly what problem i was describing to him about my car.this indicated to me, toyota has informed their dealers of the problem or, they wouldn't have sent a service bullitin on the very fix to my cars problem.the service bullitin described (3) head bolts around the intake manifold would stretch and fail to seal the head thus, leak coolant.the bullitin even describes installing heli-coils in the (3) affected bolts to solve the problem.this appears to be another failure of toyota taking responsibility for known defects in their automobiles.i bought and paid for this vehicle in good faith on the reliability record of the toyota company'spast record.i now feel i have been treated unfairly by this company.i would understand if this was an isolated occurance, but it is not and toyota knows this full well.service bullitins don't get sent to all dealers for a single occurance.please help !
While driving on the highway, my engine temp in my 4 cyl, 4wd 2003 highlander suddenly spiked high.i had to pull of the road.towed to dealer.dealer said bolts on short block of engine were stripped and allowed coolant to leak out and engine overheated.i was at 68,000 miles, so over the warranty period.i took it to my local dealer and they said i had a bad water pump...i paid to have that fixed, but the car still overheated. I took it back to the dealer and they then said it was the engine itself..the short block, something about the screws were stripped, that i had gotten a bad engine with stripped screws.dealers service manager told me this was a known issue on some 4cyl 2003 highlander but couldn't help me as it was out of warranty!!!the service manager called me back later and said that toyota would help out...i ended up paying a total of almost $1000 for the replacement short block, with toyota paying the rest of the cost for the short block replacement.this was on top of the cost i paid just a few days prior for a water pump that turned out to not be the issue. Very frustrating...i have all my receipts for maintenance and for these repairs. I am filling out this complaint over a year after the incident, because i have seen the same thing in the complaints and wanted to add mine.i do have all the documentation for my repairs for this and am more than willing to answer any questions, thank you.
2003 4 cylinder toyota highlander. Coolant leak and subsequent need for a new replacement engine due to the defect of 3 rear engine short block screws/threads.had less than 85k miles on vehicle, when found a coolant leak underneath engine block of vehicle in garage after having no issues prior with engine, radiator or any associated accessories to the coolant system/engine system of vehicle. Took to a toyota dealer prior to any overheating or vehicle operation failures or radiator failure.toyota dealer pulled engine manifold and cover off to investigate and found that when they pulled the three screws that connect the engine cover that cover the heads/cylinders, the threads associated with the screws came with them.the only fix per dealership determined to be a brand new short engine block and accessory replacement for $6,470.date on this is august/2010.have all past service history oil changes/transmission changes, radiator changes, water pump service, etc from 0 miles to current.told that the screws were never sprayed and sealed correctly, thus corroded into the threads and caused failure with both items.very unhappy that an engine is going to be paid for and replaced by consumer on an obvious manufacturer error.more and more of these specific issues will arise with time on these 4 cylinder early 2000 toyota highlanders.they will need to relieve the consumer of a full payment of a new engine or burden themselves on losing even more loyal toyota consumers.----toyota only consumer since 1994.....till now!!!!
The coolant kept leaking on my highlander 2003 4 cylinder for last few months. The temperature gauge one day showed heating of engine. Took it to toyota , they said it is blown head gasket. Demanded $3500.
Tl-* the contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While traveling 55 mph, the contact noticed that the temperature gauge was indicating that the vehicle was running hot. After examining the vehicle, the contact discovered coolant leaking from the rear of the cylinder block. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where z taps were installed inside of the engine. The current and failure mileage was 155,000.
Toyota highlander 2003 2.4 liter, blown head gasket due to stripped threads on the short block engine.
A few months after the purchase of my new 2003 toyota highlander, it has developed a pronounced "ticking" sound within the engine.i am concerned that this could mean that a problem is developing, and it is also an annoying sound in an otherwise quiet vehicle.i am going to report this to toyota via their web site.this vehicle cost me almost $35k and i do not feel that this problem is insignificant nor should be ignored by the dealer.should i choose to sell the vehicle, i would suspect this will significantly lower the price i could ask and may even prevent me from unloading it altogether.
Engine overheated.service dept diagnosed bad head gasket.discovered stripped threads in the block for two rear head bolts.service dept attempted repair with rethreaded helicoil but would not hold.engine replacement is required.
While driving on the highway, my engine temp in my 4 cyl, 4wd 2003 highlander suddenly spiked high.i had to pull of the road.towed to dealer.dealer said bolts on short block of engine were stripped and allowed coolant to leak out and engine overheated.i was at 68,000 miles, so over the warranty period.i took it to my local dealer and they said i had a bad water pump...i paid to have that fixed, but the car still overheated. I took it back to the dealer and they then said it was the engine itself..the short block, something about the screws were stripped, that i had gotten a bad engine with stripped screws.dealers service manager told me this was a known issue on some 4cyl 2003 highlander but couldn't help me as it was out of warranty!!!the service manager called me back later and said that toyota would help out...i ended up paying a total of almost $1000 for the replacement short block, with toyota paying the rest of the cost for the short block replacement.this was on top of the cost i paid just a few days prior for a water pump that turned out to not be the issue. Very frustrating...i have all my receipts for maintenance and for these repairs. I am filling out this complaint over a year after the incident, because i have seen the same thing in the complaints and wanted to add mine.i do have all the documentation for my repairs for this and am more than willing to answer any questions, thank you.
My wife's truck began leaking coolant.i was told the head gasket was blown.i paid nearly $1600 for the repairs.a year later, the coolant is leaking.when the head was pulled, the thread stripped out on 3 bolts.i found the same complaint numerous times on this website and on others.at this point, the options are thread inserts that may work or a new engine!at this point, i have been attempting to get help from toyota.there has been nothing to date.
This pertains to my wife's 2003 toyota highlander suv, 4 cylinder engine.on friday, august 28, 2009, while driving she noticed the temperature gage on the dashboard was high. She drove the car home and checked the coolant level. It was extremely low. She refilled the coolant and didn't drive the suv until she went to her appointment on wednesday, september 9, 2009 with the hawaii toyota dealer servco's motor imports service & parts center at 609 south street, honolulu, hawaii 96813. They told her the engine had a blown head gasket. We understand this is because the cylinder head bolts are stripped on the back side of the engine. This is what caused the coolant leak in the first place. Servco told us that the sure repair (a whole new engine) would exceed $20,000, and the less sure repair (trying to fix the old engine) would cost $13,000. We picked up the car the next day and took it to priam's automotive service & repair at 2002 pauoa road. They did a quick test and said that the head gasket was indeed blown, and referred us to rod's auto service at 972 kawaiahao street because priam's was not equipped to handle that magnitude of repair. Rod's has advised us that the best solution is replacing the entire engine with a rebuilt engine for $5,000, but this has become a common problem with toyota highlanders and locating a rebuilt engine on the mainland will take time. In doing some internet research, i've learned that camrys of the same vintage have also developed similar problems, but it looks like toyota is refusing to recall the vehicles and fix the design flaw. Http://www.camryforums.com/forum/showthread.php?p=21539 to date, the vehicle remains in disrepair.
2003 toyota highlander with 110,000 miles started to overheat and lose coolant. Took it to dealership and learned that the cylinder head bolts had come loose due to the holes in the block being stripped. Toyota estimated $3000 to take the block out to a machinist to bore new holes, but if that didn't work it would cost $6000 to replace the block. I then took the car to a private mechanic who said it would cost $9600 to take out the block and send to machinist or buy a re-manufactured engine for $8200. The private mechanic stated this problem is due to faulty manufacturing of the engine and also stated that he sees this problem all the time in these types of vehicles. On the internet i have found consumers sharing the same stories about similar vehicles by toyota with similar engines that have the same problem; some only lasting 70,000 miles. I put in a call with toyota headquarters and they gave me a reference number in case any recalls should arise. Toyota said that there was nothing they could do out of "good faith" since it is passed the warranty mileage and since i did not do all my servicing at toyota. I changed the oil every 3,000 miles and took very good care of this vehicle as it was my first purchase of a new vehicle and i thought it would last me a long time.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The vehicle had a head gasket water leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the head gasket was blown and it would cost $2500 to be repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage 126,000.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander.while driving at an unknown speed, the check engine light illuminated.two to three months later, the contact received a recall notice regarding the engine.toyota repaired the vehicle.the current mileage was 50,000 and failure mileage was 40,000.
Engine head bolts on 2003 toyota highlander became loose; threads had worn off on 2 or 3 bolts that hold the top of the engine to the main engine block.vehicle has been well-maintained; 87,000 miles.repair requires new engine block at cost of $6,400.appears to be manufacturing defect - engine bolts should not come loose.toyota refuses to provide any assistance in repair.vehicle overheated and was towed to repair shop.
I have a 2003 toyota highlander with only 97,000 miles that keeps "over heating". I have replaced everything under the hood except the engine. This problem started around nov. 2009. I have read other blogs that have the same complaint and it appears to be the "bolts on the engine are stripped/defected" and allows the coolant to leak out causing overheating. One blog i read stated he had the "blots" replaced and the new bolts are expanding and doing the same thing (over heating) again!i have called several dealers and so far no recall from toyota to fix this problem, although one dealer said there is a memo from toyota regarding this problem, but no recall!please help, i am a senior on a fix income and can not afford the cost of a new engine.i hope you can help all of us with this problem.....thank you.
My 2003 toyota highlander's temp gauge started going toward the h while driving about 30 mph.i turned the heat on in the car and that made the gauge go back down to normal.i took the car to a toyota dealership where i was told my head gasket was blown and i needed a new engine for about $8000! i took the car to an independent mechanic that told me the engine itself was fine but 3 bolts on the head gasket were stripped.the repair is costing an approximate $2500 to retap the holes and use different bolts. I had done some research and i found out that this is a known problem with the 2003 highlanders and toyota is not doing anything about it (i have the website info and complaints if needed).many people who have purchased this year/make/model have spent thousands of dollars repairing this defect that toyota knows about but will not take care of.i called toyota national customer service and they gave me this website information to file a complaint (i have a claim number if you need it).i am very upset, actually outraged, that here we are again finding out that toyota has more issues with their vehicles and won't do anything about it.i bought this car because i thought toyotaswere reliable.please do something about this and help all of us who bought the 2003 highlanders recover the money we have spent on repairs to an obvious manufacturer's defective part usage. Thank you!
The suv was out of coolant & water and my husband take the car to the dealer to check this problem and for regular maintenance (the car only has received service at the dealer, except for tires).the diagnostic was that the shock block has it threads separated from the screws (or bolts).the engine has to be removed in order to change the shock block.the repair has cost $4701.31, because it was also recommended to change the oil pump.previous to this repair, the suv was taken to the dealer because there was a recall to reprogram its computer because the check engine light turned on (this happened twice).we have a full record in the dealer of all maintenance checks and repairs the suv had.
1) noticed radiator fluid slowly leaking under bottom (towards back of engine). Had mechanic check engine, - was leaking at back of head gasket, took apart engine and noticed 3 back bolts to engine block (heads) could be removed by hand. When heads were fixed could not install new bolts (would not tighten) - mechanic said there is a manufacturer defect - no threads.2) cannot fix engine - need new engine3) trying to get toyota to pay for repair - in progress with them now - no resolution yet.
My 2003 highlander limited 6-cyl. 4wd vehicle has a loud audible clicking noise (sounds like valve lifters ticking) eminating from the engine since i purchased the vehicle new from page toyota in jan '2003. The clicking noise is only present when the engine is running. The clicking noise is always audible but the volume decreases as the vehicle reaches normal operating temperature.the clicking noise is very loud when the vehicle is cold.the clicking noise frequency increases with increasing engine rpm and decreases with decreasing engine rpm. The toyota red holman customer service representative stated that the clicking noise is normal and can not be reduced or eliminated.
2003 toyota highlander v6 4wd 45000 miles.it wa s already more than 2 years i have been experiencing exactly the same problem as 'described in nhtsa recall100i0160 000- concerning accessory drive belt squeal/ belt tensioner rattles.dealership response was that nhtsa item number 100i0160 didn't apply to v6 highlanders.
Replacement of a charcoal canister on a 2003 toyota highlander. No accidents occurred as a result of the replacement of this part; however, i am concerned about the number of reports of having to replace this very expensive part.also if the part is a safety hazard (may cause an engine fire) it should not be at the expense of the owner. The part is an emission control device that is surely required by the government. This action is taken because i noticed, while researching charcoal canisters that toyotas come up frequently as having to have this type repair. At this writing i am unable to confirm the part is defective as it is the original part that came with the vehicle when i purchased it brand new.this is not a pre-owned vehicle.
My 2003 highlanderheat gage indicated the engine was starting to get hot.i pull into service station to check coolant level and noticed coolant leaking on the ground.i waited for about 15 minutes to assure myself it was safe to take off the radiator cap.i could not see any coolant so, i purchased a gallon of pre-mixed coolant and poured in about 1/2 to 3/4 gallon to bring it up to full.i made the trip home without the car getting hot, but noticed the leak was still there.i had the vehicle looked at by a local toyota dealer and was told the car needed major repairs.there is a technical support bullitin on the engine in question.a 2.4 litre (4 cylinder) engine common on camarys and highlanders.i feel toyota should have to repair this vehicle in light of the fact toyota has known of the design defect on other models (camary and highlanders).when i took the car in for repairs the service scheduler knew exactly what problem i was describing to him about my car.this indicated to me, toyota has informed their dealers of the problem or, they wouldn't have sent a service bullitin on the very fix to my cars problem.the service bullitin described (3) head bolts around the intake manifold would stretch and fail to seal the head thus, leak coolant.the bullitin even describes installing heli-coils in the (3) affected bolts to solve the problem.this appears to be another failure of toyota taking responsibility for known defects in their automobiles.i bought and paid for this vehicle in good faith on the reliability record of the toyota company'spast record.i now feel i have been treated unfairly by this company.i would understand if this was an isolated occurance, but it is not and toyota knows this full well.service bullitins don't get sent to all dealers for a single occurance.please help !
Drivers side seat belt nylon webbing (actual belt portion) has started to severely unravel in several different places.i feel this is a factory defect in materials; however, local dealership where vehicle was purchased informs me that it will cost me $270 to replace this belt.cost so high because the whole mechanism must be replaced...not just webbing.i am a senior citizen on a fixed income & cannot afford to replace the belt @ this cost.i feel manufacturer should replace @ no charge since a defective seat belt on drivers side is very dangerous.i have been a long time toyota customer & this is my 1st compliant ever.
I have now had my air conditioner's blower unit go bad twice in the past 6 months. In october of 2003, the air conditioner began making a rattling noise and within a day or so, the blower completely died. The toyota dealer looked at it and had to order a part. A week later, they replaced the blower unit.... Now, the exact same thing has happened again. The rattling noise started yesterday and today, the blower is completely dead. I have to take it back to the dealer again!
The rear right brake light stopped brightening upon hitting the brakes at first.then a few months later, neither brake light is lighting up at all.i also witnessed the same issue occur on another 2003 toyota highlander while stopped in traffic.
Right side (passenger) brake lights do not light bright when brakes are applied, driver of another car almost hit our vehicle when turning right on to main road. Our car was stopping, but other driver did not see our brake lights on the passenger side as they were not working... The left (drivers) side works fine, but was not visible to the other driver. This seems to be an on going problem with 2002-2007 toyota highlanders,dealer said no recall was issued? this is a real safety issue that could be fatal. Not to mention the cost of a ticket for having a defective brake light. There are many other toyota highlander owners that have experienced the same problem with no recourse from toyota. Just google "toyota 2003 highlander brake light problem" time to issue a recall for safety issues.
Driver side rear brake lights will not illuminate even when you depress your brakes even after you replace bulb and light socket. Right side rear is ok. I have looked online and it appears other 2003-2006 highlanders are having similar issues. Some on right side and others on left like myself.
Parking light is not functioning, will not be able to drive at night. Safety issue.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While parked, the contact noticed that the driver side brake light would not function when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was not taken to dealer for diagnostics or repairs.the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.the consumer stated the driver side brake light bulbs intermittently failed. Updated 12/12/11
The left rear brake lights are defective.i've heard of people getting the entire electrical system replaced only to have the problem return a year later.see http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/toyota-highlander/t7h7ld934gsqlc6benow my vehicle is doing the same thing and toyota seems uninterested in a recall.
I have a 2003 highlander. When i press the brake, only the driver side of the tail/brake light becomes brighter. When the lights are on, the bulbs illuminate on the passenger side but they do not get brighter when the brake is pressed. When the lights are off, the brake lights do not illuminate on the passenger side. I saw the same problem today on a highlander just like mine.
Headlight lenses have become progressively translucent blocking significant light energy from vehicle to operate vehicle in a totally safe manner.(incident date and odometer reading not applicable in this case.)some internet web sites suggest drilling holes in the headlamp fixture to fix problem.i believe it is a safety issue and that the manufacturer should stand behind getting the problem resolved.this problem is not exclusive to toyotas as i have observed other brands of vehicles with the same safety problem and may be related specifically to a headlight fixture manufacturer shared by other vehicle manufacturers.thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be heard.
The rear left brake light does not workdespite having replaced the bulb and fuse.
Driver side rear brakes will not illuminate after you depress your brakes. Replaced bulb and socket that houses bulb and will not work. Check online for similar issues and read reports of 2002-2006 highlanders having either left or right side rear not working.
Driver side rear lights stops working once in a while. The bulbs are fine have replaced them with the new one and the problem still persist. There has been quite a lot of complaint and nothing has been addressed.
We have had unreliable operation of the driver-side brake light for some time (approximate incident date above was for most recent incident).web search turns up numerous complaints with same symptoms - one example is at www.topix.com. Several reporting this problem replaced major components of taillight assembly only to have problem recur.a call to toyota asking about tsb or recall yields nothing.
Seat belt on drivers side is fraying on the edges.spoke to other toyota highlander owners and they are experiencing the same problem.contacted the dealership where we purchased the vehicle and they said we would have to pay for a new seatbelt and installation cost.i contacted a few other manufacturers and was told that due to this being a safety issue they would replace at no cost to the consumer.the seatbelt is not meant to wear out and they said that it was a manufacturer defect that should be addressed.the second issue has to do with the brake lights.replaced bulbs, fuses and checked wiring no problems yet the brake light do not work.toyota's is aware of the issue and states that the consumer can pay $400 to have it checked and it still does not work.
Like thousands of other 2003 toyota highlanders only the right side brake light will illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While parked, the contact noticed that the driver side brake light would not function when the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was not taken to dealer for diagnostics or repairs.the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.the consumer stated the driver side brake light bulbs intermittently failed. Updated 12/12/11
The headlight lenses are completely fogged and impairs driving after dusk.this is a safety issue and a recall should be issued
)n the morning of 12-05-09, as i'm pulling into my garage,the car suddenly lurched forward with an unexpected increase in speed.before i could brake, the car slammed into a steel shelving unit on the back wall which resulted in extensive damage to the wall ( both interior & exterior) and what appeared to be minimal damage to the auto. I took the vehicle to my toyota service on that same day because i/we felt that this could constitute an unsafe driving condition.total costs from this incident were as follows:covered by insurance- $3607.81 (plus 703.31 pd. Directly to the dealer?)and $916.27( 500.00 insurance deductible and an additional mechanical charge for a fuel/air sensor that failed on 12-26-09). I have not previously experienced "sudden acceleration" with this vehicle.i have notifiedboth my local dealer, southeast toyota distributors and toyota customer relations regarding the problem stating that there may be other vehicles beyond the scope of their current recall that should also be considered as potentially dangerous. Updated 05/03.10toyota denied the consumer claim, stating the vehicle examination revealed no apparent reason for the acceleration. However, the dealer that performed the inspection stated the throttle was became stuck due to gummy deposits cased by ethanol in the gasoline.updated 08/210/10
Vehicle which was out of warranty was parked in driveway and was observed during early morning hours to be leaking fuel from the bottom of the fuel tank.vehicle was towed to the dealer who reported that the roll-over ball (safety feature in a roll-over crash) had activated and had floated to the top of the fuel filler neck forcing fuel into the charcoal canister.the fuel tank had been filled several days previously.dealer estimated repairs to be $1500 for a new tank, canister, and other parts.fortunately, the district rep for toyota intervened and paid for all parts and half of labor at warranty rates. Vehicle owner was responsible for only $248.50.
Vehicle was in reverse and motor raced and vehicle traveled backward at rapid rate of speed and could not be stopped in spite of braking.attempt to stop vehicle was unsuccessful. Vehicle only stopped when struck telephone pole.problem was engine racing which could not be stopped.accelerator seemed to stick down or accelerate without foot application.
Replacement of a charcoal canister on a 2003 toyota highlander. No accidents occurred as a result of the replacement of this part; however, i am concerned about the number of reports of having to replace this very expensive part.also if the part is a safety hazard (may cause an engine fire) it should not be at the expense of the owner. The part is an emission control device that is surely required by the government. This action is taken because i noticed, while researching charcoal canisters that toyotas come up frequently as having to have this type repair. At this writing i am unable to confirm the part is defective as it is the original part that came with the vehicle when i purchased it brand new.this is not a pre-owned vehicle.
When i start the car in the morning (or the first in that day) the car have strong gassmell ..i'm worried of a fire.
While driving. A loud noise was heard as if the vehicle had ran over something large in the road. The consumer noticed a liquid spraying out from the vehicle, once he pulled over, the vehicle was towed to the dealership and the consumer was informed a hole was in the gas tank. However, one month later the same loud noise was heard and the consumer discovered the gas tank had a deep indentation in it. The consumer requested reimbursement for the gas tank. *mr
Gas gauge broke, 2/12/04, 4/20/04 and 6/11/04.when you put gas in the car the needle would not register. Service claims that they kept fixing it from 2/12/04.
Needed to have a total engine rebuild due to faulty head bolts that stripped and allowed coolant to enter the engine and burn. Lucky-i guess-that i acted quickly so as to avert catalytic converter issues or sensors getting damaged by burning coolant. I also avoided the total loss of antifreeze and the resulting damage &/or inconvenience that thousands of others had. Still, a huge inconvenience and huge$5425.82 cost due to manufacturer's defect: weak metal that couldn't withstand the torque/pull on them... Perhaps the threading played a part.i only know that 1000s upon 1000s of people suffered the same issue from toyota on this engine in several years/models. There should be a recall. There should be compensation.
Car accelerated and chased into house in nov 20011.car accelerated in parking lot dec. 2012. Nodamage this time but in 2011 there was 14,000 $ damage to house and car. Car was checked out at toyota twice ,no problem found. Wife will never drive the car again. She is infear of hurting someone.
Strong odor of gas fumes when car is parked
The automatic door locks were inoperative.
1. Notice or recall received ssc 40b highlander child protection lock system safety recall2. Contacted 2 toyota dealerships to schedule an appointment and the national customer service line and was advised that appointments were not available but cars were taken in the order received on a given day with prior days cars being serviced first.3. I attempted to set an appointment at the convenience of both dealerships this week, next week, next month or even two months away when i could take my vehicle in and have the 30 minute (approximately) repair completed within a reasonable time. I was told that no such appointment could be made and that i had the choice of bringing the car in between 7:00 a.m. And 9:00 a.m. And that it would be done in a hour and a half to three or four hours.toyota in their recall notice promises "any toyota dealer will modify the cpl lever at no cost to you in as convenient a manner as possible." it further states "make an appointment."
Noticed white smoke coming out of the tailpipe in june. Then i noticed reddish/pink fluid accumulating on garage floor in july. Took it in assuming either a coolant or transmission fluid leak. Toyota told me i needed a new engine because the back headbolts were stripped and the head gasket was blown. All this was determined without removing valve cover and cams, but instead because it's a known issue. Many owners report the same thing on message boards.
Gentlemen:i am writing you this e-mail because there is a problem with my car that is not only irritating, but is potentially dangerous to all who own a full time four-wheel drive toyota highlander.my highlander is a 2003, and although we were promised full time four-wheel drive when we bought it, we found out later to our horror that it is not. When driving down a paved highway, all four wheels are driving. This is a time when four-wheel drive is not needed. However, a few months ago, we drove off the pavement into sand on a picnic trip, but did not worry because the 'full time' four-wheel drive would pull us out. It did not! one of the front wheels began to spin in the sand and the other three immediately stopped driving. We were stuck! the problem is that the differential between the front and rear wheels is not anti-slip, but the standard differential that will stop all wheels from driving when one looses traction. This is hardly full-time four-wheel drive no matter how you define it.we were sold a car we paid for but did not get, and something needs to be done to rectify this situation. Who knows how many customers have been bilked by toyota with this car, and will get them into trouble thinking they had a car that would pull them out. I would like to start a class action law suit to get our money back or get a free car that is indeed the full time four wheel drive we paid for and deserve.
On april 15, 2013 while parking my 2003 toyota highlander all of a sudden my car accelerated while shifting from reverse to drive while i was parking.suddenly my car took off with the engine full speed to red line on the tachometer in a space of four feet it jumped the parking block and smashed into the center block wall with my foot on the brake. The damage to my car was $2000.00.this was the second time this has happened. I consider myself lucky, because i could have been hurt and other people.i am scared now when i drive my car.
I was backing my car from across the street. After shifting to drive, my car jumped back in reversed full speed crash in to my garage. I had my foot on the brake but wouldn't stop till it hit my garage wall.
"takata recall" transmission slips in reverse surge in reverse after slip
I pulled into a parking space at a shopping center near my home, then backed up a few feet in order to straighten my car.when i put the transmission into drive, the car suddenly surged forward entirely on its own, striking the concrete barrier a few feet in front of my car.i did not accelerate, there were no floor mats on the driver's side, and the force threw me against the steering wheel.a witness ran over to see iwas injured, but i was just badly frightened.the front fender was dented, but actually popped back out as i was standing beside my car with the witness. I had previously complained about the engine alternately slowing and surging as i drove, usually only atspeeds up to 40mph, to my local service department.when i called my service department, they gave me a toll free number where i spoke to a toyota case manager who assigned me a case number and treated me very coldly and with suspicion, asking personal questions about my health, insurance company and driving record.i said i was just concerned that my car had behaved like one ihad just heard about on the local news, and i wanted to know what to do and prevent others from experiencing what had happened to me or worse the case mgr. Said they would call me back.they never called back.the following month i took my car in for service and asked them to check the electrical system.they said they found no problems.
2003 v6 awd toyota highlander front to rear drive shaft failure (propeller shaft).
2003 toyota highlander, 4 cyl , auto trans. Between 25 and 45 mph, when you apply the brake on the auto and then press the gas to resume your forward travel, there is a kick (like a looseness in the transmission and drive shaft) followed by the motor revving as it should and the transmission down shifting. I went to the dealer who told me yes, there is a looseness caused by the fact that there is a lot of rubber connectors holding thedifferential and drive shaft assembly to the vehicle frame.over time they had fatigued (31000 miles). The dealer took no action. I have a registered a complaint with toyota (200508090110). A final end result would be the differential and attached drive shaft falling off the auto while it is in motion causing a serious injury or fatal crash.
After only 64,000 miles, the transmission on my 2003 toyota highlander started skipping. When i accelerated, the car would jump/skip. This could have easily caused a wreck.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact applied to brakes but the vehicle began to accelerate. The contact tried several ways to stop the vehicle (shifting into neutral, using the emergency brake) but the vehicle continued to rev. The tires also were spinning. The contact shifted into neutral again and turned the vehicle off which stopped it. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the transmission dropped and the extra floor mat caused the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 90,000.updated 03/24/11*ljthe consumer stated the floor mat was nowhere near the gas pedal. It was securely in place. Updated 11/16/11
2003 toyota highlander v-6 with 66450 miles.driving home going 40 to 45 mph, car transmission started to skip, engine would surge then buck and engine would hesitate.drove on to dealer for diagnosis.
I have a 2003 awd v6 limited highlander (hl) with 115,000 miles. About 200 miles ago, the transmission started slipping during the third to fourth gear shift. Hl goes into neutral, the revs go way up, then it shifts with a clunk. I can minimize the clunk from a stop by accelerating to 25 mph, taking my foot off the gas, letting the revs drop down to 1200 rpm (at which point the trans will shift to fourth gear), and then stepping on the gas. There are no problems in first, second, third or fourth gear. The car runs fine in fourth gear. It is only a problem with the third gear to fourth gear shift. Tried not using overdrive, but problem persists. This is my first problem with the hl. I always get my hl serviced at toyota dealer at 5000 miles intervals. Dealer says the trans needs to be replaced. In california, the price is over $4500 for the "new" trans. Dealer will give me a 10% discount on parts and labor. I asked the service manager if there was a way to reprogram the transmission computer module on my 2003 highlander. He checked and said that there was no way to re-program the module and there were no technical service bulletins on this problem. I replaced the transmission. The transmission was replaced with a "rebuilt trans" from toyota. The transmission case is a used case, but all of the internal parts are new. I sent an e-mail to the local toyota dealer to thank the service manager for customer service. I also asked them to forward the note about the transmission problem to the regional toyota service representative.other highlander owners have similar automatic transmission problems.see http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0aabc6needless to say, i am very disappointed in the quality of the toyota transmission, which is a major part of the drivetrain, and should last more than 100,000+ miles.
Dt: the contact noticed while stopping at a red light she reached over to get something and hit the gear shift with her hand andwith her foot on the brake the vehicle shifted from drive to neutral without pushing the button on the gear shift. Her concern is that if the car is in low drive, second gear or neutral it can be shifted, this defect can cause an accident. Contact called toyota, and they said this was a safety feature which wasmeant to do that. Consumer was never told by dealer that this was a feature of vehicle. She believed that this was very dangerous and was a safety issue. Consumer states vehicle does not shift into reverse without pressing the button. *sb
2003 v6 awd toyota highlander front to rear drive shaft failure (propeller shaft).
I own a 2003 toyota highlander purchased november, 2002 with current mileage 49,570. I just noticed that the strap portion of the seat belt on the driver's seat is shredding to fine threads prematurely and quickly deteriorating due to unknown reason. Soon, nothing will be left of my seatbelt but fine threads (very unsafe). I have spoken to two service advisors at michael's toyota of bellevue, waand toyota of kirkland, wa and requested for a warranty repair. I was aware that other car manufacturers have longer warranty coverage for safety restraint system. Unfortunately, i was told by the service advisors that toyota does not have extended safety restraint coverage so it would cost me $205-230 for parts plus 1-2 hours of labor to get the seatbelt replaced because the vehicle's 36,000/3 yr warranty had expired.
Unusual fraying of drivers seat belt due to design problem with stitching of belt material. Began to unravel and run alongside approx 18" of belt length. This caused belt to bind and snag on buckle further exacerbating problem. This occurred during routine use and is a common problem on this model. Toyota does not warranty safety restraint devices for the life of the vehicle like other similar major manufacturers (nissan, honda, mazda, etc) and dealership stated that their warranty was good for 5 yr/60,000 miles. Though the vehicle has less than 60,000 miles, it is >5 years and therefore not covered. Toyota corporate does not seem concerned about recent glaring safety concerns resulting in consumer deaths (sticking wot accelerators, failing brakes, etc) and is unwilling to cover any portion of the estimated $450 repair. I would like to document this defect which is extensively reported on the internet by other consumers in hopes that toyota could be forced to correct this serious safety issue before more deaths occur.
Drivers side seat belt nylon webbing (actual belt portion) has started to severely unravel in several different places.i feel this is a factory defect in materials; however, local dealership where vehicle was purchased informs me that it will cost me $270 to replace this belt.cost so high because the whole mechanism must be replaced...not just webbing.i am a senior citizen on a fixed income & cannot afford to replace the belt @ this cost.i feel manufacturer should replace @ no charge since a defective seat belt on drivers side is very dangerous.i have been a long time toyota customer & this is my 1st compliant ever.
Seat belt on drivers side is fraying on the edges.spoke to other toyota highlander owners and they are experiencing the same problem.contacted the dealership where we purchased the vehicle and they said we would have to pay for a new seatbelt and installation cost.i contacted a few other manufacturers and was told that due to this being a safety issue they would replace at no cost to the consumer.the seatbelt is not meant to wear out and they said that it was a manufacturer defect that should be addressed.the second issue has to do with the brake lights.replaced bulbs, fuses and checked wiring no problems yet the brake light do not work.toyota's is aware of the issue and states that the consumer can pay $400 to have it checked and it still does not work.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander.the contact stated that toyota is placing new brake pads on vehicles which last longer, but get so hot that they warp the vehicle's rotors.she stated that formerly it would cost $60 to replace the brake pads, but now it costs $300, not including the replacement of the warped rotors.the warped rotors cause the steering wheel to shake uncontrollably when applying the brakes at 60 mph or greater. The current and failure mileages were 58,400.on september 14, 2007, during an oil change,the dealer checked the tire tread and brake pads and the brake pads are operating normally. The contact stated that the vehicle is still shaking at 50mph because the rotors are damaged due to the front brake pads. The dealer and mechanic stated that the newly designed brake pads don't wear as fast; however, it causes friction and the rotors to warp. The front brakes were replaced in april. The dealer stated on the invoice that the rear brakes are operating normally. The contact is aware of the safety risk involved. Updated 02-01-08.the consumer also stated there is a sever issue concerning the seats.the consumer stated she has experienced extreme hip and back pain from the seats. The consumer stated she can't adjust the seat anymore, because then she will not be able to reach the steering wheel.
Driver side rear brakes will not illuminate after you depress your brakes. Replaced bulb and socket that houses bulb and will not work. Check online for similar issues and read reports of 2002-2006 highlanders having either left or right side rear not working.
Right side (passenger) brake lights do not light bright when brakes are applied, driver of another car almost hit our vehicle when turning right on to main road. Our car was stopping, but other driver did not see our brake lights on the passenger side as they were not working... The left (drivers) side works fine, but was not visible to the other driver. This seems to be an on going problem with 2002-2007 toyota highlanders,dealer said no recall was issued? this is a real safety issue that could be fatal. Not to mention the cost of a ticket for having a defective brake light. There are many other toyota highlander owners that have experienced the same problem with no recourse from toyota. Just google "toyota 2003 highlander brake light problem" time to issue a recall for safety issues.
I have a 2003 highlander. When i press the brake, only the driver side of the tail/brake light becomes brighter. When the lights are on, the bulbs illuminate on the passenger side but they do not get brighter when the brake is pressed. When the lights are off, the brake lights do not illuminate on the passenger side. I saw the same problem today on a highlander just like mine.
Driver side rear brake lights will not illuminate even when you depress your brakes even after you replace bulb and light socket. Right side rear is ok. I have looked online and it appears other 2003-2006 highlanders are having similar issues. Some on right side and others on left like myself.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander.while driving approximately 25 mph, the contact had to depress the brake pedal to the floorboard in order to stop the vehicle.the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis.the manufacturer was not notified.the vin was unavailable.the approximate failure mileage was 137,000.
The contact owned a 2003 toyota highlander. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated independently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to effectively slow down the vehicle. The gear shifter button was pushed into drive and the vehicle sped forward and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure recurred twice prior to the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was destroyed.
Grandmother was leaving and drove through a closed wrought iron gate that was over 10' tall and 16' wide. Continued accelerating through a parking lot across the street, drove over a large decorative boulders and came to halt after crashing into a neighbors fence.she said that she attempted to stop in front of her gate to open it but the breaks would not work and the car kept accelerating. Thankfully it ended how it did leaving her with minor injuries. It is also disgusting knowing that it could have been much worse and if a car defect is the reason nothing will be done until deaths begin to occur.
I have been the owner of my 2003 toyota highlander, for almost 8 years. I got it in nov.2008 at around the 69,000 mark. Since then, i have made sure that my car/baby has had the works in care, to keep the quality and value of the vehicle up. This would include:oil changes, new brakes, new tires, repairs of belts/filters etc, hoses, tune ups, great gas and car washes/body care. Most of this has been done by the dealership here in culver city ca. I've depended on them to tell me what was good/bad about my car and trusted themin doing so. I also made sure to do the repairs they suggested. Sometimes however they said it was fine, but would come to find out, i did have issues. This made me wonder if toyota was trustworthy/doing their jobs right and now i feel the same lack of trust in my cars performance /current state. I can say i have only put 50,000 miles or soon my car in the last 8 years, and i know toyotas can/should last until 250,000 or so, without major issues. However since 2015 i have dealt, with one thing after the next with the car. Most recently this past weekend where my engine completely blew. How could a engine blow out on such a well maintained car? well after reviewing other complaints online, it seems this year and model has this problem often, once they reach around 110,000 mark or so. Why? it seems to be a faulty engine /something that should definitely be recalled. We as consumers shouldn't have to spend thousands on a car, thousands to keep it in great condition and then thousands when are engines fail and this has been reported. Other may simply think there is no hope and don't bother. But i am bothered, because now i am without a car. I don't have the funds for this repair. I have a young child and when i bought this car, thought it would last. I also have had problems with braking/cars pedal going into the floor! this is unacceptable!! help!!
Driver side rear lights stops working once in a while. The bulbs are fine have replaced them with the new one and the problem still persist. There has been quite a lot of complaint and nothing has been addressed.
Like thousands of other 2003 toyota highlanders only the right side brake light will illuminate when the brake pedal is pressed.
Toyota highlanders suv brake lights for years 2002-2003 has a serious issue with either the left or right brake lighting.my wife's 2003 toyota limited edition highlander right rear brake light stop working on 25 june 2010.after reading and learning many other toyota highlanders owners are having the same issue, i had to submit this, since toyota has not announced a recall for this problem.please click here for other comments from toyota highlander's owner: http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/toyota-highlander/t7h7ld934gsqlc6be.i worry about this issue since so many owners have paid a great deal of money trying to have this is resolved, and the only reply/respond they receive from the dealership tech's are more money and a statement informing them that there is not a recall. I also worry about this because what would my wife say to a police officer if she is cited repeatedly?please assist in serious matter.
2003 toyota highlander brakes malfunctioning.nar 07/09/2003.*mrthe consumer requested that the dealership reimburse themall expenses due to a faulty vehicle.
Problems with vehicle brakes, master cylinder was faulty. *mr the brakes faded while the consumer attempted to stop the vehicle.the consumer was told by the technician that the brakes were functioning as designed.the consumer requested reimbursement if the brakes were design this way.*scc *nlm
Dt*: the consumer hit a patch of black ice traveling at 45 mph when approaching a stop sign; the vehicle proceeded through a stop sign striking another vehicle in the passenger side.the airbags did not deploy.the pre-braking was minimal due to the icy road conditions.both occupants of the vehicle were wearing seat belts and sustained minor injuries.police were on the scene and a report was taken.the vehicle sustained extensive damage, but was not totaled due to assessment of the insurance adjustor and the lack of airbag deployment.prior to the accident, the airbag warning light illuminated in cold temperatures, but the vehicle was not seen by a dealer for this problem.prior to the accident, the rear brakes and rotors were replaced. Updated 03/03/06. Updated
2003 toyota highlander. Consumer states problem with brakes *tgwthe consumer stated after he picked his vehicle up from the dealer after having the 60,000 mile service done, he heard a clicking noise coming from the front wheels when driving over uneven pavement or speed bumps at low speeds. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer within days. The vehicle was returned to the dealer and the clicking noise from the brakes had been remedied.in march 2010, while driving on the highway, the consumer detected a shimmy coming from the front end and transmitting through the steering wheel when the brake was applied. The shimmy continued with increased intensity over time during his trip and there was an odor of smoke coming from the passenger side of the vehicle. A closer inspection revealed, the right front wheel had excessive brake dust and it seemed to be hotter than the other side along with a burning smell coming from the same location. The consumer returned to the dealer. The consumer was informed the rotors needed to be replaced and the right front caliper had seized and needed to be replaced as well. The consumer stated according to the invoice, the rotors were replaced due to excessive heat, along with the brake pads and caliper.
I have an '03 toyota highlander.brakes failed while parking causing me to crash into cement retaining wall.the brake pedal went all the way to the floor and the brakes failed to slow and stop.there is body damage and leaking fluids as a result.the car has been towed to a toyotadealer.brakes have yet to be evaluated.this has not happened before.although the car was moving slowly i was injured upon impact.
Car was being driven slowly in traffic.when other cars stopped, the brakes were applied.instead of stopping, the car continued forward, hitting another car. It seemed as though the brakes did not work.the car was taken to the dealer the next day to have the brakes evaluated.we were told that the repairman saw those kind of accidents all the time with anti-lock brakes." you cannot hit them hard or they will fail".
Abs engages intermittently when accelerating from a complete stop.
I have replaced the brakes in my 2003 highlander in feb and aug 2008 complaining of squealing and occasional grinding. I returned in oct, nov and dec only to be told they hear no noise. I e-mailed the service mgr in jan 2009 and they picked up serviced & delivered the car to me. Within 24 hours i had grinding again. I was wondering if these are the same brakes they used on the 2004 lexus.my husband was unable to stop last week and did tap the bumper of the car in front of us, fortunately their bumper was not a toyota so it did not scratch like ours does.
This car has been dealer maintained from day one. Last year, we began noticing an odd, loud drumming sound occurring along with resistance to acceleration in slow speed situations. This included parking lots, stopping for a left turn within an intersection, and every other situation where we needed to maneuver at low speed. The vehicle would vibrate, the engine would not accelerate, and sometimes the car would lurch within a turn. It became alarmingly severe and the periods between incidents began to shorten. While still intermittent, we began to be concerned and took it to the ny dealer who had been servicing the car since it was new. We reported exactly what i have written above, including the comment that the anti-skid light would come onthe dash when this happened.after charging us over $900 for fluid replacement and reattaching a vacuum hose, we were told we had no problem, that the noise was normal.it occurred again when we left the dealers lot.the pavement was dry. After a few weeks of increasing difficulty we took it to a different dealer, to be told that our tires were worn. We replaced the tires, and the problem persisted on either wet or dry pavement. With a cross-country trip coming up, we took the car to an aamco, who test drove it and said we had an abs brake problem. They kept it for three days, and charged us $400 having found a piece of rusted metal they believed was preventing one of the wheel sensors from making constant contact.it felt better, but the problem began to show up again in a couple of days. We could not put the trip off, and drove the car cross country, having the problem re-occur in almost every low speed situation, when we got to new mexico we made an appointment with the dealer who sold us the car. They said it was unsafe to drive and after four days, told us the abs ecu was malfunctioning. It cost $2178 to replace. The replaced component is a sealed electronic module with no moving parts. It should have lasted.
Ltr fm william lorber (ca) concerned about the brake problem on his 2003 toyota highlander and request toyota to replace them.*mrconsumer stated the brakes felt as if the master cylinder was faulty. He notified the dealer several times and they stated the brakes were "functioning as designed."even the dealers service personnel said the same thing after he almost rear-ended a vehicle at 35 mph while test driving the highlander. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to try to have the problem resolved but it was not. The consumer was told if he returned again for brake problems, he would be charged a service call.once again the diagnoses was "functioning as designed."*phthe consumer was told the brakes on the vehicle were smaller and with the added weight it would take longer to stop
I routinely have difficulty with my brakes on my 2003 toyota highlander. I brought the car to the dealer several times and they were never able to reproduce the problem. Just recently i discovered that the problem is cuased by my "big feet" - i am a size 14. If my foot is straight up and down the top of my shoe or boot rests against the metal bracket and i lose all the leverage on the brake. In essence - i have to stand on the brake to make the car stop. I now try to remember to keep my foot tilted to the side so that i only push on the rubber pad of the brake pedal. I don't believe that i should alter how i apply the brakes to get them to work. The brake pedal design needs to be changed. At least twice i have had near accidents when i had to stop suddenly and my reflex was to brake noramlly - not tilt my foot to the side. I entered the last date this occured.
2003 toyota highlander 4.0 have had serious problems with the brakes on this vehicle since i purchased it due to toyota originally installing brakes that are too small for the size of this vehicle. Trying to get it to a stop is a problem and the brakes fail alot as well as the fact that they destroy the oem rotors and pads and i have replaced the pads several times as well as had the rotors turned twice and now need to replace all 4 rotors and pads due to this something really needs to be done to fix this issue per toyota.
2003 toyota highlander's braking system seems to be defective.*mrthe consumer is requesting a lease termination for the 2003 toyota highlander in accordance to the georgia lemon law.
Brake light bulb burns out periodically
Brake does not work properly pedal goes all the way to the floor andit does n't stop where you need it to stop i took it to dealer they inspect the car for three hoursand told me they didn't find anything wrongvery dangerous car.
The consumer noticed that the vehicles brakes were soft and the vehicle experienced extended stopping distance.nlmthe vehicle was pulled into a parking space when the brakes had gone to the floor and jumped the curb.a week before, the consumer noticed (2 or 3 times) when the brakes were applied, the vehicle stopped but the pedal slowly went to the floor.the dealer currently stated that the vehicle was fine.scc
Brakes on new 2003 toyota highlinder are incosistent and provide limited stopping power.dealer says brakes are small for the size of the vehicle, they overheat easily and they have numerous complaints from customers.returned vehicle 3 days after purchasing it and request attention.after several trips and communicatios to the dealer and toyota, i was told the brakes don't work well, but that is how they were designed.i was told i would have to learn to drive this vehicle as the brakes are different than other vehicles.the vehicle is very dangerous to drive on the freeway and is extremely dangerous on downhills.it is so dangerous that we avoid driving the vehicle unless necessary.if we are taking the family on trip through hills or the mountains we rent another vehicle as i value the life of my family.
Consumer feelsthat the location of the brake/gas pedal are too close. This resulted in accidental acceleration while reversing.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander.the contact stated that toyota is placing new brake pads on vehicles which last longer, but get so hot that they warp the vehicle's rotors.she stated that formerly it would cost $60 to replace the brake pads, but now it costs $300, not including the replacement of the warped rotors.the warped rotors cause the steering wheel to shake uncontrollably when applying the brakes at 60 mph or greater. The current and failure mileages were 58,400.on september 14, 2007, during an oil change,the dealer checked the tire tread and brake pads and the brake pads are operating normally. The contact stated that the vehicle is still shaking at 50mph because the rotors are damaged due to the front brake pads. The dealer and mechanic stated that the newly designed brake pads don't wear as fast; however, it causes friction and the rotors to warp. The front brakes were replaced in april. The dealer stated on the invoice that the rear brakes are operating normally. The contact is aware of the safety risk involved. Updated 02-01-08.the consumer also stated there is a sever issue concerning the seats.the consumer stated she has experienced extreme hip and back pain from the seats. The consumer stated she can't adjust the seat anymore, because then she will not be able to reach the steering wheel.
2003 toyota highlander. Consumer writes regarding brake fluid leak *tgwthe consumer stated the brake master cylinder had to be replaced.
Pulling into parking space the brakes did not stop the car even a that slow rate. My car hit the parked car in front of me causing substantial damage to that car and only moderate bumper damage to my vehicle. At other times the engine seems to power up while driving and this may have happened while trying to park when the accident happened.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact was driving up an incline approximately 65 mph on wet road conditions.the vehicle began pulling to the right with an aggressive force.suddenly, the vehicle traveled into the highway median.the police was called to the scene.the driver was able to resume operation. The vehicle sustained damages to the bumper.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for replacement of the front bumper.the failure mileage was 80,000.the vin was unknown.
1)vibration with one or more windows down.2)front end pulling to one side while driving at highway speed.taken to two different dealerships on several occassions for servicing.told at the dealership of purchase nothing was wrong. They refused to drive it on the freeway at freeway speed to determine if there was a problem.because the service manager only drove the vehicle on city streets, pulling did not occur.second dealership drove vehicle on freeway and determined there was no problem, steering, alignment, tires and balance are all ok.drove vehicle home from second dealership, experienced the exact same problem of pulling.i must hold the steering wheel tight otherwise the vehicle will veer out of lane.speeds driving range from 50 to 70 mph.toyota corporate stated there was nothing they could do since toyota service centers determined there was no problem-useless complaint process which only protects the dealerships.i'm trading the vehicle in for something else.i intend to test drive any vehicle on the freeway prior to purchasing.
2003 toyota highlander-limited (v6):power steering pump fluid lines corroding and leaking fluid; thereby causing failure of pwr-assisted steering at any speed.in jan-feb 2010,my highlander exhibited significantly reduced steering ease at intermittent periods.highest safety risk occurrences were at (1) hwy speeds, and (2) city traffic speeds when accident avoidance handling was required.a dealer in frederick, md diagnosed the prob as thoroughly corroded pwr steering pump lines.they replaced the lines at my cost.the vehicle had only 56k miles on it.
Power steering lines to power steering pump at corroded and leaking.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 40 mph on ice, the power steering seized and the rear driver's side wheel locked up. As a result, the vehicle spun out and crashed into a snow mound. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 200,000.
The vehicle was being operated at about 30 mph when it suddenly veered to the left and crashing into a large boulder. The police report suggested it was a mechanical failure. I asked toyota to do a forensic examination of the vehicle to avoid a similar occurrence on other vehicles as a similar incident at highway speed might have had very serious results. Toyota advised that they inspected the vehicle and "determined that all damage to the vehicle was the result of impact and not the result of any manufacturing defect."
With rear windows lowered a deafening buffeting vibration occurs from the aft cargo compartment.when the speed is increased, the buffeting increases to an unbearable level.dealer did not disclose this information prior to purchase.
When the driver's window was down, a loud whistling noise was heard.
Painful, drumming noise when rear windows are open.severe vibration when in drive at full stop with brake.
Unable to drive the vehicle with windows rolled down. As noted in several other complaints this vehicle is completely non-drivable with windows rolled down. This fact is never mentioned to any customers at the time of purchase. I feel that if anyone buying a vehicle for more than 30k should have access to any such design flaw. Even when asking the dealer, later on, the response was that this is a design problem. Toyota needs to carefully look into this as with windows rolled down on freeway speeds, it creates almost a low pressure env within the vehicle with ear-aches for all passengers.
Was pulling into a parking space in a strip mall, about 10 feet before the parking block the car suddenly accelerated.i was able to turn the wheel hard to the left and hit the brakes to avoid the building.i did hit the awning supports and caused the awning to sag.was able to finally stop the car and got out safely.the car later was totaled by the insurance company.
My suv after a heavy rain was flooded. (floor, both front and back). I took the car into several mechanics . All agreed that it could be a clogged ac line,clogged vent in hood, door seals. All was checked and found no problems. The a crack started in my windshield. Not relating the two problems i took the car in again to a mechanic. He found rust popping out from the roof where the windshield had been forced outward by rust, causing it to crack. The leak was then discovered, and caused by the roof racks. Allowing water to run inside roof and door track into the car. I have herd of other people having the same problems with roof racks. This problem should be addressed, as it can cause a number of more serious problems.
The problem is since we purchased the 2003 toyota highlander in 2005, the drivers side sun visor ( the one with the home link buttons and the lighted mirror) ... It has never been able to stay up. When put up near the roof, it constantly falls down blocking my vision as the driver. This is very unsafe and should be modified and recalled from toyota before it causes someone to crash because of not being able to see!
I picked up car at the dealer and the same evening rolled the rear windows down slightly and the result was a painful pulsating pressure that almost caused my wife to go off the road. This is well documented since 2001 and toyota had an opportunity at that point to rectify the situation immediately.the dealer said it was the first he ever heard of the problem. Toyota recognizes the phenomenon and faxed me arbitration papers which i filed and was denied because it is "a design issue" not covered under warrant".i will not drive an unsafe vehicle and would apreciate the assistance of the nhtsa in order to prevent non-disclosure of a serious design flaw that is unsafe and harmful to the ears.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken for a routine oil change when he was advised that the sub frame was severely rotted under the engine. The contact's concern was that the engine would possibly fall out while driving but the mechanic advised him that the engine would not drop. The contact stated that he could feel the engine shifting abnormally when driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 110,000.
During a wreck airbags did not deploy when i hit an unmarked utility pole in the roadway of a parking lot exit.
2003 toyota highlander 4.0 loud vibrating noise when either back window is rolled down rolling down front window slightly helps alleviate the noise but it is still deafening to everyone in the vehicle. Design flaw.
On april 15, 2013 while parking my 2003 toyota highlander all of a sudden my car accelerated while shifting from reverse to drive while i was parking.suddenly my car took off with the engine full speed to red line on the tachometer in a space of four feet it jumped the parking block and smashed into the center block wall with my foot on the brake. The damage to my car was $2000.00.this was the second time this has happened. I consider myself lucky, because i could have been hurt and other people.i am scared now when i drive my car.
Toyota highlander: with one rear window rolled down, slightly, there is very painfull noise that is almost unbearable while driving at city speeds (30-45 mph). Manf. States that this is common in some vehicles. In this one it is because the vehicle is so tightle sealed there is no place for the air to go thus creating a pressure difference. Noticed on 2nd aday after delivery. Dealer failed to provide us with info about this problem. In fact they claimed if was the first they had heard about this problem. Now after 10 months i was driving on the interstate at 65 mph, with all the windows slighlty down and the problem is worse thanever. This is a desin flaw that toyota has failed to correct. This going to the last toyota our family will purchase!!! [email protected].
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving 2 mph and attempting to park, he haphazardly crashed into a wall and the front fender detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the fender would have to be replaced. The contact applied glue to the area and re-attached the fender to the vehicle. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000. Updated 05/10/2013
Paint seal delamination
Wind noise inside vehicle with windows open makes a drumming noise that borders on being painful at any speed over 30 mph. Opening one of the front windows lessens the noise but does not eliminate it. It is virtually impossible to drive the car with one or more windows open.
Passenger side doors (front & back)become off balanced. Then the doors have to be closed very hard.
2003 toyota highlander - 109, 032 milesi was told that the engine sub-frame was rotted/rusted and needed to be replaced for safety reasons.i was told the cost to replace it would be $1,865.00.i have contacted the local toyota service manager to see if toyota would help or cover the cost of the replacement. I'm waiting to hear from them.
Rear forward control arm broke in half under normal driving. This is a hollow shaft, which seems inadequate, and creates a danger of loss of rear axel and or wheel.
2003 toyota highlander - 109, 032 milesi was told that the engine sub-frame was rotted/rusted and needed to be replaced for safety reasons.i was told the cost to replace it would be $1,865.00.i have contacted the local toyota service manager to see if toyota would help or cover the cost of the replacement. I'm waiting to hear from them.
Rusted axel ring.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, there was a drumming noise from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealer who informed the contact that there was a leak in the vacuum hose. The vehicle was repaired. After leaving the dealer, the failure occurred again. Another dealer stated that the tires were worn. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact called the manufacturer and was awaiting a return call. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Rear left strut spindle attachment bolt (bolt adjust wheel tilt) broke in half at cam.
Gentlemen:i am writing you this e-mail because there is a problem with my car that is not only irritating, but is potentially dangerous to all who own a full time four-wheel drive toyota highlander.my highlander is a 2003, and although we were promised full time four-wheel drive when we bought it, we found out later to our horror that it is not. When driving down a paved highway, all four wheels are driving. This is a time when four-wheel drive is not needed. However, a few months ago, we drove off the pavement into sand on a picnic trip, but did not worry because the 'full time' four-wheel drive would pull us out. It did not! one of the front wheels began to spin in the sand and the other three immediately stopped driving. We were stuck! the problem is that the differential between the front and rear wheels is not anti-slip, but the standard differential that will stop all wheels from driving when one looses traction. This is hardly full-time four-wheel drive no matter how you define it.we were sold a car we paid for but did not get, and something needs to be done to rectify this situation. Who knows how many customers have been bilked by toyota with this car, and will get them into trouble thinking they had a car that would pull them out. I would like to start a class action law suit to get our money back or get a free car that is indeed the full time four wheel drive we paid for and deserve.
Vsc skid control/ecu failure in 2003 highlander. This has happened to me on three separate occasions: my car lightly skidded on ice or water and the check engine/vsc and traction control lights came on. Every time the car skids, the lights come on and the skid control appears to be disabled.
Annoying wind noise when driving with either or both rear windows open. Opening front window alleviates the noise. Flawed design.
Driver side visor is loose and drops downduring driving , obstructing view. Is not save during driving , visir can not hold position up
Passenger window has had to be fixed multiple times. Comes off the track and will not close. Have had interior damage because of it
Paint seal delamination
Driver side sun visor falls from the up position down into the sight path directly in front of the drivers face blocking the view of the road through the windshield. This is due to the tension / resistance to keep it in an up position against the headliner diminishing over time. Occurs repeatedly without warning from road turbulence / bumps. Same issue in the toyota camry which has been recalled.
1)vibration with one or more windows down.2)front end pulling to one side while driving at highway speed.taken to two different dealerships on several occassions for servicing.told at the dealership of purchase nothing was wrong. They refused to drive it on the freeway at freeway speed to determine if there was a problem.because the service manager only drove the vehicle on city streets, pulling did not occur.second dealership drove vehicle on freeway and determined there was no problem, steering, alignment, tires and balance are all ok.drove vehicle home from second dealership, experienced the exact same problem of pulling.i must hold the steering wheel tight otherwise the vehicle will veer out of lane.speeds driving range from 50 to 70 mph.toyota corporate stated there was nothing they could do since toyota service centers determined there was no problem-useless complaint process which only protects the dealerships.i'm trading the vehicle in for something else.i intend to test drive any vehicle on the freeway prior to purchasing.
My complaint centers around the throttle position sensor on the toyota highlander.this problem has become more apparent within the last year on the 2003 model that my wife and i own.*tw
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While attempting a right turn at approximately 5 mph, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was available. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 95,000.
Saturday june 18 2016 at 6:40 a.m. Driving on tully road in my 2003 toyota highlander.my speed was 35 miles per hour when the car suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed. I applied my brakes to slow down the highlander this had no effect on slowing down the highlander.the brakes went into anti locking mode the wheels started to pulsate.while this was happening my foot was not on the accelerator , but on the brakes. The highlander was not slowing down but increasing speed.i down shifted into a lower gear,the engine raced at a high rpms.i then put the car in neutral the rpms still racing at a high rate.i then applied the brakes again to slow down.the highlander started to slow down i then turned off the engine and then came to a stop.i waited for a minute and started the car the engine raced at a high rpms as if my foot was pushed all the way down on the accelerator, but my foot was not on the gas pedal.i waited again a few minutes to start the highlander , the same high rpms happening again.a few minutes later i tried again to start the highlander and this time the highlander idled normal.i turned the highlander around and went home which was half a mile away. The total distance of uncontrolled acceleration was in my estimation over 1,000yards.i had to highlander towed to stevens creek toyota where it remains now june 27 2016.
While the brakes were being appliedvehicle surged forward abruptly. Vehicle jumped an embankment and went through a fence.
My 2003 toyota highlander accelerated at a high rate of speed while the brake was fully applied as i turned into a parking spot. Luckily, it happened when i was 60% or so into the space, as i only accelerated into a brick wall, not another car or person.
The contact owned a 2003 toyota highlander. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated independently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to effectively slow down the vehicle. The gear shifter button was pushed into drive and the vehicle sped forward and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure recurred twice prior to the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was destroyed.
Car accelerated and chased into house in nov 20011.car accelerated in parking lot dec. 2012. Nodamage this time but in 2011 there was 14,000 $ damage to house and car. Car was checked out at toyota twice ,no problem found. Wife will never drive the car again. She is infear of hurting someone.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 45 mph the accelerator pedal became stuck. He down-shifted , then shifted the vehicle into neutral, and thenapplied the brakes. He was able to stop the vehicle.during the failure, the floor mat was not under the pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The technician stated that the throttle was open, whichcould affect the speed. However the dealer could not duplicate the problem or locate any diagnostic error codes.. The failure mileage was 82,467.
Grandmother was leaving and drove through a closed wrought iron gate that was over 10' tall and 16' wide. Continued accelerating through a parking lot across the street, drove over a large decorative boulders and came to halt after crashing into a neighbors fence.she said that she attempted to stop in front of her gate to open it but the breaks would not work and the car kept accelerating. Thankfully it ended how it did leaving her with minor injuries. It is also disgusting knowing that it could have been much worse and if a car defect is the reason nothing will be done until deaths begin to occur.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. He stated that while driving 2 mph with his foot on the brake pedal, it accelerated on its own without a warningand crashed into a building . There were front end damages to the vehicle. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed. A police report was available. The dealer was contacted and they stated that his vehicle was not on the recall list. There were repairs made to the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were 62,300.
2003 toyota highlander uncontrolled surge in acceleration. Consumer states there was limited to no use when the brake pedal was depressed.the consumer stated the floor mat played absolutely no role in the sudden acceleration incident. The truck was taken to the dealer where they replaced numerous parts, but could not explain the cause.
Throttle stuck open and continued to accelerate on my 2003 toyota highlander limited while driving north on rt 4 in calvert county, md.it was necessary to weave in and out of traffic until i couldsafely get off road.had vehicle towed to nearest garage.mechanic blamed throttle body assembly and cleaned.drove vehicle home without incident.throttle again stuck open next time i started vehicle and began to drive away from house.i had the towed vehicle to bayside toyota, prince frederick, md with throttle still stuck open for them to see what was occurring.service manager said it was necessary to replace throttle body assembly which was bad.replaced to the tune of $1,668.74.service manager, who suggested my floor mat may have pushed down throttle before tow truck arrived, said i was lucky to get the car to the garage since the worn throttle body assembly made driving dangerous. I sent a letter to toyota motor sales usa, inc, torrance, ca on 07/10/2009, and explained the incident, the possible dangerous results, and the high cost of repair.toyota responded with an acknowledgment dated 07/25/2009, and said i could call their office if interested in discussing incident.i called and their representative said they had no record of similar incidents, and the vehicle had to many years and miles for a warranty consideration of a credit on the new throttle body assembly.i don't know if this conversation resulted in a record being made since i received a duplicate of the 07/25/2009 acknowledgement letter in 09/2009.unfortunately, i was unaware of the throttle body assembly being a problem in toyota vehicles prior to the repair, and i did not request the old part be returned to me.i do have my copy of correspondence to toyota and their acknowledgment of receipt. Updated 06/14/10.
Pulling into a parking space at kaiser hospital as i hit the brake the car unexpectedly accelerated. The car sped forward while my foot was still on the brake. I hit a tree causing damage to the left front area of the car (lights, fender, bumper) had car repaired. At the time i thought that i had accidentally hit the gas pedal;however, one month later while approaching an intersection, as i stopped, the same thing happened. Luckily no car or pedestrian was in the intersection. I was able to stop the car by shifting into park. Took the car to my mechanic. He was unable to replicate the problem. Since this unexpected acceleration occurred in the same way (coming to a stop with foot on brake and gear-shift in drive) , in a five week period, it could be a transmission or accelerater problem. I no longer feel confident driving the car and consider it unsafe.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving at 75 mph utilizing the cruise control mechanism, he attempted to shut off the cruise control when the vehicle abnormally accelerated up to 90 mph. He immediatley put the vehicle into neutral and depressed the brake pedal almost to the floor. The vehicle finally came to a stop when he noticed that the driver's side floor mat was lying over the accelerator pedal. He immediately removed all floor mats from the vehicle and had not experienced the failure since. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000 and the current was 96,000.
While attempting to park my 2003 toyota highlander at a mcdonald's, as i was applying the brake and almost parked, the car suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb and crashed through the entrance of the mcdonald's.i continued to apply the brake when this happened, and it would not stop.
On 7-11-13, going at highway speed on route 52 in north carolina, the throttle became stuck wide open causing my car to accelerate beyond my control.i slowed down to get off on the side of the highway, but i could not stop the car, only slow it down, to approximately 10-15 mph.got back on the road and took the next exit.again i could not stop the car, and though i slowed again to about 10-15 mph, i drifted through the intersection at the stop sign, with traffic approaching from both left and right!i turned sharply left, got off to the side of the road, and turned the key off to stop the car.god was watching, because no collision occurred.when i started the engine again, it roared like i've never heard it before.somehow, i don't remember how, i got the car about 100 yards down the road to a marathon gas station, to get completely off the road and out of the way.a man stopped and walked over to me, telling me that my throttle was stuck because of a faulty tps (throttle position sensor).he introduced himself as a mechanic, who formerly worked at a toyota dealership, and said that was a ?known? problem with toyotas.he towed me to his house, replaced the tps, and we tested the car, to the satisfaction of both of us.it ran just fine, so i followed him to the pnc bank to get money to pay him.while there, the lady helping me, in response to my story, told me that her toyota parked outside had the very same problem!except it cost her a lot more than my tow & repair did.my incident was most definitely a part failure, not an operator error, or a problem due to floor mats, as is alleged in the pending unintended acceleration? litigation against toyota, and my 2003 highlander is not specifically listed in that litigation information on-line.i am sending a letter to toyota, the ntsb and our local dealership where we purchased the car.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact was driving 5 mph when the vehicle accelerated to 90 mph. The contact applied the brake which did not work. The contact then put the gear neutral which slowed the vehicle down and she was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, however the engine was still racing. The contact called the manufacturer but no action was taken. Failure mileage was 75,752. Updated 04/09/10. *ljupdated evoq 06/08/10.updated 06/15/10.
The contact owned a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning causing a crash. The contact sustained injuries to her left foot. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,082.
On monday, april 28, 2008 at approximately 7:45 a.m. Cdt, i drove my 2003 toyota highlander on to the employee parking lot at unigroup, inc.as i always did, i pulled up past my assigned parking spot, stopped, and put the vehicle in reverse to back into my space. When i moved my foot from the brake to the accelerator and turned the steering wheel to back into space 304, the suv suddenly accelerated at a tremendous speed, hit and bounced off the ford explorer parked in space 305 and then hit the subaru legacy wagon parked in space 317 immediately behind space 304. One witness who was in the parking lot at the time later told me that while he did not see the crash, he heard a huge roar of a motor and the crashing noise of the impact.the owner of the subaru also did not see the initial acceleration of the suv, but heard the tires screeching and turned in time to see my suv hit his subaru.both of the two witnesses helped me load the back bumper of my highlander into the cargo area. Prior to going into the office, i checked the floor mat under the steering wheel, but could not see any indication that it in any way had moved. I am convinced that the only thing that stopped my highlander was the fact that it hit the two vehicles in spaces 305 and 317.later that day (4.28.2008), i called toyota to report the incident.i was told by a representative by the name of barbara that there were no problems or recalls on the highlander, only the camry (this according to the nhtsa.) my report was given .there was extensive damage to my suv and the two other vehicles that were hit. Thus far, toyota has not acknowledged that my vehicle (2003 highlander) is included in the recall and since the vin # begins with a j, i am told that there is no problem with any vehicle made in japan.therefore, i cannot even take it to a dealership for repairs.i am left in limbo with a defective toyota.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact applied to brakes but the vehicle began to accelerate. The contact tried several ways to stop the vehicle (shifting into neutral, using the emergency brake) but the vehicle continued to rev. The tires also were spinning. The contact shifted into neutral again and turned the vehicle off which stopped it. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the transmission dropped and the extra floor mat caused the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 90,000.updated 03/24/11*ljthe consumer stated the floor mat was nowhere near the gas pedal. It was securely in place. Updated 11/16/11
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated at high speeds without warning. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop and turn off the engine. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.
Auto was stopped three feet from another auto. Sudden non initiated acceleration (full throttle) with damage to other vehicle severe, minimal to highlander.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 50mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck to the floorboard in the open throttle position. The vehicle proceeded to accelerate without driver intent. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by turning it off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The current and failure mileages were 86,000.
Sudden acceleration while brake was depressed.vehicle went up a two foot embankment and thru a chain link fence.vehicle was stopped by placing into park.this all happened while brake was depressed fully.
2003 toyota highlander, i have a randomly occurring problem with the gas pedal sticking when you are trying to accelerate from a stop.my year model is not included in the current recall but i wanted to make you aware that there are other possible problems out there.i have called the dealership and they said without being able to duplicate the problem there is nothing that i can do and it is randomly occurring.
2003 toyota highlander. Consumer submits documentation related to unintended acceleration issues with vehicle *tgwthe consumer stated the vehicle accelerated out of control and subsequently, crashed into a concrete divider, struck a palm tree and then a metal light pole. Even after the vehicle came to rest, the engine continued to rev very fast. It finally stopped a few seconds after the impact.
)n the morning of 12-05-09, as i'm pulling into my garage,the car suddenly lurched forward with an unexpected increase in speed.before i could brake, the car slammed into a steel shelving unit on the back wall which resulted in extensive damage to the wall ( both interior & exterior) and what appeared to be minimal damage to the auto. I took the vehicle to my toyota service on that same day because i/we felt that this could constitute an unsafe driving condition.total costs from this incident were as follows:covered by insurance- $3607.81 (plus 703.31 pd. Directly to the dealer?)and $916.27( 500.00 insurance deductible and an additional mechanical charge for a fuel/air sensor that failed on 12-26-09). I have not previously experienced "sudden acceleration" with this vehicle.i have notifiedboth my local dealer, southeast toyota distributors and toyota customer relations regarding the problem stating that there may be other vehicles beyond the scope of their current recall that should also be considered as potentially dangerous. Updated 05/03.10toyota denied the consumer claim, stating the vehicle examination revealed no apparent reason for the acceleration. However, the dealer that performed the inspection stated the throttle was became stuck due to gummy deposits cased by ethanol in the gasoline.updated 08/210/10
Consumer feelsthat the location of the brake/gas pedal are too close. This resulted in accidental acceleration while reversing.
Backing out of garage in a highlander and the engine suddenly raced w/o foot on gas pedal, causing consumer to react by applying the brakes.consumer's foot slipped off brake pedal and landed on the accelerator resulting in the vehicle hitting the neighbor's house.a 2003 camry was supplied as a rental vehicle when the highlander wastaken for repair.while using the camry, the consumer went to apply the brake for a stop sign and inadvertently applied both the brake and accelerator pedal.consumer raised his foot then reapplied the brake pedal (only) and was able to stop before entering the intersection.
Toyota highlander 2003 sun visor safety issue.the sun visor of my vehicle has a safety hazard.i had it replaced for a new one, and the problem came back again.the sun visor on the driver side with homelinked/lighted on it.it does not stay up and it blocks my view when i am driving.i noticed on the internet that many people had the same issues with this sun visor.the toyota refused to replace it. Andy nguyen
For the last year, the driver's sun visor on my 2003 toyota highlander limited has been loose and does not stay up - it is especially loose during warmer weather.the visor will fall down in front of the driver's face, especially when going over bumps or rough roads.this is extremely dangerous and a safety hazard which could lease to a serious incident.i have mentioned this twice while bringing my vehicle for maintenance and have been told it cannot be repaired and i would have to buy a new visor.last week i spoke with the parts department and was told this is common and a new visor cost more than $700 because it has the homelink.it was suggested i get a visor without homelink for around $70.while this is affordable, i would then lose the homelink feature, which was part of my decision-making to buy the highlander.my guess is the driver's sun visor is having the problem due to the additional weight caused by the homelink. I cannot afford to replace the visor, and believe toyota should replace or repair at their cost.
Toyota highlander visor defect. Falls down while driving and blocks view, replacement cost is $700. Should be recalled due to dangerous vision obstruction.
The driver side sun visor does not stay up, it hangs down interfering with vision and falls down as i drive. I feel this is a hazard to vision while driving.
Driver side sun visor will not stay in place. Flops down to obscure vision.
Toyota highlander visor defect. Falls down while driving and blocks view. Replaced once, but replacement is defective as well. Replacement cost is $700. Should be recalled due to dangerous vision obstruction.
2003 toyota highlander 4.0 sun visor on drivers side falls down on its own and will not stay where you put it, when i attempt to push is more towards the windshield it falls back down when i attempt to put it up in its normal position it falls back down and has a tendency to obscure ones vision while driving and there is no recall on this issue although it seems many here have the same problem with this and all the things i am having issues with.
Have an 2003 toyota highlander that i bought new.have used sun visors on a regular basis, as they were intended to be used.the driver side sun visor keeps falling down and blocking my view.this particularly happens when any bump in the road is run over.this creates a hazard due to limiting my sight.i have attempted to fix by tightening the bolts that hold the visor to the ceiling and by using velcro to hold the visor to the roof.neither of these worked...the velcro will not stick to the ceiling roof.
Drivers side sun visor won't stay against windshield - it is blocking view of the road - a safety hazard.
2003 toyota highlander driver's side sun visor droops and will not stay up.blocks vision and is a safety hazard.systemic problem on all highlanders.has been a problem on my car since about 2007.replacement cost of $750 is ridiculous and prohibitory.
Temp (hot/cold) dial electrical short.temp setting continuously fails to hold set temp & blows opposite of setting.fear of electrical fire plus unable to defrost windshield for good visibility.feel there should be a recall or some help on this item as after investigating i found that one dealership replaced 1,100 last year and has replace several already this year. I wouldn't have a problem except the failed switch can not be replace the whole assembly has to be replaced and that part cost $669.00 plus labor to install.being a single mom i don't have that kind of money and truly feel this is a safety issue due to the possibility of fire and not being able to defrost properly.
The driver's side sun visor flops down, blocking the driver's vision.it will not stay in the "up" position.when it falls down, this is a potential safety hazard that needs to be corrected to prevent serious injuries or deaths.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the driver's side sun visor broke and blocked her visibility. The contact also stated that the failure occurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the visor assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage was 68,000.updated 05/24/12*lj
The driver's sun visor of my 2003 highlander does not stay in its proper place. In internet forums this seems to be a prevailing safety issue. Some say the visor flaps down when the highlander hits a bump. This can be a potential safety issue. It has startled some drivers and is disconcerting to others. A new visor would cost over $625 to replace, which some have done only to find that in 3 to 4 months, the same thing occurs. Toyota does not warrant the visor.
My 2003 highlander has an issue with the driver side sunvisor. During movement of the car it's constantly falling down into my line of vision during driving. It started falling down only ocassionally over speed bumps and now it just falls down almost ever few minutes while driving. I tried to get the local toyota dealership to repace the visor under my extended warranty but was told that it was not covered by it. After reading many postings on the web it seems that many toyota highlander owners have this same problem. My visor has built in electrical parts on it that are supposed to control a garage door, house lights, etc. In which toyota say is a "home center control" - i have not put anything on the visor to make it any heavier than how the factory produced it. The visor is too heavy and it can not be supported by the metal part that connects it to the roof of the car. The local dealership gave no solution other than to replace the visor at my cost but i have read other peoples posts saying that the issue will only happen again.they informed me the part alone is $800 without installation.i thought that maybe velcro would work so i tried to velcro the visor to the roof of my car but unfortunately the velcor is not strong enough to hold the visor to the roof and during the summer the glue melts and doesn't allow the velcro to stick to the roof thus i can not keep the visor up.this issue started about 2007 and progressively got worse and now the visor will not stay up more than a couple of minutes - especially in the summer.firstly the visor itself is distraction, secondly once it's down it blocks a portion of the driver's view, and thirdly it's a distraction to have to use one hand to put the visor back up.you can not even try to move it to the side as it's still too low to see out the driver side window and also ther are no accessible screws to remove the visor myself.all in all this issue is a huge hazard and should be corrected by toyota.
The driver side sun visor will not stay up all of the way, it hangs down and as i drive it falls all of the way down. I feel this is a hazard as it interferes with vision while driving.
On the toyota highlander from at least 2002 through current models the driver's side sun visor fails to stay in the forward detent position. When the failure occurs, the visor falls to the vertical position, blocking the driver's view of the road unexpectedly. This causes confusion and distraction which potentially could cause loss of control of the vehicle with damage and injury or death resulting. This has been reported to toyota by me and according to google searches by numerous persons. Toyota denies any problem exists.
2003 toyota highlander driver's side sun visor keeps falling down. Safety concerns as it blocks view while driving. Ridiculous cost to replace with new not assured it won't happen again soon.
Sunday 8/1/10 the drivers' side visor in our 2003 toyota highlander was fine.monday 8/2/10 when attempting to position the visor it would flop down and hang in a vertical position obstructing the drivers view of the road, you could not bend it back against the windshield.it blocks the driver's view making it unusable and unsafe. I went to the toyota dealer to have it repaired. The dealer claimed that it could not be repaired and that a replacement would cost over $700 dollars. The attachment is where the problem is.they claimed they couldn't fix it. This is a clear safety issue and i feel that toyota should be responsible for its repair.
The sun visor (driver side) suddenly dropped down and obscured my vision of a red traffic light at an intersection i was approaching and my vision was impaired.
The headlight lenses are completely fogged and impairs driving after dusk.this is a safety issue and a recall should be issued
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the sun visor failed. The contact stated that he put the visor up but it fell several times. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 102,000.
Clarification from previous submission (10/21/14).......heating system blows cold air intermittently when the heat is on. The system was cleaned, worked well to a short time. Within two weeks the problem returned. The mechanic noted this was a common problem with the heating control panels of the early model toyota's.safety factor: this is hazardous in the winter, as the windows become foggy resulting in the limited visibility especially while the vehicle is in motion.??
Manual heater control dial lost function to control temperature.heater only blows cold air.recommendation was to replace heater control panel at cost of approximately $600 for the part alone.labor addition charge.
2003 toyota highlander 4.0 heater has gone out in this vehicle and only the a/c now works this happened right after the purchase of this vehicle and the cost to fix this is very high and should be dealt with per toyota since it seems alot of others are also having the problem due to a faulty knob becoming loose and breaking a tiny wire.
Heat stopped working, blowing cold air. The problem is the ribbon wire from the temperature control knob to the electronic board behind the switch breaks, this is caused from the knob stem loosening, eventually breaking the wire. Dealer will replace the unit for $900 found many people with this problem on tundrasolutions and found instructions to remove the unit and solder the wires, works like new now. Seems like this problem may also be the root cause of the dashboard fires listed on this site.
Heater control unit malfunction. Heat to cold switch stops working, dealer states that the whole heater control unit has to be replace.after extensive searching, i have found that the problem is when a nut becomes lose holding the control knob, it shakes and the wires break of make the unit stop working.
Temperature knob is loose causing heat to only work intermittently.
On the way home from the dealer we opened the rear windows slightly. The result was a pulsating pressure painful to the ears of all occupants. Increasing speed increased the painful effect we later learned was something experienced by all highlanders from 2001. The dealer said it was the "first" he heard of this phenomenon. Toyota customer relations said they were aware this happens when you open rear window(s) in a highlander and agrees that it should have been disclosed to us giving us an opportunity to purchase another model instead. At this point this condition is totally unacceptable and the dealer is giving us no indication they are going to do anything but hope i give up. To purchase a car for $30,000+ and be told not to open the windows is absurd. It is unfortunate i am being forced to go to arbitration when the car has such low mileage. I have since found out that the highlander is on the national lemon list. I hope this will help anyone considering the purchase of a toyota highlander.
Right passenger window automatically rolled all the way down and the electronic controls for the window failed to work. We were unable to close the window. This occurred during a wind and rain storm resulting in rain getting in the car and a serious safety issue for passengers in the car. Luckily, the car was not moving at the time of the occurrence. A mechanic determined there was a complete failure of the window regulator motor and replaced it.
This is regarding my 2003 toyota highlander.in january 2007, the rear passenger window came off its track and ceased to work.the adjusted the regulator and put it back on track and charged me $210.in june 2008 the same thing happened to the drivers side rear window.this is very coincidental that it would happen to both windows.
Automatic window lock mechanism continued to go up and down with a single touch. This only happened on the driver's side. Consumer took vehicle to the dealer, but the dealer stated there was nothing they could do, and for the consumer to call toyota.consumers main concern was that a child could get strangled to death if unsupervised.
When driving with the the windowsdown there was a loud noise, and it increased when vehicle speed increased. Manufacture stated that they were aware of the problem.it was a design issue, and will not repair itunless they was a large volume of complaints.
Windshield wipers came on and off. Consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection,mechanic determined that the windshield wiper motor needed to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 40 mph on ice, the power steering seized and the rear driver's side wheel locked up. As a result, the vehicle spun out and crashed into a snow mound. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 200,000.
2003 toyota highlander 4.0 have had serious problems with the brakes on this vehicle since i purchased it due to toyota originally installing brakes that are too small for the size of this vehicle. Trying to get it to a stop is a problem and the brakes fail alot as well as the fact that they destroy the oem rotors and pads and i have replaced the pads several times as well as had the rotors turned twice and now need to replace all 4 rotors and pads due to this something really needs to be done to fix this issue per toyota.
The locking lug nuts on the toyota highlander wheels break and fragment with sharp metal shards when they are removed with the matching lock lug socket and 1 foot wrench without any abnormal torsion. The equipped lug wrench is exactly 12 inches long (lever length). The lug nuts when broken cannot be removed to change the tires. This has happened twice: once on the highway and the second time with a new matching socket and the 12" wrench. The original locking lug nut had to be drilled off by the dealer. The person applying the torque weighs 153 lbs. Patrick vanschoyck, m.d.
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