2003 Toyota Highlander Engine Problems

Automatically disengage the transmission Stopped the road Icalled my husband Myhusband came and together we got the car to a safe place.Then Icame home with my husband and he called the insurance company and had the car towed. Ifound a place to fix the car and they said the transmission was broken and it cost about 6500 dollars.Icontacted the insurance company said they couldn’t help.The car was towed home and is not available.

2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4 CYL. SERVICE BULLITON FROM THEM #310436. HEAD BOLTS COMING UNDONE INSIDE MOTOR CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MOTOR. BOLTS NOT HOLDING DOWN MFGR KNOWS ABOUT THIS. WAS A MANUFACTURING PROCESS THAT DID NOT WORK. ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM THIS IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM REPORTED. READS ALMOST LIKE A PLAY BOOK ON HOW THE MOTOR OVERHEATS AND FAILS, TOLD HEADGASKET, AFTER OPENING UP THE MOTOR IT IS FOUND THAT THE HEAD BOLTS BACKED OUT. TOYOTA IS NORMALLY A GREAT CAR. I STILL OWE MONEY ON THIS CAR AND TOYOTA IS BASICALLY NOT TAKING CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND LEAVING US OUT TO DRY. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AND QUICKLY OVERHEATED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN A SHORT DISTANCE. EASILY CAN LEAVE ONE STRANDED. NO STEAM OUT THE TAILPIPE AND WATER GUSHED OUT SIDE OF MOTOR. DEALER LEFT MOTOR APART WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP AFTER BEING DRAGGED ABOUT. THEY PROMISED TO FIX IT AT FIRST AS THEY DUG INTO THE MOTOR THEY BACKED OUT OF THEIR WORD.

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.

THE ENGINE OVERHEATED SUDDENLY, BLOWING HOT AIR FROM THE AC AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT UP. WE MANAGED TO GET HOME AND GET TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY. THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TOLD US THE ENGINE BOLTS STRIPPED DUE TO THE BLOCK BEING SOFT, AND THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. THE ISSUE OF THE SOFT BLOCK WAS CONFIRMED IN A SUBSEQUENT SEARCH OF THE INTERNET. APPARENTLY TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS FLAW, BUT THERE IS NO WARRANTY REMEDY. THE 2003 INLINE 4-CYLINDER ENGINE IS THE MODEL WITH THE BOLT STRIPPING PROBLEM. NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP NOR ANOTHER JAPANESE AUTO REPAIR PLACE WOULD CONSIDER TRYING TO REPLACE THE BOLTS. THEY SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE SOFT METAL IN THE BLOCK, A NEW SET OF LARGER BORED BOLTS WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO HOLD. THE COST TO PUT IN ANOTHER ENGINE IS APPROXIMATELY THE VALUE OF THE CAR, IF THERE WERE USED ENGINES AVAILABLE. A NEW ENGINE WOULD BE IN THE $15K RANGE, MUCH MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. WE WILL LIKELY SELL THE CAR FOR SCRAP. WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR, WE FELT WE COULD REASONABLY EXPECT A 250K MILEAGE LIFE. THE ENGINE FAILED AT 128K. JUST HALF OF ITS USEFUL LIFE.

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON THE MORNING OF FEBRUARY 23, 2015. WHITE SMOKE EMERGED FROM VEHICLE AS I WAS DRIVING. THEN, THE VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING. MECHANIC INDICATES HEAD GASKETS WERE BLOWN AND SHORT BLOCK SCREWS STRIPPED AND BENT, LEAKING COOLANT ON MY 4 CYLINDER 2003 HIGHLANDER. HE REPAIRED THE SAME MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR THE PRIOR YEAR WITH THE SAME ISSUE. $69,000 FOR A NEW ENGINE. $44,00 FOR A REBUILT ONE. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY MECHANICAL ISSUES WITH THIS CAR SINCE I PURCHASED IT TWO YEARS OLD IN 2005. ALTHOUGH, I HAVE KEPT UP WITH THE SERVICING, THIS TYPE OF SUDDEN MALFUNCTION IS A SHOCKER. *TR

NEEDED TO HAVE A TOTAL ENGINE REBUILD DUE TO FAULTY HEAD BOLTS THAT STRIPPED AND ALLOWED COOLANT TO ENTER THE ENGINE AND BURN. LUCKY-I GUESS-THAT I ACTED QUICKLY SO AS TO AVERT CATALYTIC CONVERTER ISSUES OR SENSORS GETTING DAMAGED BY BURNING COOLANT. I ALSO AVOIDED THE TOTAL LOSS OF ANTIFREEZE AND THE RESULTING DAMAGE &/OR INCONVENIENCE THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAD. STILL, A HUGE INCONVENIENCE AND HUGE $5425.82 COST DUE TO MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT: WEAK METAL THAT COULDN'T WITHSTAND THE TORQUE/PULL ON THEM... PERHAPS THE THREADING PLAYED A PART. I ONLY KNOW THAT 1000S UPON 1000S OF PEOPLE SUFFERED THE SAME ISSUE FROM TOYOTA ON THIS ENGINE IN SEVERAL YEARS/MODELS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. THERE SHOULD BE COMPENSATION. *TR

I'VE HAD MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FOR ABOUT 11 YEARS NOW. I GOT IT AS BRAND NEW CAR AND I AM THE SINGLE OWNER AND WELL MAINTAINED CAR. AT ABOUT 138,000 MILES THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STARTED GOING UP , ALMOST TO RED. IT WOULD GO UP AND THEN DOWN TO NORMAL AND REPEAT. TURNED OUT I BLEW A HEAD GASKET. WHILE IT WAS AT THE SHOP BEING REPAIRED THEY FOUND THAT THE HEAD BOLTS WERE STRIPPED WHICH IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR ,MAKE AND TYPE OF ENGINE MY HIGHLANDER HAS. NOW THEY CAN IT WILL COST ME $4500 TO REBUILD THE ENGINE. REAL TOYOTA DESIGN PROBLEM, NEED ACTION AND SUPPORT FROM TOYOTA *JS

HEAD GASKET BOLTS STRIPPED OUT CAUSING COOLANT TO LEAK AND LOSS OF CYLINDER COMPRESSION. THIS OCCURRED ON A TOYOTA 2.4 LITER ENGINE. THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE MODE ON THESE ENGINES DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT. THE THREAD FATIGUES AT THE INTAKE SIDE OF THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE MANIFOLD IS PLASTIC AND THERE IS A RUBBER INSULATOR BETWEEN THE MANIFOLD AND BLOCK WHICH TRAPS THE HEAT IN THAT PART OF THE BLOCK AND FATIGUES THE ALUMINUM THREADS ON THE HEAD BOLTS. THIS HAPPENS ON MANY MODELS FROM 2001-2006 THAT UTILIZE THE TOYOTA 2.4 LITER ALUMINUM ENGINE. THIS IS A $2,500-$5,000 REPAIR. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS. I BELIEVE THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY IN FIXING THIS DESIGN PROBLEM. ENGINES SHOULDN'T FAIL AT 100,000 MILES WITHOUT CAUSE SUCH AS OVERLOADING OR ABUSE. I DON'T HAVE A TOW PACKAGE AND HAVE GARAGED THIS VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO CAUSE AND EFFECT. THIS FAILURE I'VE COME TO LEARN IS COMMON FOR THIS ENGINE. *TR

MY 4 CYLINDER ENGINE OVERHEATED VERY QUICK, VERY HIGH, CAUSING A GASKET TO BLOW. UPON REPAIRING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND GASKET, THE MECHANIC RAN INTO ANOTHER ISSUE THAT I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT HAPPENING TO OTHERS, THE THREADS ARE STRIPPED WHERE THEY HOLD THE ENGINE BLOCK. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WRITING ABOUT HAVING THIS ISSUE FOR IT BE A RARE OCCURRENCE FOR THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE. THE COSTS ARE HIGH TO FIX AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO HELP RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. *TR

HEAD GASKET FAILED, HEAD BOLTS STRIPPED, COOLANT LEAK, A/C BLOWS HOT. *TR

THE ENGINE WAS POURING ANTI FREEZE ON THE ROAD FROM THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE'S HEAD BOLTS WERE STRIPED CAUSING THE HEAD GASKET TO LEAK. THIS WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND EVEN SENT OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL DUE TO THE SAFETY OF OTHER CARS ON THE ROADWAY. THE EPA SHOULD ALSO BE INVOLVED DUE TO THE HAZARDOUS MATERIAL BEING PLACED IN THE GROUND. *TR

CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS SEPARATED FROM LOWER ENGINE BLOCK CAUSING A MAJOR COOLANT LEAK (ENG:2AZ-FE) HAD TO REPLACE ENGINE WITH A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE ONLY TO HAVE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN FORCING ME TO ONCE AGAIN REPLACE ENGINE WITH A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE AND THEIRS 22 COMPLAINTS ON CAR COMPLAINTS WEBSITE FOR SAME ISSUE, TOYOTA IS REFUSING RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

LEAK AT REAR OF ENGINE, UNDER INTAKE MANIFOLD. HEAD GASKET, OR WARPED HEAD. CYLINDER HEAD BOLT THREADS DAMAGED . TOYOTA SAID SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 2AZ-FE ENGINE MAY EXHIBIT DAMAGED CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS. *TR

I TOOK MY 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER TO THE GARAGE AFTER I NOTICED THAT COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK. IT HAD JUST GONE OVER 100,000 MILES AND WE BOUGHT IT NEW. I WAS TOLD THAT A HEAD GASKET WAS BLOWN WHICH WAS DUE TO A DEFECT SINCE THE ENGINE DIDN'T OVERHEAT. THERE WEREN'T ANY ISSUES OTHER THAN THE FLUID LEAKING. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT MANY OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE (HEAD GASKET BLOWN, LEAKING COOLANT, AND STRIPPED BOLTS ON THE BLOCK). I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING THAT THEY ARE NOT TAKING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR

MY 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ( 2.4L 4-CYLINDER) DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE ENGINE. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME IT HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET AND THAT THE BACK THREE HEAD BOLTS ARE COMPLETELY STRIPPED,ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. AFTER SOME RESEARCH ON THE COMPUTER I FIND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET TOYOTA TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR PROBLEM? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS CONTACTED AND THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOTOR BOLTS WERE STRIPPED, CAUSING RADIATOR FLUID TO LEAK. AS A RESULT, THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000. UPDATED 11/12/13*CN

DRIVING IN TOWN TRAFFIC, CAR OVERHEATED FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER HAVING THIS CAR. THOUGHT IT WAS PROBABLY A THERMOSTAT SO TOOK TO FIRESTONE, THEY CALLED AND SAID I HAVE A BLOWN HEAD GASKET! AT ONLY 95000 MILES. I HAVE BABIED AND HAD EVERY SINGLE REGULAR SERVICE DONE TO THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS THE FIRST NEW CAR I EVER BOUGHT. I THOUGHT TOYOTAS WERE LONG LASTING VEHICLES. APPARENTLY NOT. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH OVER $2000 DOLLARS TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. I'VE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN TOWN THAT I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THEY ARE GOING TO CALL ME TO LET ME KNOW IF THEY AGREE WITH FIRESTONE'S ASSESSMENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE HEAD BOLTS ARE ALSO STRIPPED IN THIS YEAR MODEL. I'M VERY UPSET THAT I COULDN'T PAY WHAT I PAID FOR THIS SUV (EXPENSIVE) AND HAVE IT EVEN MAKE IT TO 100,000 MILES. MY AMERICAN MADE CAR WENT TO 130,000 AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE OPPOSITE. TOYOTA NEEDS TO PAY FOR MY REPAIRS TO THIS VEHICLE!! I AM THE ONLY OWNER AND I'M NOT BUYING TOYOTA AGAIN...I'M VERY SAD. *TR

ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2.4L 4-CYLINDER ENGINE, SERVICED BY TOYOTA DEALER AND LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CARE WHEN THE ENGINE TEMP SHOT UP. PULLED OVER AND TOOK CAR TO SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. --- MY REPAIR SHOP SERVICEMAN TOLD ME THE RADIATOR WAS ALMOST EMPTY, AND IT LIKELY HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET - A $2500 REPAIR BY MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. BUT WHEN HE WENT TO TAKE OFF THE HEAD, THE BOLT CYLINDERS CAME OUT TOO, ALMOST ALL WERE LOOSE AND APPARENTLY CAUSED THE LEAKAGE OVER TIME. HE DIDN'T HAVE THE TOOLING TO FIX THE BOLT SLEEVE ISSUE, AND I'D NEED A WATER PUMP, TOO. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS ONLINE OF THIS HAPPENING WITH THIS ENGINE. TOYOTA SHOULD RECALL THIS TO RESTORE CONSUMER CONFIDENCE. *TR

ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2.4L 4-CYLINDER ENGINE, SERVICED BY TOYOTA DEALER AND LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. 4 MONTHS AGO IT WAS MAKING A FLUTTERING NOISE AND I HAD IT SERVICED, IT NEEDED AN OIL PAN GASKET, GOT A FULL OIL CHANGE, TOO. BUT APPARENTLY IT ALSO HAD A BAD WATER PUMP, AND HAD DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK, AND WAS BURNING OIL. -- WE NEVER NOTICED ANY WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT THE BACK, AND NO COOLANT TEMPERATURE VARIANCE, ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE AFTER WARMING UP. WE NEVER GOT A LOW OIL LIGHT WARNING, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WHILE DRIVING. --- THE SUV SHUT DOWN ON IT'S OWN JUST COMING OFF A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP. I STARTED IT UP AGAIN TO PULL OVER A BLOCK AWAY AND THEN SHUT IT OFF. IT STEAMED UP, OVERHEATED. THE TOW SERVICE GUY COULDN'T RESTART IT. --- MY REPAIR SHOP SERVICEMAN TOLD ME THE RADIATOR WAS ALMOST EMPTY, AND IT LIKELY HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET - A $2500 REPAIR BY MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. BUT WHEN HE WENT TO TAKE OFF THE HEAD, THE BOLT CYLINDERS CAME OUT TOO, ALMOST ALL WERE LOOSE AND APPARENTLY CAUSED THE LEAKAGE OVER TIME. HE DIDN'T HAVE THE TOOLING TO FIX THE BOLT SLEEVE ISSUE, AND I'D NEED A WATER PUMP, TOO. SO FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF ALL THE REPAIRS, KNOWN AND POSSIBLE FUTURE PROBLEMS, LIKE RUST OR OTHER WORN INTERNAL PARTS, HE RECOMMENDED A REBUILT ENGINE, WITH HIGHER QUALITY STEEL BOLT SLEEVES, (THE WAY THE ORIGINAL ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE). HE INVESTIGATED AND ALERTED ME TO THE COMPLAINTS ONLINE, AND REMINDED ME TO KEEP THE REPAIR RECEIPTS. --- I AM DEVASTATED, AND HAD TO BORROW MONEY FROM RETIREMENT TO PAY FOR THIS, SINCE THE KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE WAS STILL A FEW THOUSAND HIGHER THAN THE REPAIR COST. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND SERVICED IT WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF DRIVING IT FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 50K MILES. IT NEVER HAD A SINGLE OVERHEAT PROBLEM, RAN LIKE A TOP, DRIVING ME BACK AND FORTH TO WORK 45 MIN AWAY. *TR

ENGINE STARTED TO LEAK COOLANT FROM THE HEAD GASKET, AND AFTER A COUPLE DAYS WAS LEAKING ABOUT A GALLON A DAY. AT THAT POINT I STOPPED DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THEY SAID IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE HEAD GASKET BECAUSE THE HEAD BOLTS ARE STRIPED OUT. COST WOULD BE AROUND $5000 BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE STRIPED DOWN AND TAKEN TO A MACHINE SHOP TO BE FIXED. AND MORE THEN LIKELY IT WOULD NEED A NEW MOTOR BLOCK. I STILL HAVEN'T HAD THE CAR FIXED BECAUSE I CANT AFFORD TO SPEND THAT KIND OF MONEY RIGHT NOW. I HAVE DONE ALOT OF RESEARCH ON THIS AND SEEMS MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE 2003 HIGHLANDER. THIS FOR SURE IS A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE HIGHLANDER AND TOYOTA WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND HELP RESOLVE THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. I WROTE SEVERAL LETTERS TO TOYOTA AND THAT IS BASICALLY THE SAME ANSWER I GOT EVERY TIME. *TR