2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

MY 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IS BURNING APPROXIMATELY 1.5 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES. TOYOTA USA SAYS THAT THE ALLOWABLE LIMIT IS 1 QUART EVERY 1,000 MILES AND WILL NOT LOOK AT MY VEHICLE EVEN THOUGH IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. *LA

OIL SLEDGING PROBLEM IN MY 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I AM CONCERNED THAT TOYOTA'S CSP POLICY WILL NOT GO FAR ENOUGH TO RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE BOTH BLAME FAULTY MAINTENANCE FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT THE OIL WAS CHANGED EVERY 7500 MILES AS INDICATED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. TOYOTA'S CSP WILL ONLY REPAIR THE ISSUE ONCE IN 8 YEARS, AND NEITHER WILL ADDRESS WHAT WILL HAPPEN SHOULD THIS ARISE AGAIN. THE DEALER MAINTAINED THIS WAS OUR FAULT UNTIL WE PRESENTED RECEIPTS TO SHOW THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN MAINTAINED APPROPRIATELY. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS POSSIBLE THE MECHANICS THAT CHANGED OUR OIL NEVER ACTUALLY CHANGED IT. BASED ON THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND FORUMS I MONITORED ONLINE, I FEEL THIS IS TOYOTA'S ATTEMPT TO AVOID TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR A LARGER PROBLEM. I ALSO OWN A LEXUS GS300, AND THE OIL WAS CHANGED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE HIGHLANDER AND I DO NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH IT. *LA

WHEN DRIVING MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN, A PIERCING HIGH PITCH SOUND ELEVATES AND HURTS YOUR EAR THAT YOU CANNOT HEAR ANYTHING (PRACTICALLY DEAF). I'VE INFORMED TOYOTA CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER (CHAD) ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN JANUARY 2003, THEY CLAIMED THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE MECHANICS AT TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER, STATED THAT HE HAD COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS AND APPARENTLY THIS PROBLEM IS WITH ALL THEIR SUV. I'VE ALSO ASKED SEVERAL OF OUR FRIENDS (HIGHLANDER OWNERS) TO TEST DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES WITH THEIR WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN AND THEY'VE ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. WE BASICALLY PURCHASED A VEHICLE THAT YOU CANNOT BE ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW WHEN DRIVING.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED HEAVY VIBRATION AND CAUSED A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK AT 55 MPH WHEN BRAKING, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO THE CONTROL THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER AT 75-80 MPH, WHEN BRAKING (NO EMERGENCY), THE STEERING SHOOK VIOLENTLY. *SCC *JB

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING 2-3 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES VEHICLE WENT INTO EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, RUNNING INTO GARAGE DOOR. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

CONSUMER STATES WHILE TRAVELING 10 MPH REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE, AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

VEHICLE TIRE PUNCTURED. MR THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 5 TIRE FAILURES ON 5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. *JB

I BOUGHT MY 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN AUGUST 2001..........AT 15 MONTHS/50,000 MILES MY TRANSMISSION STARTED LEAKING AND WHEN IT STARTED SLIPPING TOYOTA RAPIDLY REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION. A LEAK WAS DETERMINED WITHIN WEEKS OF THE REPLACEMENT AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER SEAL (TCS) HAD TO BE REPLACED. UPON REPLACING THE TCS THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS FOUND TO BE DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. HAS THE HIGHLANDER REQUIRED TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS?*JB

FAILURE OF DEULER TIRES. VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FIVE TIRE FAILURES AT DIFFERENT MILEAGES ( 4500, 12816, 15480, 20000, 29160). *TT *NLM

THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. REGAINING CONTROL, THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HE/SHE PULLED OVER, THEY SAW TWO HOLES, ONE WITH A 3" AND THE OTHER 1" IN SIZE (THE SIDEWALL). THE TWO RIGHT SIDE LIGHT METAL WHEELS WERE DAMAGED AS WELL. SCC