2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

TL*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.

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. *JB

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. *JB

TL*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. *KB 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 V6 4WD 45000 MILES. IT WA S ALREADY MORE THAN 2 YEARS I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AS 'DESCRIBED IN NHTSA RECALL 100I0160 000- CONCERNING ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT SQUEAL/ BELT TENSIONER RATTLES. DEALERSHIP RESPONSE WAS THAT NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 100I0160 DIDN'T APPLY TO V6 HIGHLANDERS. *AK

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 ENGINE 3) TRYING TO GET TOYOTA TO PAY FOR REPAIR - IN PROGRESS WITH THEM NOW - NO RESOLUTION YET. *JB

MY 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS ONLY 20600 MILES ON IT. I HAVE NOTICED THAT ALL 4 BRIDGESTONE DUELLER H/ T P225 70R 16 TIRES ARE SO WORN OUT THAT I AM HAVING TROUBLE STOPPING IN THE RAIN. I AM GOING TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES BUT I BELIEVE THAT THIS OF CONCERN SINCE I DO MAINTAIN THE TIRES AT PROPER INFLATION AND THEY HAVE BEEN ROTATED AT LEAST TWICE. THE WEAR IS EQUAL ON ALL 4 TIRES. THIS TIRES WHERE RATED FOR AT LEAST 60,000 MILES AND TO ONLY GET A THIRD OF THAT AND THE EXPENSE IS TERRIBLE. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THIS ON OTHER HIGHLANDERS AND EVEN RAV4S. *JB

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. *JB

1. NOTICE OR RECALL RECEIVED SSC 40B HIGHLANDER CHILD PROTECTION LOCK SYSTEM SAFETY RECALL 2. 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." *NM

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. *JB PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 03/03/06. *JB UPDATED