NHTSA Complaint #10502202 — 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2.4L 4-CYLINDER ENGINE, SERVICED BY TOYOTA DEALER AND LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. 4 MONTHS AGO IT WAS MAKING A FLUTTERING NOISE AND I HAD IT SERVICED, IT NEEDED AN OIL PAN GASKET, GOT A FULL OIL CHANGE, TOO. BUT APPARENTLY IT ALSO HAD A BAD WATER PUMP, AND HAD DEVELOPED A COOLANT LEAK, AND WAS BURNING OIL. -- WE NEVER NOTICED ANY WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT THE BACK, AND NO COOLANT TEMPERATURE VARIANCE, ALWAYS IN THE MIDDLE AFTER WARMING UP. WE NEVER GOT A LOW OIL LIGHT WARNING, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WHILE DRIVING. --- THE SUV SHUT DOWN ON IT'S OWN JUST COMING OFF A HIGHWAY EXIT RAMP. I STARTED IT UP AGAIN TO PULL OVER A BLOCK AWAY AND THEN SHUT IT OFF. IT STEAMED UP, OVERHEATED. THE TOW SERVICE GUY COULDN'T RESTART IT. --- MY REPAIR SHOP SERVICEMAN TOLD ME THE RADIATOR WAS ALMOST EMPTY, AND IT LIKELY HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET - A $2500 REPAIR BY MY LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. BUT WHEN HE WENT TO TAKE OFF THE HEAD, THE BOLT CYLINDERS CAME OUT TOO, ALMOST ALL WERE LOOSE AND APPARENTLY CAUSED THE LEAKAGE OVER TIME. HE DIDN'T HAVE THE TOOLING TO FIX THE BOLT SLEEVE ISSUE, AND I'D NEED A WATER PUMP, TOO. SO FOR LESS THAN THE COST OF ALL THE REPAIRS, KNOWN AND POSSIBLE FUTURE PROBLEMS, LIKE RUST OR OTHER WORN INTERNAL PARTS, HE RECOMMENDED A REBUILT ENGINE, WITH HIGHER QUALITY STEEL BOLT SLEEVES, (THE WAY THE ORIGINAL ENGINE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE). HE INVESTIGATED AND ALERTED ME TO THE COMPLAINTS ONLINE, AND REMINDED ME TO KEEP THE REPAIR RECEIPTS. --- I AM DEVASTATED, AND HAD TO BORROW MONEY FROM RETIREMENT TO PAY FOR THIS, SINCE THE KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE WAS STILL A FEW THOUSAND HIGHER THAN THE REPAIR COST. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND SERVICED IT WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF DRIVING IT FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER 50K MILES. IT NEVER HAD A SINGLE OVERHEAT PROBLEM, RAN LIKE A TOP, DRIVING ME BACK AND FORTH TO WORK 45 MIN AWAY. *TR