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Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • jwarejware Member Posts: 1
    I just spoke with a service rep at the toyota dealer here in ft. wayne. He recommended against cleaning it. He said the "check engine" light would probably go on again "soon." Does anyone have any experience with having the AF sensor cleaned vs replaced (he's quoting me $322 for replacement)?
    :confuse:
  • matthewmatthew Member Posts: 11
    I have a 2005 highlander and just started hearing a clunking noise in the steering column. You mentioned that there is a fix for this. Could you pass along the details?

    thanks
  • matthewmatthew Member Posts: 11
    would you have the details of the TSB, maybe the TSB number?

    thanks
  • gasman1gasman1 Member Posts: 321
    TSB ST001-06, dated February 16, 2006
  • beeks5beeks5 Member Posts: 2
    I have '04 HL V6 2WD. It makes a high pitched engine noise, which starts at 70 mph, becomes worst at around 75 mph and goes away at around 80 mph. If I take the foot off the gas pedal at these speeds, it completely goes away, but comes back as soon as I put my foot back on the gas pedal.
    Anyone know whats wrong with it?
  • phrosutphrosut Member Posts: 122
    I am somewhat memory-impaired but it seems like the extended warranty was maybe $1000 plus a couple of hundred more for the "money back if not used" part.

    I found the warranty online and then my dealer matched the price. I didn't buy the extended warranty until I had about 30,000 miles on the car and was sure I'd be keeping it.

    Phil
  • johnjehojohnjeho Member Posts: 1
    Hi, there. Same prob. here. I have a 2005 model Highlander and have notice this clunking when negotiating bends on roads. I'll definitely have it checked out at my next maintenance. It's still under warrantee.
    You may wish to send me an e-mail so we can keep each other informed of the development.
    J
  • matthewmatthew Member Posts: 11
    i am taking it in for service on 1/11. I will keep you posted. BTW, I asked the service mgr if he has seen this before, he said yes, they replace the steering column and it is not a safety issue.
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    of the clunking is the shaft btw the column and the rack - they replaced that on mine
  • sdj18394sdj18394 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Highlander. As I was driving down the highway, my oil light began to blink on and off. I added a quart of oil when I got home. 3 days later, oil light and check engine light come on at same time. Also, knocking noise coming from engine. Help!! Any thoughts before I take it in? :sick:
  • bschippersbschippers Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    What did you do to fix the rear seat clicking noises? I have a 2001 and I haven't been able to determine where the noises are coming from and they're quite irritating...
    I hope you get this message, as I see your original post was 4 years ago...
    Thank you
  • kenabrkenabr Member Posts: 9
    I have a 2002 V6 AWD with 102,000 miles on it. The check engine light came on and we took it to the dealer the same day. The service department says that the diagnostic showed no clear cause? They want to change my spark plugs($240) clean the ejectors, and of course charge me ($130)for the diagnostic for a total of about $475. I feel I'm getting ripped. How could spark plugs or ejectors give me a check engine light? Should I disconnect the battery myself to clear the light which is what I expect they will do? I probably do need plugs after 102k but do ejectors get dirty with modern gasoline additives to keep them clean?
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Disconnect the battery for 5 minutes and DRIVE away from that dealer, RAPIDLY!
  • gencongencon Member Posts: 5
    Another dealer changed front driver side bearing/house( for
    $500 under warranty). Now the siren noise comes down a bit, but still there. May be the passenger side should also fixed. Very upset for such noise to my new car. I should do more test drive upon buying
  • eamonn1eamonn1 Member Posts: 1
    Don't know where to post my question so I'm tagging on here. I recently purchased (CARMAX) a 2005 4WD Highlander. MX book indicates certain service requirements every 5,000 miles, including oil change. Every vehicle I owned previously, oil changes were to be done at 3,000 miles. Do you folks use the 5,000 mile rule? Thanks
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    You can't go wrong following the owners manual. 5000 miles is sufficient with todays oils. Many cars have been stretched to 7,500 and even 10,000 for Jaguar and BMW and others. If you continue to do it at 3,000 you are a service depts. delight and you are wasting resources.
  • lostwrenchlostwrench Member Posts: 288
    My Grand Marquis requires oil changes at 5000 miles which I do. My VW Rabbit required oil changes at 7500 miles which I did until it died at 289,000 miles.
  • toyotagaltoyotagal Member Posts: 215
    A factor that also plays in to oil changes is time, I am told. With an oil change necessary at 6 months even if you don't have 5k etc. on the vehicle during that 6 months. Is that everyone's understanding? i.e. an oil change although the mileage requirement has not been reached due to limited driving.
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    Yes, you are correct. In fact I am about to have mine changed because of the 6 months time factor and I have only driven 4200 since the last change.
  • herzogtum71herzogtum71 Member Posts: 470
    That's the advice I read last week in a newspaper car column. Change at 5,000 if you drive that much. Otherwise at least every 6 months. The service department at my dealer has been recommending the 5,000 interval for several years.

    My last oil change was done by an independent drive-in place. They still recommend 3,000 but that's just an attempt to drum up business. Since they charge more than the dealer and didn't do everything they said they did (like check tire pressure), I'm going to plan ahead a bit better next time and have the dealer do it.
  • garywigarywi Member Posts: 54
    For all you 5 speed V6-2WD owners: do you feel you have to fight to slow down your Highlander? On my Corolla, when I take my foot off the gas, the car goes to a neutral state and slowly decelerates. When I take my foot off the gas in the Highlander, it does not slow down easily. I rented a Hundia Sonata SUV on my last trip. It was a V6. It was soooo much easier to drive than my expensive Highlander. I was not always fighting to slow the thing down.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Late in the last century most manufacturers of FWD or front torque biased AWd vehicles adopted a new shift pattern/schedule for their automatic transaxles. The new shift sequence will ALWAYS upshift the transaxle upon a FULL lift-throttle event in order to reduce the potential for loss of directional control due to engine compression braking and/or having it interfere with the ability of the anti-lock system to fully release ALL braking effects.

    With a manual shift transaxle the driver can always depress the clutch pedal if a downshift results in too much engine compression braking for roadbed conditions. But with an automatic the only option is to slip the gear shift into neutral and then ...wait... for the transaxle to follow.

    Some of the newer owners manuals spell out the fact that NO engine compression braking will be available absent the driver manually downshifting the automatic transaxle and not even then unless the cruise control is off.
  • matthewmatthew Member Posts: 11
    As promised I am posting my experience at the dealer yesterday. I left the car with them, they called me a couple of hours later to say that they could not find anything wrong (big surprise!). I told them I would go on a drive with the mechanic when I come to pick the car up. Sure enough he heard the sound with a minute or two of driving. They now ordered a new steering column and will install it next week.
  • toyotagaltoyotagal Member Posts: 215
    Way to go, Matthew! You know what they say about the squeeky wheel. And we do have to "squeek" from time to time to get someone to pay attention to our concerns.

    I just love it when the Dealership often reports back to me that they heard it to but that is just "normal" for that vehicle..................ROFLOL
  • michaelp1michaelp1 Member Posts: 14
    Hello, 2005 Highlander owner here. The car has been great for two years, 22,000 miles (only had that acceleration issue once, and to be honest it probably saved me since I should not have been accelerating at that point!)

    Question on the rear wiper. I had the dealer replace all blades last year as part of regular service and was never really happy with the quality - streaky and squeaky. I just replaced the front driver / passenger with Bosch Excel, and they work great - but I'm stuck on the rear. Can the whole blade body be replaced like the front, or is it just an insert like the older cars I used to have. Is there any way to pull the rear wiper more than an inch from the glass? (I can't imagine why it was designed that way) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

    Mike
  • desertguydesertguy Member Posts: 730
    This is for a Rav4 but I imagine it will apply to the Highlander as well. Probably more info than you want to know:

    http://free-zg.t-com.hr/AlanV/pdf/RearWiperRubber.pdf

    There is a plastic cap you remove in order to raise the blade higher.
  • beeks5beeks5 Member Posts: 2
    I have a '04 HL V6 2WD. It makes a high pitched engine noise, which starts at 70 mph, becomes worst at around 75 mph and goes away at around 80 mph. If I take the foot off the gas pedal at these speeds, it completely goes away, but comes back as soon as I put my foot back on the gas pedal.
    Anyone know whats wrong with it?
    Please HELP!!!
    :confuse:
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Typical description of gearbox or diff'l problem, most likely diff'l.
  • garywigarywi Member Posts: 54
    ">Anyone have a problem with the distance between the gas pedal and brake pedal? I measured and it's over 4 inches. My Corolla it's 2.5 inches. I am having some custom alum. pedal covers made to bring the brake pedal over to the right.
  • tomdtomd Member Posts: 87
    garywi,

    Did you ever find the cause of the driveline vibration that you were getting between 1800 and 2000 RPM? I am also getting it but I have no confidence that if I tell the dealer that they will even acknowledge it.
  • garywigarywi Member Posts: 54
    Hi Tom,

    I had an appt with a Toyota field rep for next week, but I have to travel unexpectedly for business. My appt will be early Feb.

    I would say keep getting the word out on the problem. There is no reason a $31K Toyota should vibrate through the steering wheel. Not only is it bothersome as these vehicals are of the "highest" quality, but vibration kills or slowly breaks down electrical components. My entire steering column vibrates. What will that do long term to all the components in that steering column?

    Gary
  • tomdtomd Member Posts: 87
    It's frustrating because I basically like the vehicle a lot. I'm impressed with the overall build quality and I like the way it handles and I am very impressed with the pep of the engine. It's just too bad that there is an element of refinement that is missing from the drivetrain that is present in the Camry and ES330. It's almost like they deliberately tuned the engine and exhaust to feel and sound more like a truck. Maybe the redesign due out this spring will address these issues.

    BTW, I don't know if I asked you this before but is your's slow to warm up as indicated by the temp guage?
  • matthewmatthew Member Posts: 11
    I was just told by the dealer that the part is now on back-order. Gee, I wonder if it is on back-order because so many replacement are going on!
  • ajdezsoajdezso Member Posts: 7
    Hi,

    I was reading your issue with your 07 Highlander. I have the exact same problem with mine. It is awful - I have a 2002 highlander and it drives better than my 07. I have taken it into Toyota 4 times now, they replaced the exhaust system (which did not stop the vibration) and only 1 out of 5 mechanics said they could feel the vibration. I am going up the ranks until this gets resolved. As you said a vehicle that costs this much should not vibrate at all. Mine is at the 2000 RPM mark also. I have a District Service Representative that is supposed to call me by Monday or Tuesday. Have you had any luck on yours - if so please tell me what you have found out so I can get mine fixed. I told Toyota I don't even want the vehicle. That's how bothersome it is. Thanks for any feedback you can give.
  • matthewmatthew Member Posts: 11
    I am not sure we had the same problem. We did not have a vibration, it was an erratic dull klunk sound coming from the steering column. Toyota ended up replacing steering shaft [non-permissible content removed]'y. The noise seems to have disappeared.
  • tomdtomd Member Posts: 87
    My 07 V6 does the same thing. The interesting thing is that it is not consistent. Sometimes it is bad and other times it is barely noticable. However, the other day I was in highway traffic where I was holding a steady 55 to 60 and on small grades, I was really bad. This speed corresponds to about 2000 RPM. I am wondering if there is a problem with either a sensor of fuel injectors. The engine in general seems to sound different every time I drive it. Sometimes it sounds quite refined similar to my '99 ES300 and other times it sounds pretty loud and crude with a rough, boomy exhaust sound when idling. It is especially crude and loud when the engine is cold and it is dismally slow to warm up. My wife's V6 3.0L Mazda Tribute warms up twice as fast. I'm sorry I didn't at least drive the RX350 to see if it is quieter. It's a shame that Toyota seems to have dropped the ball here because basically I love the car. It it just the rights size for me, not too big. It is very comfortable and has really good power, very responsive.
  • garywigarywi Member Posts: 54
    I go back to the dealer on 2/15 for a list of issues including vibration in the steering column. I have an appt with the field service rep. I am sick to my stomach over this 07. I wish someone would come in the night and take it from my driveway. Most of my list relates to this aweful transmission. I have added one more thing that just started. When I pull up into the driveway, and put the trans in park, it "thuds" out of gear. Keep in touch with how yours goes. Gary
  • johny11johny11 Member Posts: 2
    My 05 Highlander Ltd with 6 JBL Speakers seems to ocassionally generate an intermittent tweaking noise when the radio is on (similar to interference on a speaker phone when one places a blackberry/cellphone near the unit)under no specific conditions/varied base&treble and different stations and appears to be focused on the rear right speaker. I have taken the car 3 times to the car dealership since the noise appears to come from the rear right speaker and they have not been able to replicate the issue. The dealer has said that they will not replace the rear right speaker since they were unable to replicate the problem. I do not have any electonics/phones mounted around the radio or the speakers. I am wondering if anyone has a solution since I suggested there may be faulty wiring or insufficient insulation but the technician assured me neither is the case. Would appreciate some help. Thanks
  • ajdezsoajdezso Member Posts: 7
    Please let me know how your appointment goes. I am waiting on a district service rep to contact me - it was supposed to be today by 5:00 but did not happen. I feel the same way you do - I don't want the vehicle. This is my 3rd Toyota and never had an issue until now. Unbelievable.
  • brentarinobrentarino Member Posts: 3
    Hey there-

    Believe it or not, this may be a transmission issue. A problem with one of the shift modulators will cause what is called a 'shudder'. This shudder is almost always felt by the driver through the steering column/steering wheel and will often viberate enough to cause keys in the ignition to jingle. Often the diagnosis can be made by manipulating the speeds and RPM's to cause the transmission to shift in and out of specific gears and feeling for the shudder. Shudders are usually more noticable when the transmission is hot. The shudder could also be the overdrive shift modulator and that can be diagnosed by disengaging the overdrive and checking for shudder in the method mentioned above.

    I don't know if this is your problem or if this helps, but I thought I would mention it. I don't have alot of experience working on Toyota's, but a good bit on other products from Japan.

    Brent
  • ggurr54ggurr54 Member Posts: 30
    if your steering wheel vibrates check your tires. It sounds like you may have tread separation. This should be checked immediately
  • garywigarywi Member Posts: 54
    This vibration happens in every gear between 1900-2000 rpm. This is engine vibration as a result of poor dampening, either by poor engine mounts or through the steering rack, in my opinion. Gary
  • ajdezsoajdezso Member Posts: 7
    Thank you for your input. I am noting all inputs so I can maybe jog something in Toyota's mind of what would cause this. I've taken the vehicle into the Toyota dealership 4 times so far, so today I contacted Toyota Corporation and I'm supposed to get an appointment with a factory representative. I'm hoping this can be fixed because it is an awful driving experience. Thanks again!
  • brentarinobrentarino Member Posts: 3
    The original post indicated that the viberation was RPM related and not MPH related. Tire/balance/alignment issues are usually MPH related. RPM/gear viberations (AKA SHUDDER) are almost always tranny issues. Tread seperation is fairly obvious and extremely rare, even on factory tires. I probably does warrant a quick check, but odds are that this is tranny/drive train related.

    Brent
  • tomdtomd Member Posts: 87
    I agree with garywi. I think it is actually a vibration problem. It is not a shudder when the tranny is shifting. If you hold the RPM steady at about 2K, especially under some load, in any gear, like going up an incline, it feels and sounds like an out of balance resonance. It's kind of how a manual tranny would feel when going too slow for a particular gear.

    Does anyone know if the motor mounts on the Highlanders are actively controlled? I seem to remember reading somewhere that when they put the 3.3L and 5-sp into it in 2004, they went to active mounts but I may be wrong. If they are, could they be malfunctioning?

    The strange thing is that it is not consistent. Sometimes it is hardly noticable. That's why I wonder if it could be:

    1. Injectors malfucntioning
    2. Intermittent bad sensor causing incorrect fuel mixture and/or ignition timing?
    3. Malfunctioning VVT-i
    4. Spark problem due to bad coil, wire, etc.

    To go along with this, the idle is often rough and boomy sounding - don't know if there is any relation.

    With several of us having this problem, there is something generic going on.

    Is is possible that when they tweaked the engine/tranny control software to get rid of the tranny hesitation that this problems was introduced as an unintended side effect?
  • garywigarywi Member Posts: 54
    Tom,

    Let's keep in touch. I am pressing Toyota for acknowledgement. I want them to say, yes, I see the problem, instead of the vehicle is performing as designed.

    Also, does anyone know of one of these performance hand held's that allow you to change the shiftpoints of the transmission. I see them all for US trucks and some rice rockets. I would love to change the RPM points of when this tranny shifts into higher gears. To me, it's shifting up to 5th gear way, way to early.

    Gary
  • brentarinobrentarino Member Posts: 3
    It is impossible for me to diagnose without seeing/driving the vehicle. Unfortunately it has been my experience over the past 9 years that complaints regarding steering column viberation (if not front end related) are drive train related. Shift modulators are not purely RPM sensitive, and if on an incline with speed drop the sensor can initiate or attempt to inidiate a downshift with is almost undiscernable to the driver.

    I'm sure that Toyota will step up and get tot he bottom of this. Please post the ultimate resolution - my money is stil on tranny/drivetrain.

    Brent
  • tomdtomd Member Posts: 87
    Gary,

    I agree about the shift points. For me, even though I can feel a slight vibration at 2K in any gear, the most noticable is on the highway in 5th gear where 2K corresponds to about 60 MPH. It does feel somewhat like the engine is laboring right a that point, contributing to the vibration. I wonder if with the 5 speed, is it possible that 5th gear drops the RPM's lower than overdrive did with the 4 speed at a given speed? If so, this might be making the problem worse.
    Just a thought.
  • jamesmdjamesmd Member Posts: 1
    I was wondering if any other Highlander owners experienced this malfunction. My temperature control seems to have a large dead spot. When I spoke to the parts counter I was informed this was a $700+ part. This has to be just a simple rheostat. Any help would be appreciated.
  • ajdezsoajdezso Member Posts: 7
    Gary,

    Where are you located? I live near Raleigh, NC. I have contacted Toyota Corporation - this seems to be the best bet. They are working on setting up an appointment for me with a factory representative. The customer service person I spoke with said she did not feel that the district service representative was the answer - That a factory representative would be. This made me think they have had many complaints. Please contact Toyota Corporation if you haven't at 1-800-331-4331. We need to get as many cases documented as possible to get them to fix this.
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