2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
N/A
Safety Rating
335
Owner Complaints
5
Recalls
12
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
The 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER has received a total of 335 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). There have been 5 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER. 12 technical service bulletins have been issued by Toyota Motor Corporation for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Power Trainautomatic Transmission (46 complaints), Vehicle Speed Control (33 complaints), and Steering (23 complaints).
Recalls for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
NHTSA has recorded 5 recalls for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, potentially affecting up to 2,652,415 vehicles.
Recall 11V539000 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
| 420,326 vehicles affected
Defect: TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING...
Consequence: IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS...
View full details →Recall 11V112000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
| 769,379 vehicles affected
Defect: TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 LEXUS RX330, RX350, AND RX400H VEHICLES. IF THE FORWARD RETENTION CLIP USED TO SECURE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, WHICH IS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE CENTER CONSOLE, IS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY THE COVER MAY LEAN TOWARD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM.
Consequence: IF THIS OCCURS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY TEMPORARILY BECOME STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION RATHER THAN RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION. A STUCK ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN UNINTENDED AND SUSTAINED VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE FREE OR CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
View full details →Recall 10V499000 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
| 728,544 vehicles affected
Defect: TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 LEXUS RX, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 LEXUS GS AND IS VEHICLES. BRAKE FLUID CONTAINING POLYMERS IS USED THAT ACTS AS LUBRICANTS FOR CERTAIN BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS. IF REPLACEMENT BRAKE FLUID IS USED THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN SUCH POLYMERS, OR THAT CONTAINS ONLY SMALL AMOUNTS, A...
Consequence: A LEAK OF BRAKE FLUID COULD LEAD TO A CHANGE IN BRAKE PEDAL FEEL AND OVERTIME A DEGRADATION IN BRAKING PERFORMANCE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAL WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 AND LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
View full details →Recall 06V253000 — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
| 367,594 vehicles affected
Defect: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND HYBRID VEHICLES, THE TWO RETAINING CLIPS FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FORWARD CENTER CONSOLE CAN BECOME LOOSE. IF BOTH CLIPS SEPARATE FROM THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, THE COVER MAY LEAN TOWARD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING INTERFERENCE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ROD.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION MAY INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TWO FLOOR CARPET COVER RETAINING CLIPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 24, 2006, AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY EARLY SEPTEMBER 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
View full details →Recall 04V181000 — LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
| 366,572 vehicles affected
Defect: CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A CHILD PROTECTION LOCK (CPL) SYSTEM ON BOTH OF THE REAR SIDE DOORS. WHEN AN OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE CLOSES THE DOOR VERY HARD WITH THE CPL LEVER SET TO THE LOCK POSITION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEVER MAY CONTACT THE BODY PANEL, CAUSING THE CPL LEVER TO MOVE INTO THE UNLOCK POSITION.
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPENED WITH THE INSIDE WHILE THE OPERATOR BELIEVES THAT THE CPL WAS ACTIVATED. IF THE DOOR WERE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AN OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT AND BE INJURED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL SHORTEN THE CPL LEVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
335 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
Most Recent Complaints
My car malfunctioned my tire locked up while I was driving on the high way causing me to spin out of control and skid all the way into a guard rail totalled my car out and not one air bag went off
My car malfunctioned my tire locked up while I was driving on the high way causing me to spin out of control and skid all the way into a guard rail totalled my car out and not one air bag went off
The passenger airbag occupancy sensor in my car has stopped sensing a passenger has been stuck on "OFF" for the past 2-6 months (I believe) even when an adult is sitting in the seat. I don't know exactly when this problem began because there was never any warning light or error message which is a massive safety oversight since I could have been in accident with no knowledge that it wasn't working properly. The car is currently at the dealership and they are telling me it's $1300 to replace the sensor and that there is no way to bypass the sensor and just have it "ON" for the safety of my passenger. There is already a recall for this same system in newer Highlanders, but why is there no support for older Highlanders?
The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front bumper inadvertently detached. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was determined that the front lower bumper covers had been attached with mounting tabs and that the bumper assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of an unknown recall. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND PRESSING TO BRAKE PEDAL, THE PEDAL FAILED TO RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION. THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO EXCEED 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DRIVEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER GROOVE TOYOTA LOCATED AT 5460 S BROADWAY, ENGLEWOOD, CO 80113 HOWEVER, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT YET DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT YET CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.
Safety Rating for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
NHTSA has not yet tested the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER in its New Car Assessment Program.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
Toyota Motor Corporation has issued 12 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SB-0015-11 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
TOYOTA: THERE MAY BE DAMAGED CYLINDER HEAD BOLTS THREADS. *RM
T-SB-0036-08 — EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
SOME 2004-07 MODEL YEAR HIGHLANDER OR 2006-07 MODEL YEAR HIGHLANDER HV VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A CONDITION WHERE THE HEADLIGHT LENS COVER AND/OR HEADLIGHT BULB IS DISCOLORED. *NJ
01005 — EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE FOR REAR SEAT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEMS. *TT
00205 — STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
WIND NOISE COMING FROM BOTH THE FRONT AND REAR DOOR WINDOW GLASS. *TT
00405 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0031, P0051, P2238 AND/OR P2241. *TT
00804 — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
INTERMITTENT VSC ACTIVATION AFTER STARTING THE ENGINE AND DRIVING STRAIGHT FROM A STOP POSITION. THIS CONDITION IS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED BY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL VSC LIGHT AND AUDIBLE WARNING BUZZER TURNING ON AT THE SAME TIME. *NM UPDATE. *TT
04804 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
REPAIR MANUAL SUPPLEMENT: LEV II EVAP SYSTEM CHECK - DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P0441, P0442, P0446, P0451, P0452, P0453, P0455 AND P0456. *NM
03204 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE P0031 AND/OR P2238. *TT
02204 — VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
MOON ROOF INITIALIZATION. *TT
01104 — STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
ENGINE HOOD RELEASE CABLE CABLE SPRING IMPROVEMENT. *MJ
Showing 10 of 12 technical service bulletins.
NHTSA Investigations for the 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the TOYOTA HIGHLANDER
- 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 158 complaints
- 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 335 complaints
- 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 316 complaints
- 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER (current)
- 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 289 complaints
- 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 344 complaints
- 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 159 complaints
- 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 501 complaints
- 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — 178 complaints
Other TOYOTA Models
- TOYOTA CAMRY — 23,209 total complaints
- TOYOTA PRIUS — 15,411 total complaints
- TOYOTA COROLLA — 14,342 total complaints
- TOYOTA RAV4 — 11,737 total complaints
- TOYOTA SIENNA — 10,769 total complaints
- TOYOTA TACOMA — 10,512 total complaints
- TOYOTA TUNDRA — 8,997 total complaints
- TOYOTA 4RUNNER — 6,405 total complaints