2009 Toyota Highlander engine problems

Filed Nov 4, 2022 · Engine · IL

When starting it would make grinding noise,sounds like metallic noise until the engine oil starts circulating.Dealer said that its normal due to cold starts but this can happen even when the engine is up to temperature.Toyota refuse to remedy the issue.

Filed Aug 5, 2021 · Engine · IA

Engine oil filler cap had interior motor part , melt through while driving , almost hurling all the way through , 2 inch cylindrical part viewed when opening hood to inspect damage . Braking , trac and vsc engaged and motor failed almost dieing , abs allowed brake pedal to go to floor with vehicle just stopping enough to move from traffic . No injuries and No collisions happened due to violent engine combusting or braking disabled , incident happened at 10 mph entering a parking lot .

Filed Nov 24, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 90,000 miles · NY

3 times over the last month, while I was driving my vehicle, the car suddenly lost power while I was driving on the highway. All the dashboard lights flashed on, check engine light and warning lights illuminated. The vehicle lost power, the accelerator was not working, and I was just barely able to pull the car over to the side of the road. Car turned off and was able to turn back on, now with illuminated check engine light and check hybrid system warning light illuminated. This is a big safety issue as the car is losing power in the middle of the road while my foot is on the accelerator. The first time this happened I was able to pull a couple codes from the code reader. Codes were: u0001 & u0100 the second and 3rd time this happened there were no codes coming up on the code reader.

Filed Sep 4, 2020 · Engine · 93,000 miles · IL

Brief engine knock/rattle noise at cold startup (1ar2ar) vds(s):da41a,za3eh wm(s)5td

Filed Jul 14, 2020 · Engine · 87,036 miles · MI

Oil cooler connected to engine block with a rubber hose. Hose failed with oil leak which caused loss of engine oil. Car towed and repaired before engine seized. It appears rubber hose was not protected from heat of catalytic converter and rubber degraded. Vehicle was in motion on interstate highway when first noticed loss of oil pressure. Added oil but oil loss continued. When warning light went on second time stopped vehicle and towed to service. Event occurred on may 15, 2020.

Filed Sep 27, 2019 · Engine · 60,000 miles · VA

Vvti cam gear issue, making grinding noise.vehicle just hit 60,000 and out of warranty. Earlier tsb from toyota didn't cover this since the vehicle didn't show any signs.

Filed Jul 17, 2019 · Engine · 110,000 miles · CA

Oil coolant line bursts which causes immediate loss of all oil. Problem happens while vehicle is in motion, and in this case while in motion on a high trafficked freeway. Fix cost about $1,000 out of pocket. This is a very large leak which covers the ground, engine, and undercarriage. If the oil line ruptures while driving, the low engine oil message and engine oil pressure warnings will illuminate. Continued use after these warnings will result in complete engine failure due to oil starvation. The line is known to be defective, and a revised part has been issued by toyota but recall has not been issued. Covered under a warranty issued by toyota but covers under a short time frame.

Filed Jul 10, 2019 · Engine · 115,000 miles · WI

I was driving down the interstate in wisconsin during rush hour when I took off my cruise control to slow down to take the next exit. I noticed an abnormal down shift when I took off the cruise control. Almost immediately the oil and traction control lights came on. As I slowed to the stop sign at the end of the exit the display screen began dinging and read low oil pressure and immediately stop the car and turn off the engine. I immediately pulled over once out of the way of traffic and shut down the car. Upon checking the oil there was none on the dipstick. There was oil dripping down from the grill all underneath the car including in the front tire wheel wells. I also heard knocking from the engine, so I am concerned that the lifters and the top end of the engine may be compromised. This a known issue with toyota, who has refused to issue a recall for faulty oil lines and seals. Luckily, I was at an exit where I could safely pull over before more major damage was done to the vehicle. My personal safety, the safety of my family as well as other drivers could have compromised by the neglect that toyota has shown by continuing to ignore this issue.

Filed Jun 24, 2019 · Engine · 48,469 miles · PR

When vehicle is stationary, engine always makes strange noise upon initial start.

Filed Jun 20, 2019 · Engine · 152,700 miles · MA

I was turning into a parking lot and I started getting "low oil pressure" alerts on my dashboard. I was worried if it was a sensor issue and kept moving till I parked my vehicle. Upon further investigation, I saw that oil had started to drip from where I had turned, and when I parked the car the oil drip got bigger and had pooled under the vehicle. Based on the information I got from the toyota dealership, this was a known issue which starts as a small leak but due to pressure, the oil cooler pipe bursts open. This known problem is documented here: https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2007-2011-toyota-sienna-highlander-and-venza-engine-oil-cooler-pipe-leak-lsc-ze2.358/ toyota refused to pay my repair bill as I was over the mileage requirement by 2700 miles. I cannot understand why toyota did not consider this a safety issue/recall. If this had happened while I was driving on the highway, my engine could have been completely damaged and the heavily leaking oil could have contributed to an accident(s). The toyota dealership also agreed with me that this should have been a safety recall. Toyota claims they sent out a letter for this warranty enhancement (ze2) which I never received. Toyota has refused to escalate this issue within the company.