Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 46 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Engine. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Visibility. Review the 31 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

33 crash reports1 fire reports10 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

46 reports

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73,000 miles · Sep 28, 2007

Engine And Engine Cooling

SUDDEN RAPID INCREASE IN ENGINE TEMPERATURE. MECHANIC FOUND LEAK AT BACK OF HEAD GASKET. TWO BOLTS TO ENGINE BLOCK WERE LOOSE ENOUGH TO BE REMOVED BY HAND AND NEW BOLTS COULD NOT BE REINSTALLED DUE TO DEFECT IN THREADS. ONLY REPAIR SAID TO BE NEW ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY WELL MAINTAINED AND HAD 73,000 MILES. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10204403

20,000 miles · Jul 11, 2007

Engine And Engine Cooling

2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 4WD 45000 MILES. IT WA S ALREADY MORE THAN 2 YEARS I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEM AS 'DESCRIBED IN NHTSA RECALL 100I0160 000- CONCERNING ACCESSORY DRIVE BELT SQUEAL/ BELT TENSIONER RATTLES. DEALERSHIP RESPONSE WAS THAT NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 100I0160 DIDN'T APPLY TO V6 HIGHLANDERS. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10196119

67,000 miles · Apr 17, 2007

Engine And Engine Cooling

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1) NOTICED RADIATOR FLUID SLOWLY LEAKING UNDER BOTTOM (TOWARDS BACK OF ENGINE). HAD MECHANIC CHECK ENGINE, - WAS LEAKING AT BACK OF HEAD GASKET, TOOK APART ENGINE AND NOTICED 3 BACK BOLTS TO ENGINE BLOCK (HEADS) COULD BE REMOVED BY HAND. WHEN HEADS WERE FIXED COULD NOT INSTALL NEW BOLTS (WOULD NOT TIGHTEN) - MECHANIC SAID THERE IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT - NO THREADS. 2) CANNOT FIX ENGINE - NEED NEW ENGINE 3) TRYING TO GET TOYOTA TO PAY FOR REPAIR - IN PROGRESS WITH THEM NOW - NO RESOLUTION YET. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10188165

2,800 miles · Apr 3, 2004

Engine And Engine Cooling

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A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE PURCHASE OF MY NEW 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, IT HAS DEVELOPED A PRONOUNCED "TICKING" SOUND WITHIN THE ENGINE. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD MEAN THAT A PROBLEM IS DEVELOPING, AND IT IS ALSO AN ANNOYING SOUND IN AN OTHERWISE QUIET VEHICLE. I AM GOING TO REPORT THIS TO TOYOTA VIA THEIR WEB SITE. THIS VEHICLE COST ME ALMOST $35K AND I DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS PROBLEM IS INSIGNIFICANT NOR SHOULD BE IGNORED BY THE DEALER. SHOULD I CHOOSE TO SELL THE VEHICLE, I WOULD SUSPECT THIS WILL SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THE PRICE I COULD ASK AND MAY EVEN PREVENT ME FROM UNLOADING IT ALTOGETHER. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10064456

160 miles · Apr 1, 2004

Engine And Engine Cooling

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MY 2003 HIGHLANDER LIMITED 6-CYL. 4WD VEHICLE HAS A LOUD AUDIBLE CLICKING NOISE (SOUNDS LIKE VALVE LIFTERS TICKING) EMINATING FROM THE ENGINE SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW FROM PAGE TOYOTA IN JAN '2003. THE CLICKING NOISE IS ONLY PRESENT WHEN THE ENGINE IS RUNNING. THE CLICKING NOISE IS ALWAYS AUDIBLE BUT THE VOLUME DECREASES AS THE VEHICLE REACHES NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE.THE CLICKING NOISE IS VERY LOUD WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD. THE CLICKING NOISE FREQUENCY INCREASES WITH INCREASING ENGINE RPM AND DECREASES WITH DECREASING ENGINE RPM. THE TOYOTA RED HOLMAN CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE CLICKING NOISE IS NORMAL AND CAN NOT BE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED. *AK

NHTSA ODI #10064343

Mileage unknown · Dec 29, 2003

Engine And Engine Cooling

TWO MONTHS AFTER BUYING MY NEW 2003 HIGHLANDER IT DEVELOPED A LOUD TICKING IN THE ENGINE. TOYOTA TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS COMMON AFTER 3000 MILES OR SO BUT THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT, NOR COULD IT BE FIXED. I THINK THIS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES THE VALUE OF THE VEHICLE SINCE I HAVE HAD PASSENGERS ASK ME WHAT WAS WRONG WITH…

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NHTSA ODI #10051257

Official recalls

04V181000 · Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

Apr 15, 2004

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A CHILD PROTECTION LOCK (CPL) SYSTEM ON BOTH OF THE REAR SIDE DOORS. WHEN AN OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE CLOSES THE DOOR VERY HARD WITH THE CPL LEVER SET TO THE LOCK POSITION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEVER MAY CONTACT THE BODY PANEL, CAUSING THE CPL LEVER TO MOVE INTO THE UNLOCK POSITION.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPENED WITH THE INSIDE WHILE THE OPERATOR BELIEVES THAT THE CPL WAS ACTIVATED. IF THE DOOR WERE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AN OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT AND BE INJURED.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL SHORTEN THE CPL LEVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

02V339000 · Wheels

Dec 17, 2002

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FIVE FACTORY ALLOY WHEELS (MODEL 6934 AND 6936), WITH FACTORY LLAT, AND WITH PORT INSTALLED WR4, FOUR ALLOY WHEEL UPGRADE PROCESSED AT THE JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA PORT AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE PROCESSED AT THE PORT, AN ALLOY TIRE/WHEEL UPGRADE WAS INSTALLED. THE UPGRADE INCLUDED 4 ALLOY WHEELS. THE ORIGINAL SPARE TIRE/ALLOY WHEEL WAS NOT CHANGED. THE SPARE TIRE REQUIRES THE USE OF A DIFFERENT STYLE OF WHEEL NUT TO ATTACH IT TO THE VEHICLE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF THE SPARE TIRE/WHEEL IS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE USING THE WHEEL NUTS PROVIDED FOR THE UPGRADE ALLOY WHEEL, DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL COULD RESULT AND COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A LOOSE WHEEL.

Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH DIFFERENT STYLE LUG NUTS, A WARNING LABEL FOR THE SPARE RE/ALLOY WHEEL, AND AN OWNER'S MANUAL ADDENDUM.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.