2003 Toyota Highlander

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2003 Toyota Highlander do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 186.5.

Counts are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. A lower count does not establish that a car is problem-free.

About this comparison →

258Owner complaints

Model-year median: 186.5

2Recall campaigns

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0Investigations

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Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗ Model-level counts do not show whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Inspection summary

2003 Toyota Highlander

NHTSA snapshot: September 18, 2026. 258 owner complaints · 2 recall campaigns · 0 investigations.

Counts are not failure probabilities and are not adjusted for sales, age, mileage exposure or reporting. One report may name several categories. Comparison method and limitations.

Top reported categories (up to 5)

Engine And Engine Cooling: 46 reports
Engine: 41 reports
Visibility: 31 reports
Vehicle Speed Control: 28 reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 22 reports

Full reported-category list and vehicle report

Recall links

Check a VIN with NHTSA. Model-level history does not establish whether a particular VIN is affected or repaired.

Print the top reported categories, recall links, snapshot date and comparison limits.

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year

Compare all Highlander years →

Counts vary with age, sales, mileage exposure and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Engine And Engine Cooling

46 Engine

41 Visibility

31 Vehicle Speed Control

28 Service Brakes, Hydraulic

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

0–25K

25–50K

50–75K

75–100K

100–150K

150K+

213 reports with mileage · 45 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

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

Equipment Adaptive/mobility complaints

1 reports

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44,000 miles · Aug 14, 2014

Equipment Adaptive/mobilitySeat Belts

Read full complaint

DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT NYLON WEBBING (ACTUAL BELT PORTION) HAS STARTED TO SEVERELY UNRAVEL IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PLACES. I FEEL THIS IS A FACTORY DEFECT IN MATERIALS; HOWEVER, LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED INFORMS ME THAT IT WILL COST ME $270 TO REPLACE THIS BELT. COST SO HIGH BECAUSE THE WHOLE MECHANISM MUST BE REPLACED...NOT JUST WEBBING. I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN ON A FIXED INCOME & CANNOT AFFORD TO REPLACE THE BELT @ THIS COST. I FEEL MANUFACTURER SHOULD REPLACE @ NO CHARGE SINCE A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME TOYOTA CUSTOMER & THIS IS MY 1ST COMPLIANT EVER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10622392

Recall campaigns

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 ↗

Defect investigations

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.

An investigation is not a finding of a defect, and closure does not prove a vehicle is problem-free.