2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING COOLANT FROM THE CENTER OF THE ENGINE. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR SENSORS HAVE GONE OFF PERIOD. CALLED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURE LINE AND BOTH TOLD ME THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS UNTRUE I FOUND HUNDREDS OF INDIVIDUALS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

THE THREADS IN THE ENGINE BLOCK BECAME STRIPED LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE ENGINE/PISTONS, BLOWING THE HEAD GASKET. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT THE DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING FLUID ONTO THE EXHAUST. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE SEAL AND THE GASKETS FOR THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

LATE LAST YEAR WE NOTICED THAT THE DAYRUNNING PORTION OF THE HEADLAMP COVER HAD MELTED ON THE INSIDE, NEXT TO THE TIP OF THE BULBS ON EACH SIDE. THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN THE DAYRUNNING FEATURE ON OR OFF, IT IS ALWAYS ON. NOT ONLY DOES THIS WEAR DOWN THE BATTERY, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY REPLACED IN ONE YEAR, BUT THE HEADLIGHT COVER CANNOT HANDLE THE HEAT GENERATED FROM CONSTANTLY BEING "ON". WE WOULD LIKE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED AND A DISCOUNT GIVEN ON A NEW SET, SINCE IT ISN'T OUR FAULT, AS IT COULDN'T BE TURNED OFF. HEADLIGHTS ARE EXPENSIVE, AND AT NIGHT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, SINCE OUR VISIBILITY IS DRASTICALLY REDUCED- WHERE WE LIVE, THERE ARE DEER AND WINDING HILLY ROADS. IF TOYOTA WON'T DO ANYTHING, WE WILL BE FORCED TO DO THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR OURSELVES, BUT WILL BE VERY, VERY DISAPPOINTED. TOYOTA SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT, THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

WITH NO WARNING OR PRIOR INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM, THE STEERING RACK AND PINION BROKE MAKING THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY UN-STEERABLE. TOYOTA REPAIR FOUND THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP BELT WAS BROKEN AND THE PUMP HAD LOCKED UP. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN ON A FREEWAY THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS AND IT WAS JUST FORTUNATE THAT THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON ONE OF THE FEW STRAIGHT STRETCHES AND IT WAS POSSIBLE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD SURFACE. *TR

RIGHT PASSENGER FRONT ROW WINDOW MOTOR STOPPED WORKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS WINDOW WAS RARELY USED SO IT WAS VERY SURPRISING. NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.COST $345.36 TO FIX. WAS FIXED BECAUSE OF FEAR OF NOT BEING ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE IN CASE OF A CRASH. TOYOTA SAYS 2004 IS NOT PART OF CURRENT RECALL FOR WINDOW MOTORS BUT DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED BECAUSE HAD SAME PROBLEM HAPPEN AGAIN ON THE 2ND ROW PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR ON JULY 09. SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND AGAIN THIS WINDOW BARELY USED. COULD NOT AFFORD TO FIX SO IT IS STUCK IN UP POSITION. HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND HOPING THEY WILL EXPAND RECALL TO 2004 HIGHLANDERS. I HOPE ALL TOYOTA OWNERS WILL REPORT WINDOW MOTOR PROBLEMS AND ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS TO BOTH THE NHTSA AND TOYOTA. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE WEATHER WAS HOT OUTSIDE THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FELL DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT IT WAS CONSIDERED USAGE AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 89,559.

SUN VISOR (DRIVER SIDE) FELL DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH A SPEED OF ABOUT 65MPH.. IT BLOCKED MY VIEW. THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO A SAFE PLACE. THE VISOR IS HOLDING IN PLACE BY A RUBBER BAND AND A STICK BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN MY CAR IS PARK THE HEAT INSIDE THE CAR MELTS THE RUBBER BAND AND THE VISOR FALLS OVER AGAIN. I TALKED TO TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY IS OVER AND THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO BUY A NEW VISOR FOR ABOUT $500 (+ INSTALLATION FEES AND EXTRA ELECTRONIC MIRROR CABLE). TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, IT IS A DRIVING HAZARD. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. *TR

ENGINE WAS LEAKING COOLANT. CAR WAS BROUGHT TO REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE CYLINDER'S HEAD BOLTS WERE STRIPPED CAUSING THE LEAK. LATER WAS INFORMED DAMAGE WAS DUE TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE INSULATION FOAM RUBBER PIECE BETWEEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE ENGINE BLOCK THAT CREATED AN UNEVEN DISPERSION OF HEAT, CREATING FATIGUE IN THE ALUMINUM BLOCK ALLOWING THE HEADBOLT TO STRIP. CONTACTED TOYOTA WHO REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MANUFACTURING DEFECT. REPAIRS TOTALED $2,000 DUE TO THIS MANUFACTURING ERROR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED A LEAK FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHO STATED THAT THE LEAKING FLUID WAS ANTIFREEZE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS AND THREADS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE, DUE TO POOR MANUFACTURING AND CHEAP MATERIAL OF THE HEAD BOLTS UNDER THE ENGINE. COOLANT WAS LEAKING AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. UPDATED 11/29/12 UPDATED 11/27/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THIS MALFUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND OVER HEAT RESULTING IN A PERSON BEING STRANDED. UPDATED 12/10/2012 *JS