Toyota Highlander

hlron

Nice, mature post, jafo (#5201). Lots of people name their cars. I'm sure the new poster to this Town Hall group will realize most of us here treat each other with a little more respect.

jakuta

Much has been discussed about the 3.0 V6 sludge issue but does this impact the HL? Is it too early to know?

I'm considering the HL and want to know what I might be getting myself into...thanks in advance.

goldston

My wife & I are the owners of two Highlanders (that we've named) and three cats... :-))

I got a laugh from jafo2001 post #5201

Good weekend to all.

Philip

wain

does the hL back window on the tailgate open so you can carry something long?

wischuck

My dealer is saying that the leather interior is now required on the limited. Everything I see in the brochure and on edmunds would indicate it is not required. Anyone who can confirm one way or the other?

goldston

Unfortunately does not open, you have to open the entire door/window assembly.

PSG

berkeley882002

Hi there,
I have my limited HL V6 2wd for two weeks now and love it. I just have noticed that the coolant temperature gage started from C as usual but soon went to the middle.
I never notice this before and I'm really worried about it.
I only have 200 miles on it. I turned the AC off and it did not matter, the needle was in the middle, I even turned the AC all the way up to see what is going to happen and the needle stayed in the middle.
I will take the car to the shop on Monday unless I get some feed back that this is normal with the HL. I have a 94 Honda civic and needle always under the half mark, around the quarter mark.
Thanks in advance and have a great weekend.

lasrer

mine also has 200 miles, is in the middle like yours. I guess it is normal.

tccmn1

Yes, the V6 Highlander thru August 2001 COULD be affected according to the recent letters being sent out (3.5MM Toyotas). Affect 4's and 6's by VIN from 1997-2001...Avalons, Camrys, Highlanders, Siennas. I just know because I just went through the fix on my 97 Camry - 4cyl..
Not ALL will be affected though; look for blue smoke, Check Engine light coming on, or oil level dropping unusually. You'd need to bring it in to the dealer and have the Toy Rep. observe the symptoms before anything would be covered.

Toyotas generally run in the middle of the Temp. gauge.
Both my '88 V6 Camry and '97 4cyl. Camry ran/run in the middle. I don't think thats cause for alarm. I had 140K miles on my '88 for 9 years running and never had an issue of over-heating.

bigorange30

All cars that I have ever owned, Ford, Chevy, Datsun and now an Infiniti QX4 ride with the Temperature gauge needle in the middle. I have always thought that was normal.

berkeley882002

thanks for the good news.....

jafo2001

Running in the middle is completely normal. Every car I've ever owned did that.

By the way, I just bought a new v6 AWD silver highlander. I take delivery Wednesday. No name as yet. Mother and car are doing fine.

jafo2001

One thing puzzles me. How can they sell such an expensive car in 2002 and not have a whole slew of cup holders and nooks and crannies for the driver's stuff?

714cut

For questions like this always check your owners manual. It is a wealth of information and usually has pretty detailed info on where the guage should be.

jafo2001

Where's the fuel door release?

john339

Jakuta,

the link below is the latest article on the sludge issue. Pat Goss from Motorweek is quoted in the article, and he says that he believes that there IS a problem with these particular engines and the problem is more than owner negligence. His garage has seen 50-60 sludged Toyotas so far according to the article.

"Automotive expert, Pat Goss, says Toyotas with sludge are not unusual.
"We've seen 50 to 60 cars like this and that's an inordinate number of cars," says Goss.

But Toyota places the blame squarely on customer negligence. They say you should change the oil more often. Pat Goss says it's more than that. "

One thing I noticed about the Highlander is that an engine oil cooler is OPTIONAL. Other vehicles like the Highlander include an engine oil cooler as standard equipment. I think an engine oil cooler would help the situation but probably not completely eliminate the problem.

http://www.wusatv9.com/consumer/consumer_article.asp?storyid=4725

lott42

I just purchased our 2002 Limited in early March. I got the 2WD V6 in Silver with Charcoal interior. From my research, I found that the Ivory interior seems to come in Leather on the Limited while the Charcoal interior came in Cloth on the Limited. It almost seems as if Toyota are building the cars from the manufacture this way. I had to buy the Leather extra for my car.

After a month of driving both city and highway, I'm getting around 22.4 mpg.

jakuta

Thanks for the sludge update...I'm thinking if I buy a new one this summer I should be ok...and this leads me to my next question:

Any of you in So Cal recommend any dealers for the Highlander? I'm thinking Longo but if you know of something better, please share...

john339

Whats the deal with Highlander owners complaining about a bothersome turbulence/vibration/noise when the rear window is rolled down and the Highlander is going more than 30mph? I ran across several of these complaints while researching the sludge issue. What are they talking about?

wain

I think its unreal the rear back window does not open. Don't the people who design them ever buy a stick of lumber? seems if its supposed to be the station wagon version of the camry they could add that.

wwest

People who are new to vehicles with a large volume behind the rear windows have never experienced the "standing wave" resonance affect.

It's like a willow or cane whistle except very low tone because of the volume of the "cavity".

We cannot rescind the laws of physics, not yet anyway.

john339

That is odd that the back window of the Highlander doesn't open up, especially for a vehicle with Utility in the acronym, sUv. Its not even an option?

Anyway, I guess the complaint is that when one or both of the rear passenger windows are down, a bad turbulence and noise occurs at speeds above 30mph.

Has anyone experienced this on the Highlander?

cmuniz

Oh Yeah!! Roll down the back windows above 30 mph and it is definitely a problem. However, it's not something we do very often anyway, so it doesn't have much of an effect on how much we enjoy the vehicle.

A question for the technical folks out there. Will the Toyota "towing prep" package that is very common on the Highlanders help protect against the sludge problem since it has better engine cooling capabilities? Our salesman said he wouldn't buy a Highlander without it.

jj35

I answered a similar question to yours on another Edmunds board. I have the towing package. I never towed anything, never even put on a hitch. But at 17,000 mi. in my '00 Sienna (same engine as Highlander, I believe) I got sludge. So I would not look at the towing package as a "sludge prevention" mechanism.

john339

Purely speculation on my part, but in my opinion, I think the risks of sludge increases with a heavier vehicle like a Sienna or Highlander. Since those vehicle have the same basic engine as a Camry, I would think the engine has to work a lot harder and would wear the oil down faster than say on the lighter Camry.

The Camrys have had sludge problems too, but my guess is the sludge problem would be even worse in a heavier vehicle like the Sienna/Highlander. Just a guess.

nimrod99

Hello
I would have bought a Highlander, but I am concerned about how light the ivory leather seats are in the V6 AWD LTD.

I wish they offered dark charcoal.

anybody have comments on the leather, and if they are planning to offer different colors for the 2003 model?

thanks

kdubs1

Heated mirrors are nice. We have them on a Chrysler.
+ the price is very reasonable.
Just a warning however, we "ordered" them on our HL and didn't get them. Apparently they are not commonly made that way on non limited models at least. We are to get our HL this week, waited 3 months and got everything we wanted other than heated mirrors and homelink.

jafo2001

It's not only on the highlander. I had a 2000 Jetta. Same problem. You had to open the front windows if you opened the rear or else the drumming was painful.

It has to do with the aerodynamics of modern cars. You just have to deal with it.

sin21856

Hello! I was just wondering if anyone is having problems with rattling noises on their Highlander...it's not the same problem that's been described earlier in previous posts (wind noise problem). As far as I can tell it seems to be coming from the moonroof, something may be loose. If I tilt the roof open and drive through uneven or bumpy roads it sorta rattles, not to the point that it sounds like the darn thing's gonna fly off but just enough to get really annoying. Sometimes it happens even when I close the moonroof all the way. The problem just comes and goes...any feedback would be helpful. Thanks!

emachine

Just bought a 2002 Bluestone Highlander Limited. Was going to wait for the Volvo SUV but figured it would be too expensive anyway. I was only looking at SUVs that were based on a car platform, and the Highlander offered the most value and performance. Got it for $200 over invoice too. Looked at the Acura(too expensive) the Buick Rendezvous(too ugly) seriously, but decided on the HL. No regrets here!

jmarouse

Just got my 2002 BLuestone HL LMTD. I was also waiting for the VOLVO - But 40K was too much and could not wait until October. I got it at $300 over invoice.

Going to get the 3M coating on the front, and add a powered sub. I also here a small rattling sound in front area ?

Anyone have an idea for the funky front cup holders ? They do not hold bottles or small cups very well ?

Best vehicle I have ever owned !!!

wwest

Didn't have it in my RX until I removed the carrier cross bars, put them back and it went away.

toledo19

Where are you finding the HL at 2-300 over invoice?

dmorelli1

We currently own a '99 RX300(love it!) and '01 Pathfinder LE.My husband has been unhappy with the PF(driver blind spot too big & gas mileage terrible)We are thinking of selling the PF and getting a Highlander.How is the gas mileage? How much did anyone pay for AWD Ltd edition fully loaded? I'm in NY.

jmarouse

I paid 300 over invoice at a dealer in Nebraska - 32K for fully loaded. I also had a Pathfinder SE and traded for the HL. FYI - Nissan has $1,000 cash back on PF - may make your PF harder to sell.

Gas Mileage - See other postings. Will check mine after broke in ( only 700 miles).

jrawlinson

Purchased a 2002 Limited with leather, sunroof, cd changer, carpet mats, cargo liner, fender flares, michelin tire upgrade and toyoguard for 30,500...little over 1K miles now and no problems at all..great vehicle..as far as the front cup holders..you know those are adjustable for diff size cups..haven't experienced any problems to date..love the cargo liner..great for plants and things that might get the mat dirty..love the ivory leather with the white exterior..

tenn3

We are selling our 2000 Honda odyssey and getting a Highlander limited v6 2x4. I am debating on getting the sideboards added on. We have 2 small boys and I thought it would help them get in and look good. But it may be an added expense that is not necessary. Does anybody have a comment?

Also just taking a poll.... Out of the two colors white or black, which color looks the best?

toledo19

I think the HL looks great in Black, but it's not a practical color. I also like the red but the Silver is probably the best practical choice.

tenn3

I have call 15 - 20 dealers around the Nashville area and in Memphis and the best price I have been offered is $1350 over invoice. How are some people getting $200 over invoice? Tell me the secret of getting them to come down.

tenn3

Toledo 19:
Why is black not a practical color?

mkstring

tenn3 -
my wife and i considered sideboards (i believe that is essentally a "tube" running down the side with flattened areas on top for foot steps) for our 4x4 unlimited - we have a 4 year old and a 1 year old. Our 4yo can climb in without them she's about a head short of most 4yos, plus the 4x4 sits another inch up off the ground.

And since my 4yo is now able to open the door and climb in, we just figured against them now.

From an looks standpoint - the chrome bars/boards looks really nice. If my definition of sideboard isn't the same - let me know .

Michael
01 HL 4x4

for everyone else - i'm back it's been awhile

rajesuwer

Any recommendation for good dealers in NJ - probably around Newark, Jersey City area?

How does the prices look in Jersey?

roger55

Tenn3... Had the same problem up here in Delaware. Best I could do was abot $950 over invoice. I think it all depends on where you live and what the demand is in the area. Dealers
up here sell the HLs within 1 week of hitting the lot. So.. they have no reason to give anybody a great deal.

lasrer

2002 hl v6 4wd, bridgestone tires,
the plaque inside the door says 30 lbs., the tires all had 36 lbs. as delivered.

what is the current consensus on this?

thanx

ed

toledo19

Black need lots of attention to look good; washing and waxing. Shows the dirt much more than lighter colors.

lisafrsandiego

I have a quote from a dealer that includes
TDA $300
Dealer holdback $615
Whsl. Financial reserve $307

The quote is for $600 over the invoice which includes those amounts.

Do I have any bargaining room on the TDA, holdback, and reserve?

Any fast help would be appreciated as this car will be sold to someone else if I don't get it! I've never bought new before so please help!
THANKS!!!

toledo19

cliffy1

If its going to sell that fast, I think you have answered your own question.

megawattblues

WWW.partznet.com. Best price I've seen yet($57.25 with FREE SHPG until the end of this month), for a complete set - front & rear.

Ordered mine Thursday, they arrived today.

These look to be real nice quality, and they are heavy, with little rubber nipple-thingies on the bottom. Got the reinforced grommets for the front, too.

Won't know exactly how they fit 'til the weekend, but since they are Toyota parts, I expect the fit to be right.

I also like the email confirmation, and tracking #'s provided automatically. A pleasurable purchase.

Hope I'm not out of line here, but I've been looking for a good deal on some all-weather mats myself, and thought I'd pass along the info.
Glen

nimrod99

Hello
I would have bought a Highlander, but I am concerned about how light the ivory leather seats are in the V6 AWD LTD.

I wish they offered dark charcoal.

anybody have comments on the leather, and if they are planning to offer different colors for the 2003 model?

thanks