Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

wwlccp

Hi!

I own a 2001 V6 Silver Highlander Limited 4X4. I was reading all the previous posts and I haven't taken my Highlander in to the dealer other than the major recalls. I was wondering if anyone could help me out and list out all the major fixes that could solve the common problems that I have(like the wind noise, clicking sound of the glove compartment, etc....). So, basically, I jsut go to the dealer and tell them about my problems and with the list I can suggest what they can do to fix the problems? As you can see, I'm a newb with this kind of stuff. I appreciate all the help!

Thanks,
Will

landdriver

wwlccp:

Three problems off the top of my head that I've remember hearing about on these boards that have known (i.e., TSB-associated) fixes are the rear wheel bearing noise, the front door cross wind noise, and the glove compartment door rattle. I've experienced the latter two and in both cases I took the vehicle to the dealer and briefly described the problem while adding that I understood there was a known fix for it (which is layman talk for saying there's a TSB for the problem -- someone on these boards said some dealers don't like customers telling them that they know there's a TSB for the problem, so I just play dumb and try to sound like a layman) and they fixed it without any fuss or problems (except that the adhesive felt pads they added to fix the glove box rattle slowly migrated and after about a year the glove box door started rattling again).

However, I've read at least a couple of times where people have taken their vehicle in to be serviced under warranty and the dealer would refuse to do so unless if the problem could be demonstrated to them. This is sometimes difficult as some problems are quite intermittent and fail to occur while at the dealership.

Since you just got done going through all the previous posts on this board you're probably up on more of the problems reported here than me. TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) for known problems are posted on the Edmund's site (You, Your Vehicle and the Technical Service Bulletin) as well as on the NHTSA's site (Service Bulletins Search). The last time I checked (over a year ago) there were about 20 TSBs for the Highlander (specify "Truck or VAN" for SUVs). But note that not all TSBs relate to vehicle problems -- some may be a clarification on a service procedure for the mechanic, for example. Also, the titles and descriptions for TSBs are not always well composed and thus can be ambiguous and difficult to decipher.

Good luck in keeping your Highlander running smoothly!

blkhl02

Hello Fellow HL owners--
I have a slight issue, I have 02HL in black. That means scratches are very noticeable. Is there any kind of care kit or chemical I can use to hide some of these scratches. I don't want the paint to come off or make it dully looking. I usesed compond a couple of times, and I can see a slight difference in the paint. I don't want body work either, its to expensinve.
    Help if possible.

wwlccp

I must be having such a bad day!! On the highway, a small pebble hit the window of my HL and the windshield in that area has little crack lines coming from it. I was wondering where I could possible get this fixed? By any chance, is it covered by the warranty they give you? If anyone has experienced this before, can u tell me what u did and about how much it cost?

Thanks!

reklawc

My wife and I are on the verge of purchasing a new 2003 AWD 6 cyl. Highlander. We are Toyota fans and like the car very much. However, we have test driven 2 different Highlanders and both exhibit a noise;I would guess a wind noise, but could be a tire noise, seeming to come from the front of the left driver's side window area. It is not a loud noise, more of a hissing sound, but definitely noticeable. The sound does not seem to increase or decrease in intensity due to vehicle speed or wind direction. Also my wife noticed a very high pitched hissing sound (not real loud but annoying)from approximately the same area on the passenger side of one of the Highlanders we drove. The salesman was of no help when we mentioned the noises. We currently own a 1992 V6 Camry (a wonderful car) and are spoiled I guess because the car is so quiet inside. Any help concerning these noise problems would be greatly appreciated. We really want to buy a Highlander but are holding off because of this problem.

wwest

On the RX there are manually operated air ducts on each side and I have noticed hissing noise if mine is "almost" closed.

Can't say about the HL but maybe...

landdriver

The Highlander indeed has the same type of ducts so this definitely should be checked out. The noises you described are not typical of Highlanders to my knowledge -- I would have told you to test drive a second Highlander if you hadn't already done so! (Also make sure the air conditioning fan is off and the windows are fully shut.) I vaguely recall someone else mentioning noises similar to those you described perhaps three to nine months ago on either this board or the main "Toyota Highlander" board, but I can't remember the specifics.

I'd test drive a third Highlander and fiddle with the climate controls after ensuring the windows are fully shut...

archiegates

I went outside this morning to find a small scratch on side of my brand new Highlander. Some kid on a bike hit the car and scratched it. I am very distraught since it's the first scratch and I had been trying so hard to keep it away from other cars.

Anyway, I want to know if there's some kind of touch up paint or other similar product that can help the scratch disappear. I'm leery of using something that might make the scratch more visible. Anyone have any success with something that can make my scratch disappear? Would a body shop do a better job then I could?

PS - I have the silver Highlander.

venkatps

Wanted to share this information with all the rest of you. I own a 2001 HL - V6,AWD. Recently when we were vacationing in Branson, MO the blower shut down completely. That particular day being very hot. The blower kept going on and off before it completely shut down. The next morning I had a local mechanic check the freon level and the compressor. He said both of these looked ok. But surprisingly the blower was back again working good for the next 2 days or so.
I decided to get it checked with the dealer in any case. They didn't seemed to notice the problem since they couldn't simulate the same. It happened to me again. Right now I have the dealer taking a much closer look at it. He informed me that after talking to Toyota corp, they know that its the controller behind the dash that got damaged when some water from the condensation dripped in to it and he is planning to get it replaced. Thank god I am still covered under warranty.

Hope none of you face this problem on a warm day or on a normal day. If you do, now you know what it could be.

Take care and God Speed.

wwest

Or did the evaporator freeze up completely and block all airflow?

Toyota/Lexus uses an EPR valve downstream of the evaporator and with low airflow on an extremely hot day the evaporator can freeze up.

reklawc

Thanks to wwest and landdriver for the suggestions. I don't think the air vent is causing the noise because the noise was there when moving with the fan off and not there when parked with the fan off. I am going to test drive again tomorrow and follow your advice. As of now I don't know what else to do. Perhaps different tires? Thanks again.

mjs504

I experienced the same rear wheel bearing noise issue that has been documented in this forum. The first time it occurred, I brought it to the dealer and was able to recreate the problem to the service manager. The problem was addressed and did not occur until two months later. Could it be that they needed to replace both seals? My problem this time around is the noise occurs intermittently. When I brought it back to the service manager, the noise did not happen and Toyota was unwilling to address the problem. They stated that they have to hear the problem to address it properly. Why would this problem occur off and on?

Does anyone have a suggestion on what my next step should be? I have 15k miles on my vehicle and do not want this problem to happen again after my warranty is up.

reklawc

In reference to my postings #681 and 687, and answers #682 and 683: I went back to the dealership today and test drove a Highlander with Goodyear tires. There was no noise!! So I drove another with Bridgestone tires and the noise was there. Previously all of the Highlanders I had driven (with the noise) had Bridgestone tires. This is very odd because the noise sounds much more like a wind noise than a tire noise. It sounds like the front side window is not closed all the way also kind of like air coming from a vent. But it cannot be vent related because I drove all the cars with the vent fan off. So, in conclusion, it looks as though the tires are the culprit. I did notice that the Bridgestone tires have a more aggressive tread than the Goodyears.i.e. the Goodyears look more like grooved hard surface car tires. Any comments?

landdriver

reklawc:

Note that the side vents that wwest mentioned which are at the far left and far right ends of the dashboard near the front doors could still be the culprit if they aren't closed all the way -- air will still be flowing through them as long as the vehicle is moving even if the vent fan is off. If I'm wrong, then insist on Goodyears! (For what its worth, the consensus on this board seems to be that the Bridgestones are the better tire...)

phlypp

wwlccp: car insurance companies are usually DELIGHTED to fix this problem, often free, because it saves them from having to replace the entire windshield later as the problem progresses (and it will). I'm assuming this isn't covered under Toyota warranty as not a defect so would check with your insurer. I have GEICO and they definitely will repair for no charge. My problem had spread so fast in hot sun they had to replace the windshield and I paid a $100 deductable.

phlypp

janmick: I drove a number of HLs before actually purchasing and found a noticable difference between fairly identical vehicles, particularly in the breaking. Almost didn't buy one until I tried a different one. Also found the same on the Hondas I testdrove. Prior to that, my family has owned seven Accords and they all behaved differently, particularly in pickup and handling. Future buyers, choose carefully.

Have also found that where the crossbars on the roof rack are positioned makes a definite difference in wind noise. They come with both at the back, which is much quieter than when the front one is moved up. Since I kayak, front one always stays up.

wwest

Until the brake pads are well seated, mostly by several HARD applications or extented use, you may find great variation in braking capability.

tielgirl

I apologize if this has been answered before but a search of the highlander sites didn't yield any answers. My auto-headlights don't come on at night until it is fairly dark - ie - I think they should turn on sooner. Have asked the dealer twice to adjust the sensitivity (as per the owner's manual!) and they have absolutely no clue how to do it. Has anyone tried to have their headlight sensitivity adjusted and is it something the dealer has to do or do you know how it is done?

shl72953

Had the same problem with my headlights. Took it to the dealer and told him I wanted the lights to come on at least a half an hour earlier. Got the HL back later that day and the lights came on about 45 minutes earlier. How they did it, I don't know but they should have literature to tell them the process.

dmoyer

7/12/03 Click and Clack reported that brake pedal pressure on HL models is extremely hard on people with knee problems, that driving makes existing problems worsen to the point that some people can no longer drive their cars.
Has anyone experienced this???

raggedy1

people, you've got to be kidding me?!? I know others out there have torn front mudflaps! I've seen you on the highways! The front mudflaps are tearing from repeated wind beatings from highway speeds. Check yours! they are tearing from the inside edge. I took my HL in to SF Toyota and they claimed something must have hit them to tear them. What? My HL and dozens of others I have seen all got hit??? Give me a break! I've got a call in to Toyota Customer Service. Toyota needs to hear about this one. So come on folks, look at your front mudflaps inner edge. I know some of you out there must have this problem. If not, you either have low miles or do a lot of city driving...

venkatps

This is a followup on my previous post #685.

wwest: At least what they told me was that it was not the evaporator problem. Like I mentioned in my previous post, it was the controller that was damaged. This was caused by the water dripping as a result of the condensation. Anyway they have changed the controller and I have been driving the HL with the AC on for 2 days now without any problems.

stevesr1

Has anyone else experienced this on their V6 Highlanders? Apparently this was a known issue with the 4 cylinder models in cold weather but not the V6. It is disquieting to have a $500 sensor fail in only 18K miles.

This failure caused intermittent operation of the Check Engine light and set codes P1133 and P1135. One or both of these codes will self clear if the problem doesn't show up on 2 consecutive trips. BTW, Autozone will read trouble codes for free while you wait.

Steve

jrfiero

"people, you've got to be kidding me?!? "

Nope, we're not.

My 2001, ~24K, approx 1/3 at highway speed, has fine mudflaps.

The brakes still suck, but the important stuff like mudflaps are still going strong.

landdriver

Typically I'm too lazy to get up and go out to the garage when composing my posts, but your's is one of the few that inspired me to do just that. The bad news in that my mudflaps are fine, though I do have low mileage, most of it city driving recently. But I don't doubt your word if you've seen them on the roads. Hopefully others on this board may be able to confirm that their mudflaps are cracked.

raggedy1

"The brakes still suck, but the important stuff like mudflaps are still going strong."

ahh, sarcasm; just what every forum needs...

did you check the 70-0 braking distance before buying??? the distances tested are not too bad, but they're definitely not great either.

wyeast

Question for all of you that change your own oil: Is there some way to remove the filter without all (or at least of a lot of it) of the oil in it spilling out? I've changed it 3 times now and just can't seem to figure out how to keep it from spilling out. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

wyeast

The first week we had our black HL, my wife backed into a rock wall that created some nasty scratches on the corner of the bumper. I decided to try a repair kit from a place called Auto Body Magic. I've never done any of this kind of work so was amazed at the results. Don't know if their products will work for your scatches but you should at least take a look at their site. The people that answer the phone are also extremely helpful. Good luck - those first scratches are really depressing.

jackmick

I feel for the guy with the knee problem made worse by HL brake pedal. I don't have knee problems, but my HL brake pedal is giving me ankle problems. I own a 03 V6 HL. There is no reason for having to apply so much pressure to the brake pedal to stop the HL's. This has been an ongoing problem since 2001. My 1994 Maxima stops with half the foot pressure needed on the HL. The Maxima has disc brakes on the front and drum brakes on the back, so much for the Toyota brake system.

little_pogi

There is no way that you can avoid having those oil spills when you removed the oil filter. You can minimize the mest buy using latex gloves, a wide oil pan underneath to catch that dripping oil, and old newspapers under the pan. When you loosen the filter and it starts to drip, let it drip for a while before totally removing the filter.

wyeast

Thanks for the response about the oil filter. I like the idea of letting it drip before removing it. Have to say I'm a little surprised at this design but I can live with it (and the wind noise things) because I love this vehicle. Thanks again.

wwest

was in "consideration" of epoxy floor at the dealer's service center.

bbouch57

What are the symptoms on the four cylinder? Is it lack of power when stepping on the gas when starting out in cold weather? How did you know about this problem on the fours? I had a slight problem with lack of power sometimes when cold. Dealer said there were no directives from Toyota on this. They just re- loaded computer-they said, and problem has disappeared.

sunshine60105

When do the 2004 Highlanders come out? Are people with their Highlanders other than the minor problems that were posted? Is the Highlander a reliable truck?

jackmick

I have read over 8000 messages on the Toyota Highlander Discussion Board and 99% are related to how much HL owners love their vehicles and the minor problems that they are having. The most complaints are related to the following:
1. Outside wind noise or inside wind noise.
2. Minor squeaks and rattles
3. Having to put too much pressure on the brake
   pedal.
4. Engine ticking noise.
5. Mud flaps cracking.
6. Rough shifting in tranny, sometimes.
7. Engine vibration felt in steering wheel.
       These are the basic complaints over the last three years. Never read one message about oil leaks, break downs, blown engines or tranny's,
electrical problems etc. Check out the Honda Pilot discussions and read about the guy who had 5 quarts of oil leak out of his Pilot overnight.

       I own a 03 HL V6 with 3000 miles on it, and so far I am loving it. Smoothe, lots of power, quiet and good styling. What else can you ask for.

stevesr1

The information I obtained was from a technical service bulletin. Apparently in cold weather the ECU somehow damaged the A/F sensors which caused various trouble codes to be set.

The fix was to replace *both* A/F sensors and reprogram the ECU. If you had this issue you would know it because the Check Engine Light would be on.

These A/F ratio sensors are really just heated oxygen sensors. The only way that I can think of to damage them would be to leave the heater in them on for too long a period and the heaters are under the control of the ECU.

Steve

sunshine60105

Thanks for the imput! You really summed it all up! :-)
Sincerely,
Sunshine60105

opus5

Cannot generalize the reliability problem due to a single catastrophic failure. Sure, every vehicle model has its problems, but general quality issues between Toyota and Honda is like splitting hairs. Both make great cars and trucks. Edmunds did cite quality concerns regarding the Highlander in its recent SUV comparison while praising the Pilot's build quality.
The final analysis, you can't go wrong with either a Toyota or Honda!

jackmick

You are correct, Honda does make a great car. In fact I was so impressed with the Edmunds article on the Pilot I tried to buy one on 3/29/03, and had cash in hand. To make a long story short, Honda dealers will not deal, at least in the Palm Springs area. So I went next door to the Toyota dealer, and after 4 hours of back and forth I bought my HL.

I like to research the various test articles before buying a vehicle, but reading what owners like and dislike about their vehicles tells the true story. Owners are not bashful about telling you that they love their vehicle or that they think it is a P.O.S.

So if the local Honda dealer would have at least done a little bargaining, I would now be driving a Pilot. Maybe it is his loss and my gain, time will tell.

opus5

Ah, capitalism! Don't ya love it!
Enjoy the ride! I own a Pilot, but I have also admired the Highlander. Where I live, the Toyota dealers are the ones who don't deal because they are the only dealer within 300 miles. My two closest neighbors own Highlanders, so I got to see it up close. More elegant interior features than the Pilot. Pilot is more, well, truckish in its plain jane interior, but man is it functional! We all love our vehicles and love to compare notes. I am sure you will too.

jackmick

Speaking of capitalism, I owned a Suzuki motorcycle dealership from 1973 to 1985, and guess what motorcycle outsold me three to one, right,HONDA. It used to aggravate me, but I finally had to admit the fact that Honda had superior quality at the time, and Suzuki did not. So now when I see a Pilot on the road I ask myself, did I make the right choice. You will notice that I am not driving a Suzuki!

stevesr1

For those of you that have experienced this, is this issue confined to either the 2WD, or 4WD, or both? Is there a service bulletin that addresses this issue? If this is applicable to my HL I would likr to get it addressed before the warranty runs out.

Thanks,

Steve

bbouch57

In reference to item 699. Why are you concerned about the cost of the sensor? It is a warranty item. I think it has an even longer warranty than the basic one because this is an emissions part as described in the warranty manual. Labor costs would be covered also.

wwlccp

Hi!
I jsut went to the dealer today to get some of the TSBs done for my car. I have about 18000 miles on my 2001 HL Limited and they said that I should get the 15k miles Tune up for the HL. Is it worth to get the Tume up this early?

-Will

jackmick

The 15,000 mile service includes:
Oil and filter change, replace air filter, rotate tires,add fuel conditioner in fuel tank and install battery terminal protectors. The rest of the service consists of a long list of items the dealer checks. For instance: Check tire condition, battery, fluid levels, belts, chassis etc. I am quoting from a mailing I received today from Toyota. The cost for this 15,000 mile service is $169, give me a break.

When I take my HL in for the 15,000 mile check I will tell them to change oil and filter and re-torque the drive shaft bolt. That is all that is required according to the Scheduled Maintenance Guide.

wwlccp

Hi!

For those who have changed their cabin air filter, I just wanted to know if it's simple to change and if anyone could tell me how to do it?

Thanks,
Will

nimrod99

It is fairly easy to change - but unless you have a service manual - it may be difficult to follow.

The basic goal is to allow the glove box door to swing down - so you can access the slide out tray which holds the hepa filter (located behind the glove box bin.

Firstly - look under the glove box - near the right wheel firewall. There is a tension cable that acts to slow the opening on the glove box. It it held down by one screw - remove the screw to release the tension.

Next - you need to release the two stops at the rear of the glove box bin. Once removed - the glove box bin will swing open past the normal position. The larger opening allows access to the slide out try. Its a plastic frame holding a pleated filter.

Hope this helps.

nimrod99

I have a V6 Ltd Highlander with the antenna built into the rear windows.

I don't usually listen to FM stations - but I have noticed that the reception of FM radio stations is not all that good. Even the local stations (which should have a strong signal) come in which some hissing and fluctuating signal strength (FM indicator sometimes blinks out).

Does anyone have any comments - is this normal for this type of antennae? Do other people with this type of antennae experience these problems?

thanks

rmui1

I had these type of antenna in my Honda Accord and it had very good reception.

biffy2

After the dealer told me he wanted $60 Cdn to service the cabin air filter I removed it myself, vacuumed it and then sprayed some water through it and let dry thoroughly. Total job took 20 minutes and I'm good for another year. Darn this throw away society!!