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Toyota Highlander Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • xclf07kxclf07k Member Posts: 1
    Recently bought the '04 HL with a little under 100K miles on it. It runs extremely smooth and we've had no issues other than a popping sound around the steering column when turning at really low speeds. I read something about a knuckle in the steering column that may have been included in a TSB a few years ago. According to maint records, this was never replaced. Any ideas if this is just a nuisance or something serious?
  • aziazi Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2012
    HI, first time on this forum! Went on vacation overseas for about a month, came back yesterday! Started my Toyota Highlander 2008 All Wheel Drive, to my horror the Check Engine, VSC and Trac Control Lights are all ON, and wont' turn off. I left the car in pretty normal condition, no one drives it in my absence, what could have gone wrong, this was a preowned car, and though I change oil etc regularly never changed transmission oil, would that be the reason?? But that could be engine related why are the VSC and Trac Control lights ON? I dont want to be taken for a ride by TOYOTA "DEALERS" who would charge outrageous amount for something that would be really simple to handle, kindly share your expertise, a quick response would be ideal Thanks !! Azi
  • jrfierojrfiero Member Posts: 123
    The VSC and Trac Control lights always come on when the CEL comes on. Don't know if that means they aren't working or not. I think WWEST may have explained it once. Or twice!

    Many parts stores will lend you a code reader, which plugs in under the dash and has straightforward instructions. That will give you a code, and some readers will tell you what the code means. If you get only a code, you can look it up online to see what's up.

    No way for us to diagnose it, but it isn't the transmission fluid.

    Jonas
  • djr24djr24 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 toyota highlander that has a vibration when I start to decelerate and the air conditioner is on. When the air is off it doesn't happen
  • allen59allen59 Member Posts: 1
    My dealer charged $1300 to change a pair of rear break caliper and pads for my 2006 Highlander V6, parts and labor, of course!
  • bluenose2bluenose2 Member Posts: 12
    I paid about $ 550 to have this work on my rear brakes, plus new rotors installed, at an independant repair shop on my 2006. I also just had the front brakes done again at the same place for about $375 (no new calipers).
    This seems to be a real weakness on the Highlander.
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    south carolina private garage that uses toyota oem parts
    $610.
    new oem pads all around,
    2 new front rotors Japanese made but not oem
  • aziazi Member Posts: 2
    Hi, looks like my Toyota Highlander is error prone, its the second time in 2 months where for no reason known to me, yet another warning light went ON, that is, the Airbag warning light in the odometer!! It goes off every time I switch off the engine, but comes on, after a little while! Could any of the owners who have had a similar experience give me a quick inexpensive solution, please do not refer me to a dealer, as I have seen solutions as easy as sticking paper clip into the srs plug and after a series of turn on and off of the ignition, the light goes off! Saw it on the youtube, unfortunately it was for Honda and Acura cars only, wonder if there is a similar solution to my Highlander 2008, any one please share experience, thanks.. Azi
  • edhedh Member Posts: 246
    find a private mechanic who has a scanner.
  • jrfierojrfiero Member Posts: 123
    Well, I've sold my 2001 Highlander.

    Since this is the discussion in which I posted most frequently, thought I'd say goodbye here.
    wwest, et al, thanks for all the info. I'll point the new owner here.
    Hopefully some of my past posts will come in handy for others.

    Jonas
  • highland6highland6 Member Posts: 3
    Any one else having issues with their new Highlander's steering? Since the dealer replaced the intermediate shaft at 500 miles the steering clunk is much reduced. However the steering now has a slight high frequency vibration feel even on smooth road surfaces and at any speed. It is almost like their is not enough grease in the steering box to dampen the vibrations coming from the wheels. I do not want to waste more time at the dealer until I know exactly what is wrong with it. Now has 6K on the ODO.
  • bclayton1bclayton1 Member Posts: 1
    We have had a similar problem since buying our 2012 Highlander Limited AWD in June. It now has 7K miles. The steering clunks about 1 out of 10 times and only when turning to the right. Been back to the dealer 3 times and they are unable to reproduce. It is driving my wife crazy! Her friend bought a 2WD Highlander 2 weeks later. It had the same issue except it clunked going both directions. Again, the dealer was unable to reproduce. She got so frustrated she took it back and got a Sienna. It may or may not be a safety issue, but Toyota has a real problem that they need to address. I know that we will not purchase another Toyota product unless we get some resolution on this one.
  • luckysevenluckyseven Member Posts: 134
    edited October 2012
    Intermediate shaft clunk is pretty common across many Toyota. This is a design flaw and I can't understand why it is still present in current design. Good news it is relatively easy to fix. You can search on the web, there are Toyota TSBs with repair description. There is no need to replace intermediate shaft. There is a special inexpensive grease syringe kit and grease needs to be injected in the intermediate shaft. This is easy DYI project. There is even easier fix approach on the web. Intermediate shaft needs to be disconnected from the steering wheel, then compressed and decompressed 10 times to re-distribute grease inside of it, and re-assembled. I did this fix on my 2009 Camry a year ago and it is still clunk free. My 2008 HL never developed clunk problem. I understand your car is still under warranty, so go talk to the dealer and request them to re-grease intermediate shaft . I don't understand why they are giving you so much grief over this simple issue. If your dealer will not cooperate find another one who will. I don't know if there is a TSB specifically for 2012 HL but intermediate shaft has same design across many different Toyota models and production years.

    T-SB-0296-08 September 16, 2008
    Steering Intermediate Shaft Noise

    2006 Highlander HV
    2004 – 2005 Highlander
    2004 – 2006 Solara
    2005 – 2006 Avalon
    2003 – 2006 Camry

    Introduction
    Some customers may hear a clunk, pop, or knock type noise when turning the steering wheel left or
    right. Use the following procedure to lubricate the intermediate shaft and address customer concerns.

    Remove, Lubricate, and Reinstall
    Intermediate Shaft

    Grease Kit 04007-76133 2 Cylinders (4 g)
    Grease Kit 04007-76248 5 Cylinders (10 g)
  • soco4soco4 Member Posts: 9
    I have a 2002 V-6 4WD Highlander with 74K miles. I am wondering about the likely service life of the serpentine belt, and also of the timing belt. What is your experience with these parts? Thanks for your information.
  • agbosagbos Member Posts: 8
    I just had the timing belt, water pump, serpentine belt and some seals replaced on my 2005 V-6 4WD Highlander. The manual calls for only replacing the timing belt at 90,000 miles (my was at 93,000) but it makes sense to do the others at the same time as the timing belt as the engine is already apart. Most dealers will recommend this and to me, it made sense. Your year may be different so I recommend checking the manual for when to do the timing belt. Don't let it go though - some engines can be severely damaged if the belt breaks while you are driving. For reference, I shopped around (Toyota dealers only) and, with a coupon the whole thing was about $830 - included new radiator fluid and I believe 2 of 3 engine seals. Btw - I found in my area that all you have to do is mention a coupon and the dealers will take 10% off their starting price for the job. There seems to be some debate also about replacing the idler pulley and tensioner pulleys while they are in there. This added $300 to the cost so I let the dealer inspect them and left them alone when the dealer said they were fine. Hope this helps.
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    edited December 2012
    I have 86,500 miles on my '05 Highlander. Should I try out a local shop or stick with the dealer?

    Here is what my dealer gave me.

    $499.95 to replace the timing belt (replacing the drive belt is included in this)
    $873.22 to replace the timing belt, drive belt, and water pump
    The 90K service includes having the timing and drive belts replaced but not the water pump which will cost about $744.82. Adding the water pump replacement to this service would cost about $1,091.72.

    I'm not sure if they mean everything will cost me $1,091.72 or not.
  • luckysevenluckyseven Member Posts: 134
    edited December 2012
    You need to find out what's included in 90K service. I'd think they will replace filters (easy DIY). Sounds like belts+water pump best option here. If you decided to replace timing belt then replacing a water pump at the same time makes a lot of sense. If you know a local shop that has good references then get a price quote from them, it will be at list $200-300 less than dealer's price. Going with the dealer will cost you more but might save you a lot of grief since dealer most likely will have the job done properly. How much longer are you going to keep the car? If you don't have any issues with water pump then timing belt not likely to go bad for another couple years.
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    Now my dealer told me their original quote didn't include labor???
  • luckysevenluckyseven Member Posts: 134
    what's their quote with the labor?
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    $110 per hour, it takes about 6.5 hours to complete. I wish I knew a dependable local shop.
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    When I had a coolant leak in 2009 and 42k miles my dealer replaced my water pump at the same time. Now at 86.5kmiles I'm getting prepared to do the 90k miles maintenance along with the timing belt. There's no need to replace the water pump 48k miles later is there? Do I even have to do the 90k maintenance. Looks like its just checking things and air filters.
  • 05highlander0505highlander05 Member Posts: 89
    I just checked with another local dealer and they quoted me $425 plus taxes for replacing the timing and drive belts. I actually do not need to replace the water pump since it was already done at 43k miles when I had a coolant leak. Sounds like a good price, anyone agree?
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 235,175
    Sounds cheap... :)

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  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    edited January 2013
    Both of my local Toyota dealers charge $359 for a 3.3L timing belt replacement. Water pump is $250 more. I had mine done and they said the water pump looked fine so they didn't replace it. We'll see if that turns out to have been a good decision or not. With tax and shop fees I was "out the door" for just under $400 Btw, the HL is a 2004 with only 68,000 miles on it but since it is coming up on 9 years old, I decided to do the belt replacement based on time instead of mileage.
  • tjlampheretjlamphere Member Posts: 6
    You did well...I had mine done 2 years ago...one dealer quoted over $ 1,000 and the other dealer quoted $ 600...I had it done for $ 600 and they said my water pump looked fine, and it did not need replacement....can you believe the $ 1,000 quote...what highway robbers !!!! (I do think they were going to replace the water pump whether it needed it or not !)
  • choochoomanchoochooman Member Posts: 38
    i have a 2004 3.3 61,000 miles also did they mention anything about flushing the radiator i just took mine to the dealer end of march nothen said about antifreez being changed, just p steering flush and fuel inj cleaning
  • md4runnermanmd4runnerman Member Posts: 72
    Hey everyone my 2011 Limited driver side window seems to have gone off track. I could not get it to close today. Tried up and down but it was just struggling/caught so I decided not to play with it anymore. Taking it to Toyota tomorrow. Anyone else having this problem. How much did Toyota charge you to fix?
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    witha 2011, it may be covered by the 3 year b to b.

    toyota camrys and highlanders have window problems. it is a known fact.

    our 2002 hl, both rear window motors stopped working at the same time. used a aaa shop to make the repair. was expensive. however, in 125,000 miles and 11 years, those two windows were the only repairs EVER made!

    we now have a venza, hopefully we have the same reliability. I will pay for window repairs anytime I haven't paid for any other repairs.

    rr70
  • md4runnermanmd4runnerman Member Posts: 72
    As it turns out I took it into the dealer this morning. They found that the R&R bolts on one side of the regulator had fallen out. They fixed it free under warranty! Pleasant surprise and I was only in there an hour.
  • ajit1979ajit1979 Member Posts: 2
    I've 2012 highlander. When I brake and car comes to full stop, a thud noise comes from rear. I took it to dealer and they said its normal. The noise comes every time whether u brake slow or quick. The noise is as if someone is hitting your car from behind. The noise started coming with about 3000 miles on the car. I was bearing it but slowly its bothering me. I did not experience this in other SUVs my friends have. Has anyone experienced this on their highlanders.
  • ajit1979ajit1979 Member Posts: 2
    I've 2012 highlander. With about 4500 miles and winter, when i start the car in the morning and change gear to rear or drive, the engine would rattle and the inside (dashboard, steering) would vibrate with noise. It would last for about a minute and they go away. Dealer said this is normal and should go away once weather starts to warm up. Now that temp is in 80's in the morning, I still have same behavior. Have anyone experienced this?
  • ryan99ryan99 Member Posts: 46
    Hi, I also have a 2012 Highlander. I don't have that problem with it, however for what it's worth I had the exact same problem with my old Jeep Cherokee. The problem was with ujoints locking up. I never fixed it. It went in for years and never got any worse. Good luck.
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    Regarding your two postings. The rear end thud and the engine rattle are not normal Highlander behavior. Do not let any service personnel try and convince you that it is normal. If your present dealer will not correct the issues, find another dealer that will.
  • jpfjpf Member Posts: 496
    It's standard procedure to replace the water pump when the timing belt is replaced for most interference engines. Toyota's I believe are interference engines. The water pump runs off the tiiming belt meaning if the water pump seizes then it will either cause the timing belt to skip or break. The timing belt can be brand new and a failed water pump can cause it to break. The result would be pistons crashing into valves and a new engine would be required. This is why dealers recommend changing the water pump at the same time as the timing belt.
  • takthekaktakthekak Member Posts: 6
    so, I have an 05 highlander. I asked what should be done, have not really done much to this point, they say new water pump and belt, differential fluids, fuel throttle injector flush, spark plugs, cleaning of brakes due to gravel, transmission fluids, etc. total of $2300. Question is, should do it all and hope for another 100K. I've checked and everything seems reasonable, ie the pump and belt kit 800 or 900. Im guessing labor is whats making the total high. I am really hating putting so much into it, but if it gets another 8 years then its worth it. $2300 would be like
    4-5 months of a new highlander payment. I'm I thinking clearly, just get all the stuff done at once?
  • mrs1964mrs1964 Member Posts: 8
    $2300 does not seem that bad. I am with you as I like to get things done at once because my time is money. I have an 01 Highlander with 88,000 miles. I've replace brakes at about 45k,oxygen sensors at around 80k. I also replaced the timing belt and water pump when I replaced my oxygen sensors. Not because they needed it but it seemed like a good time to do it. I looked at the water pump it was removed and it looked brand new. So, I doubt if I needed to do this. I've had no issues since this work and hope to keep it for another 8 years.
  • bigbosswilliebigbosswillie Member Posts: 1
    My wife drives a 2003 Highlander, which has 123K miles. Dealer says that at that mileage a tuneup is needed, for $1000, which includes replacing plugs, manifold gaskets and more. Plus an additional $ 500 for fluid flushes.

    Car is running great, so do we really need to replace plugs and gaskets now? I don't have a problem with flushes, although maybe not at the dealer's prices.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited July 2013
    It's a bit of a concern to hear "tune-up" these days. Cars don't really get tune-ups anymore.

    Check out the Edmunds Car Maintenance Guide - it follows your manual and will tell you what needs to be done when, and will estimate what it should cost for your zip code.

    You kind of have to be careful of flushes too. Brake flushes are fine. "Power" flushes of the transmission have a bad reputation - they can stir gunk up and cause failure weeks later. I'd be especially leery of hooking the transmission up to a machine and pumping chemicals through it.
  • typesixtypesix Member Posts: 321
    Read the service portion of owner's manual for service required.
  • soco4soco4 Member Posts: 9
    On the way home from the eastern Sierras, our 2002 Highlander V 6 AWD with 80K mi. backfired three times on long downgrades (two happened on U S 50 east of Sacramento). The explosions sounded fairly sharp and powerful. Has anyone had a similar experience? Any ideas about what is malfunctioning? My guess is that the (original) oxygen sensor is permitting an overly rich mixture on closed or partly-open throttle, and a build-up of unburned gas is ignited by the hot catalytic converter. Thanks for any help.
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    80K miles in 11 years is low mileage, so I wonder whether you often get the chance to get the whole exhaust system up to full operating temperature, If not, maybe there is some coking up of the exhaust/catalyst.

    It might be worth using a top engine cleaner and running the engine hard for a bit, then trying a few tanks full of 98 Octane with a detergent to see if that clers things out.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • johnnybhaijohnnybhai Member Posts: 5
    I did the soldering fix and now the Heat/Cold problem is gone. But I have a related problem - only windshield vent is working. The lights on the radio and AC Button is not working. I have checked all the fuses - inside and outside, all is fine. Anybody know what the issue could be?

    Thank you!
  • agbosagbos Member Posts: 8
    One clue was a slight vibration on the steering wheel when turning the wheel. The power steering reservoir was dry but I couldn't tell because there was dried, black residue on the walls of the reservoir. I removed the lower hose to the PS reservoir and used a hand pump to get as much of the dirty fluid out as possible. Reconnected the hose and filled the reservoir with Dextron 3 AT fluid. Fluid was foamy and still a little dirty so I used the pump in the reservoir to pull out more fluid and replace it with fresh fluid. I repeated this several times. The whining noise is gone. Hopefully, I didn't do any permanent damage to the PS pump letting the fluid go low but seems to be fixed for now.
  • chrischchrisch Member Posts: 3
    Hi All,

    I have a 2004 Highlander with a front driver's side fender that was "repaired" using bondo many years ago. Lately I've been thinking about either purchasing an aftermarket one or picking up at the salvage yard to give it a proper replacement.

    Can anyone point me towards instructions on how to replace the fender? A few videos on youtube make it look as if I'll have to remove among other things, the grill, bumper, and wheel. But those videos are all for other types of cars.

    Obviously, I'd like it keep this job as simple as possible for the sake of minimizing the possibility of causing any accidental damage, including breaking any plastic clips.

    I know the bodyshop would charge probably around $1k for this, so I'd like to tackle it myself. Can anyone point me in the right direction to any resources/instructions, online or otherwise?

    Thanks.
  • gaseff54gaseff54 Member Posts: 1
    edited October 2013
    Hi Folks: I have a crack in my driver's side tail lamp. How do I remove it? I don't see any obvious screws.

    Thanks in advance!
    -George
  • csawyer17csawyer17 Member Posts: 2
    just bought my first toyota. so far i love it. couple small things im getting worked out with the dealer, but nothing major. one question I have about the highlander sunroof though, if open, should it stop in the closed position before going to the tilted vent position/going from tilted vent position to the open position, should it stop in the closed position first between the two? my other vehicles I have had had sunroofs, and they all would stop in the closed position, so you knew it was basically in a tight, closed spot. with this, im left kind of guessing when it's closed, unless im doing something wrong?
    any hlep would be much appreciated!
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    The Highlander sunroof can be frustrating. You must normalize the operation. It is in the owner's manual. I had to do this a few times with our 04 Highlander.
  • csawyer17csawyer17 Member Posts: 2
    great, thanks for the response! i'll give it a try
  • lennon2lennon2 Member Posts: 1

    Hello Folks, Need help….
    Sham mechanic installed and messed up my 2008 Toyota highlander water pump. Took to dealership to check when coolant seemed low: Here is what the dealership is saying.
    Found drive belt soaked and coolant leaking from missing bolt. Also found 2 other aftermarket bolts in where water pump bolts into timing cover that are stripped out. The technician found that an attempt by other repair facility was made to repair one of the bolts by using tape. Three threads are now damaged.
    Correction is to replace timing cover. The total would be 3100.00
    Is this the only options for securing three bolts on a water pump? The price seems to be quite high.
    Analysis and suggested solution please.

  • herzogtum71herzogtum71 Member Posts: 470
    edited December 2013

    A/C light (manual system) in my 2004 4-cylinder Highlander started flashing two times on the drive back from Evansville to Bloomington. Has anyone else had this happen? Each time I was able to push the button to turn it off, and then I could turn A/C on and off as normal. The owner's manual says on page 242: "If the 'A/C' button indicator flashes, there is a problem in the air conditioning system and the air conditioning automatically shuts off. If this happens, take your vehicle to a Toyota dealer for service." This was a 120-mile trip entirely in heavy rain. The directional knob was set to half defog, half floor. So the heated air was coming through the A/C. I'll call the dealer on Monday next week, but I'd like to know in advance what the issue might be.

    Thanks. I tried to search the forum but I wasn't able to narrow it down to Highlander with the new format.

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