2002 Toyota Highlander: engine failure

Filed Oct 4, 2013 · Engine · 120,000 miles · CO

While driving on a busy interstate, the vehicle began to overheat, causing the need to pull over. The vehicle's engine temperature was at its maximum and was loosing coolant. After several inspections, it was determined that the head gasket had blown at such low overall vehicle mileage due to the engine head being made of aluminum and the block being made of steel. This also caused the vehicle head bolt threads to be stripped, resulting in the need for a new engine.

Filed Jun 25, 2013 · Engine · 151,000 miles · OK

I was driving my 2002 toyota highlander on the highway and was accelerating to pass a car when I heard a loud noise coming from the engine area, all the lights on my dash came on and my car stalled. I struggled without the power steering and brakes to get my car over 2 lanes of fast moving traffic and get it onto the exit ramp. My auto had drastically slowed due to engine not working and I was almost hit several times as cars flew around and past me. I finally manage to get it off the highway and into a safe spot, but it was extremely difficult because I had lost all power and had no power steering or power brakes. I had it towed to the dealer. I am only the second owner of this vehicle and I know the original owner and he took very good care of this car doing all the maintenance himself and using only toyota parts. The dealer says my engine is ruined but he never mentioned anything about the problems they have had with these engines and sludge and engine failure. The original owner says he never received anything from toyota about the class action lawsuit nor any of the fixes for the sludge/engine failure problem. I could have been killed and am lucky I was not. Toyota should have recalled all these engines and fixed or replaced them instead of just secretly fixing them, only when forced to by the customer for only 8 years. Fact is, if the orig owner hadn't babied the car, the engine would have gone much sooner. So because he took good care of it, I am s-o-l because the 8 year extended warranty is up. I guess the real truth is that toyota make its cars to last longer than 8 years.

Filed Apr 18, 2013 · Engine · 149,800 miles · WI

Last saturday 4/13/13 the check engine light came on and the car started shaking and making a weird noise. I haven't driven it since then when I parked it in the driveway. I didn't even trust it to park it in the garage because it smelled hot. White smoke and the smell of exhaust has been coming out of the exhaust. Today was the soonest I could get it looked at (by a trusted local repair shop) and I was just told it's an internal engine problem. I see this has been a problem with this engine and because of a class action suit toyota has had to replace the engine in cars 8 years and newer, I don't qualify. I was never notified by toyota of this problem....and I am the original owner. I have replaced 3 oxygen sensors and the air conditioning compressor.

Filed Nov 29, 2011 · Engine · 109,200 miles · NY

Vehicle has toyota 2az-fe (2.4 l) 4 cylinder engine. Oil & coolant leaking from back of engine. Head bolts on main gasket failed. In searching internet, countless other owners have unfortunately experienced the same failure which is due to an inherent design problem by toyota. Bolts between gasket and main engine block fail and cannot be repaired or replaced. Have to buy and install a new engine. Called toyota USA headquarters in torrance, ca. And spoke to them, they said they will do nothing for me. Spoke to dylan and the case number is 1111291430. I believe that a recall should be issued and that toyota should assume financial responsibility for these failures, which are obviously due to a design and manufacturing problem of toyota.

Filed Jan 26, 2011 · Engine · 126,000 miles · CA · fire

I purchased a new 2002 toyota highlander from sierra toyota of lancaster, ca. I have experienced no problems with this vehicle until 25 jan. 2011 when the engine overheated while driving 40mph on city street. I took my vehicle to my mechanic and he informed me of a problem with the 2.4l 4cyl toyota engines in which some of the head bolts become loose/stripped where they attach at the engine block. I called sierra toyota of lancaster and they denied any knowledge of this problem. On further investigation, I discovered that sierra toyota had a specialist servicing one of their vehicles by placing inserts into the stripped holes the very next day. Sierra toyota refused to give me any monetary assistance in repairing my vehicle. After researching the bolt problem on the internet, I have found numerous toyota owners with the same engine, that have had the exact same problem with their vehicles. The only fix is either a complete engine replacement or having an expensive anchor-bolt redo. My costs look like to be about $2500, if there is no other damage found due to the over-heating. At this point, I don't even know if the new anchor-bolt system will work. My vehicle was always well-maintained and currently has apx. 126,000 miles on it.

Filed Oct 18, 2010 · Engine · 75,000 miles · CA

Some earlier models of toyota's 2az-fe 4 cylinder engine are susceptible to sudden failure and are dangerous. The engine is widely used in toyota's popular camry, highlander, rav4 and scion tc models. Toyota needs to accept responsibility and investigate the engine. On 9/11/2010, 2002 toyota highlander's 2az-fe engine failed and left occupants stranded. Event took place immediately after exiting the highway. The vehicle's engine sputtered and ceased to function. The vehicle had about 75,000 miles on it. The vehicle was towed to a toyota dealership which reported the following: - oil and coolant leaking from the back of the engine head - hydrocarbon in the coolant - oil severely burnt due to overheating the estimate to open up and repair the engine could run anywhere from $2,000 to $7,500 depending on whether the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been regularly maintained according to the manufacturer's schedule with all the records to prove it. Toyota denied request to investigate and defray costs. While engine was opened by a local mechanic it was discovered that two of the head bolts were loose and that the threads in the aluminum engine block for 3 head bolts in the rear were stripped. Repairing the engine involved re-threading the holes in the engine block for all ten head bolts using the time-sert thread repair kit.

Filed Jul 10, 2010 · Engine · CA

In june 2008, I was driving when my engine apparently melted down. It went completely hot. I pulled over and there was what appeared to be coolant pooled under the car. Prior to this all scheduled maintenance had been done and there was no indication of any trouble with the car earlier that day. I later took it to my mechanic who said he had never seen anything like that in his life. The engine had literally melted. He then tried to call toyota and got in contact with someone but they couldn't figure out what happened either and was unwilling to deal with it. He said it obviously had to be a factory defect. It cost me a whole new engine.

Filed Aug 23, 2009 · Engine · 56,000 miles · GU

I noticed coolant leaking from underneath the plastic into intake manifold in the rear of the engine. I brought it in for repair and the mechanic said he noticed a large piece of foam rubber between the intake manifold and the engine block and head.the leak was behind the foam piece. The only option to discover the source of this leak was to remove the plastic intake manifold, which the mechanic did. After this was removed, it became obvious that coolant had been leaking a minor amount for quite some time due to build up between the cylinder head and block. The only option left is to remove the head, which requires an extensive disassembly (r and r cylinder head). After loosening the bolts in sequence, he noticed three of the head bolts in the back of the engine were loose. After he removed the head sure enough, one bolt came out with aluminum in the thread thus indicating a stripped bolt. And the other three were loose. He said the only option was to replace the engine block, which will cost about $6000 including shipping/labor. I can not afford this and so had the highlander towed back to my home.

Filed Apr 14, 2008 · Engine · 124,000 miles · NC

2004, my highlander was serviced for gel in the valve seals. On april 2, my car was brought to leith toyota because the car made a loud noise after being cranked and the oil light was on. As I drove a couple of miles, all computer lights came on and the car cut off. I was told testing was done and I had oil although it was not being pumped to the engine for some reason. (I have oil changed every 3,000 miles). The next day, I went to check on the progress and the service manager told me they drove the car around and it never cut off and he really did not know what was wrong with it. I decided to take it to another mechanic to find out and 10 miles away, the engine blew up. Now, I have no car to drive and I am a single mom that has to work. I feel that the service manager should have been honest with me regarding toyota's past engine defects and to drive my car would be fatal. After having it towed to another toyota dealership to check for oil sludge and requesting that my mechanic be present when dropping the oil pan, they told me that was not necessary and did it without calling me first. I have lost all future trust with this company and fell that their"hush hush recall" should have been made public.

Filed Feb 28, 2007 · Engine · 77,000 miles · NJ

I have owned a 2002 toyota highlander 4 cylinder, 2wd. My car stalled on the road about tow weeks ago and I had it towed to a toyota dealer. I have taken very good care of my car and can provide some partial paper work of my maintenance. The dealer is telling me that I need a new engine, and my bill will go over $5000.00. It has only 77000 miles and no physical damage to the car (no accidents). I have heard about the oil sludge law suit but it covers only 6 cyl but not 4 cyl. Could you please help me out on this issue. Thanks.

Filed Apr 23, 2005 · Engine · 59,000 miles · VT

Toyota highlander-2002-engine oil turned to sludge, engine just short of seizing-new engine installed.