Toyota Highlander

pdalpsher · October 2002

i think your experience will vary with what you previous vehicle was and how long you drove it. Some folks adapt quicker than others. I went from a 90 Camry to a 01 Highlander and turned on my highbeams more than once when intending to use a turnsignal. Haven't done it in ages but it was aggravating at first to be so inconsiderate to other drivers accidently. Of course, if you can't or won't adapt to your new instrumentation by all means trade the car so you aren't a distracted or inconsiderate driver that is a hazard to others

pasqual · October 2002

On several posts I have read about the 7yr/100000 mile warranty against oil gelling/sludge.My Highlander AWD/6 was manufactured FEB/02.I read through my warranty and did not come across any such info.

cliffy1 · October 2002

Actually, it is 8 years and unlimited miles and will not show up in your manual. It is a special policy adjustment and was conceived after production. Change your oil according to the schedule and it will never be a concern.

scanner · October 2002

Gwkiser,

"Perhaps an adjustment on the driver's part is in order."

You are absolute correct! I do find myself making a conscious effort to baby the turn signal when I am driving my HL. Keep in mind the issues mentioned do not occur frequently; more so when the HL was new, but less often now that I am being conditioned. My question is why do I have to "adjust, program, adapt, learn, or condition" myself to use a simple turn signal when there's an alternate system available that has none of these short comings? Plus, do you drive any "American" cars?

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Nippononly,

No offense, but I feel your name and responses pretty much sum up your opinions on the issue.

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Wwest,

Thanks for the support. I've seen the list of non Toyota/Lexus vehicles that you have driven, so perhaps you can feel for what I am saying.

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Hlron,

No disrespect taken, I love a good discussion. Tell me the reason you like the setup of the HL high/low beam control?

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Pdalpsher,

I think we're basically on the same page, but which system/method would you choose if given the option?

--

Others,

Any drivers of vehicles that use both high-beam control methods care to comment on the pros and cons? I use the turn signals constantly, but rarely use the high-beams. My main point is I feel strongly that the Japanese should adopt the American method of controlling the high-beams which in my opinion is a much better performing system.

scanner · October 2002

Have your dealer check for a loose fuel tank, not a loose fuel pump.

gwkiser · October 2002

"Okay, I admit I am the type who likes to swat at the turn signal, but still..."

That's why I suggested that you try to adjust your methods. I truly didn't mean to set you off. But, apparently, I did, so I'll answer the questions you directed at me.

"My question is why do I have to "adjust, program, adapt, learn, or condition" myself to use a simple turn signal when there's an alternate system available that has none of these short comings?"

Maybe GM/Ford/DCX owns that design and Toyota doesn't want to pay them the right to use it. I couldn't say for sure. Have you written Toyota for an answer to that? If so, what was their response? If it's that important an issue for you, you should persue it to the end.

Look, we all have to adjust when we change vehicles, whether it's once every few years, or once a day. Though I'll never have a list as long as wwest's, I don't think that's a criterion for knowing how to operate a turn signal correctly.

"Plus, do you drive any "American" cars?"

Haha, well, ever since the two crapper mid-80s GMs and the crapper early-90s Ford Taurus (you know, the one that when introduced in the late '80s was the Motor Trend car of the year), the answer is NO. Of course, had the GM Envoys been in stock when I was shopping for a Highlander back in Feb '01, I probably would have owned it instead of the HL. Fortunately, they weren't and, hence, I didn't have to deal with the front wheel "issue" the early production run of Envoys had. You know, don't you? The manufacturer had tow trucks go around and pick them up directly from the customers as they were too afraid that the wheel(s) might inadvertantly come off when the customer was driving them. Ah...no thanks. No doubt that the domestic products' quality has improved drastically since the last one I owned, but not to the point yet where I would consider buying one.

Either way, I don't "swat" at turn signal sticks, domestic OR imported. As I said, it's a driver issue and nothing more.

cliffy1 · October 2002

I don't recall ever seeing a more bizarre argument here. I, for one, can't stand the GM headlight dial. I prefer to have it at my fingertips. I want it there. I have never accidently shut them off and I've been driving them over 30K per year since 1986. Don't like it? Don't buy it.

This does remind me of a joke: In (name a state you don't like) they are making Toyota retrofit all their cars with floor switches to dim the high beams. It seems they were having too many accident when people got their foot caught in the steering wheel.

scanner · October 2002

You didn't set me off in any way. I didn't mean for any of my messages to be interpret in an upset manner either. To express anger I will type in UPPER CASE like Nipononly. Typing in upper case is what represents yelling/hostility on the internet. I simply thought I was debating a simple issue.

In a joking manner I think you might have answered my question with:

"Maybe GM/Ford/DCX owns that design and Toyota doesn't want to pay them the right to use it."

This was the sort of comment I was actually looking for. It never occurred to me, but the above could possibly be true. I do know Delphi/GM does own a lot of automotive patents.

As far as my question about have you driven an "American" car... I really wanted to know if you have ever driven an American car as all you listed/mentioned were Japanese cars. I simply wanted to know if have experience with the American way of controlling the high beams. I bet a lot of people in this topic haven't. Plus, I sure didn't mean for anyone to somehow link in any way the quality of the two.

What I mean by swatting is that I keep the thumb on my left hand wrapped around the wheel while extending the other four fingers to hit the turn signal. When driving the HL, I have condition myself to remove my hand from the steering wheel to reach around and gently grasp the stalk.

scanner · October 2002

True, it is a somewhat silly issue (even though the air pressure noise with back windows down gets my vote as most silly). I didn't mean for anyone to think I was at the point were I was about to write my congress person about it. Guess I just like debates on AWD, sludge, etc. I also remember when American cars had their high beam switch on the floor, and that way really, really sucked!

BTW, did I mention how I much perfer the use of amber tail lights? All automotive manufactures should adopt this standard. :-)

gwkiser · October 2002

scanner:
Hey, no problem. I'm an expert at misinterpreting other's comments! But, if you DO want a list from me (though not very exciting), it would include only a few: '69 Opel GT 1.9, 74 Ford Mustang II (ugghh), '77 Honda Accord hatchback, '80 Pontiac Grand Prix (dog), '85 Olds Ciera Coupe (major dog), '86 Olds Ciera Sedan (major dog #2, didn't find out about major dog #1 until AFTER buying #2!), '90 Taurus LX (tranny, fuel pump, and misc other failures all before 75K), '97 Toyota Avalon (boring, but reliable), '01 Highlander V6 Ltd. (19K and no problems yet). As I said, it's nothing compared to wwest's, but then again, he and I have little in common.

Cliffy1:
"...they are making Toyota retrofit all their cars with floor switches to dim the high beams. It seems they were having too many accident when people got their foot caught in the steering wheel. "

Damn, I was thinking about those floor switches when I was writing my response before. I THINK the last car I drove (note: didn't OWN :-)) that had one of those was a '72 New Yorker with a 440.

nimrod99 · October 2002

Anyone heard anything about a rumor that Toyota is having problems with Bluestone paint - and may drop it?.

Thanks

scanner · October 2002

Nimrod99,

Nope! I haven't heard anything to that affect from friends in the industry. Why do you ask?

Although, blues and reds were the most troublesome colors in the past, current paint technology has advanced to the point where I have not heard of any recent problems (at least those not applied by Earl Scheib). :-) I can't imagine that Toyota would drop altogether what is a pretty popular color, but perhaps a change in shade is in the works.

http://www.dupont.com/automotive/news/02pr/colorpop.html

sportsterer · October 2002

scanner-
thanks for the link you furnished re. the fuel tank fix.
nimrod99-
yes, in fact toyota is gonna have to recall the paint because they've found it's actually responsible for the engine sludge problem.

nippononly · October 2002

fujb1 · October 2002

scanner,

BTW, did I mention how I much perfer the use of amber tail lights? All automotive manufactures should adopt this standard.

Yup, there was a thread about this issue before, and you wouldn't believe how mad people got at each other...

I believe that the amber turn signals are much superior to the red ones in terms of visibility, but uniformly red tail light clusters just look better. BMW and Audi somehow dye their lenses red, but make the blinker (as we call them up here) shine orange, that's a great compromise.

As to the high beam discussion, the pull-for-high-beam system has one definite disadvantage. It is easy to accidentally engage the highs with the head lights off while trying to signal someone by flashing the high beams. Next time you turn the head lights on, the highs will automatically be on, and as long as you don't see the blue indicator light, they will blind others (especially if it's an SUV standing behind you at a traffic light). Maybe that's why most cars I see with the highs on all the time are American brands...

duckshooter · October 2002

Scanner - my understanding is that the Japanese use the European standard for high beams. From the years I lived in Europe, I found they use a flash of the high beam frequently to signal traffic to move out of the way in the passing lane. Much easier for them to pull the lever forward with 2 or 3 fingers. Push forward to make them stay on high.

The "American" standard is much newer in comparison, but you can still "flash" the beams by pulling forward on the stalk, just not until it clicks into the permanent position. The difference being, as you stated, there's no way to look at the stalk and discern whether the beams are on high (with the American standard) since the "click" simply returns the stalk to its original position.

I've driven probably several hundred rental cars (of all makes and classes) in my life on business and personal trips - some for weeks and months at a time. But I don't think I've ever considered this a "problem" per se. I occasionally do accidentally flip the brights on in any car, but it's such a rare occurance that I wouldn't consider it a problem worth correcting.

On another note -- I did own a Renault Alliance when I was in college (hey, I was in college, ok?) and that thing had its horn on a stalk - push in to bleep! Now THAT was different.

I think a much more pertinent debate is location of the hazard light switch - I find American makes tend to hide the darn thing (because it's used so infrequently)... Remember when they used to put it on a "pull-out" button UNDER the steering column? But when you need it, you NEED it NOW. The Japanese and Euros have (I think) always displayed the switch prominently.

Jeff

svtcobraconv · October 2002

Well, even though this discussion may seem to border on silly, a lot of ergonomic study does goes into today's automotive interior design and control placement. Of course, there is no perfect design that will "fit" everyone. For example, my wife and I have no problem what so ever with operating the turn signal / headlamp stalk, but we both find the wiper control (right side) to be very confusing and way too busy. However, we will get used to it, and eventually it will become second nature. BTW, don't know if it has anything to do with it, but we currently have seven cars in all. The other six are all Ford and GM, model years 1966, 1985, 1993, 1998, and two 1999. Oh yeah, cliffy1, I know what you mean, but the converse also holds true. Now that we're used to operating the hi/lo beams by hand, it's real tricky to reach an arm down to the floor while driving our '66 Mustang to operate the dimmer switch!!! (Good thing we don't drive it at night too often.)

gwkiser · October 2002

"Now that we're used to operating the hi/lo beams by hand, it's real tricky to reach an arm down to the floor while driving our '66 Mustang to operate the dimmer switch!!! (Good thing we don't drive it at night too often.) "

Well, by all means, I think you should generate a complaint to FMC as well as the NHTSA and IIHS. In fact, I bet if you do a search on Google for Iaocca, you could get an email out to him too. Surely there's a lawyer around who would take that case. Better act quick before someone else grabs the idea first.

gwkiser · October 2002

I think you've got it all wrong. The hazard light switch should be on the floorboard, right under the brake pedal. That way, when you panic brake, and the pedal bottoms out, the hazards will already be on by the time you make impact. Hmmmmm, I wonder who has THAT patented idea??!!

duckshooter · October 2002

I remember my Dad had a Mercedes 450SLC when I was in college (he gets a Mercedes and I drive a used Renault -- guess why I joined the Army?). Anyway, I recall there was a button under the gas pedal, that when the gas was pushed all the way down and clicked the button (don't ask how I came to discover this) made the Mercedes go "real" fast. I think maybe it automatically activated a passing gear or something.

Probably SHOULD have activated the hazards while you were at it!

jacser · October 2002

I picked up my new 2003 Highlander Limited AWD. Between today and yesterday I drove about 50 highway and local miles. I turned in a loaded 2000 Cadillac Catera for the Highlander. The Catera was an excellent vehicle and I only have rave reviews for the Highlander. The ride is smooth and the vehicle is very responsive. This is my first SUV and I really like it.

This Sundown Red Pearl HL came fully equipped with Tow Prep Pkg., Front Side Airbags, Antiskid System, Leather Pkg., Heated Front Seats, Power Sunroof, 6-disc CD Changer, Cargo Net, Carpet/Cargo Mat Set. The only after market items I added were 6 year/75K Toyota extended warranty (Platinum/0 deductible)and auto-dimming mirror w/compass. Total price for all came to $33,737 which excludes sales tax.

I thought I'd pass this along to anyone considering a HL. It's really a great vehicle!!

tfuzz · October 2002

Reading these messages about standardized controls and ergonomics reminds me of a problem I had many years ago, I believe about 1970, when I took my little brother to Disneyland. We flew in to LA and rented a car (first time I ever rented a car). When we parked at the Disneyland Hotel we could NOT figure out how to get the key out of the ignition. Finally we left the car unlocked with the key still in it. However, we pulled off the distributor cap and took it to the room with us. Don't remember anymore what kind of car it was--maybe a Corolla?

I much prefer the Toyota push/pull hi beam switch to the pull/pull American style. However, I do have one thing I hate about Toyota controls. The cruise controls on both my Sienna and HL lose their memory whenever I stop or slow down below about 25. They have to be reset when I speed back up since "resume" doesn't work. Does that drive anyone else nuts, or is it just me?

nippononly · October 2002

was that sticker price, jacser? I have not yet seen a HL with a number that high on it, that is all. But it sounds like this is just about the most expensive trim and packaging for it.

jacser · October 2002

nippononly:

Sticker price is $35,533 plus $795 for extended warranty. Loaded HL's get pricey real quick. My cost is about $1,000 over dealer invoice.

pasqual · October 2002

Does anyone know if the AWD models require tire rotation and what is the torque on the wheel nuts?

sunsoko · October 2002

Is there anyone else out there that hates the emergency footbrake on the H/L. I never had a car with an emergency footbrake before and keep forget to release the darn thing. It seems with it on, the car will still move even without using any gas. Is this normal?

ssufldhcky · October 2002

I have the same issue and I've had several cars in the past that had the footbrake parking brake.
(I guess the problem is it was toooo long ago). Anyway, the first time it happened I was backing up and did not accelerate.. the HL rolled back like there was no brake on. I thought that was a little odd. Anyway, it's happened a couple of more times.. but now I'm paranoid and check it 4 or 5 times before I start out. .. OCD I guess.

sunsoko · October 2002

Is there a way to apply the emergency footbrake harder so it won't roll on a small grade?
What I mean is that with the handbrake, I can keep pulling it up until the car won't roll anymore, but the footbrake it's either on or off.

fortek · October 2002

With my foot brake fully engaged on the HL, a large amount of throttle is needed to move, and you can feel the rear brakes are locked. Idle throttle will not move the HL, perhaps an adjustment to your foot brake would provide piece of mind. The foot brake doesn't allow the degree of control the hand brake does... truly miss this set-up. I agree with sunsoko about the foot brake being and "on" or "off" sort of light switch. The hand brakes "button" is key to having the ability to modulate the rear brake force, especially in off-road descents, something the foot brake sorely misses.

sportsterer · October 2002

if the highlander foot brake is left on when under way not only does the dashboard light indicate so, an alarm will sound as well.

cmuniz · October 2002

Pasqual - The tires need to be rotated on AWD models. I rotate mine every second oil change.

runpanther · October 2002

Hello friends - In light of the so called "risk" associated with Engine Sludge I'm curious how often other Owners change the oil in their Highlander.

Without fail, I personally perform oil changes routinely between 3 and 4 thousand miles. I use regular 5/30 Havoline Dino Oil and Purolator filters. For me to do the oil change cost about 8 bucks as I can always find oil and filters on sale.

I know the Toyota Manual says 7500 miles but I never did believe that in the first place. -- $8 is cheap insurance when it comes to my comfort level.

It's been recommended that I change to synthetic or synthetic blend oil, but there is something about extended drain intervals that just doesn't sit right with me.

Nonetheless, due to the short drains I would believe the risk of engine sludge is minimal. Very interested in hearing other Owners practices.

Thanks

sirfile · October 2002

To Pasqual / Message #6530:

It is important to rotate the tires on your HL, and other vehicles as well. The proper rotation is to cross the rear tires to the front and move the front tires to the rear at a minimum of 5000 miles:

[RR-LF/LR-RF/RF-RR/LF-LR]

Correct torque specification is 76 foot pounds. If you have a tire shop do the rotation, tell them to ditch the impact wrenches and torque sticks they are so fond of . . . use torque wrenches only! The single greatest cause of warped brake rotors is improper wheel tightening.

Although the factory calls for 30 lbs. of pressure front and rear, I run 33front/30rear in Michelin Cross Terrains with great success. Ride quality and handling are excellent and wear is uniform on all tires. Original tread depth is ll/32nds and currently at 9/32nds with 20,000 miles of use. Air pressure should be checked at least once a week [cold] with a quality digital gauge such as Accutire. The average tire loses 1-2 lbs. of air per month. And . . . don't forget to check the spare! You will be amazed at the increased tire life with proper care. Hope this helps.

Sirfile

wcp · October 2002

The HL owner's manual (p. 262) does not suggest crossing the left/right tires. It only says fron to rear swap. The OM also includes the spare in the rotation, which according to some posts I read here is not recommended. Anybody has any comments to offer on rotating the spares?

bigdad · October 2002

you can include the spare in the rotation, should get you 20% more mileage out of a set of tires, however, when you replace the tires, you will need a new spare too! So, you wind up buying an extra tire...unless you just use up the original tread by rotating and then when you replace the other 4, leave it in the boot and use just for emergency...Frankly, I don't want to extend the Goodyear Integrity set...the weakest point on the Highlander, so mine will stay in the boot, lookin'' new.
As far as oil changes, I have always changed at about 3-4K miles, cheap insurance....My wife's BMW holds 7 quarts (328Ci) and they have an extended schedule with a monitoring system, but I just can't stand to think of leaving moisture, acids, combustion contaminated oil in for 7-8 months or more (she only drives 6-8K miles a year), so I change on same schedule..can't be too bad a practice...I keep cars well over 100K miles and have NEVER had problems with the engines as a result...Up til now I used Valvoline 5W-30 (Acura Legend 150K miles), but am now using the VAlvoline Syn. Blend in the Highlander...minimal extra cost and some added protection against gel.

bigdad · October 2002

Some have critized the Highlanders drive system and features and suggested that the Chrysler minivan product was better....I owned a Dodge Grand Caravan (wife's car) and would strongly disagree....EVERY major component on the Chrysler failed (some more than once) in the 58K miles we owned it...I admit it drove nice and handled well (when it wasn't in the shop!). Power steering pump, Air Conditioner compressor (took me 20K miles and 7 trips to dealers and writing to zone etc. to finally get it replaced...Dealer out of town diagnosed it and provided the help in getting resolved), rotten radiator hoses blew out stranding wife (4K miles on it), leaking heater core (dual A/C), warped heads (misubishi engine) replaced, bad thottle body, failed tranny, alternator/regulator failed, 2 fuel pumps (notorious for this), master cylinder...you name it, it was junk....my wife was your typical school teacher and drives very easy on a car...My first and last Chrysler product....I cautioned a friend on buying a Chrysler, but he did (he bought the extended warrantee to 100K on power train...and needed it!)He replaced with Toyota 4 Runner.

cmuniz · October 2002

I don't beleive it is necessary to cross tires from left to right when rotating them anymore. You only need to do it from front to back like wcp indicates. I do not include my spare in the rotation, but I think that is a matter of preference.

skyreb · October 2002

This week I was at the dealer having the fuel tank recall perormed. We talked about synthetic oil. The Service Manager recommended again changing! He said, true, it would eleminate the sludge issue, but so too will changing the oil every 3-4 thousand miles. He said the problem is the owners that never change the oil .... and cited examples of cars with 50,000 miles on the original oil. He stated the higher cost of synthetic is not cost effective, and provides no better protection than mineral oil ... provided it is changed routinely. He said some people extend changes with synthetic, but should there be an engine failure, the dealer will look at the change record, see extended changes, and the warranty will not be valid. He stated also, that once you use synthetic, you must continue .... I do not understand why. Can anyone answer that question?

Happy HL'ing to all.

wcp · October 2002

Thanks for the comments from 'bigdad' and 'cmuniz'.
After reading the posts I think I am going to actually include my spare tire into the rotation next time. I don't plan to prolong the life of the cheap Goodyears. But I think rotating the spare allows all five tires to wear uniformaly and minimize tire diameter deviation. I think this is especally important to AWD HLs. If one of the tires goes and I need the spare, there would not be too much a big difference between the spare and the other three tires.

Also, keeping the spare new would not save me money on my next set of tires. Guess what, my next set is going to be Michelin CT or Bridgestone Dueler HL. Can't wait to get rid of the Integritys.

wwest · October 2002

My position is that the chrysler AWD system is head and shoulders more adequate for those that actually require AWD. The T/L AWD system for the HL and Rx are only "pretend" AWD systems.

My position is also that T/L builds the most reliable vehicles available but relaibility doesn't mean a great deal stuck in the snow out in then toolies on a dark winter night.

Here in Tucson give me a FWD RX anytime, at home in Seattle I'll stick with the T&C.

bikerjohn · October 2002

I've had my 2002 AWD Highlander for about 10 months now, and have been trying to figure out why I have so much wind noise & road noise at Hwy speeds. When there is even the slightest amount of wind, it sounds like gusts buffeting my car. Even though I do not have the reed sound that 2001 owners have discussed, I did get my dealer to replace the door seals. Unfortunately, it is no quieter. I've also moved my roof rack cross bars all the way back & have checked every other thing that people have mentioned on this site.

The article posted below, from Popular Mechanics, indicates that the Highlander is quiet at idle, but is the loudest of 10 cross over vehicles at 60 MPH & at full throttle. Based on my experience, I would tend to agree. The engine is well insulated and below 40 MPH, my ride is very quiet.

Consumer Reports indicated that the Highlander was quiet at all times. CR also indicated that the Saturn Vue, Ford Escape & Toyota Matrix were much noisier than the Highlander, while PM shows just the opposite.

What do others think? Is there something causing my car & the PM car to be noisier than most? The CR Highlander had the standard Goodyear tires while mine has the Bridgestone's. Maybe the bridgestones are louder, & this is the reson for the road noise? Of course, I still have the wind noise. If anyone has any ideas, please share.

http://popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars_trucks/2002/7/crossing_over/index3.phtml

cliffy1 · October 2002

Do you have a moonroof? If so, I can almost garuntee I know what the problem is. When you close your roof, do you allow the roof to close automatically or do you try to stop it when it looks closed from the inside? Many people see the roof moving up into its recess and think that it has just tilted up. It hasn't. Those people try to time the roof to stop when it looks flush on the inside but they have just left about 1/4" of opening. This is not visible from the inside but it clearly visible from the outside. This is the number one cause of excess wind noise and leaky roofs.

If you don't have a moonroof, I have no answers. If you do and this is the problem, don't feel bad. I see this all the time. It is very common and salesmen don't do a good enough job of explaining the operation of the roof when delivering the car.

bigdad · October 2002

My wife even commented that it was easy to converse with front seat passengers while in the back without any need for anyone to turn around or lean forward...My Acura Legend, while quiet, wasn't as quiet as the Highlander...windows all up of course. Mine is a V6 2wd model with the Goodyear Integrity tires. I don't have the sunroof. There aren't any rattles, wind noises, whistles or tire roar...tight and quiet.
As far as AWD or 4wd systems, I never found a need for them (even in the 19 years I spent in Michigan), so can't say which is best. The front wheel drives on the cars that I had were always adequate, even in heavy snows (I even got around in my MarkVII, but pretty scary at times!). I know that we wouldn't trust the Chrysler product on any long excursion or adverse conditions, regardless of drive system...reliability is/was a key issue...it may have had good/superior systems (theoretically), but if they or other key systems fail (and mine sure did) they are not much good with me stranded. If my Highlander can't handle the road conditions I use it for, I probably shouldn't be out. Like most, I won't ever go off road with this car.Hopefully, I'll never have to test it (I got the heck out of Mich and to Tenn!)

pasqual · October 2002

Cmuniz,Sirfile,WCP,Bigdad;Thanks for the input.Guess I better read the OM.If I can only persuade my wife to stop driving the HL for a day I can get familiar with the car. Seems she's more attached to the H/L than to me.I know I know sometimes that could be a blessing in a marriage.

sirfile · October 2002

Message #6539 / wcp:

You are correct, the owner's manual does suggest front to rear rotation. However, that advice is contrary to the recommendations from Tire Rack and several tire manufacturers. There are several acceptable procedures but front to rear rotation is generally for directional tread designs. Incidentally, since Toyota equips the HL and RX with less than stellar OE tires, I find it difficult to follow their rotation advice.

Just a thought!

bikerjohn · October 2002

Thanks Cliffy for your idea, but, I let the moon roof close on its own. It is flush with the roof.

I'm guessing that it is either the roof rack or windshield molding, although they look the same to me, as on other Highlanders. I only get the wind noise with a head wind or side wind. On a still day or with a tail wind, all is quiet.

pepsi5mans · October 2002

I just brought a used 2001 highlander, a non-limited one, without the driving lights, and I want to have the auto alarm dealer to install for me. The driving light is going to be PIAA 5164 kit or similiar not the Toyota one, are there anyone out there have a similar one installed and if so, is it installed inside the dummy plug hole or is it on the bumper. How much does it cost for the parts as well as installation charges.

Since my 2001 highlander also does not have the
cargo cover, do anyone know how much and where can I get one ( a really good price). Thanks.

nippononly · October 2002

I had a car where I rotated the tires across the car, it led to problems with the steering pulling one way or the other...I was told that was an outmoded way to rotate and with the tires today (radials) it was not necessary - just to rotate front to back in order to compensate for the different wear from steering.

chop888 · October 2002

Got a letter from Toyota talking about a 8 year warranty on oil gelling. Letters says with regular oil changes gelling will not be a problem. Anyone ever hear of this problem or what it refers to???

bigorange30 · October 2002

for a while. It is now closed but it would be good reading for you. Here is the link to it.

kirstie_h "Toyota "sludge" problem acknowledged by Toyota." May 14, 2002 9:38am

Toyota Highlander

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