2003 Toyota Highlander engine and engine cooling problems

“2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER (4 CYL. ENGINE) DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THE WATER PUMP WAS LEAKING. WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $600. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN HOME AND IMMEDIATELY FOUND TO STILL HAVE A COOLANT LEAK. DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AND OWNER ADVISED TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK. DEALERSHIP CHECKED AND ADVISED THAT CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS WERE STRIPPED OUT AND THAT ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $5400. THE ENGINE NEVER LOST ENOUGH COOLANT TO OVERHEAT BUT THE ONLY REPAIR OPTION GIVEN BY THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE RATHER THAN REPLACING THE HEAD GASKET AND REPAIRING THE STRIPPED OUT THREADS TO HEAD BOLTS. SERVICE MANAGER SLIPPED UP BY SAYING THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE BUT WHEN QUESTIONED FURTHER ABOUT THE PROBLEM HE STATED HE ONLY SEES IT "ONCE IN A BLUE MOON". THIS SEEMS TO BE A CONTRADICTION TO ALL THE OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR THIS 4 CYLINDER ENGINE. TOYOTA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN MARCH 2, 2011 FOR THE HIGHLANDER, RAV4, CAMRY, AND SOLARA WHICH STATES: THERE MAY BE DAMAGED CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO STATED HE HAS SEEN THIS PROBLEM…”

“THERE ARE TWO SPEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS. IT WAS ON THE FREEWAY DRIVING BACK HOME WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT ABOUT 65 MPH. LATER, AFTER EXITING THE FREEWAY AND DRIVING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, THE RADIATOR HOSE BLEW OFF FROM THE PRESSURE, SHOOTING COOLANT AND CONTENTS OF THE RADIATOR BACK ONTO THE ENGINE (4 CYLINDER). I WAS GOING 40 MPH AT THE TIME. THE THERMOSTAT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN WORKING BECAUSE I WASN'T READING ANY OVERHEATING GOING ON, THOUGH THERE OBVIOUSLY WAS. AFTER GETTING IT DIAGNOSED, APPARENTLY THE BOLTS WERE STRIPPED, THE HEAD GASKET BLEW, AND THE ENGINE GOT TOO HOT. I AM NOW ASKED TO PAY ALMOST $3,000 TO REBUILD THE ENGINE (RETHREAD, ETC.). THIS THING WITH THE HEAD GASKET AND THE BOLTS FAILING AT RELATIVELY LOW MILEAGE (114,000 IN MY CASE) SEEMS TO BE A RECURRENT PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MAKE AND MODEL. I HAD BEEN DRIVING IT AND KEEPING IT WELL MAINTAINED FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS WITH RELATIVELY FEW PROBLEMS UNTIL THIS HAPPENED. *TR”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE HEAD GASKET. IN ADDITION, THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE ENGINE BOLTS WERE STRIPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEAD GASKET AND THE BOLTS THREAD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 145,000.”

“ENGINE OVERHEATED WHILE DRIVING, AND VEHICLE WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT AND COOLANT RESTORED. WHEN TAKEN TO LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIR WAS INFORMED THAT BOLTS HOLDING ENGINE BLOCK HAD FAILED DUE TO THREADS INSIDE BLOCK BEING STRIPPED, AND COOLANT WAS LEAKING FROM SEAL IN ENGINE BLOCK. ASIDE FROM HITTING A DEER ONCE (MINOR VEHICLE DAMAGE IN WHICH THE HEADLIGHT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED), THIS VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. IN READING INFORMATION ON WEB, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED BY OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS. *TR”

“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…”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD BOLT DETACHED FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE BEGAN RUNNING HOT AND WATER WAS LEAKING FROM THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE HEAD BOLT WAS STRIPPED FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 189,000.”