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2003 Toyota HIGHLANDER Engine And Engine Cooling Problems, Complaints and Defects

Issue ID	899349
Internal NHTSA #	10441759
Manufacurer	TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
Brand	TOYOTA
Model	HIGHLANDER
Model Year	2003
File date	01/05/10
Component	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Product type code	VEHICLE
Description of the problem	The engine on this vehicle required a complete rebuild, at a cost of over $5000 due to oil leaking into the engine and fouling the components. In the months leading up to the complete engine failure, the vehicle stalled repeatedly on both city roads and highways, creating a dangerous situation several times. Whenever the oil was changed, the problem became worse and the vehicle would use up to 4 quarts of oil per week for several weeks. I contacted toyota's corporate office by letter and phone and was told that no defect existed. Toyota is currently recalling earlier models of this vehicle for the same problem. The vehicle was emitting white smoke from the tailpipe for several months before the engine failed. Eventually, it would only sustain a speed of 30 mph. The vehicle was checked by three mechanics who all found the same problem. This vehicle is used to transport a handicapped person, and was also used to transport children frequently. In order to save the money for the repairs, which i had to make because i am still making payments on the loan for this car, i had to purchase a very old and inexpensive car to get to work. The toyota sat parked for 9 months before it could be fixed. Had i not been able to buy this second car, i would have lost my job. I could not put my daughter's wheelchair in the other car. She is able to walk only for short distances. This created a severe hardship and also contributed to her developing a foot wound and infection of the bone in her foot. This medical issue required 3 surgeries and 5 hospitalizations, plus over 6 months of iv antibiotic therapy. I narrowly avoided several accidents when the car stalled in traffic. If i was not such an experienced driver, it is highly likely that a serious accident would have occurred. *kb
Vehicle Mileage at Failure	105000
Number of Occurences	1
Source of the issue	NHTSA WEB SITE
City and State	KERNERSVILLE, NC
VIN pattern	JTEGF21A130XXXXXX
Was vehicle invloved in a crash?	N
Was vehicle involved in a fire?	N
Was incedent reported to police?	N
Was medical attention required?
Was part original equipment?
No. of injured persons
No. of fatalities
Date of purchase	08/08/26
Was original owner?	N
Anti-lock brakes	N
Cruise control	N
Number of cylinders	6
Drive train type	FWD
Transmission type
Vehicle speed
DoT tire identifier
Tire size
Location of tire code
Type of tire failure code
Was defective tire repaired?
Date of manufacture
Type of child seat code
Type of restraint
Dealer's name
Dealer's telephone number
Dealer's city
Dealer's state code
Dealer's ZIP code

What is Recall?
A recall is when a product is removed from the market or a correction is made to the product because it is either defective or potentially harmful.
What is Failure?
Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Product failure ranges from failure to sell the product to fracture of the product, in the worst cases leading to personal injury, the province of forensic engineering.
What is Defect?
Non-conformance of a car component with the specified requirements, or non-fulfillment of user expectations, including the safety aspects.

Last decoded VIN:

LVMCAHEL3TDC11571 XW8ZZZ61ZEG062657 KMHDH4AE7BU102785 1N4AL3A98DC219390 2FMPK3J93KBC06742 1GKUKJE36AR238442 WAUZZZ8E68A003201 1GKFC16J77J174082 MA3FC31SXBA208712 WAUH3DGY1PA045429 NLHB351BAFZ010487 KL1DC53FX8B196641

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2003 Toyota HIGHLANDER Engine And Engine Cooling Problems, Complaints and Defects, Recalls and Failures

2003 Toyota HIGHLANDER Engine And Engine Cooling Problems, Complaints and Defects

What is Recall?

What is Failure?

What is Defect?