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Vehicle safety record

2004 Toyota Highlander Problems, complaints & recalls

Owners have filed 286 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Highlander with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (58) and the acceleration & cruise control (40). Those complaints describe 32 crashes, 3 fires, 23 injuries and 47 deaths. It is covered by 5 recalls, the latest in November 2011 for the engine and engine cooling. For comparison, the 2003 has 270 and the 2005 has 225.

NHTSA data checked

FFar more problems than a typical Highlander year, for its age

#45 most complained-about 2004 vehicle

Complaints
286
Recalls
5
Crashes
32
Fires
3
Injuries
23
Deaths
47

Most common 2004 Toyota Highlander problems

Share of all 286 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.

2004 Toyota Highlander recalls 5

Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do

Engine and engine cooling

11V539000420,326 vehicles affected

The problem
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 and the torsional rubber damper (inner ring) in the crankshaft pulley may be inadequate. If the adhesive is insufficient, there is a possibility that the outer ring may become misaligned and it may not properly rotate with the inner ring, causing noise and/or illumination of the battery discharge indicator light.
The risk
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.
The fix
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 expected to begin during early january 2012. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

11V112000769,379 vehicles affected

The problem
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.
The risk
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.
The fix
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.

Service brakes: master cylinder

10V499000728,544 vehicles affected

The problem
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 part of the rubber seal located at the rear of the brake master cylinder may become dry, and the seal may curl during movement of the piston. If this occurs, a small amount of brake fluid could slowly leak from the seal into the brake booster.
The risk
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.
The fix
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.

Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal

06V253000367,594 vehicles affected

The problem
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.
The risk
This condition may interfere with the accelerator pedal returning to the idle position increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix
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.

Latch

04V181000366,572 vehicles affected

The problem
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.
The risk
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.
The fix
Dealers will shorten the cpl lever. Owner notification began may 7, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

What owners say

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286 complaints about the 2004 Toyota Highlander

Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners. Page 1 of 12.

SteeringEngine & cooling

Hello, I am the Buyer of the subject Vehicle, Upon doing my research, I found out several reports stating that The subject vehicle's 2.4L engine has manufacturing defect, that causes Head Bolts to get stripped/melt down in to oil causing Engine failures and Life threating risk in the middle of the road.

Filed Incident Steering · EngineNHTSA 11739508
AirbagsWheels & tiresCrash

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

Filed Incident Air bags · WheelsNHTSA 11618886
Airbags

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...

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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?

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 11572352
Body, doors & structure

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.

Filed Incident StructureNHTSA 11552313
Brakes

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.

Filed Incident Service brakesNHTSA 11386458
SteeringAcceleration & cruise controlDriver assistanceCrash1 injury

While traveling through a highway construction zone my car suddenly became hard to steer, and my speed became greater, tried to (break) decelerate the car began sliding out of control-plowing into the road construction barriers part lodged in front passenger windshield. The car went through the ditch became airborne through a rod iron fence shattered the rear second-row right side window spun out , and came to rest just feet from the some pileings. This is the information of my daughter whom is an out of state...

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college senior and very shaken up from this ordeal, this her statement to the best of my knowledge. Possibly the placement of the 🚧 could have been a contributor, and the uncontrollable acceleration. Vehicle was bought used a year ago. Can you help up learn why?

Filed Incident Steering · Vehicle speed control · Electronic stability control (ESC)NHTSA 11355039
Acceleration & cruise controlCrash1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota highlander. While driving various low speeds, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning. Upon applying minimal pressure to the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal became stuck and the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle, a dumpster, and almost struck a group of children before coming to a stop. In an attempt to stop the vehicle, pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal and then the brake pedal. The vehicle finally stopped and was turned off. The vehicle...

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was able to be driven to the contact's residence. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained severe pain to the neck and back, which required medical attention. A dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the crash. The vehicle was subject to nhtsa campaign number: 11v112000 (vehicle speed control). The failure mileage was 170,000.

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 11153718
Seats & seat belts

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the front driver's side seat belt assembly malfunctioned and the fabric material strap became frayed and shredded at the buckle location. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer (atlantic toyota in lynn, massachusetts) and manufacturer were notified, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 150,000. *Js

Filed Incident Seat beltsNHTSA 11022298
Other & unknown

The transfer case is leaking after only 68000 miles. The leaking oil drops over the heated exhaust pipe which causes fume in the cabin through air condition and fan

Filed Incident Unknown or otherNHTSA 11004382
Driver assistanceBrakes

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota highlander. While driving various speeds, while depressing the brake pedal, the pedal traveled to the floor. The traction control, check engine, vsc, and brake indicators illuminated. The vehicle was serviced per nhtsa campaign number: 10v499000 (service brakes), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The contact observed brake fluid leaking from the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 157,489.

Filed Incident Electronic stability control (ESC) · Traction control system · Service brakesNHTSA 10971175
Engine & cooling

My trac off lights, engine and oil light came on when I was driving to work. I work far from home so I took it to the valvoline near my job to check the oil. I didn't want to drive my car home if there was no oil. They checked the oil, underneath my car and said everythingwas fine and to take to my mechanic to check the engine. I took it to my mechanic who kept it for 4 days and said its the oil sluge and he was trying to save the engine. My mechanic said they had a lexus in the week before with the same...

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problem. I checked online and found out there was recall for this problem in 2002, and toyota only contactedthe original owners not all people who had registered cars. I bought this second hand through car max in 2010 and this should have been corrected then. My car has 145,000.00.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10954090
Engine & cooling

The outer ring of the crank shaft pulley has pulled away from the inner ring causing damage to all system and can affect steering. This already has a recall for my make, model and year, but not for my vin number. It seems strange that this exact same thing that has the recall affects my car, but repair is not covered. Should recall be expanded to include other vin numbers??

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10906228
Electrical system

The passenger side in the rear windows are defective. They will not power up or down the windows in the back of suv. Also the front passenger side is now not operating up or down. The power window parts have failed two years ago, and now it's happening again. This 2004 should be included in the other recalls on newer models.

Filed Incident Electrical systemNHTSA 10884668
Steering

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota highlander. While driving various speeds, the vehicle required greater effort to steer. While steering the vehicle, there was an abnormal noise. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic were it was diagnosed that the steering intermediate staff assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

Filed Incident SteeringNHTSA 10883405
Airbags

This has been going on for two days now. There is a buzzing like something is malfunctioning on my passenger side coming from the dash I brought the vehicle to pep boys and they said that my air bag is malfunctioning. Is result of this my job won't let me drive patients because of the danger. This really needs to be fixed. I know for a fact it's the airbag because toyota told when I brought it there because pep boys told go to the dealership for them to confirm and it was!. This happens in motion and a little while in motion. When it is humid outside the buzzing is even worser to where the side panel vy drivers left leg vibrate.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 10872252
Acceleration & cruise controlCrash1 injury

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 toyota highlander. While driving 20 mph and making a right turn, the vehicle accelerated to approximately 75 mph. The vehicle crashed into an oak tree. The contact was knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital. The contact sustained knee, back, shoulder, and chest injuries that required medical attention. The air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and later deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. *Tr

Filed Incident Vehicle speed controlNHTSA 10861258
Driver assistance

I was driving about 15 mph on a city streetand the vsc indicator light came on and the vehicle started breaking on its own. A loud scrapping sound was heard. It was about 70degrees and sunny and the car thought I was going down a slippery slope. I stopped the vehicle. Every time I got above 8-10 mph the light would come on and the care would start breaking becoming unable to drive.

Filed Incident Electronic stability control (ESC)NHTSA 10854642
Driver assistance

In feb 2005 while doing about 30 mph the vsc light came on and started braking, on it's own, to the right making it almost impossible to drive. The next morning the car was towed to the toyota dealer. The car displayed no codes and they said that they had calibrated the steering angle sensor. We had no further problems until mar 24, 2016. This time the vsc indicator came on at about 40 mph. If I slowed down to about 20 mph the indicator would go off. We were able to drive the car home but the car braked, on...

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it's own, several times. We have an appointment with the toyota dealer. I'm afraid that the expense to repair it may come close to what the car is worth. Nhtsa needs to wake up and investigate this issue. It's been going on for a long time. This problem could result in a serious accident if it occurrs at highway speeds. I can't imagine what would happen if the car brakes on it's own at 75 mph.

Filed Incident Electronic stability control (ESC)NHTSA 10852145
AirbagsCrash3 injuries45 deaths

Car in motion @45 miles an hour at 8am 12/29/14. Driver lost consciousness due to medical event, which resulted in auto running off road after hitting curb and sidewalk, then hitting a roadside fence at an estimated 45 mph. The car then rolled and landed on roof. Driver was seat-belted. None of the airbags deployed during the collision. Driver suffered trauma to head and other injuries. Car was rated by insurer as completely totaled.

Filed Incident Air bagsNHTSA 10821589
Visibility & wipers

Heat doesn't work and a/c intermittently blows cold or hot. Windshield and windows will fog up in bad weather and without heat I can't defog them forcing me to pull over and manually wipe the fog off every few minutes.

Filed Incident Visibility / wiperNHTSA 10808336
Driver assistance

TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON DURING NORMAL DRIVING

Filed Incident Electronic stability control (ESC)NHTSA 10789080
Engine & cooling

We have a vehicle with a 2.4Liter/4 cylinger engine that is loosing oil at a rate of 1qrt per 1000 miles and now there is a coolant leak coming from the gasket seal between the engine block and head. There is no guage that tells you how much oil is missing until it's too late and the engine starts to over heat. Both the oil and coolant is leaking on roads, parking lots and driveways, what we have found is that the bolts that are nearest the leak are stripped, they either stripped in assembly or flailed do to...

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overheating of the block do to the engine block not having sufficient cooling because of a heavy foam pad that restricts air floe around the engine causing the head to flex and leak at the gasket seal based on online complaints there are hundreds, if not thousands of owners with this same problem. Seems that some of these engines are having success by drilling, tapping and inserting new coils into the aluminum block, which may or may not be a permanent solution. It seems that toyota is aware of the problem and refuses to repair the damage. The most common suggested repair is to replace the motor and we assume that they problem will happen again since they have redesigned the problem.. Replacement is at the owners cost for materials and labor at approx $6,000-$8,000.

Filed Incident EngineNHTSA 10777806
Wheels & tires

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 toyota highlander equipped with michelin ltx m/s2 tires, size: p225/75/r16 (na). While driving 55 mph, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. In addition, the rear of the vehicle began to shake. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the rear passenger side tire blew out and the thread separated from the belt. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The tire was not replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle failure mileage was 98,000 and the tire failure mileage was 20,000.

Filed Incident TiresNHTSA 10763812
Seats & seat belts

Began driving vehicle a week ago, used to be my wife's vehicle. I noticed a squeak in the driver's seat, and noticed it wiggled. I examined the mounting bolts, and all 4 seat bolts were loose, not even finger tight. The only service performed anywhere near the seat was recall work on the floor mat retaining clip and a seal in the brake master cylinder, both recalls were done simultaneously at rudy luther toyota, 8805 wayzata blvd, golden valley, mn 55426. Recall work was done a couple years ago. I tightened the bolts with my own tools. Passenger seat bolts were tight.

Filed Incident SeatsNHTSA 10748001
Body, doors & structureVisibility & wipersCrash

Gas station did not close hood completely and it blew open while trying to enter the highway at just over 40 miles per hour.The secondary safety catch did not hold or work ! The hood blew open and shattered the windshield and bent the hood up into the roof.The tops of the fenders near the hinges were also ripped up.

Filed Incident Structure · Unknown or other · Visibility / wiperNHTSA 10721835

Toyota Highlander: every year compared

YearComplaintsRecallsCrashesFiresTop problemGrade
2008406134414BrakesF
20071244111BrakesB
20062797294BrakesD
20052256354Transmission & drivetrainC
20042865323Transmission & drivetrainF
20032702341Engine & coolingC
20023272276Visibility & wipersD
20011363192Visibility & wipersB
All Highlander years

2004 Toyota Highlander vs rivals

More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.

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Questions about the 2004 Toyota Highlander

Does the 2004 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?

Yes - NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2004 Toyota Highlander: engine and engine cooling (November 2011); accelerator pedal (February 2011); master cylinder (October 2010); accelerator pedal (July 2006) and more. Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.

What are the most common problems with the 2004 Toyota Highlander?

By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (58), acceleration & cruise control (40), engine & cooling (36).

How many complaints has the 2004 Toyota Highlander had?

286 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on March 15, 2004 and the latest on May 22, 2026. Of these, 32 describe a crash and 3 a fire, and together they report 23 injuries and 47 deaths.

Is the 2004 Toyota Highlander a reliable vehicle?

Its Safety Index is 16 out of 100 (grade F: far more problems than a typical Toyota Highlander year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.

Which Toyota Highlander years have the most complaints?
What should I do if my 2004 Toyota Highlander has a problem?

If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data

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