Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

rushme · January 2006

We have been trying to decide if we want a Highlander for months now. Decided to check out the new Rav 4 before making our choice. We like the maturity of the Highlander better, and the way the Rav's rear door opens w/ the ugly tire on the back doesn't help it out...

I do have a few Highlander concerns and perhaps should be posting this elsewhere?

1) Do the 05s and 06s have paint that chips as easily as previous years? After going back and reading old posts about the paint, it really seems to be a problem. I don't want to get a new black vehicle, then have half the paint chip off!!

2) Will the Highlander be likely to depreciate more than usual after the redesign later in the year? If we go with a 4 cyl, will it be difficult to sell after they become obsolete later this year? Would getting a 3rd row be helpful for resale 5 years from now?

Thanks in advance!!
MR

junepug · January 2006

We have a 2003 Highlander V6 silver with 35,000 miles and have experienced no paint chips. The finish looks the same as the day I drove it home. My driving is a mix of city and expressway.

highlander48 · January 2006

I have a 05 V6 in Silver and have driven it about 15000 miles with no chips that I can see. The Silver paint seems as hard as any I have owned. I can't tell you about the black though. We love ours, no complaints at all. Good luck!

jblake2222 · January 2006

There's a local dealership that has a 2002 Highlander with 107,000 miles on it. (172,000 kilometers). If I was going to purchase it what should I watch out for and what particular tests could I have my mechanic perform to confirm that I wasnt going to run into expensive repairs. Also do you know of any websites that have good advice for buying high mileage vehicles?

ThanksJohn

greg27 · January 2006

Highlander 06, steering noise when the car is cold. Once warmed up the noise disappears. Please advise if it is normal

lgjava · January 2006

I have a 2003 millenium silver that has no paint chips after almost 3 years. But then again my car is rather atypical in that it's gray in front and silver in the rear! The only paint problems I've had with my ersatz paint job is the rear hatchback has a blister coming off near the one rear wiper. On the other hand I have swirls of faded white clear coat that's hand sized on the front quarters over the front wheels and too on the rear bumper. I've managed to cover some up with wax, but not too successfully. Oh yeah, my car was bought BRAND NEW.

rushme · January 2006

Thanks to those who posted about paint. If anyone else has had paint problems please keep posting as I won't be buying immediately! I think I would be afraid to go through the car wash if there were too many people with problems.

Glad to hear several of you have had no problems with the silver. Sorry to lgjava, blistering paint on an expensive vehicle, such as this, is unacceptable.

Thanks again,
MR

jbollt · January 2006

I have an 03 Highlander and an 05 Highlander, both bought new. The 03 is Gold, and the 05 Red. The 03, which has about 30,000 miles, has 2 small chips on the leading edge of the hood, which were direct hits from flying road rocks, one of which hit the windshield after the hood, leaving yet another small crater. (I heard it hit the hood then saw it hit the WS.) Oh the hazards of AZ roads... That's why we have zero deduct. insurance on our auto glass in AZ. The 05, almost a year old, has no chips, after about 15,000 miles, and it is now used for all of our road trips.

So..my opinion? A new car is only new while on the dealers lot. Buy that Highlander...enjoy it, and don't worry too much about chipping paint, I bet it's no different than any other new cars paint in respect chippin g from road debris. And I seriously doubt that any changes were made in the paint or it's application since this model was created in 2001. Just MHO.

john126 · January 2006

Recently, when my 1 year old '05 4-Cyl H1 with 25,000 km., hits the slightest bump there is a faint but discernible external noise: from the passenger side/under hood. Reminds me of the squeak, squeak, squeak' noise that a pet hamster's wheel makes as its turning.
Dealer has (1) replaced the serpentine belt and (2) installed updated belt tensioner as per Toyota TSB....still the squeak.
Help please.

mckeown · January 2006

My wife had something like that on her 04. Dealer never found it. I finally did. I put a stickey piece of foam, like a self adhesive weatherstripping, under the hood prop rod. When it sits in it's holder, it vibrates just enought to squeek or sound like a loose rod against the inner fender. So I put foam between the radiator support and the rod when it's clipped in place.
Noise gone for over 2 years now.

landdriver · January 2006

Have an '01 gold HL and am happy to say haven't had any paint problems so far.

tbl · January 2006

Can someone provide a how to for changing the spark plugs on a 2002 Toyota highlander?

It looks like the intake manifold has to be removed, is this the case?

Thanks

spencer327 · January 2006

Here are my 2004 HL LTD experiences. Take them for what their worth.
Replaced front differential( 2 weeks out of service)
replaced RF wheel bearing ( 1 day)
replaced navigation display which controls nav /radio a/c etc.(2 Days)
in shop right now replacing right strut and unknown steering part due to front end noise (2 days)??
s.
Rear brakes? (No, I always release parking brake ) went in <20K miles
Transmission is mushy
Brakes are mushy
All in 2 years and 24k miles.
Heaven help out of warranty repairs.
I have owned thirty vehicles during my life.
This without question is the worst vehicle breakdown/ repair rate I have ever seen.
Anybody interested in a loaded 2004 H/L , Soon to be all new.

arlaboda · January 2006

FYI fkohn
I have my 04 highlander in the shop. Service manager said that they would fix my steering issue which sounds like yours. He said there was a TSB on it now and could not get parts as over 300 in backorder. Now looking @ March for parts replacement! Sounds like they do have a problem. Hope this helps

landdriver · January 2006

Man that sounds almost as bad as my Dad's '73 Vega (most unreliable vehicle ever to leave detroit; on the first day he drove it home it had not one, but 2 problems; it was all downhill after that). In CA they have a lemon law; not sure if they have one in NY.

jrhfla · January 2006

Saga update: I took my 04 HL into my Toyota dealer today for visit # 2 armed with the posting responses from this owners' forum. I had a new service writer who seemed very diligent.

Bad news. Worse news. Worst news.

Bad news: The problem is a loose steering column shaft assembly. It's "OK" for now. Just irritating to deal with every day. It will eventually need replacement.

Worse news: The part will cost $240 plus labor (all day) plus a wheel alignment. Estimate: $500.

Worst news: It's not covered by the 6 year/60,000 mile drive train warranty - only by the 3 year/30,000 mile warranty. My car has 50,000 miles on it now.

I bought a Toyota for "quality of product". This is a very major disappointment. I would expect this kind of failure from the Big 3 but not Toyota.

It looks like I'm stuck paying for this repair unless anyone can suggest a "Plan B".

Thanks for the help.

jrhfla · January 2006

For what it's worth....I had a similar problem on a GM car I owned a few years ago. The squeak turned out to be caused by a dried out rubber-like bushing or gromet at the top of a McPherson strut. The bushing was replaced and the squeak stopped. A shot in the dark....

spencer327 · January 2006

The strut is the part that is on national back order
Claims the part will be in this week.
Really concerned with the longevity of this vehicle.
Unfortunately I like the HL and have a very good dealer, so my tendency is to ride a little longer.

edh · January 2006

what is the tsb number for the steering column creak fix???

bdyment · January 2006

Yes. The tsb number would be great to have. I also have the creaking noise in the steering column. Very annoying.

jjs · January 2006

I want to replace front brake pads and disk rotors on my 2001 HL myself. Is there anything I should be aware? I changed brakes on Toyota Avalon few times before and was wondering if HL has similar break assembly. I also want to change rear break pad and rotors. Please post if you have any information. Thanks

jjs · January 2006

Does anyone know how to replace sunvisor? I need to replace one on the driver side on my 2001 HL. It does not hold position. Thanks

brisintrepid · January 2006

anyone know if the awd or 4x4 systems of the highlanders need to be serviced? if so what intervals?

landdriver · January 2006

Removed both the front and rear calipers and rotors on my '01 -- was a few years ago so I don't remember the specifics and it was the first time I ever messed around with breaks on any vehicle but it seemed straight forward, so if you've done it on the Avalon my guess is you won't have any problems on the HL. Identical procedure for front and rear breaks if memory serves correctly, though the calipers and rotors are somewhat different shapes and sizes on front vs rear. Good luck!

barrak · January 2006

Frogg, I'm having this exact problem with my 2005 4-cyl HL. I had originally described it as hesitation, which is partially correct, but slipping seems to fit a little better. With mine, though, it occurs when the vehicle is shifting from 2nd to 3rd. It seems as though the car is searching for the gear before it actually engages.

If you find a solution or get any info from the dealership, I would appreciate a heads up. I will do the same when I'm able to get this in to my dealer.

jjs · January 2006

Thanks,
Did you bleed the system before and/or after you replaced brakes?

landdriver · January 2006

I actually didn't replace the breaks; I removed the calipers and rotors to have them painted as part of a customization. I did indeed bleed the break fluid. Can't remember whether you'd need to bleed the system when replacing the break pads but my guess is you shouldn't.

john126 · January 2006

Thank you.
I shared your suggestion with my Dealer today.

highlander05 · February 2006

I bought a new '05 Toyota Highlander a few month ago. All was going great but about 2 wks. ago I noticed a ticking sound underneath the SUV when I'm idle and when I turn off the car. I just got the oil changed (I'm at just under 5,000 miles) and it didn't help. The service guy told me this sound is normal - it's just the engine cooling off. Is this normal? And is there anything I can do to stop it? It's worrying me. I would expect a brand new car not to have any weird noises and since it hasn't been doing it the whole time, it seems to me like there is a problem.

hylyner · February 2006

Normal cooling down and accompanying metal shrinkage of exhaust components. Not a problem. Your service guy is telling the truth. It's normal.

highlander05 · February 2006

Does it get worse in the winter/colder temperatures? Because I didn't notice it as much over the summer. Does it go away after the "break-in" period?

bobgordon · February 2006

Yes, during the winter or colder months, you will notice it more due to the temperature extremes.
Does it go away? Probably not but you will get used to it over time. :P
It's nothing to worry about as mentioned above.
Some vehicles are more noticeable than others so enjoy your HL!

highlander05 · February 2006

Thanks for the input. You put my mind at ease.

franzona2004 · February 2006

I have a 2001 Toyota Highlander that has been leaking oil. Just diagnosed as "rear main oil seal" needs to be replaced. Has anyone else had this problem? 74,000 miles, no major repairs to date.

Thanks.

plusaf · February 2006

i think i've seen something like that in my '04 prius. it seems that there's a hesitation and power drop if you're accelerating pretty hard around a corner and one of the front tires hits a low-traction spot like water or gravel, and starts to spin. i think the VSC concludes that something's wrong and tries to make the front tires turn at equal speeds, which means braking one or de-throttling the whole front end. when the tire grabs pavement again, all's well.

ps.
doing a fast on-ramp once, at a speed which _I_ thought was the max the car could do, the a beeper inside the car went off, going beep -- beep -- beep! until the curve straightened out. it took it as an impending-slide warning, or a "you're at maximum yaw for this speed, dummy" signal. at the least, i think i learned one of the limits of the car's handling: a little higher than my own!

+af
raleigh, nc.

chas24 · February 2006

Just to let you know, I have the exact same problem. Not critical, but very annoying. Toyota tech knew exactly what the problem was after sitting in car for 30 secs and playing with steering wheel, he has seen a few of them he said. Could not get the part (Shaft Assy 45220-48150) because they where on backorder. Parts guy said that they might be having a lot of failures with this part as it was difficult to get. I bought the car with 38,400 miles even though I thought there was a minor problem with the steering. Brought the highlander to the dealer ASAP and had the problem diagnosed. I immediately called Toyota customer service and they pretty much said too bad and that it would not be covered even though the car was only 20 months old and 2K over the warranty. I found it strange that this type of part would fail in such a short period of time and am betting that this is a re-occuring problem as evidenced by the discussion with the tech and parts guy. If anyone gets any info on a TSB or recall being available, please post.

Thanks

Chuck

chas24 · February 2006

arlaboda,

If you could get TSB # from your local Totota dealer where you had that repaired, that would be great. My local dealer insists there is no TSB available for this problem.

Chuck

rugby65 · February 2006

I'm not sure but this might be it........

ST004-04 JUN 04 Steering-Steering Column Squeak noise

mattrix · February 2006

I have a 2001 Highlander with 62,000 miles. I just discovered an oil leak today that is coming from the lowest part of the engine housing on the driver's side of the engine (opposite the belts). I suspect this could be the "rear main oil seal" but I'm not sure. I plan to have it checked ASAP and will let you know the diagnosis.

Thanks.

rflsacca · February 2006

I recently had no heat in my '02 Highlander and took it into the dealer. They found the problem which required replacement of the heat/AC controller for a whopping $800. I am going to call Toyota USA and complain. For a vehicle with only 43K miles this should not happen. Any advice/recommendations on how I can get them to pay up a portion of the bill? Or provide something to compensate? Anyone had any experience with this? Is there even any hope of trying?!?

-Rene

phrosut · February 2006

There were a few posts about this problem with someone else some time back (you'll have to search to find them). As I remember, it was a $900 repair and they got Toyota to pay half. That problem was a major reason I bought the extended warranty.

Phil

jrhfla · February 2006

Chuck,

Thanks for the feedback. My dealer called today to let me know that the part came in. It only took 12 days assuming they got the right part. The loose steering wheel feeling and constant "clunk" seems to get worse by the week. I guess I'm stuck for $500. I'm anxious to get this fixed. I'll post how the repair goes.

John

ny202 · February 2006

Did you ever discover why your Highlander was stalling? Mine stalled three times today (2005 Ltd) and it's headed for the dealer Monday. But I'd like to know what they did, if anything, to solve your propblem. Thanks.

raymur · February 2006

Hi, I have a 2001 Highlander. I am trying to change the unlock option so that all doors unlock with one press of the unlock button(now only the driver's door unlocks with one press) I have tried a couple of procedures that I have found on the net. They appear to progrma corecctly but the lock option does not change. Is there a procedure that someone is aware of that works with this vehicle?

jbollt · February 2006

I had my dealer do it. Something called CBest option (the body computer) The owners manual says it is avail as an option to have one click open all doors..they say to contact your dealer. Mine did at no charge when I had the oil changed. I really like the change..

tommyg12 · February 2006

I had this problem with my '01 Highlander at 38k miles. My repair turned into a nightmare. Was only supposed to take 3 days, but wasn't completed for 9 days. Fortunately I had a new Highlander to drive for this time. Having an AWD version complicates the issue because to drop the tranny, you have to drop the transfer case, rear shaft etc.

When I went to pickup my HL, there was a big oil puddle on the ground :mad: While I was fussing at the service manager, my wife discovered a new Solara convertible which we were made a very good deal on, so we never took the HL back home.

Hopefully your tech is more competant than mine was. One problem with your issue that concerns me is that you are 2k miles over the powertrain warranty

I was told that my repair would have been $1,100 if it had been out of warranty. Hopefully you can get some "goodwill" from Toyota. Please let us know how Toyota resolves this.

roadrunner70 · February 2006

was it the 4 or the 6 cylinder???

tommyg12 · February 2006

The V6. I have a friend that is a Lexus technician. He has seen alot of the 3.0 engines with rear seal leakage. Seems to be a problem with these engines.

Also, according to my friend an experienced tech can replace the seal in about 1.5 days. Obviously my repair taking 9 days was not typical (probably could have removed and rebuilt an engine in that amount of time).

grahampeters · February 2006

G'day

You could try the instructions contained in the link below

http://www.geocities.com/toyota_speed2003/page_0.html

Cheers

Graham

edh · February 2006

what is the nature of when the clunk happens?

Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

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