2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR 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 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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR