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 insurance company said they couldn’t help.The car was towed home and is not available.
The worst 2003 Toyota Highlander problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine87
- Visibility34
- Brakes33
- Acceleration28
- Body18
- Electrical15
- Lights15
- Transmission13
- Fuel system10
- Airbags9
- Tires7
- Steering6
- Suspension6
- Driver assistance5
- Seat belts4
- Wheels3
- Locks2
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2003 Toyota Highlander
Overheating 40Engine failure 22Sudden acceleration 12Check engine light 11No deployment 8Fire or smoke 5
Recalls 2
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Certain sport utility vehicles have a child protection lock (cpl) system on both of the rear side doors. When an operator of the vehicle closes the door very hard with the cpl lever set to the lock position, there is a possibility that the lever may contact the body panel, causing the cpl lever to move into the unlock position.
- Risk
- This condition could allow the door to be opened with the inside while the operator believes that the cpl was activated. If the door were opened from the inside while the vehicle was in motion, an occupant could fall out and be injured.
- Remedy
- Dealers will shorten the cpl lever. Owner notification began may 7, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1‑800‑331‑4331.
Recall number 04V181000 · Recall details
Wheels
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with five factory alloy wheels (model 6934 and 6936), with factory llat, and with port installed wr4, four alloy wheel upgrade processed at the jacksonville, florida port and distributed by southeast toyota distributors in the states of alabama, florida, georgia, north and south carolina, when the vehicles were processed at the port, an alloy tire/wheel upgrade was installed. The upgrade included 4 alloy wheels. The original spare tire/alloy wheel was not changed. The spare tire requires the use of a different style of wheel nut to attach it to the vehicle.
- Risk
- If the spare tire/wheel is installed on the vehicle using the wheel nuts provided for the upgrade alloy wheel, damage to the wheel could result and could eventually lead to a loose wheel.
- Remedy
- Owners will be provided with different style lug nuts, a warning label for the spare re/alloy wheel, and an owner's manual addendum.
Recall number 02V339000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Toyota Highlander 113
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical...
- To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used...
- The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix...
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad...
- Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal...
- This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life...
- Obsolete notice
- Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN...
- The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master...
2003 Toyota Highlander fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 19 | 25 | 22 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 17 | 22 | 19 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 21 | 18 |
| 3.0L 6‑cyl | 4WD | 16 | 21 | 18 |
What 2003 Toyota Highlander owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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
Passenger window has had to be fixed multiple times. Comes off the track and will not close. Have had interior damage because of it
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 overheats and fails, told headgasket, after opening up the motor it is found that the head bolts backed out. Toyota is normally a great car. I still owe money on this car and toyota is basically not taking care of their customers and leaving us out to dry. Please issue a recall on this. Vehicle was driving and quickly overheated. This happened twice in a short distance. Easily can leave one stranded. No steam out the tailpipe and water gushed out side of motor. Dealer left motor apart when I went to pick it up after being dragged about. They promised to fix it at first as they dug into the motor they backed out of their word.
Head on collision air bags did not deploy speeds 25-40 MPH
Paint seal delamination
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
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 manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The cause of the failure was not determined. The failure mileage was 200,000.
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.
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 made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.
Compare the 2003 Toyota Highlander
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Other model years
1997199820012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2003 Toyota Highlander
Is the 2003 Toyota Highlander reliable?
Owners have filed 258 complaints about the 2003 Toyota Highlander, 1.2 times a typical Highlander model year.
What is the 2003 Toyota Highlander year score?
The 2003 Toyota Highlander scores 70 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Toyota Highlander: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Toyota Highlander?
Engine and cooling, with 87 complaints, typically around 108,000 miles. Next is visibility (34).
How many recalls does the 2003 Toyota Highlander have?
2 recalls, covering latches/locks/linkages and wheels.
What year does the Toyota Highlander have bad engine?
The Toyota Highlander model years with the most engine complaints are 2003 (87 complaints), 2008 (76 complaints) and 2019 (74 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2003 Toyota Highlander get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Toyota Highlander range from 18 to 22 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.4L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 19 city and 25 highway.
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