Problems · NHTSA complaints

2004 Toyota Highlander problems

Owners filed 286 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Highlander with NHTSA between Mar 2004 and May 2026. The most-cited component is power train (58).

Complaints
286
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
32
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
23
People reported injured
Deaths
47
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Power train58
  2. Vehicle speed control40
  3. Steering35
  4. Visibility21
  5. Engine and engine cooling20
  6. Electrical system18
  7. Engine16
  8. Service brakes, hydraulic16
  9. Electronic stability control (esc)15
  10. Exterior lighting14
  11. Equipment11
  12. Air bags9
  13. Tires9
  14. Structure8

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 27, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200438
200532
200624
200720
200820
200918
201041
201121
201218
201313
201412
201510
20168
20174
20181
20190
20201
20211
20220
20231
20242
20250
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Power train

58 reports1 crash
“VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN NORMALLY AND PARKED. WHILE PARKED, OWNER NOTICED SMALL LEAK UNDER FRONT AXLE, INVESTIGATED AND LEAK APPEARED TO BE TRANSMISSION FLUID OR ANTIFREEZE. OWNER DROVE VEHICLE NEXT DAY, PARKED AND NOTICED LEAK WAS LARGER. OWNER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER NEXT MORNING AND WAS TOLD THE HEAD GASKET WAS FAILING. DEALER SAID ALTERNATIVES WERE TO REPAIR HEAD GASKET ($3200+), REPLACE ENGINE OR BUY ANOTHER VEHICLE. OWNER DECLINED REPAIR AND TOOK VEHICLE TO INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO CONFIRMED HEAD GASKET LEAK AND RECOMMENDED EITHER SEALANT ($250) OR HEAD GASKET REPAIR ($1200). OWNER CHOSE SEALANT. ABOUT FOUR DAYS AFTER SEALANT FIX, OWNER WAS DRIVING VEHICLE AND STOPPED AT A STARBUCKS DRIVE-THROUGH. MINUTES INTO THE WAIT, THE VEHICLES TEMP GAUGE BEGAN TO CLIMB RAPIDLY. OWNER REVVED ENGINE AND TEMP DECLINED. OWNER DROVE VEHICLE HOME AND INSPECTED ENGINE, DISCOVERED COOLANT HAD BEGUN TO SPRAY FROM OVERFLOW RESERVOIR. OWNER LET VEHICLE COOL. NEXT DAY, OWNER DROVE VEHICLE AT MODEST SPEED ACROSS TOWN, WATCHING THE TEMP GAUGE. TEMP WOULD INCREASE INCREMENTALLY, THEN DECLINE, BUT NO OVERHEATING APPEARED. THIRD DAY, OWNER DID SAME, BUT THIS TIME, AS OWNER APPROACHED HIS…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 6, 2013Power train, EngineODI 10507360

Vehicle speed control

40 reports19 crashes2 related recalls
“WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH A HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION ZONE MY CAR SUDDENLY BECAME HARD TO STEER, AND MY SPEED BECAME GREATER, TRIED TO (BREAK) DECELERATE THE CAR BEGAN SLIDING OUT OF CONTROL-PLOWING INTO THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS PART LODGED IN FRONT PASSENGER WINDSHIELD. THE CAR WENT THROUGH THE DITCH BECAME AIRBORNE THROUGH A ROD IRON FENCE SHATTERED THE REAR SECOND-ROW RIGHT SIDE WINDOW SPUN OUT , AND CAME TO REST JUST FEET FROM THE SOME PILEINGS. THIS IS THE INFORMATION OF MY DAUGHTER WHOM IS AN OUT OF STATE COLLEGE SENIOR AND VERY SHAKEN UP FROM THIS ORDEAL, THIS HER STATEMENT TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. POSSIBLY THE PLACEMENT OF THE 🚧 COULD HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTOR, AND THE UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT USED A YEAR AGO. CAN YOU HELP UP LEARN WHY?”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 14, 2020Steering, Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (esc)Crash reportedODI 11355039

Steering

35 reports1 crash
“Hello, I am the Buyer of the subject Vehicle, Upon doing my research, I found out several reports stating that The subject vehicle's 2.4L engine has manufacturing defect, that causes Head Bolts to get stripped/melt down in to oil causing Engine failures and Life threating risk in the middle of the road.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 22, 2026Steering, EngineODI 11739508

Visibility

21 reports
“I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE MOONROOF. WHEN I OPENED UP THE MOONROOF SHADE THE MOONROOF WAS GONE. THE MOONROOF HAD BEEN RIPPED AWAY FROM THE GLUE AND FLEW UP INTO THE AIR. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 7, 2013VisibilityODI 10555197

Engine and engine cooling

20 reports2 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED A LEAK FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHO STATED THAT THE LEAKING FLUID WAS ANTIFREEZE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO ADVISED THAT THE CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS AND THREADS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE, DUE TO POOR MANUFACTURING AND CHEAP MATERIAL OF THE HEAD BOLTS UNDER THE ENGINE. COOLANT WAS LEAKING AND CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE. UPDATED 11/29/12 UPDATED 11/27/12 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THIS MALFUNCTION OF THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE AND OVER HEAT RESULTING IN A PERSON BEING STRANDED. UPDATED 12/10/2012 *JS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 27, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10472601

Electrical system

18 reports
“THE PASSENGER SIDE IN THE REAR WINDOWS ARE DEFECTIVE. THEY WILL NOT POWER UP OR DOWN THE WINDOWS IN THE BACK OF SUV. ALSO THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE IS NOW NOT OPERATING UP OR DOWN. THE POWER WINDOW PARTS HAVE FAILED TWO YEARS AGO, AND NOW IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN. THIS 2004 SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE OTHER RECALLS ON NEWER MODELS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 13, 2016Electrical systemODI 10884668
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 27, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.