Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

1…5455575960…105

Comments

  • spencer327spencer327 Member Posts: 106
    Has anybody had their transmission reprogrammed to the new TSB TC004-05
    new calibration ID #34876000
    which spells out the problems with the HL 04/05 tranny.
    I have 04 HL with the crummiest shifting tranny since birth.
    Before I bring my HL to Toyota would like to hear of any sucessful upgrades.
    Obviously Toyota has finally admitted to a poor shifting tranny.
  • jasuja2000jasuja2000 Member Posts: 5
    Ken,
    I have same issue with my 05 highlander, it has 5000 miles on it.
    No resolution so far

    good luck
  • n2advnturen2advnture Member Posts: 2
    I have the V6 version (2002) w/ 89k and it's in the shop today for the same problem. They can't figure it out at all....I need to take it back next weekend.
  • ceciliadceciliad Member Posts: 2
    On July 4, 2005, we were in a restaurant about 10 minutes when somebody came in screaming "Anybody with a green SUV with a camper hitched to it, your car is on fire!".
    The insurance appraiser told us later that he suspects it was an electrical fire, but his job description did not include investigating why it happened. So we called Toyota Canada. They have yet to return our call.
    Meanwhile, we bought another 2005 Highlander. Call us optimists, more like blind loyalists. Everyone in our family drives Toyota. Both our cars are Toyotas.
    Anybody heard of a Toyota Highlander going up in flames? The insurance appraiser told us that he has seen many trucks burn, mostly Fords. This is the first time he has seen a Toyota burn. Anybody heard of Highlanders going up in flames while parked?
  • pilot130pilot130 Member Posts: 319
    Never heard of a Highlander fire for any reason.
    There were a few reports a couple of years ago of fires in one or two Siennas but after investigation, the cause was determined to be unrelated to mechanical or electrical deficiencies.
    Be cautious in relying on comments by an insurance company official. Insurance adjusters aren't qualified nor mandated to assess causes of fires. Their job is only to determine extent of damage and subsequent action by their company.
    Normally in an unusual situation like this one, the fire dept. attending must investigate and determine cause. I'm surprised that you didn't get any feedback from them. In our country (Canada) this would be almost automatic in cases like that.
    The fire could have resulted from any number of factors. Spontanious combustion in an on board garbage bag is one. Debris packed around the catalytic converter in the exhaust system is another. Smokers cause many fires when they throw cigarette butts out windows. Debris in the engine compartment is another common cause. Yet another, previous damage to the vehicle may have resulted in an electrical anomaly. Even a ham handed oil change person could have inadvertently dislodged an electrical wire when doing the oil change--it happens.
    Don't limit your choices to only one possibility. There are many besides the more common ones I mentioned..
    The fact that you were camping at some point when this incident occurred is an indication of where the cause may lie. I would start looking at that.
  • n2advnturen2advnture Member Posts: 2
    Bill.
    Did replacing the "Idle Valve Assembly" and gasket correct your low idle/stall problem???

    I am having the same problem and the dealer doesn't have a clue.

    Thanks!
    Mark
    neff01 @ netzero.net
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    If you unplug the battery for about ten minutes the engine ECU will need to relearn the proper duty cycle for the idle air bepass solenoid and that may help.
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Can I echo Bill's comments above on the probable cause of fire. I am an Insurance Adjuster (happilly not motor vehicles) and am often intrigued by the divergence between initial conception of cause when one first sees a fire and the ultimate cause after investigation.

    Before coming to a conclusion, you need to think about the usage before the incident, any modifications made to the vehicle and any odd behaviour before the incident. The fact that the fire started when the vehicle was not in use, but had presumably been used a short time before, tends to point to a non-electrical cause.

    There are various heat shields around exhaust components. If, at any stage, the vehicle has been used off bitumen, these can accumuate debris, or can pick up stray bits of cardboad or plastiic. It's very instructive to look under a vehicle after driving through a hay field and see just how much litter accumulates under there.

    It might seem weird but some mud actually has enough flammable material in it, that once dried, can catch alight. this is a particualr problem in open pit coal mines where coal dust mud cakes onto the exhaust, dries and then ignites.

    In order to analyse it a little more, think about the point where the fire originated. Oddly, this will often have a clear burn mark around it, with less soot apparent in the immediate vicinity

    If underbody, the prospects of it being electrical are remote. If in the engine bay, you need also to think of possible fuel fire.

    If under the hood (bonnet for me) was the vehicle fitted wit appropriate transmission and oil cooling consistent wih the load that was towed.

    If electrical, think about what modifications had been made and what appliances were in use. For example, was there an accessory fridge runnning in the car or camper and if so, had it been properly wired in with appropriate fuses.

    I haven't heard of another Highlander fire. I can tell you about a few BMW's that have gone that way though, including one on my commute home last week. I wouldn't be put off buying another one.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • jasuja2000jasuja2000 Member Posts: 5
    back from dealer:

    they checked "throttle body" , for carbon deposit or something.
    They cant find anything, according to them it's a minor issue.
    My theory is after break in , piston moves further, which makes engine
    vibrate more, and these vibration are transmitted to steering wheel, break pedal.
    And if you are stopped for longer duration , sometimes because of resonance
    you feel it more.

    But there were absolutely no vibration in the new highlander which I compared
    against in the dealer.
  • herzogtum71herzogtum71 Member Posts: 470
    If you search in this form under "vibration" or "vibrating" you will find some past discussion on the issue. A number of people commented about the steering wheel vibrating, maybe more of an issue in the 6-cyl. On my 2004 4-cyl the steering wheel never vibrates, but the wire radio antenna sometimes will be vibrating like crazy when I am stopped in traffic or at traffic lights. Other times it is peacefully still. (It has been this way since the beginning, and I remember noticing this also on another 4-cyl. that I test drove.) I'm not particularly bothered by this behavior since it doesn't affect performance and since I can't feel any vibration even when I see the antenna moving. But if anyone discovers that it is a correctable problem, please report it here.
  • kwschummkwschumm Member Posts: 7
    We just purchased a 2005 Highlander. Although we are thrilled with the vehicle, the poor FM radio reception is a disappointment. We live in a somewhat rural area on the fringes of the Portland, OR metropolitan area. The two Fords we own with factory radios have no problem pulling weak FM stations in that the HL cannot even find. Has anyone else noticed this problem? When we are in the city it works fine. I'm wondering if the radio is defective or if we should just punt and buy an aftermarket unit.
  • landdriverlanddriver Member Posts: 607
    "...maybe more of an issue in the 6-cyl. On my 2004 4-cyl the steering wheel never vibrates..."

    I have a V6 and is smooth as silk when idling; I think the vibration is a distinct problem only affecting a few HLs...
  • landdriverlanddriver Member Posts: 607
    At least a couple of others on these boards have noticed this as well, so its endemic to all HLs. Probably getting an aftermarket unit is the most straight-forward solution, though I hate the idea of replacing an otherwise good radio with one of those flashy aftermarket units that look like they belong in a Las Vegas Casino...
  • jim70jim70 Member Posts: 27
    I was curious if the reception problem applies to both the Standard radio as well as the "Premium" JBL with 6 disk changer. Also, if it is the mast antenna or "Diversity" window antenna. So if the prblem is in the radio or the antenna.

    Thanks in advance

    Jim
  • landdriverlanddriver Member Posts: 607
    That's an excellent question -- alot of people post problems on this board but fail to give pertinent info, such as whether they have the 4cyl or V6, 2WD or 4WD, standard or JBL radio, etc. I have the JBL with the in-glass diversity antenna and have noted reception deficiencies myself when listening to AM (my '83 Toyota pickup can receive my favorite AM radio station when in a parking structure whereas my '01 HL cannot receive the same station in the same structure), so based on the info so far (including kwschumm's recent post stating it affects his FM reception) we can tentatively conclude the problem may only affect the JBL systems with the in-glass antenna for both AM and FM reception.
  • herzogtum71herzogtum71 Member Posts: 470
    ... is not characteristic of all Highlanders. Past postings indicate that some people with both versions of the radio and with both kinds of antenna get very good reception. I'm about 25 miles from Boston as the crow flies, and all the Boston stations come in well. (Standard AM/FM/CD/Cassette, flex wire antenna). The FM station I listen to most broadcasts from about 30 miles away in New Hampshire. If you can't pull in stations that aren't even close to being this distance, you have a legitimate complaint to pursue with the dealer.
  • kwschummkwschumm Member Posts: 7
    I did leave out info that might be pertinent to determining a trend. Our HL is the standard edition, V6, AWD and the radio is the standard AM/FM/Cassette/single CD with a mast antenna. The dealer said it was working properly but somehow I doubt they have the knowledge or instrumentation to take measurements on the tuner section. I'd like to know what the tuner sensitivity specs are on all Toyota radios for comparison purposes. They gave me a new Tacoma as a loaner and it's reception was far superior to the HL. I guess I'll write Toyota to see what they say before replacing the radio. I really don't want one of those zooty looking aftermarket head units but I'm sure this one will be a constant source of irritation since it will fade out every day on our way home. So far it's our one (minor) disappointment with an otherwise nice vehicle.
  • williams10williams10 Member Posts: 6
    I have the 05 HL V6 and I have complained to the dealer, about the shifting and so far toyota says this is normal... I don't believe it. Keep us posted on the outcome of the new calibration. A lot of us would like to know.
  • tsotsitsotsi Member Posts: 98
    I have a 4-cylinder Highlander and gather that the V6 transmissions don't shift as well mine. But even the 4, which Toyota advertises as having some kind of "electronic intelligence," has one habit that bothers me. In normal driving, the gearbox shifts as soon as I push on the gas -- no real hesitation at all -- but when turning left out of my driveway onto a four-lane road, it sometimes balks a fraction of a second just when I want to take off and merge with traffic. I surmise that the "intelligent" part of the gearbox notices that I am creeping along, feathering the gas (while waiting for a break in traffic) and thinks that is the way I want to keep driving. The only way to overcome the hesitation is to really goose it -- not that pleasant when making a left turn into traffic!

    I wonder if some of the problems with the 6s might be an extreme version of the same thing -- a good driver is cruising along, easy on the gas, easy on the machinery -- but then suddenly needs to merge and completely changes the driving mode. Some German cars have a switch the driver can use to tell the transmission how to shift -- economy mode, sport mode, race mode -- instead of leaving it for the car to decide.

    It would be interesting if some of the drivers of cars with severe hesitation would experiment to see if they can get rid of the problem (temporarily) by driving aggressively just before trying to force a quick downshift. I have noticed that some posts have mentioned mothers or wives having this problem and it is well-known that women are often more sensible behind the wheel than men. Too bad if it comes back to bite them in their Highlander.

    Instead of a software fix, maybe an enterprising Toyota dealer can figure out how to install a "quick-shift" switch. Guess I am old-fashioned enough to trust hardware more than software.
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    You would probably enjoy some of the discussions taking place in the Engine Hesitation forum (there is a link to it the "Helpful Links" box to the left on this page.)
  • tsotsitsotsi Member Posts: 98
    The "engine hesitation forum" is interesting, even more so to me since it seems to be looking at the hesitation problem from a different point of view. The posts I read seem to be about "slow" shifting, as if the gearbox was taking a long time between gears. My own feeling with my Highlander (and my older Honda Accord) is that the hesitation is caused by how the transmission is programmed to "decide" when to downshift.

    For optimum fuel efficiency, the transmission should stay in the highest gear that will satisfy the need for acceleration. So, when a person has been driving conservatively, moving the accelerator pedal slowly, the "intelligent" transmission assumes the "downshift only when absolutely necessary" mode to save gas. The only way the transmission can know the rules have changed and that it should now downshift early, in order to merge safely, is when the driver sends a signal through the gas pedal. I believe the hesitation is the time it takes the transmission to change modes from economy to early downshift.

    If you think about it, you definitely don't want your transmission to downshift at fairly high rpm when you only want to accelerate gently. I am guessing the transmission reads both the throttle position and the speed at which it is being depressed (along with engine and vehicle speed) to figure out what the driver wants. It could be that some Highlanders have bad software, that doesn't interpret the information right, and it could be that it is possible to signal for an early downshift in some way. I am still experimenting with my 4-cylinder, but as I mentioned earlier, it is only a very slight problem with that model and I am doing it more out of curiousity than need. One thing I have learned is that flooring the throttle quickly will force a quick downshift. I don't know if the same thing is true with the 6-cylinder.
  • jim70jim70 Member Posts: 27
    I posted this in the hesitation forum too. I apologize for the duplication but I am really trying to get a feel for how serious and prevalent this problem is. Any comments or info would be very much welcome and appreciated.

    I am considering getting a V6 Highlander but these hesiation comments have me concerned. I have owned 6 different cars ( 3 toyotas) with automatic Transmissions and none of them have shifted "perfectly" in every situation. They all shifted smoothly during normal acceleration, but most of them would occasionally hesitate, or shift abruptly, if pressed in an unusual circumstance. Some were better than others, but it sounds like the problems here are more than that? I have test driven both the 4 and 6 cyl models and did not notice anything unusual. I pushed them pertty hard and the shifting seemed within normal limits. So is this a problem that takes awhile to develop, or that only affects a portion of the transmissions produced? Is buying a highlander a gamble that I will get one with a bad transmission? Were the transmissions produced by different plants? It just seems like quite a few people have BIG problems while others don't report any. And I have not read any reviews that mention the problem so I am very confused.

    Any info would be most appreciated, don't want to buy myself a headache
  • toyotakentoyotaken Member Posts: 897
    As you mentioned, the "hesitation" or lack therof is from personal observations. So it may be through the eye of the beholder in other words. There are several owners posted here who feel there are hesitation issues with the vehicle and to those who do, I'm sure there is. There are many, many others who do not feel there is any. So if through your driving of the particular vehicle, you do or do not feel there is a problem, that is what I would base your decision on.

    Just my $.02

    Ken
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    I don't doubt that some people do indeed have this issue. I have an 05 V6 AWD and I have noticed a difference in the way this car operates as opposed to my former car. I think lots of people are going to the Highlander from older cars with a traditional mechanical throttle. The new Highlanders have an electronic throttle, or a throttle-by-wire as it were. These new throttle setups have a different feel and response. It takes some time to get used to. From my reading, and the discussion here, I would say the hesitation people are talking about is more a reaction the new throttle type than it is a transmission issue. I have personally gotten used to the vehicle now and I have never noticed this problem that so many refer to.

    Did the car perform a bit differently than other vehicles I've owned? Yes - not poorly, just a bit differently. Many F150 owners complained about the same kind of thing when Ford redesigned the F150 in 2004 and went to the throttle-by-wire system. It supposedly improves effeciency and is something more and more manufacturers will be going to.

    I would say buy with confidence. Do some people have problems with their cars? Yes. You just can't get much better for reliability than Toyota though. I drove domestic cars my whole life and look what I am driving now. I may never go domestic again.
  • pilot130pilot130 Member Posts: 319
    My advice--for whatever it's worth--take the make and model you want to buy (whatever make or model)--for a good long test drive. Be rigorous in your assessment.
    Try to submit it to every conceivable driving condition you can think of (as close to your *average* driving requirements as possible), and assess it accordingly.
    If it meets or comes close to your requirements, then consider buying it.
    If it doesn't, try someone else's make and model.
    At the end of the day, try to make the best deal you can for the make and model of your choice.
    A Toyota Highlander is a good place to start.
    They are as good as any.
    Do not be overly alarmed by what you read in this forum or the hesitation forum.
    Remember--only those who have an issue (or think they have) are the ones who make the loudest noises.
    If you peruse these topics in entirety, you will find there aren't that many who complain about the hesitation issue.
    There really aren't.
    The vast silent majority are the ones to really listen to--only problem is they don't make much noise!
    Obviously, they have no need to.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    I also have an '05 HL V6 AWD and have noticed the "hesitation" only very slightly; and I find I am already, after 3 months of driving, pretty much used to the feel of it.

    I can only add this comment - I test drove a number of other 2005 makes (Murano, Mazda6 to name two) and found the same issue with them. Reading other forums on different makes also leads me to believe the issue is wide-spread. Most any new vehicle today will have the electronic throttle or drive by wire, thus most any new vehicle will have the issue. I would rather have a Toyota than some of the others. Get used to it, folks. :>)
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Appears to exhibit itself randomly in ALL Toyota/Lexus FWD V6/5-speed e-throttle configurations. No one yet seems to know for certain just what parameters are involved in creating the circumstance wherein the 1 to 3 second downshift delay occurs.

    The best description, all three, of when the occurances are most likely to occur are well stated in the 2003 TSB for the Camry/ES330.
  • ottodogottodog Member Posts: 1
    My check engine light was on at 65k miles on my V6 2003 Highlander. Service manager diagnosis said "Fuel/Air ratio sensor heater circuit malfunction bank 2 sensor 1" and must be replaced. It cost me $232 for the part and $120 Labor! I think I was ripped off . What is the feeling you Toyota experts?
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    I really don't think you will be able to determine the prevalence of the problem from these forums. It is a problem, and a quite serious one for those who experience it, as you will read here. It does not seem to always be present or noticeable. For those who have it, it was not always noticeable on a test drive. Some have had the problem successfully remedied by the recently available software upgrade, some have not.

    Personally, if I were in your shoes and set on getting the Highlander, I would wait and see how all of this pans out. I would at least wait until I could be assured that there is a remedy for the problem in case I was one of the unlucky ones to get a lemon.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    a rather long wait. The first TSB at the dealers in order to cure the problem was issued in April of 2003. Problem likely proceeded the TSB by at least six months.

    After this amount of time it is totally unbelievable that Toyota doesn't know EXACTLY what the problem is and has a perfectly acceptable fix somewhere awaiting "approval"

    It appears distinctly possible that a perfectly correct fix would have an adverse affect on emissions and/or fuel economy, giving EPA and CARB some say-so in whether or not the fix can be made publically available.
  • scoti1scoti1 Member Posts: 676
    Well then, in my case it would mean settling in for a long wait or, if I needed to make a car decisions immediately, then I would go for door number 2.
  • hlawdhlawd Member Posts: 2
    :confuse: Engine shuts off...

    I bought my HL in 01 and so far it has met the toyota standard and quality.
    But just recently when I turn on the engine, it runs for 1-2 seconds then shuts off.
    To avoid engine shut off I have to step on the gas pedal and rev the engine.

    Did anybody has experienced this? Do I have to change anything? like spark plugs, timing belts, battery, etc.?
  • hlawdhlawd Member Posts: 2
    Do guys know where to find recalled items? If not go to Auto-recalls.justia.com
  • vlanman25vlanman25 Member Posts: 49
    Jasuja, Hertzo: Thanks for the reply sorry it took so long to respond, I've been away. The vibration/noise problem seemed to go away I suspect when the weather warmed up. It will be interesting to see if it returns when it gets cold out (I live in the Boston area). What really bugged me in a new car was the noise not the little vibration. It sounded more like a gurgle. I never did find it.

    So far, with 7000 miles on the Highlander (2005 V4 FWD), I think my Corrola is a better built vehicle but no major complaints with the Highlander either. Toyota service, well that's another story and yes I did notice they overfilled the oil a little.

    Thanks again for the reply,

    Ken
  • hawkeye70hawkeye70 Member Posts: 43
    Mark,

    Yes, replacing the idle valve assy did correct the problem. I was surprised it cost so much to replace that small valve - almost $500!
  • hawkeye70hawkeye70 Member Posts: 43
    KarenS,

    I also have an '01 HL V6 that had the same problem. If you look back on postings #2853 - #2858 and #2866, you will find the discussion. It was correctly diagnosed by wwest as a faulty idle valve. I had the dealer replace it and now it works fine. It sounds to me like it's a common problem with this engine, since the service writer was almost certain he knew what it was even before I finished telling him about the problem. Of course, it is not covered under the 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty, but if you have an extended warranty, it may be covered.
  • kwschummkwschumm Member Posts: 7
    We didn't want DRL, but the 05 highlander we found that was equipped closest to our wishes had it. The sales guy, after consultation with the service department, said they could disconnect it. So we bought the HL, took it to the dealer to disconnect it, and now they say it's a programming setting, they don't know how to reprogram it and Toyota won't tell them. What? That's nuts, DRL is an option not a federal requirement. Anyone know how to disable DRL on these things? We have a base model V6 AWD without the automatic headlights.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    DRLs are not an option, they are standard equipment.
  • kwschummkwschumm Member Posts: 7
    Sticker shows DRL as option code RL for an extra $40. Edmunds also shows it as a $40 option on their option selector.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    Sorry. I have a Limited and they are standard. They are as you say, an option on the base model.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    Why in the world would you wish to disable the DRLs? It is a proven safety feature and I wish every vehicle had them. I like to see and be seen, especially in poor weather.
  • typesixtypesix Member Posts: 321
    If you don't like DRLs, remove the bulbs.
  • kwschummkwschumm Member Posts: 7
    Reasons to disable the DRL.

    1. We don't like them (my wife said only this morning, "I HATE those things")
    2. They consume more fuel. Millions of cars * ~100 watts is how many gallons of fuel wasted each year?
    3. We didn't want them and were told by the dealer they could be disconnected. They lied.
  • mdchachimdchachi Member Posts: 275
    Some people hate seat belts too. But they don't seem to complain when it saves their lives.
  • rblelandrbleland Member Posts: 312
    Not a logical reason in the bunch - but it's your car and your life. Suit yourself. Consume fuel - nonsense.
  • kwschummkwschumm Member Posts: 7
    Gee, I'm sorry that my reasons aren't good enough for you. I wasn't aware that my desire to disable DRL required your stamp of approval. I must be wrong in disliking DRL, and it must be luck that has allowed me to survive all these years without them. How could I be so wrong? Please send the guys in the white coats right over.
  • rugby65rugby65 Member Posts: 81
    It is a good thing that they are on some vehicles. They should be on all cars. There's not a day goes by that I don't see some ignoramus driving with no lights way past sun down.
    I have asked some drivers why they do that and they reply because I can still see to drive.
    Head lights serve two very important functions, One is to see where your going and the other is for you to be seen by other drivers.
    personally I want people to see my vehicle day and night..........
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    100 watt...??!!

    NOT!

    Two 55W twelve volt bulbs in series plus a voltage dropping resister mounted under the battery plate, probably about 20W total.

    If you want to save some gas disconnect your ~3 HP A/C during the winter months to keep it from running year 'round. Better yet turn it off anytime the OAT is below 65F.
  • typesixtypesix Member Posts: 321
    Not to mention people that won't turn on lights when it rains during the daytime.
  • rugby65rugby65 Member Posts: 81
    Amen to that......................................
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles