2003 Toyota Highlander problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (35) · Vehicle Speed Control (24) · Engine And Engine Cooling (22)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Highlander model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
213 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (113)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Structure:body 2024-12-03 · T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. this type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surfa
Structure:body 2024-07-12 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Showing the 6 most recent of 113 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2023-05-25 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control“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 in…”
2023-03-22 · Unknown Or Other“ the hood latch cable inside the vehicle when pulled did not allow the hood to open now the secondary hood latch is stuck in the closed position and will not release..i have to use a strap from wheel opening to wheel opening to keep my hood secure so when i am driving my hood won't open at high speeds…”
2020-11-11 · Unknown Or Other“passenger window has had to be fixed multiple times. comes off the track and will not close. have had interior damage because of it…”
2019-10-22 · Engine · 140,000 mi“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 overheat…”
2019-10-15 · Air Bags · 126,000 mi · 💥 crash“head on collision air bags did not deploy speeds 25-40 mph…”
2019-09-26 · Air Bags · 216,616 mi · 💥 crash“i was in motion when we hit a cow going 45mph that jumped out at my husband and i my air bags did not deploy the car is totaled was city street…”
2019-01-28 · Wheels · 200,000 mi · 💥 crash“tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. while driving 40 mph on ice, the power steering seized and the rear driver's side wheel locked up. as a result, the vehicle spun out and crashed into a snow mound. the air bags did not deploy. there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. the dealer and…”
2019-01-14 · Suspension · 122,200 mi“rear forward control arm broke in half under normal driving. this is a hollow shaft, which seems inadequate, and creates a danger of loss of rear axel and or wheel.…”
2018-10-03 · Vehicle Speed Control · 185,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. while driving 20 mph, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated at high speeds without warning. the contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop and turn off the engine. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not m…”
2018-03-29 · Visibility/Wiper · 100,000 mi“the headlight lenses are completely fogged and impairs driving after dusk. this is a safety issue and a recall should be issued…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.