NHTSA Complaint #10465968 — 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A FAMILY ROAD TRIP FROM CHICAGO, IL TO HAMILTON, ON, CANADA. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 7 HOURS INTO THE 8.5 HOUR TRIP, I NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEAR AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE RISE TO THE VERY TOP. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND ASSUMED THAT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH COOLANT TO KEEP THE ENGINE COOL, AS IT WAS A HOT DAY. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. I RE-ENTERED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO DRIVE FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE I NOTICED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE BEGIN TO RISE ONCE AGAIN. I EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND FOUND A CANADIAN TIRE STORE IN LONDON, ON, CANADA WHERE A MECHANIC LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF LEAK IN THE ENGINE. I WAS TOLD THAT IT COULD BE ONE OF TWO VERY UNCOMMON PROBLEMS THAT WOULD BOTH COST A GREAT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO FIX AND WOULD MOST LIKELY EXTEND MY FAMILY'S STAY IN CANADA. WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULD STAY IN LONDON AND HAVE A MECHANIC BEGIN WORKING ON THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY OR CONTINUE ON TO HAMILTON BY STOPPING EVERY FEW MILES TO REFILL THE COOLANT, AS WE WERE ONLY ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO HAMILTON AND STOPPED AROUND 5 TIMES TO REFILL THE COOLANT LEVEL. UPON REACHING HAMILTON, ON, CANADA WE FOUND A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO TOOK A CLOSER LOOK AT THE VEHICLE AND ITS ENGINE. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIM ON FRIDAY, JULY 6, 2012 AND HE TOLD US THAT IT LOOKED LIKE AN INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. ON SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2012 THE MECHANIC INFORMED US THAT THE LEAK WAS IN FACT COMING FROM ONE OF THE 4 CYLINDER HEADS AS THE BOLTS ON THE ENGINE WERE STRIPPED. OUR ONLY OPTION WAS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO FIND A MATCHING ENGINE NEARBY AND COMPLETED THE REPLACEMENT BY TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2012. WE RETURNED HOME TO CHICAGO THE VERY SAME DAY WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS ALONG THE WAY. *TR