2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

TL* THE CONTACTS OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD LEAK ANTIFREEZE AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DISCOVERED THAT THE MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO WHITE SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE EXHAUST PIPE. LAST WEEK, ON A TRIP WITHIN 400 MILES OF MY HOME, THE ENGINE AND VSC LIGHT CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TOYOTA AND WAS TOLD THAT THE CAR COULD STOP SUDDENLY AND LEAVE US STRANDED SO I MADE AN APPT FOR MONDAY MORNING. THE CAR RODE VERY ROUGH FOR THE LAST TWO HOURS AND IT SEEMED AS IF IT IS READY TO STALL ANYTIME. TOYOTA CHARGED ME $ 321.00 FOR A COMPRESSION AND DIAGNOSTICS TEST. TOYOTA FOUND THAT I HAD LOW COMPRESSION. TOYOTA ALSO OFFERED TO TAKE APART MY ENGINE FOR 2667.00 TO SEE IF THE RINGS WERE DAMAGED. I REFUSED THE WORK AND PICKED UP MY CAR. WE CALLED AN ENGINE REPAIR BUSINESS. THE OWNER KNEW THE MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR OF MY CAR AND ASKED IF WE HAD JUST HIT THE 100,000 MILE MARKER. WE...

VEHICLE HAS TOYOTA 2AZ-FE (2.4 L) 4 CYLINDER ENGINE. OIL & COOLANT LEAKING FROM BACK OF ENGINE. HEAD BOLTS ON MAIN GASKET FAILED. IN SEARCHING INTERNET, COUNTLESS OTHER OWNERS HAVE UNFORTUNATELY EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE WHICH IS DUE TO AN INHERENT DESIGN PROBLEM BY TOYOTA. BOLTS BETWEEN GASKET AND MAIN ENGINE BLOCK FAIL AND CANNOT BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. HAVE TO BUY AND INSTALL A NEW ENGINE. CALLED TOYOTA USA HEADQUARTERS IN TORRANCE, CA. AND SPOKE TO THEM, THEY SAID THEY WILL DO NOTHING FOR ME. SPOKE TO DYLAN AND THE CASE NUMBER IS 1111291430. I BELIEVE THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED AND THAT TOYOTA SHOULD ASSUME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THESE FAILURES, WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY DUE TO A DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING PROBLEM OF TOYOTA. *KB

MAY 17, 2002, I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT WITH MY 3 MONTH OLD 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I WAS TRAVELING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE ON HIGHWAY 80 WEST BOUND BETWEEN DAVIS, CA AND SAN FRANCISCO CA AT 8:30 AM. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT FROM EYE WITNESSES, MY VEHICLE LEFT THE ROADWAY WITHOUT ANY BRAKE LIGHTS, WENT THROUGH A CYCLONE FENCE, CONTINUED .10 MILES AND DOWN INTO A RAVINE. BRAKE LIGHTS NEVER CAME ON AND THE CAR NEVER SLOWED. I WAS LIFE FLIGHTED TO THE JOHN MUIR MEDICAL CENTER TRAUMA UNIT. I ARRESTED IN THE HELICOPTER. I SUFFERED A SIGNIFICANT TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, MULTIPLE FRACTURES, INCLUDING A SHATTERED JAW AND A PARALYZED VOCAL CHORD. NO OTHER VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. *TR

I BOUGHT A NEW TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN 2002. I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE EXACT YEAR, BUT I'M GUESSING IN 2004-5, I ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN RACING ACCELERATOR PROBLEM AROUND 4 TIMES. EACH TIME I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WHILE THE ENGINE RACED. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, AND IT WORKED PROPERLY AFTER RESTARTING. IT HASN'T HAPPENED IN THE LAST MAYBE 5 YEARS. I REPORTED THIS TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS A FLOOR MAT PROBLEM. I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT, BECAUSE I EXPERIENCED THIS, AND THE FLOOR MAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. AS I SAID, IT HASN'T HAPPENED SINCE, SO I DIDN'T FOLLOW UP ON IT. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, AND NO ONE HURT, BUT I SEE THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT INCLUDED THE 2002 HIGHLANDER AS A PROBLEM CAR, BUT I KNOW THAT IT IS. I DON'T WANT...

I NOTICED COOLANT LEAKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE PLASTIC INTO INTAKE MANIFOLD IN THE REAR OF THE ENGINE. I BROUGHT IT IN FOR REPAIR AND THE MECHANIC SAID HE NOTICED A LARGE PIECE OF FOAM RUBBER BETWEEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE ENGINE BLOCK AND HEAD.THE LEAK WAS BEHIND THE FOAM PIECE. THE ONLY OPTION TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THIS LEAK WAS TO REMOVE THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD, WHICH THE MECHANIC DID. AFTER THIS WAS REMOVED, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT COOLANT HAD BEEN LEAKING A MINOR AMOUNT FOR QUITE SOME TIME DUE TO BUILD UP BETWEEN THE CYLINDER HEAD AND BLOCK. THE ONLY OPTION LEFT IS TO REMOVE THE HEAD, WHICH REQUIRES AN EXTENSIVE DISASSEMBLY (R AND R CYLINDER HEAD). AFTER LOOSENING THE BOLTS IN SEQUENCE, HE NOTICED THREE OF THE HEAD BOLTS IN THE BACK OF THE ENGINE WERE LOOSE. AFTER HE REMOVED THE HEAD SURE ENOUGH, ONE BOLT...

HAVE REGULARLY MAINTAINED MY VEHICLE WITH ALL REQUIRED AND SUGGESTED TOYOTA MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES, THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP, AND WITH ONLY 68,000 MILES, I NOW HAVE LEARNED I HAVE AN OIL LEAK BETWEEN THE MOTOR & TRANSMISSION. *JB

2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER STALL-REDUCE SPEED TO 1000/2000 RPM AND SHUT OFF ENGINE DURING COLD/HOT WEATHER. *JB

WHILE DRIVING OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. *AK

THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT WAS COMING ON WHEN BRAKING. I HAD RECENTLY HAD THE OIL CHANGED. THE ENGINE WAS ALSO EMITTING A WHITE SMOKE WHEN STARTING THE CAR. OIL WAS SHOWING ABOUT 1/2 QUART LOW ON INITIAL INSPECTION. IT TOOK TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO FINALLY DISCOVER INTERNAL OIL GELLING. NO INFORMATION WAS GIVEN BY THE DEALER ABOUT PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND ENGINE GELLING.