2003 Toyota Highlander engine problems
41 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2003 Toyota Highlander — 16% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“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…”
filed May 25, 2023
“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…”
filed Oct 22, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Engine problems in other Highlander years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Highlander | 4 | 10% |
| 2023 Highlander | 27 | 16% |
| 2022 Highlander | 10 | 4% |
| 2021 Highlander | 44 | 9% |
| 2020 Highlander | 16 | 5% |
| 2019 Highlander | 69 | 15% |
| 2018 Highlander | 33 | 13% |
| 2017 Highlander | 44 | 17% |
| 2016 Highlander | 9 | 8% |
| 2015 Highlander | 9 | 5% |
| 2014 Highlander | 3 | 2% |
| 2013 Highlander | 31 | 15% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2003 Toyota Highlander
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.