U.S. public vehicle records

2003 Toyota HIGHLANDER: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

258 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

93,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2003 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 213 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 41 of 258 complaints (15.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	63	24.4%
Transmission and shifting	16	6.2%
Steering behavior	10	3.9%
Electrical and battery issues	7	2.7%
Fuel system concerns	3	1.2%
Engine operation	1	0.4%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Vehicle Speed Control

Visibility

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Exterior Lighting

Electrical System

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine	41
Engine And Engine Cooling	26
Vehicle Speed Control	24
Visibility	19
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	15
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	14
Exterior Lighting	14
Electrical System	13

Engine: 41; Engine And Engine Cooling: 26; Vehicle Speed Control: 24; Visibility: 19; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 15; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 14; Exterior Lighting: 14; Electrical System: 13

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 36; 25,000 to 49,999: 15; 50,000 to 74,999: 31; 75,000 to 99,999: 38; 100,000 to 149,999: 74; 150,000 and above: 19

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (74). 45 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2023

2003: 22; 2004: 16; 2005: 9; 2006: 4; 2007: 8; 2008: 9; 2009: 19; 2010: 52; 2011: 19; 2012: 23; 2013: 26; 2014: 20; 2015: 7; 2016: 6; 2017: 6; 2018: 3; 2019: 6; 2020: 1; 2023: 2

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 63 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 16 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 10 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10003522 · 2003-01-28 (January 28, 2003)

ANNOYING WIND NOISE WHEN DRIVING WITH EITHER OR BOTH REAR WINDOWS OPEN. OPENING FRONT WINDOW ALLEVIATES THE NOISE. FLAWED DESIGN.

Owner-reported narrative. 150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003522 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006885 · 2003-02-10 (February 10, 2003)

THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS WERE INOPERATIVE.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006885 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010386 · 2003-03-13 (March 13, 2003)

PASSENGER SIDE DOORS (FRONT & BACK) BECOME OFF BALANCED. THEN THE DOORS HAVE TO BE CLOSED VERY HARD. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 193 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010386 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010990 · 2003-03-25 (March 25, 2003)

WIND NOISE INSIDE VEHICLE WITH WINDOWS OPEN MAKES A DRUMMING NOISE THAT BORDERS ON BEING PAINFUL AT ANY SPEED OVER 30 MPH. OPENING ONE OF THE FRONT WINDOWS LESSENS THE NOISE BUT DOES NOT ELIMINATE IT. IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITH ONE OR MORE WINDOWS OPEN.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10010990 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10015709 · 2003-04-11 (April 11, 2003)

WHEN THE DRIVER'S WINDOW WAS DOWN, A LOUD WHISTLING NOISE WAS HEARD. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10015709 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10016093 · 2003-04-17 (April 17, 2003)

THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLES BRAKES WERE SOFT AND THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. NLM THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE WHEN THE BRAKES HAD GONE TO THE FLOOR AND JUMPED THE CURB. A WEEK BEFORE, THE CONSUMER NOTICED (2 OR 3 TIMES) WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE STOPPED BUT THE PEDAL SLOWLY WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER CURRENTLY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FINE. SCC

Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10016093 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017045 · 2003-05-05 (May 5, 2003)

ELECTRICAL SHORT IN HEADLINER BETWEEN SUN ROOF AND SUN VISOR. BURN MARK 5-6 INCHES LONG THROUGH HEADLINER. NO FIRE OR FLAMES BUT COULD SMELL STRONG ODOR OF SMOKE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10017045 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10021095 · 2003-06-05 (June 5, 2003)

BRAKES ON NEW 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLINDER ARE INCOSISTENT AND PROVIDE LIMITED STOPPING POWER. DEALER SAYS BRAKES ARE SMALL FOR THE SIZE OF THE VEHICLE, THEY OVERHEAT EASILY AND THEY HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM CUSTOMERS. RETURNED VEHICLE 3 DAYS AFTER PURCHASING IT AND REQUEST ATTENTION. AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS AND COMMUNICATIOS TO THE DEALER AND TOYOTA, I WAS TOLD THE BRAKES DON'T WORK WELL, BUT THAT IS HOW THEY WERE DESIGNED. I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO LEARN TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AS THE BRAKES ARE DIFFERENT THAN OTHER VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE IS VE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10021095 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

02V339000 · Wheels

Reported: 2002-12-17 (December 17, 2002)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FIVE FACTORY ALLOY WHEELS (MODEL 6934 AND 6936), WITH FACTORY LLAT, AND WITH PORT INSTALLED WR4, FOUR ALLOY WHEEL UPGRADE PROCESSED AT THE JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA PORT AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE PROCESSED AT THE PORT, AN ALLOY TIRE/WHEEL UPGRADE WAS INSTALLED. THE UPGRADE INCLUDED 4 ALLOY WHEELS. THE ORIGINAL SPARE TIRE/ALLOY WHEEL WAS NOT CHANGED. THE SPARE TIRE REQUIRES THE USE OF A DIFFERENT STYLE OF WHEEL NUT TO ATTACH IT TO THE VEHICLE.

Consequence: IF THE SPARE TIRE/WHEEL IS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE USING THE WHEEL NUTS PROVIDED FOR THE UPGRADE ALLOY WHEEL, DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL COULD RESULT AND COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A LOOSE WHEEL.

Remedy: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH DIFFERENT STYLE LUG NUTS, A WARNING LABEL FOR THE SPARE RE/ALLOY WHEEL, AND AN OWNER'S MANUAL ADDENDUM.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

04V181000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

Reported: 2004-04-15 (April 15, 2004)

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.

NHTSA campaign record ↗