| Issue ID | 1155371 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10681355 |
| Manufacurer | Toyota Motor Corporation |
| Brand | TOYOTA |
| Model | HIGHLANDER |
| Model Year | 2004 |
| File date | 21/01/15 |
| Component | ENGINE |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | My car began overheating at 140k miles. Took it to a mechanic and had the water pump and thermostat replaced. The car overheated again a week later. Took it back to the mechanic and he told me the head gasket was blown and had to be replaced. When he went to replace the gasket he found that three head bolts were stripped on the block. The cylinder head bolts separating from lower part of engine block caused a coolant leak. This is obviously a manufacturing error. This car was bought brand new and has been driven by the sole owner. Had oil changes every 3,000 miles and never had an issue before now. Please place a recall for this defect. This is not the owners fault, nor should it be their responsibility. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 140000 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | NASHVILLE, TN |
| VIN pattern | JTEGD21A440XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | N |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | 0 |
| No. of fatalities | 0 |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | 4 |
| Drive train type | FWD |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 65 |
| 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 |