Toyota Highlander

wain

do you have teenagers or live in the mountains?

rugby65

The horn on my 2003 HL is a joke. I don't make a habit of using it but when I do, The person I'm honking at very seldom looks my way. I really don't think they hear it.
That type of horn may be OK in foreign country's but in the USA you need a truck horn to get peoples attention.

spencer327

I agree 100% My horn sounds like a constipated cow, and gets about as much attention. Anybody replaced the horn with a real one?

wain

agree on the horn
sounds sick

wwest

Move both horns to the area in front of the radiator.....helps.

lulugaa

I replaced our 99 Explorer with a 2004 Highlander 4wd LTD with 3rd row seat on June 18, 2004. I would like to offer my observations so far. Note that I am 6' 1" and 250# and drive with the seat all the way back.

HITCH - the car was equipped with the tow prep package and a Toyota hitch with a max weight sticker of 2000#. Others have said and I agree the hitch should probably be rated at 3500#. I have contacted Toyota by e-mail and asked the dealers cust. rels. person to do the same. Will let you know the results when I hear.

WIND NOISE - I'm aware of the buffeting with rear windows down. I have also found that with the drivers window (only) down the wind noise is very loud and unacceptable above 40mph - I have to compensate by lowering the opposite side rear window partially.

REAR WINDOW IS FIXED - An annoyance to live with

COMPASS and SUNROOF NOT INITIALIZED BY DEALER - Sales person actually thought there was a problem I should have fixed in their shop later. All I had to do was follow the instructions in the owners manual.

INSTRUMENTS ARE HARD TO READ IN DAYLIGHT

RECIRC LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON AT STARTUP (if outside air is warmer than inside) - Actually I like this since I prefer to start with the a/c system off. With the fan OFF and recirc off the car still vents from the outside.

TIRE NOISE - I noticed a little on rough pavement, but in general I am very happy with the car's quietness.

TRANSMISSION SOFT SHIFTS - When the car is cold the car shifts beautifully, but when it warms it starts to soft shift (delayed) from 1-2 and 2-3. It is still acceptable and seems to be getting better ( adaptive logic?).

DRIVERS SEAT COMFORT - My left knee and the door panel are always competing for the same space. The bottom seat cushion is short. I live in a hot climate and find the seats too confining and get sweaty because of that. To make the seats far better for myself I have installed sheepskin vests that just cover the middle portion of the seats. They're great. ( a BMW accessory)

ARMREST / STEERING WHEEL - I find the steering wheel to far forward and can barely use the end of the armrest with my right hand on the wheel. I will try to find a way to extend the armrest - any ideas?

GOOD THINGS - I find the car Quiet, smooth, east to enter/exit, good gas mileage, and smaller than the Explorer ( but not as macho as a truck based SUV)

WIFE's EVALUATION - The only comment she has is the dim instrument panel, otherwise she is very pleased with the car

wain

in hot weather it always needs to be on
my other car is the other way (off) and I hate it

what is meant by sunroof intiialization????

bdyment

I have had my 2004 V6 Limited for about 8 months now and I agree with most of your items. The recirculation mode doesn't think correctly. I don't mind it defaulting to recirculate when the a/c compressor is on, but it defaults to this mode when the compressor is off as well. There you are driving with your windows down and the silly recirculate button is lit up.

Instruments certainly are hard to read in the daylight.

I also agree with the comments from others about the wimpy horn. It doesn't seem so bad on our Corolla , but on the Highlander it is a joke.

However, overall our Highlander has been a great vehicle. I would recommend it to anyone.

lulugaa

Toyota calls it sunroof normalization. Whenever the battery is disconnected, or the car is new, the sunroof has to be normalized to get the "one touch" feature to work. Otherwise it is extremely difficult to get the sunroof to stop in the closed or full open position. Instructions are in the owners manual. Note that the "one touch" feature is really a "touch it for at least 1/2 second" feature.

wwest

When you start the vehicle and the INTERIOR temperature is significantly above the setpoint the (dumb, stupid!) system will always revert to recirc mode.

I understand that the RX330 has a cbest option to keep this from happening, maybe the HL does too.

If the interior is uncomfortably hot, hotter than the outside atmosphere, when you enter and start the car the best procedure is to turn the blower all the way up to max and have the system in fresh for an initial period so as to FORCE the interior HOT atmosphere from the exhauster outlets of the vehicle.

Since in most newer vihicles the exhauster ports are minimized in order to reduce the A/C compressor load it is a good idea to also lower the rear windows slightly for an initial period to let the hot air be flushed and to help bring the surface temperature of the interior materials down to a more reasonable level.

cssnostromo

Needing to have the rotors cut twice within 50k miles denotes a manufacturing flaw. The 'precision' grind that a brake rotor needs to have a long service life can be thrown way off if a lathe spindle bearing or other input is not correct. Unfortunately, if quality control is not up to par(as in the case of our HL rotors), thousands of rotors can be shipped before Brembo(the OEM) ever becomes apprised of a problem. I'm willing to give Brembo a second chance(with a new set of rotors) but there are alternative manufacturers, TRW among them.By the lack of feedback to my question, I wonder how many more HL owners just assumed they needed brakes-and thought nothing was amiss. Finally, I have neither mountains nor teenagers around to create a rotor mess..Brembo accomplished that on their own.

bdyment

wwest could you please explain what a cbest option is in relation to the RX330's air conditioning system. I would sure like my recirculate button to default to off if this can be arranged in the Highlander.

jbollt

Just a thought...on another board here on Edmunds, awhile ago, warped rotors were discussed in detail, I think it was the Mazda Protege forum. It was mentioned that washing the car right after driving it, and getting cold water on the hot rotors could warp them...also improper torqueing of the lug nuts can also cause this, possibly at tire rotation time? I was doubtful of the cold water issue at the time it as being discussed, but time has given me some reason to think it isn't out of thre realm of possibility. Just a few thoughts to ponder....

I have about 15,000 miles on my 2003 Highlander V6 Non limted, and have had NO such issues..no warped rotors, no soft of mushy brake pedal...

wwest

Dealer set customization options at customer request.

rugby65

One of the functions I like best on the re circulate button is that in heavy traffic I can use it to keep out the exhaust fumes from other vehicles in stop and go traffic.
It doesn't matter to me wheather it comes on automatically or not when re starting the engine, I can and often do change it frequently.

fbm

Couple of additional minor observations (have had our 4wd Ltd for about a month now). The speedometer is scaled way too far to the higher speeds - I would much rather be able to see clearly if I am going 52 or 57 MPH versus 160 or 165. Also, the number of little compartments is a bit overwhelming and hard to figure out a use for them. Lastly, I wish they would offer the sound system with an easy plug in for an iPOD or other MP3 player, like BMW is now doing.

rugby65

http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat- _code=carnews&loc_code=index&content_code=02546590

lmacmil

We traded our 96 Explorer for an 04 V6 LTD in Feb. I agree with most of your comments but the comments relating to your fit don't apply to me. It's my wife's car and she loves it. Compared to the Explorer, it's smoother, rides much better, much more power (we had the OHV V6 on the Ex), and gets better gas mileage.

junepug

I also have not had any problems with brakes with my 2003 Highlander, V6, FWD. The car now has 18,500 miles on it. Apparently, my dealer must be torquing the wheel nuts properly during the 5,000 mile tire rotations.

wain

the grease monkeys with the impact wrenches.
the lug nut torque spec on a HL is probably 80 ft lbs or so. even a small impact wrench will put on 300 ft lbs.
when they come from Japan (based on mine - 04 HL) the lugs are not tite at all - probably just right

hsvillage

I agree with WAIN, beware of grease monkeys. I have a '01 AWD V6 with OEM Bridgestones & 43k miles. I had the tires rotated once @ 30k with the 3k oil change. The tires were rotated and balanced at a Toyota dealer and I aked that the lugs be torqued to Toyota specs. The Service manager looked hurt and replied "but of course". I have had no problems with the brakes, tire wear or rotors. I expect 60k miles from these tires and 100k before resurfacing the rotors.I dont understand the constant rotating of the tires, imho it just increases the chance of overtorquing the lug nuts. By the way my wife had her '95 Camry's brakes checked at 140k and was told there was ~80% left and she has never had any brake work done.

landdriver

Also, has anyone else been having significant trouble with the front brake rotors on their '01 Highlander?

By the lack of feedback to my question, I wonder how many more HL owners just assumed they needed brakes-and thought nothing was amiss.

The issue of warped rotors has been discussed on the Highlander boards several times in the past; do an advanced search on this board and on the Highlander: Problems and Solutions board. In addition to overtightening lug nuts my theory is that the rotors are just not big enough to dissipate the heat for an SUV -- whenever I'm rotating the tires they look too tiny in relation to the size of the rest of the car.

lmacmil

I can guarantee you that the OEM rotors are sized correctly to meet the needs to the vehicle. How the rotor looks to your untrained eye in relation to the rest of the car is no way to make an engineering judgement (no offense.)

landdriver

Whatever tradeoffs the designers in Japan made in sizing the rotors of course is anyone's guess -- I assume they increased the size in adapting them from the Camry platform... I just noticed it since the rotors on my '83 Toyota pickup look much larger relative to the size of the vehicle than in the case of the Highlander.

No offense taken -- I'll just have to get a degree in mechanical engineering.

I'm happy to say that in my case experiences with the '01 Highlander have been 100% positive -- only problems experienced were the side wind noise and glovebox rattle, both of which were addressed by Toyota of Palo Alto via TSBs in a very courteous manner and without incident. If I did have any problems I'm the type of guy who would perch himself outside the dealership with a huge sigh that said "Don't buy the Highlander -- vibrates when idling."

junepug

The Jeep Cherokee I traded in on the 2003 Highlander had a problem with the front end. Each trip to the dealer resulted in them telling me there was nothing wrong and since I did not have any proof of regular tire rotation, they would not rebate me any money on the ruined tires. This was after 16,000 miles. That car absolutely ate tires. Therefore, on both the Camry and Highlander, I will have tires rotated every 5,000 miles, per dealer specs, to avoid any future problems.

Beware, it could happen to you.

wain

if you do not rotate tires, the rear (undriven) ones wear funny and get real noisy at about 20k miles.

my 94 Camry still has the ORIGINAL front and rear brake pads and shoes. 115k miles mixed city driving, still about 1/8 inch of friction material left

what is the diameter of the HL rotors? are they ventilated?

the NTW people used to run big newspaper ads here on their tires (they are out og bidness here now0 and they had "all lugs hand tightened" in fine print but when you went there alll you ever saw or heard was the impact wrenches

lmacmil

Glad you are enjoying your '01. We (especially my wife) love our '04. I was hoping for a tad better mileage but it still beats the Explorer by several mpg. Btw, I have an ME degree and work for one of the major brake suppliers so this is one area where I am more knowledgeable than the typical Edmunds poster.

For whoever asked, the front (vented) rotors (eyeballed thru the wheel) appear to be about 12" dia and the rears (solid) about 11".

sdanders

48k miles on the clock has been terrific. I have had NO problems with brake feel (soft or mushy is often a complaint I read). Stopping power has been fine. No shudder or vibration from warpage (I rotate tires every 5K miles). Had a caliper rattle in right front, so I pulled the wheel and found spring clip loose and half off. Checked all and found similar condition on other front brake. I found all the linings to be like new! Very little wear in any pad...I usually get 40-50K miles out of pads, but this is remarkable.

thoon

Have any of you HL owners had problems with the rubber gasket of the rear tailgate's trim? A couple months after I bought my HL last year I noticed that in the top left corner, the rubber had been pulled out somehow. I was able to get it replaced under warranty, but just last week it's starting to happen again. There's no way you can pull the rubber out with your fingers unless it's out a little bit, but mine has been pulled out on it's own somehow. The only way I think it's possible is if there's massive air pressure that's trying to escape from behind the trim and it's pushing the rubber out. But the rubber is squished in there pretty tight. Any ideas? I think there might be something wrong with the tailgate. The trim is the part with the Toyota emblem and the keyhole above the rear liscense plate.

wain

The trim is the part with the Toyota emblem and the keyhole above the rear liscense plate.

where is this??????????

gary

I have a 2001 HL V6 2WD that DOES have the gasket problem. I will have it checked out next month which is when my warranty expires. This is a gasket that is sandwiched between the bezel that houses the Toyota logo and keyhole. It's about 18-20" long. And yes, the gasket is showing at the top left corner as well.

I'm not sure what might be causing this. Perhaps uneven tightening torques on the logo bezel?

Not a big deal, but one of the many minor annoyances with this vehicle.

thoon

It is a minor annoyance, but it's the second time it's happend to my car.
I'm also really unhappy with my local dealer where I just moved to. their techs seem like their incompetent. Everytime I go to get something fixed they brake something. First is was the door handle when I got the driver's side bottom weather strip at the window replaced, after I got the car back, the little light at the bottom of the door popped off when I closed the door and the black triangular shaped molding on the opposite side of the driverside side view mirror had the plastic snaps broken so it was rattlting.
Then the next time it was the gasket around the child safety locks after the recall, and now the rear trim.
  Also, I have a rattle that's coming from my steering column. My passangers can hear it if they sit in the front even with the A/C on medium, but I took it to my dealer one of the service writers told me it was confirmed, but asked me to bring it back the next day because it was when they broke off the door handle and they would be getting the part the next day. Instead of getting a free rental car, I had to drive my car back home with a busted door handle 30min home. I went back the next day and the door handle and weather strip problems were fixed, but they said they couldn't find the rattle and that 2 of their techs test drove it even though the service writer that was working the day before told me the noise was confirmed! The techs also put at 20 miles on my odometer test driving my car! Now I have to drive almost an hour to go to the next closest dealer to get my problems fixed. My 2003 only has 20,000 miles on it.

rugby65

"Also, I have a rattle that's coming from my steering column"

I have 2003 HL with 13000 miles and I have a problem with the steering column I like the steering wheel lowered as far down as it will go and and when I do this it makes the steering wheel hard to turn. On a straight away you can let go of the wheel and it will go straight down the road, you have to use more force than normal to change lanes.
Iv had a steering problem from day one. It pulled to the right so I took it back and the Tech said the steering column was misaligned to the frame.
The pull to the right was corrected (I think by compensating the true alingment} It has never been easy to steer. I discovered by accident that when the wheel is tilted as far down as it will go and locked that it made it hard to steer.
I will add that Iv spoken to the General Manager and he said bring it back and they will work me.

cssnostromo

One countermeasure I've now employed against apathetic Toyota techs is the use of a digital Craftsman torque meter(around $140) to check the lug torque after any wheel or brake service. I set the meter to warn audibly at 76 ft. lbs of torque. Its essential to either insist that the servicer use a torque wrench at the time of service or pick up this tool to recheck their work when you get the HL home.

mim

Thanks for the recent discussions on the sunroof normalization. Just purchased a 2004 HL limited with sunroof. Talked to the salesperson today about the fact that the one-touch operation did not work as stated in the manual. I was told that the manual had a misprint. (He has actually told other customers this.) Didn't sound right to me so I was going to post a question on Edmunds but others beat me to it. I knew from previous experience that this feature would be something that Toyota would include. I referred back to the Owner's manual as directed in the forum. Right on page 34 was the paragraph I had skimmed over. Literally took 15 seconds to fix in the garage. Now I have the one-touch feature and am going by the dealership tomorrow to see what I can get from the salesperson if I share the secret. (Some free oil changes?) Thanks Edmunds for providing this forum. I have used you for years when deciding which cars to purchase and also as a follow-up to problems.

forejudos

I recently got an 04 HL and have noticed that the plastic interior gets scratched way too easily... i know this is kinda peculiar, but does anyone have any suggestions for touching up scratch marks on the plastic? they are really annoying...

wain

what do the Toyot brand ones cost?

loucapri

I think most of us has that problem but I haven't seen anyone mentioned about how to get a quick fix or touch up on it.

loucapri

just for fun

How many miles do you have on your HL and how much money have you spend on keeping it up (for services only)?

I have a 01 4cyl, FWD now has 80500 miles and about $1,000 on new tires, shocks out of my own pocket.

phrosut

Everything I saw put the price for the factory service manuals at over $200. I bought a CD containing both manuals off of eBay for $20. I only looked at it a little (I don't expect to ever need it since I'll never have a problem?). It's all in PDF format and is branded "Toyota" and supposedly the same CD that the Toyota technicians use. Not as convenient as books, but if I actually need any technical data, I'll have it.

wain

cd would be fine for me
anyone else heard of them?

lulugaa

Ref msg no. 9408

Please see the "problems and solutions" forum message No 1460

sdanders

on Ebay for $80...the winning auction was $100 but since I was 2nd highest bidder (and they had several more copies to sell!) they offered me the Factory books at the $80 price I had bid. The seller is publisher or jobber of shop manuals for autos (many brands). Although mine is a 2002 model, I was bidding on the shop manuals for 2003 model (no real difference). I actually paid LESS than the winning bidder....BTW, not nearly as well written or descriptive for the DIY or shop technician as Helms Publishing's for the Acura shop manual I bought for my Legend a few years ago.

sdanders

transmission. Normally the shift quality has been very smooth and the engagement/disengagement of the O/D the same. However, the past few tankfuls of gas have noted a sharp decline in mileage (from about 21.5/22 down to 18.5/19....first times ever under 20!) that seems to coincide with several other symptoms...harsh engagement of engine braking when suddenly lifting foot off the accelerator when cruising at constant speed of 50 or so. The car shudders or acts like it clunks instead of just slowing down without any physical feeling of harsh engagement. Same thing if you accelerate quickly from closed throttle, it clunks as you engage the throttle instead of just smoothly ramping up engine speed. It doesn't always do this though. I have also noted that the power seems down too, and it requires more downshifting to maintain speed if on Cruise and a slight hill is encountered. Feels like something going on with the lockup or shift solenoids or maybe torque converter clutch (or the ECM that is giving the commands). No warning lights or codes. The car is a 2002 V6 with 48K miles on it. Tranny fluid was drained (at least the sump was, about 3 qts.) and refilled with T-IV fluid recently. This was done as PM not as result of problem. Anyone else going through this? Will take to dealer, but you know how these intermittent problems are treated! thx in advance!

wwest

that the transmission was refilled after it was drained? Or was it "refilled" without draining? Common dealer gofer mistake.

sdanders

Yes, I was the mechanic on the job!...I am fairly experienced and do most of my own service on my cars and motorcycles. Didn't start doing this until the fluid was drained and replaced, but didn't do it immediately either...may have no relationship at all and just coincidence. Feels like one of the solenoids is intermittently failing, like the lockup solenoid....or the torque convertor clutch...would explain drop in mileage...and a bad clutch would lose power and require more downshifting? Or the ECM just is bad...need them (Toyota) to pull the diagnostic from the OBC. It is still very drivable and unless you were familiar with prior shift patterns and feel, you may not think there is a problem...but it was so smooth, dampened & refined before?

secondrig

[I asked this on another thread, but no replies, so I'll try again here. Thanks.] I recently replaced my 01 Highlander with an 04 and have two questions. When I tried to swap the stock Goodyear tires for Michelin cross terrains, I discovered the terrains aren't available in the Limited's size (17 inch). Has anyone found a better alternative? I'm also considering putting XM radio in the car, but can't decide between a new head unit for a direct connect approach or the XM Commander with an FM modulated connection (I'm assuming the upgraded JBL head unit does not have an auxiliary connection for a direct connect of the Commander). Any experiences with the sound quality of either option? And, finally, thanks to all for the ideas and insights I've gained from this forum!

lmacmil

My '04 came stock with Michelins though not Cross Terrains. Can't recall the model now.

wwest

You can fit 235/65-17 Michelin CT's if you install wheel spacers all around. Also provides enough wheel/suspension clearance at the rear so one can use snowchains safely, rear only or all four.

I also upgraded my wheels to 17X8 at the same time, 01 AWD RX.

bandit1

I am wondering if there is anyone out there that has purchased the extended 7 yr/100,000 mile manufacturers warranty on the 2004 V6 Highlander, and what they paid for it from their dealer. I live in Connecticut. A local dealer in my area has given me a price of $1,699. I think this is a bit high, but feel that I can negotiate this. Any response would be appreciated.

The dealer has several V6 Highlander models in his inventory. The one I am interested in has the following options: SR,GY,HE,AG,CQ,
DJ(single cd player),V5,CF,TO,LF,GN,RL and EH. The price is $28,000 ($1000 rebate already deducted). I want to add 9F-Tow hitch & R7-rear Spoiler, which the dealer is willing to add for about $550. Total price $28,500 before taxes & tags. I think this is a good price, but I am not sure if the quote I was given on the extended warranty is high. Thanks for any imput.