2003 Toyota Highlander: problems, recalls and reliability

“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 40 mph on ice, the power steering seized and the rear driver's side wheel locked up. As a result, the vehicle spun out and crashed into a snow mound. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's home. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 200,000.”Owner report · Wheels · Jan 2019

“Rear forward control arm broke in half under normal driving. This is a hollow shaft, which seems inadequate, and creates a danger of loss of rear axel and or wheel.”Owner report · Suspension · Jan 2019

“Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated at high speeds without warning. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop and turn off the engine. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Sep 2018

“Head bolts stripped in engine , 66k miles - coolant loss - all mechanics prefer to swap engine - toyota service shop by me quoted me 5,000 for an engine and 1 year warranty. The car is worth 8,000 tops. Heartbroken by this - will have to find a way to make repairs on my own and hope to drive again.”Owner report · Engine · Feb 2018

“Check engine light keeps reporting an issue and despite takata recall - spending thousands of dollars on coded repairs, the light comes back on. I have spent numerous dollars to replace cat converter, 2 sets of injectors, fuel pump, on and on......within 2 days, the light is back on. I saw a service campaign release 12/6/2006, but my 4 cylinder highlander VIN does not show up on your list. Next would be a class action suit for lost monies?”Owner report · Electrical System · May 2017

“Tl* the contact owned a 2003 toyota highlander. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated independently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to effectively slow down the vehicle. The gear shifter button was pushed into drive and the vehicle sped forward and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure recurred twice prior to the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was destroyed. *js”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Dec 2016

“Driver side sun visor falls from the up position down into the sight path directly in front of the drivers face blocking the view of the road through the windshield. This is due to the tension / resistance to keep it in an up position against the headliner diminishing over time. Occurs repeatedly without warning from road turbulence / bumps. Same issue in the toyota camry which has been recalled.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2016