Toyota Highlander

wwest · March 2004

It's even tighter, which is way Toyota says snowchains on the rear is a no no.

grapevinetx · March 2004

Yes, I see what you mean, Wwest. Between the back side of the tire and the lower part of the strut assembly. I've been accused of having fat fingers, but I can't even get my pinky finger in there. There's probably still room for a 235 tire, but it seems like 245's or wider would rub without spacers.

jmbird01 · March 2004

I am currently in the market for an SUV and I thought I was sold on the '04 Pilot but than I rode in a '04 Highlander. I thought buy driving the HL I would be sold on the Pilot but just the opposite occured. One minor issue,(if you can call it that) is with the front armrest positioning. The armrests are attached to the seatback and move accordingly. How do some of you who like to sit in a more reclined position and use the armrest deal with the unadjustable armrest that moves upwards as well. Does this adjust and I just missed it?

Regards,

Jim

tkoimm · March 2004

My wife is considering either the Volvo v70/xc70 or a Highlander. I know Toyota cars have great resale value, but I'm wondering what the hybrid Highlander will do to the resale value of the non-hybrid version. It seems to me that with the price of gas at an all time high, and the fuel economy of the non-hybrid version being marginal, that a future buyer who want a Highlander will not want a gas guzzler when there's a fuel efficient hybrid Highlander available.....

lmacmil · March 2004

How long do you plan to keep it? The longer you own it, the less you have to worry about depreciation. I don't think the existance of a hybrid is going to affect used non-hybrid values significantly, at least it wouldn't for me.

carguy1234 · March 2004

I think it could have an impact, once people find out that you can get over 600 miles on a tank of gas in the hybrid Highlander, and run circles around the old version (0-60 in less than 8 seconds). All with SULEV emissions.

jbollt · March 2004

My take, is that it will be "several" thousand dollars more (somewhere I read starting at about $36,000) than the similarly-equiped non-hybrid. Which starts at about $25,000. Unknown standard equipment prevents an exact comparison, and we are not taking into account factory incentives...this is just my view...

Look at the Civic vs Civic hybrid, I know...different class of vehicle alltogether, but i think it is the onlyother comparison available to regular and hybrid versions of the same car. The regular Civic significantly outsells the hybrid new, and the KBB.com trade in values of both show that a one year old 2003 Civic EX autmatic w/side air bags and 15,000 miles retains 79% of it's new MSRP, and the Hybrid retains 76%.

Just my observations. I would love the idea of driving a hybrid, but the $ savings in gas doesn't justify the initial higher cost, and the resale value seems to be lower on the hybrid. I would guess that this will tend to change as the hybrids become more mainstream, but my personal opinion is that the Hybrid Highlandeer won't negatively effect the values of the regular version. There will still be pleanty of folks who want the lower initial enrty price. Just MHO All other ideas and thoughs are welcome. :-)

felt · March 2004

I have read a good deal about the Hybrid .... I am more than mildly interested. I tend to keep a car a long time (my Acura is a 1992 with 178,000 miles). The one factor that seems to "cool" my interest in the Hybrid is the battery replacement. I have read they are only good for 100,000 or so miles, and cost something like $1000 to replace. That adds to the cost/mile.

wwest, I think you have a Hybrid. Any comments on your experience with yours?

Happy HL'ing to all.

dgrayson · March 2004

Plan on the battery lasting well over 100,000 miles as the first gen. Prius has shown to do.

As for initial cost, if you are planning on buying this year, plan on paying MSRP at a minimum and the majority of them will be made in the Limited so $36,000 is a good starting point for price.

I am extremely interested in the hybrid but I am going to hold off until they become much more available and dealers are willing to deal. Supply is being kept low on purpose in order to drive up demand and help get dealers pushing these cars. It also makes good press to say "we can't make enough of them". --Hogwash!!! There will be much bigger supply in a couple of years but right now Toyota is keeping supply down in order to increase the demand!

eastern1 · March 2004

Just completed 2,400 mile round trip to Florida from Annapolis, MD in '04 with V6 and AWD. Avg 23.3 mpg on mostly highway, above 70, AC on 20% of time. We were fully loaded, 3 people plus dog and all the luggage.

Highlander was flawless and a pleasure to drive on the trip. Loved all the space that our car doesn't have. Not as smooth or quiet as my Lexus ES, but the Highlander is not a Lexus so my expectations were met and quite well. The HL provided a very comfortable, roomy ride.

eastern1 · March 2004

Noticed an older post in this forum from "ohmygosh" on 2/29 about it being hard to tell if moonroof closes all the way. I suspect that his/her moonroof has not been properly normalized or initialized, because when it is, you don't need to guess--the moonroof will close properly and all the way in an automatic fashion with one brief touch of the button. We had this problem when we first took delivery of the vehicle and it was very easy to fix. Dealer should have caught this at prep, but apparently some slip through.

You can fix this yourself simply by following the moonroof normalization routine described on p. 34 of the manual that came with the vehicle. Follow the instructions, precisely, on that page in the section that describes what to do if you had disconnected the battery (even though you hadn't).

mckeown · March 2004

Having an '04 Highlander since Halloween, my wife just passed 4.5k on the speedometer. Now the Maint Req'd light flashes after startup. The Manual states it will flash and when we hit 5K, it will be on soild as a reminder that it's time for Service. Being a neighborhood mechanic for over 35yrs, I will service it myself.
After reading thru the Service Manual I came across the proceedure to reset this. (keep in mind, it starts the counter again to flash at 4.5K then come on solid again at 5K FROM the mileage it is reset from).
With the key in the ON/RUN position, push the odometer button until ODO is displayed.
Turn the key to OFF
Push and Hold the odometer button while turning the key to the ON/RUN position.
Hold for 5 seconds......Counter now reset to warn at the next 4.5k interval and come on solid 5k from now.
Hope this info helps other 'shade tree' mechanics.

lmacmil · March 2004

Is this the oil change reminder?

lmacmil · March 2004

How many miles at the start of your trip? I got only 19.7 on a 200 mile trip last weekend but I've got less than 1000 miles on the car. Similar speeds but no A/C and only 2 with no luggage to speak of.

flowerpower · March 2004

i have noticed that there is no longer any discussion about the unbearable whistling noise when the rear windows are partially down and going 50-70 mph. has this been resolved by toyota or this still an issue on the 04 's. thanks for any input from owners.

hlfan · March 2004

This has nver been an issue imho, just open the moonroof or a front window, and the noise is gone. Anyone complaining about this (of the soft brakes) are just looking for excuses to bash a great car....

larryt22 · March 2004

Yesterday I took delivery of a new Camry and a new Highlander. I have never owned a Toyota product before. I have to thank everyone who has posted to the Highlander and Camry message boards over the past 6 months as your comments heavily influenced my decision to buy Toyotas. I hope that I will have the great experiences that most of you have had and will have the same passion for the products after I have had them awhile.

jackmick656 · March 2004

If someone discusses the shortcomings of the Highlander it is not meant to bash a so called great car. Case in point, the soft brakes of the HL. Several magazine reviews from 2001 to the present mention the soft brakes on the HL. I own a 2003 HL and the brakes are very soft. That being said I think the HL is a good car, not a great car. The braking system on any vehicle should be 100%, 80% is unacceptable.

typesix · March 2004

As a new owner of a 2004 HL, there still is a wind noise. My son opened the passenger side rear window all the way down at 30 mph and the popping sound could easily be heard. All other windows were closed. The brakes feel fine to me. Only when making fast stops does the brake pedal seem to go down a lot. Most of the time I try to brake gently and it mostly feels like my 89 Camry.

lmacmil · March 2004

The Highlander brakes feel like the Toyota chief brake engineer likes them to feel. I can guarantee you they meet all applicable federal regulations. My own opinion is that they feel just fine and not noticeably different from the Explorer we traded or the Olds Intrigue I drive daily.

felt · March 2004

I think the issue has more to do with physics ... and air compression. My other car has the same problem, and I suspect most do as well. In the old days, a small vent window at the front window could be opened to deflect the air. It worked well. But in those days, there was no A/C. I suppose the problem is more noticable when there are children sitting in the back and opening the windows. I rarely even want to open the rear windows.
Happy HL'ing to all.

junepug · March 2004

The brakes on my 2003 nl Highlander are no more soft than the brakes on the two Jeep Cherokees that preceded the Highlander. I do not care what the magazines say, since the brakes on both the Highlander and the Camry have stopped the cars in plenty of time in emergencies. I definitely feel that these cars are the best we have ever had. We have been purchasing autos since 1964. The only car I liked more than my Highlander was a 1969 Volvo P1800 2 seat sports car and it gave me some problems in the beginning.

junepug · March 2004

Is there a way to remove the armrest from the car for cleaning? If so, is it a simple procedure to remove and replace?
The reason I wish to remove them for cleaning is all of the cleaning agents have an odor that agrivates my sinuses.

2003tls · March 2004

Has anyone had their Highlander with the dark privacy glass tinted? I want to tint the front side windows (35% tint is legal here in Hawaii on all side windows and rear windshield) but was curious if there is a need or benefit to tint the already dark (darker than the tint) privacy glass. I wouldn't think so, but what do you think?

landdriver · March 2004

I think someone mentioned this in one of the other HL boards, but to remove the armrest remove the plastic cap at the pivot point using a knife or slotted screwdriver (cover with masking tape to protect the armrest and plastic cap; if I remember correctly you may need to push in firmly to release a snap) and unscrew the bolt thus exposed.

angiepdx · March 2004

Thank you to "eastern1" user.. I took my 2004 Highlander into Toyota and had the moonroof normalized yesterday. This is indeed talked about on page 34 of the manual but I couldn't seem to get the procedure to work. So thats why I took it in. I've had it for about 3 weeks <compltely love it too!> and noticed that I was having a hard time telling whether or not the moonroof was closed. I wouldn't have know that it needed to be "normalized" without seeing this post. Now when I touch the button just once, it fully opens and closes on its own. No longer do I need to look to see if it really closed all the way manually.

Just wanted to share those of you that have a moonroof.

Angie
=======================================
#9160 of 9174 Moonroof operation by eastern1 Mar 17, 2004 (7:57 am)
Noticed an older post in this forum from "ohmygosh" on 2/29 about it being hard to tell if moonroof closes all the way. I suspect that his/her moonroof has not been properly normalized or initialized, because when it is, you don't need to guess--the moonroof will close properly and all the way in an automatic fashion with one brief touch of the button. We had this problem when we first took delivery of the vehicle and it was very easy to fix. Dealer should have caught this at prep, but apparently some slip through.

You can fix this yourself simply by following the moonroof normalization routine described on p. 34 of the manual that came with the vehicle. Follow the instructions, precisely, on that page in the section that describes what to do if you had disconnected the battery (even though you hadn't).

bdyment · March 2004

I am considering the addition of a hood deflector due the number of stone chips I have been receiving on my new 04 Limited.

What is your experience with automatic car washes and stone deflectors. Are they safe to take through a soft cloth car wash?

Any information would be appreciated.

nimrod99 · March 2004

I was wondering if anyone knows about or can explain - how the HL transmission ECU learns ones driving style and adjusts accordingly?.

Maybe it doesn't do that - but I seem to recall reading about it somewhere.

If it does have the ability to "map" the shift points etc, how does one reset it - or will it continue to relearn a new style?

thanks

wwest · March 2004

But how does it learn different driver's style??

It may adjust, learn, for each individual restart of the engine but it can in no way know who just restarted the engine and thereby which "style" to use.

nimrod99 · March 2004

With regard to learning styles etc, it wasn't as simplified as from engine start to engine start.

I was led to believe it was an algorithm that over time (say 10's of starts and 100's of hours of driving) collected data on how the car was driven. Does the car endure rapid acceleration when moving up through the gears - or does the driver use a light foot?. I assumed the data was moving average data set.

It in no was could predict who was driving - but it would take into consideration the last "x" hours of driving and use the appropriate algorithm.

My original question pertained to how big a sample it was using to determine the appropriate settings, and how long would it take to relearn a new driving style (say if one normally drove a short commute - lots of stops and starts, then one found a new job - and new commute on a freeway).

Thanks

hlfan · March 2004

I can only answer one of your questions : to reset remove battery terminals for 5 mins. This will likely screw up you sunroof normalization, and tire pressure warning. Apart from that, no fear.

IMHO, it does learn (and so did I). Initially the AT and me hated each other; I was in a different gear every 30 secs, this being my first AT. Now at least, we respect each other, although with some lingering feelings of blame.

carenthusiast1 · March 2004

I have had my 2003 4 cylinder front wheel drive highlander for 8 months now and I must say it is a perfect car. Everything about it screams perfection from the fit and finish(made in Japan..Yay) to the mechanics and engine. The 4 is plenty powerful for the type of driving that I do and there is no timing belt to change. I have owned a 1985 celica,1090 maxima , just bought a 1997 camry , and our 1995 volvo 850 station wagon died a chain reaction death with 133,000 miles on it( coolant leak from water pump caused timing belt to break and engine to seize) This volvo was in the shop every 4 mos and cost a fortune to fix every time. I will never buy another volvo and probably will only buy toyota or japanese for the rest of my driving days. Regarding the brakes on the highlander, they are absolutely fantastic with superb braking power and control. The highlander has two computerized brake functions... EBD electronic brake distribution which basically guarantees that all the braking power is delivered evenly to all wheels. It also has EBA which stands for emergence brake assist. When the computer detects an emergency braking situation, it forces the brake pedal down further and faster than you could do yourself, effectively helping you stop the vehicle easier and faster than without it. Perhaps this is what some readers are confusing with a mushy brake pedal. This highlander is the most perfect car mechanically that I have ever owned and I look forward to changing the oil every 5000 miles for the next 25,000 miles with no other mechanical difficulties.

lmacmil · March 2004

EBA doesn't actually "force the pedal down." It opens the valve inside the power brake booster to its full open position faster than the driver could do it. It effectively improves the driver response time and thus shortens stopping distance. During a normal apply, EBA has no effect so I doubt that's what people are referring to as a mushy pedal. FWIW, the pedal feel on my 2004 HL is just fine but one man's fine may be another man's mushy. Pedal feel is subjective.

nimrod99 · March 2004

Does this only apply to 2004 models?

I thought the moonroof has limit switches on the limits of travel (and closed position)

Thanks

wwest · March 2004

My wife and I drive both cars at different, varying times. If the ECU learns over different trips, its life could get very confusing since our driving styles vary greatly.

nimrod99 · March 2004

I am only asking about something that may not even exist?
In the case where you and your wife drive the same vehicle - if the ECU "learning" feature did exist - then it would simply average the extremes of driving inputs. Obviously - it wouldn't know who was driving - just that it had a bigger range of data to deal with.

I have emailed Toyota for an technical input.

jackmick656 · March 2004

Regarding message#9181: There is no such thing as a perfect car, including the Bently. The brakes on the 03 Highlander are not absolutely fantastic.

desertguy · March 2004

Wrong. The perfect car is in the eye of the beholder. If he thinks it is perfect, it is and no one can tell him/her otherwise. Each to his own I guess.

jackmick656 · March 2004

I am right down the I-10 from you in La Quinta, CA.I own a 2003 HL V6, not perfect but close. If only those darn brakes were better. Oh well, maybe they will grow on me. Then it might be perfect.

nimrod99 · March 2004

Here is the response from Toyota.
"The ECU will self-adjust to accommodate an individual's driving habits/style. This adjustment will take place over a period of time and does not require any resetting of any kind. We apologize; we do not have any technical documents available for customers that explain this operation more thoroughly."

I would still like to know what it adjusts and what the length of the "period" of time is.

wwest · March 2004

"accommodate an individual's driving habits......"

Not two individuals, AN individual.

Two drivers or more and you get "DOES NOT COMPUTE!".

nimrod99 · March 2004

What are you trying to say?

"An individual" - must translate to mean the period of time for "sampling" must be shorter than the time interval between starting and stopping the engine.

I haven't given up yet - I have made enquiries at several other Toyota bulletin boards that specialize in performance enhancement relating to ECU's

spencer327 · March 2004

after 6 months and 5000 miles on my 2004 HL V6 awd
nav, LTD My impressions are
Dislikes:
1 No rear opening window(why 4 runner etc not HL)
2 mushy brakes(pump once to get pedal up)
3 slow 1 to 2 tranny shift (1 sec)
4 interior lighting on secondary controls almost
nonexistant (windows steering wheel)
5 cruise should be on steering wheel
6 can't set Nav system while in motion. Real annoying since my passenger(wife and I travel alot and would like to reprogram on the move)
7 Can't reset average mpg, so one cannot check mpg on various legs of a trip.
8 No telescoping steering wheel
9 Heated seats need more heat
Likes:
1 Power
2 Handling /ride(firm not harsh)
3 size (both in and out)
4 AWD (snowy winter weather did not stop this HL)
5 Solid feel (feels like it has lasting quality)
For me this would be a perfect vehicle if Toyota would address the dislikes.As it is its darn good
It would'nt take much to be perfect.

lmacmil · March 2004

We have only had ours for a month so less than 1000 miles so far. Leave Friday for a 1500 jaunt. My wife is primary driver.

1. She never used this on our Explorer though I did.
2. Ours are not mushy.
3. No delay in 1-2 shift.
4. Not enough night driving to have noticed this.
5. agree
6. don't have nav
7. not a problem for us. This isn't accurate enough anyway.
8. Never had this so don't miss it.
9. Haven't used them yet.

I'm in agreement with your likes. My wife loves the vehicle. Better ride, better power, better mileage and much more refined than the 1996 Explorer we traded. We do miss the automatic door locks though.

angiepdx · March 2004

I am responding to an earlier post.
I do have a Limited 2004 Highlander with the bug guard (or hood deflector) and have taken my Highlander through the automatic car wash with no problems at all. In fact a Kaddy Car Wash in Portland, OR to be exact.

Hope that helps.

Angie

===============================
I am considering the addition of a hood deflector due the number of stone chips I have been receiving on my new 04 Limited.

What is your experience with automatic car washes and stone deflectors. Are they safe to take through a soft cloth car wash?

Any information would be appreciated.

bdyment · April 2004

Thanks Angiepdx for your information regarding your car wash experience.

b767 · April 2004

2) mushy brake, had originally but found after a couple of occasions of needing a very hard brake application the brakes no longer have the mushy initial movement. (2001 V6 2wd VSC)

7) display avg mpg press and hold, it will reset to 0 and start a fresh avg until you reset again, works the same for avg mph

Other items, glove rattle started a while ago, found the glove box light switch rattles when vibrated by the door in closed position, no rattle when door open. Applied a bit of foam weather strip on either side of the latch next to the existing 2 rubber bumpers and no rattles heard any more.

Only other change was to switch to the Michelin CrossTerrains in the stock size, very happy with them.

bdyment · April 2004

To b767:

Can't reset average mpg by pressing and holding button for 2004 models. Toyota changed this worthwhile item for 2004. Only way to reset is put gas in the tank.

spencer327 · April 2004

I would love to put different tires on but can't find a replacement for the optional 17" tires that came on my HL. 225/65. These are a real oddball size. Plenty of 235/65/17 around but I am concerned about clearances. Anybody?

wwest · April 2004

I put 1.2" spacers all around and 17X8 wheels on my 01 AWD RX, wider stance, more stable, less subject to rollover, and I was able to use rear snowchains ONLY to get me through this year's snow and ice storm.

Toyota Highlander

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