NHTSA Complaint #10268801 — 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY ENGINE TEMP IN MY 4 CYL, 4WD 2003 HIGHLANDER SUDDENLY SPIKED HIGH. I HAD TO PULL OF THE ROAD. TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER SAID BOLTS ON SHORT BLOCK OF ENGINE WERE STRIPPED AND ALLOWED COOLANT TO LEAK OUT AND ENGINE OVERHEATED. I WAS AT 68,000 MILES, SO OVER THE WARRANTY PERIOD. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND THEY SAID I HAD A BAD WATER PUMP...I PAID TO HAVE THAT FIXED, BUT THE CAR STILL OVERHEATED. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY THEN SAID IT WAS THE ENGINE ITSELF..THE SHORT BLOCK, SOMETHING ABOUT THE SCREWS WERE STRIPPED, THAT I HAD GOTTEN A BAD ENGINE WITH STRIPPED SCREWS. DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE ON SOME 4CYL 2003 HIGHLANDER BUT COULDN'T HELP ME AS IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY!!! THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME BACK LATER AND SAID THAT TOYOTA WOULD HELP OUT...I ENDED UP PAYING A TOTAL OF ALMOST $1000 FOR THE REPLACEMENT SHORT BLOCK, WITH TOYOTA PAYING THE REST OF THE COST FOR THE SHORT BLOCK REPLACEMENT. THIS WAS ON TOP OF THE COST I PAID JUST A FEW DAYS PRIOR FOR A WATER PUMP THAT TURNED OUT TO NOT BE THE ISSUE. VERY FRUSTRATING...I HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS FOR MAINTENANCE AND FOR THESE REPAIRS. *TR I AM FILLING OUT THIS COMPLAINT OVER A YEAR AFTER THE INCIDENT, BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THE SAME THING IN THE COMPLAINTS AND WANTED TO ADD MINE. I DO HAVE ALL THE DOCUMENTATION FOR MY REPAIRS FOR THIS AND AM MORE THAN WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU.