IllustrationAFTER ONLY 64,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER STARTED SKIPPING. WHEN I ACCELERATED, THE CAR WOULD JUMP/SKIP. THIS COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSED A WRECK. *TR
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Highlander years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
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
360–25K
1525–50K
3150–75K
3875–100K
74100–150K
19150K+
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
Power Train complaints
13 reports2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, 4 CYL , AUTO TRANS. BETWEEN 25 AND 45 MPH, WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKE ON THE AUTO AND THEN PRESS THE GAS TO RESUME YOUR FORWARD TRAVEL, THERE IS A KICK (LIKE A LOOSENESS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND DRIVE SHAFT) FOLLOWED BY THE MOTOR REVVING AS IT SHOULD AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTING. I WENT TO THE DEALER W…
Read full complaint
2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, 4 CYL , AUTO TRANS. BETWEEN 25 AND 45 MPH, WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKE ON THE AUTO AND THEN PRESS THE GAS TO RESUME YOUR FORWARD TRAVEL, THERE IS A KICK (LIKE A LOOSENESS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND DRIVE SHAFT) FOLLOWED BY THE MOTOR REVVING AS IT SHOULD AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTING. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME YES, THERE IS A LOOSENESS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LOT OF RUBBER CONNECTORS HOLDING THE DIFFERENTIAL AND DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY TO THE VEHICLE FRAME. OVER TIME THEY HAD FATIGUED (31000 MILES). THE DEALER TOOK NO ACTION. I HAVE A REGISTERED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA (200508090110). A FINAL END RESULT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENTIAL AND ATTACHED DRIVE SHAFT FALLING OFF THE AUTO WHILE IT IS IN MOTION CAUSING A SERIOUS INJURY OR FATAL CRASH. *NM
DT: THE CONTACT NOTICED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT SHE REACHED OVER TO GET SOMETHING AND HIT THE GEAR SHIFT WITH HER HAND AND WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT. HER CONCERN IS THAT IF THE CAR IS IN LOW DRIVE, SECOND GEAR OR NEUTRAL IT CAN BE SHIF…
Read full complaint
DT: THE CONTACT NOTICED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT SHE REACHED OVER TO GET SOMETHING AND HIT THE GEAR SHIFT WITH HER HAND AND WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT. HER CONCERN IS THAT IF THE CAR IS IN LOW DRIVE, SECOND GEAR OR NEUTRAL IT CAN BE SHIFTED, THIS DEFECT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CONTACT CALLED TOYOTA, AND THEY SAID THIS WAS A SAFETY FEATURE WHICH WAS MEANT TO DO THAT. CONSUMER WAS NEVER TOLD BY DEALER THAT THIS WAS A FEATURE OF VEHICLE. SHE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND WAS A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE WITHOUT PRESSING THE BUTTON. *SB
Official recalls
204V181000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.