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Expensive Toyota Highlander repairs by problem area

Engine (27%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (12%)

Brakes and Traction Control (19%)

Suspension and Steering (24%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (14%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (3%)

Other (1%)

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Chart based on 172 repairs.

See TSBs and recalls for the Toyota Highlander.

Toyota Highlander repair cost distribution

$2500+ (19%)

$1000 - $2499 (81%)

$500 - $999 (0%)

$100 - $499 (0%)

< $100 (0%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 128 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

45343 mi

US $1071

Replace both front struts due to leakage

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69000 mi US $732	Brakes had been shimmying for a couple of years. Started out very mild and got worse with time. Dealer resurfaced rotors and replaced brake pads. 123456
112000 mi US $1063	Warped rotors... again! Same problem as a couple of years ago. The last time this happened I replaced rotors & pads with OEM. This time, I decided to replace non-OEM parts to see if this would help.

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49000 mi US $5000	Oil leak between engine block and timing chain cover. This is a well known problem with Toyota 2GR engines. Just Google "Toyota 2GR timing cover leak" and you will find dozens of articles and videos. It's a small leak but requires complete removal of the subframe, engine, transmission and steering rack from the car. 16 effort hours. Parts cost is negligible but the amount of labor is incredible. I strongly recommend you to check your car for this leak. There are good youtube videos how to look for this problem.
54000 mi US $500	P0356 - Ignition Coil F Primary/Secondary Circuit Malfunction. Replaced ignition coil cylinder #6. $150 diagnostics, $200 parts, $150 labor
63000 mi US $200	Another dead ignition coil

63860 mi C $1400	Replaced all brakes and rotors
64480 mi C $225	Replaced Battery

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77500 mi

C $1600

replaced wheel. bearings, hubs, brakes and rotors

47000 mi

US $1200

Replaced brakes and rotors

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114545 mi

US $1099

Replaced all 4 wheel rotors and pads. Routine service also, Oil, Oil filter, rotate tires.

148000 mi

US $2000

Replace rear hatch motor which has been damaged in a collision several years earlier

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68000 mi

US $1200

the spring arm of hatch door got jammed

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89000 mi

US $3900

crankshaft pulley shattered breaking my serpentine belt, water pump, alternator, and put a hole in my radiator.

25000 mi US $1500	Pan leak
29000 mi US $500	dont know - fixed issue with sudden brake effectiveness

122760 mi

C $1600

Noticed a strange sound from the passenger side of the engine. It was diagnosed as the water pump.

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18000 mi

US $18100

Head unit constantly freezes and reboots. Dealer states nothing can be done until they witness it.

92000 mi

US $2000

automatic powergate stopped working

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89000 mi US $1400	Sunroof leaked and required track replacement. Don’t buy panoramic sunroofs! Sunroof interior covering not retracting.
91000 mi US $1400	Cost $1,400 to repair retraction roller after $4,000 spent in replacing sunroof track system. Which is to say the sunroof still does not work. Repair coverage denied by Toyota Financial Services Platinum Extended Warranty.
103000 mi US $400	Resurfaced rear rotors and installed new pads

81000 mi US $1500	Replacement of rear power lift gate that had quit working.
81000 mi US $200	Leaking noted from roof of car into interior, owner removed trim of roof rails on both sides, caulked around the gaps present in drain holes, no more leaks

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101680 mi

C $1500

Complete repair of braking system

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123000 mi

US $1000

Replaced faulty wheel bearing left rear.

120000 mi US $1600	Replaced all 4 VVT solenoids
155000 mi US $700	Replaced rear struts

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72000 mi US $4500	Torque converter threw a "check engine" code...dealer replaced entire transmission.
97000 mi US $889	Defective alternator

161000 mi US $200	Flush & fill transmission fluid
156000 mi US $1200	Alternator and battery

54700 mi US $1000	Doors not locking with fob or door buttons. Replaced body ECU
68000 mi US $100	Replaced original battery due to leaking

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68820 mi

C $2253

The oil pump control circuit of the hybrid system malfunctioned.

69440 mi C $950	Front drum has been replace after only 35000 KM!
105400 mi C $2100	Had to replace complete caliber and disk on 4 wheel rust on back door near Need to replace the cable that allow to unlock the hood
129580 mi C $700	Change break disk on allnwhell

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123000 mi US $2000	New shocks/struts installed.
139000 mi US $100	Looking for issue with decreased fuel economy. Exact problem area unknown.

47560 mi C $3500	front end, rack and pinion, intermediate steering shaft
68200 mi C $4200	rack and pinion , intermediate shaft
76260 mi C $2600	2nd time problems with the transfer case. This time seals, and transmission seal

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104460 mi C $1600	Rear left wheel bearing Some steering rod part was noisy.
111600 mi C $1200	Right Front & Right rear wheel bearings replaced Since leaving dealer shop ABS, AWD Traction Control lights come on and off.
120590 mi C $2500	EGR VALVE ASSY CHANGE THE EGR VALVE REPLACED EGR VALVE CLEANED PIPES CLEARED CODES CHANGE THE FRONT RIGHT SPEED SENSOR REPLACED RIGHT FRONT ABS SPEED SENSOR CLEARED CODE NEW RIGHT FRONT SPEED SENSOR FAULY OPEN CIRCUIT AT TIMES ABS LIGHT ON PART ON ORDER ABS ACTUATOR ASSY REPLACED SKID CONTROL ECU AND REPROGRAMED ALL ABS SYSTEM
130200 mi C $300	Paint over 3 big spots of rust on tailgate. Rust came again. Replaced Windshield Wiper Transmission Linkage
132060 mi C $200	REPLACE LICENCE PLATE BULBS AND SOCKET SEIZED [parking brake] CABLE WAS REPLACED

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61460 mi C $120	Driver Sunvisor broke. Later Toyota issued a recall, apparently wide spread sunvisor problem.
68200 mi C $160	change back sway bar bushings. Rubber deteriorates probably because antirust treatment (oil) and bad roads.
91760 mi C $130	Right side sunvisor replaced (noise, trepidation, very loose)
106640 mi C $2000	Torque converter to be changed, shaky transmission and shuddering. Estimate CAD $2,000. Didn't do it, added a bottle of additive and traded at the same dealer i bought it from for a new Camry.

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47120 mi $800	Steering column was replaced after identifying extreme wear in a joint.
63840 mi $1500	Steering column noise first occurred in 2015. After dealer analysis, replacement of steering column was necessary and done. In early March, steering column noise appeared again which required replacement of parts again.

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100000 mi

US $1199

Brake job + Rotors for shaking/vibration and excessive wear.

67000 mi

US $1200

Water pump was replaced.

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64400 mi US $189	Drivers window made noise when lowered
68900 mi US $1800	Replaced right & left bushings Replaced one motor mount
109000 mi US $500	Front axle boot torn - replaced boot and other axle parts

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76000 mi US $2000	Power steering electric assist motor failed. Twice during the week prior to the failure an intermitant humming noise was heard in the driver side dash area. (At parking lot speeds while turning) Dealer said they'd never seen this before.
108700 mi US $500	Rear hatch motor failed.
118000 mi US $200	Many electrical failures/issues, seemingly unrelated. Door locks inoperative, engine starting intermittent, security system going off on it's own. The battery was bad. Replaced battery.
142000 mi US $240	Left front tire pressure sensor failed.

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110360 mi C $600	alternator failure. replaced
112220 mi C $2000	Replace leaking radiator

45000 mi US $1200	Replace radiator
78000 mi US $812	Radiator replaced at 78,000; original radiator had been replaced at 33,000. Strong suspicion that this is a defect which Toyota should report.

54300 mi US $951	new water pump
67000 mi US $393	replaced the exhaust gasket, bolt and spring.
88000 mi US $400	Outer control arm joint cover was ripped. Muffler heat shield mounts rusted.
122000 mi US $900	they said alternator died and replaced it and tried to charge me $1200 but I had a coupon from email that saved $200. Rip off.
122000 mi US $700	OIL PAN RUSTED OUT
128000 mi US $500	NEW ROTORS AND PADS STRUTS AND SPRINGS

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170000 mi US $1200	Would only blow hot air, would not cool
205000 mi US $2000	Leaking water pump Replace Axle Boots
212000 mi US $250	Plastic trim on drivers seat with seat controls came loose
222284 mi US $365	Replace leaking inner CV boot

134000 mi

US $3750

Main seal leaking oil; had to pull engine to repair A part in the rear brake was broken

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234000 mi

US $1900

parking brake would not hold. Replaced shoes, hardware, 2 cables.

45000 mi US $1000	Replaced bad O2 sensor
89000 mi US $900	All four struts replaced
91000 mi US $100	Heat shield rattle

107880 mi

C $1000

Alternator required replacement.

76880 mi C $900	the car did not start. thought it was the battery (which was earlier replaced). turned out to be alternator.
77980 mi C $1000	Engine oil line "blew up"

59520 mi C $600	Drivers window bracket bolt came loose, fell out and resulted in the bracket breaking. Window was fine but dealer stated the bracket couldn't be repaired only replaced at a cost of 300 plus install plus inspection, plus retinting.
77500 mi C $250	Alarm started going off for no reason. Hood latch sensor failure. Told it was due to vibrations over time rattling it loose. $150 part
96720 mi C $1050	Water pump had a crack in it. Replaced it. 6hrs charged time. Fak! O2 sensor spoiling resulted in VSC and engine light warning. VSC not functioning because sensor failure prompted computer to turn it off as it is an "auxiliary function". 3 of 4 sensors failed. Suspect use of injector cleaner. Lower control arm apparently has a seal failure and has to be replaced.
131440 mi C $450	Rear hub assembly replaced. Constant hum coming from the back wheel with some vibration at around 60-80 km/hr. Same problem occurred on passenger rear wheel about 2 years ago.
133300 mi C $850	Alternator failed to recharge battery while driving. Replacement was needed, but due to the location of the unit it was a 4 hour repair.

99800 mi US $550	Clunking noise when turning fixed by replacing the "core in the steering column". The car now drives better than ever - good road feel. This fixed the mediocre steering feel we had from day 1 owning the car. First ever repair on car!
95300 mi US $800	Water pump replaced
117000 mi US $200	Rear brake lights in turn signal housing were not working. Only center light on tailgate worked. Required new harness and connector to restore function. Good samaritan told us brake lights were out - no dashboard warning or alert.
134400 mi US $200	Air conditioner was not cooling on driver's side of the car. Dealer recharged with dyed coolant to detect possible leak. No leak was found and AC now works perfectly
154000 mi US $2100	Interior evaporator was leaking Freon and needed to be replaced. Involved entire dismantling of dashboard to get to it.

95000 mi US $1600	The AC was leaking INSIDE the car. Had to pull dash etc.
109200 mi US $1146	Alternator went out while in a trip out of town, $746 CV boot was torn, $400
115000 mi US $287	Corrosion on wires on passenger side panel caused alert light to trigger.
118500 mi US $325	Front and back struts Driver visor no longer stayed up Starter needed replacement
122000 mi US $850	Rear axle leak. Rear brakes.

97300 mi US $481	Check engine light, dealer found codes for air fuel sensors. Replaced air fuel sensor.
140000 mi US $1500	Needed new tie-rod but Toyota doesn't sell separate part so had to replace entire steering mechanism.
144000 mi US $770	replace hub bearing
152000 mi US $1200	Leak in oil cooler hose. Went through about 8 quarts of oil with multiple stops to buy more oil and refill before I could get it to the dealer. Numerous complications from the leaking oil that had run all over the back and bottom of the car but fortunately the engine itself was still OK. Just saw a post on the web from someone who says they issued a recall for this in 2010, but the dealer mentioned that to us!

94240 mi C $650	O2 And fuel/air flow sensors caused check engine light to come on. Car was drivable but.....
122760 mi C $1700	Slider seized back pads worn Alt belt

74000 mi

US $2000

Oil gasket replacement

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120000 mi

US $1250

Repaired front boots that were leaking.

115000 mi US $909	Replace relays for hybrid battery
182000 mi US $3500	Replace booster pump & brake distributor
187000 mi US $1500	Replace hybrid battery relay box.
242000 mi US $2700	AC not cooling. Dash air handler needed replacement.
252000 mi US $2000	Replace both front end struts and 1 drive shaft.

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145700 mi

US $2000

Replaced calipers and rotors in front wheels

147200 mi US $755	Car exhibited intermittent vibrations at various speeds. Car was sometimes reluctant to move forward in idle on flat surface or slight incline. Driver caliper found to be sticking. Caliper/rotor replaced.
138300 mi US $700	Rear caliper frozen/sticking. Replaced rear calipers, pads, and rotors.
140000 mi US $1200	Steel drain plug had been over torqued, stripped threads from aluminum oil pan. Oil pan replaced.
172000 mi US $180	Serpentine tensioner failed, serpentine belt broke.

91700 mi US $476	Struts and shocks no longer have initial bump resistance and shock absorption is declined, so time to replace with KYB units front and rear, new cartridge strut towers in front also.
122000 mi US $150	Stereo head unit losing power, especially on hot days rhe sound is less than volume know setting and muddy = amplifier is going bad.
144000 mi US $350	Passenger side front brake was making a noise and upon inspection, the pad wear was more on the outside pad than the caliper side. Dissaembly found that the upper caliper pin was frozen, and required a torch to heat up after soaking with penetrating oil and hammer to drive rusted pin out, lower pin was not rusted. Due to uneven wear on pads ,all brake pads we're replaced with Akebono Pro ACT Ceramic pads but the caliper hanger that the pad is fitted into required replacement on this side only, the driver side was fine. I found out that frozen caliper pins was a problem with many Toyotas in this year from a TSB. Due to uneven pad wear the passenger disc had to be turned as the pad had gotten low enough and off angle to have pad backing run against the rotor. Rotor was still above minimum thickness. Rears were checked and brake caliper pins were fine but all pins were lubricated with Permatix ceramic pin lubricant as the stock moly based lubricant dries out and hardens. The root cause of the pin seizure is the pin rubber boots had torn and let water in to rust the pin.
163000 mi US $760	Replaced the struts on all wheels with KYB gas adjust units, did not replace springs, but did replace all upper and lower mounts, rubber bushings, front bearings on th shock tower and drives much better = no more body roll.
164000 mi US $350	Replaced A/F sensors upstream and downstream of the front bank catalytic converter after getting P0430 code from check engine light and VSS warning light coming on. Now car runs much stronger, smoother and is more responsive. One sensor had lazy response and one had a failing heater Circuit. Used DENSO parts and a bottle of Cat-A-Clean by Berryman for $26 and now car runs like new!
164000 mi US $1400	Spark plugs were replaced by dealer as you must pull off intake manifold on V6, and had not been done sinc car was new as Iriduim plugs are good for 125-140k miles, but found valve cover gaskets, water pipe gasket leaking, so all was fixed and for a trans full service with 15 qts of Redline D4 ATF 100% synthetic fluid provided by me and now shifts super smooth with no slipping,(it was starting to slip, especially in reverse).
164000 mi US $900	Right rear wheel started to make howl at 40 mph on sharp right hand turn, worse when back of vehicle was loaded, suspected wheel hub bearing wear. Pulled wheel and turned hub by hand noting significant bearing drag when jacked up off ground on right rear hub of AWD. Bought original Toyota hub and bearing assembly with new wheel lugs, after seeing aftermarket hub quality was not as good as Toyota and decided to not buy Timken bearings separately to put into old hub as most likely the bearing race was damaged. Installed both right and left hub and axle bearing assembly, which requires complete disassembly of drum parking brake inside hub and removal of brake rotor and caliper. Axles now turn freely both sides. Car had been used to tow, go into snow, off road and factory part lasted 160k miles. Toyota buns were $400 each, new axle nuts, caliper mount bolts, and bearings are sealed so good for another 160k!

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165000 mi US $100	This car is just slowly going bad; it's a hybrid and the battery is going out. I had my favorite mechanic go through it, and he said that there are issues with an airflow sensor that are causing a rough idle.
204000 mi US $1500	General 100,000 mile service + diagnosis of check engine light (evaporative emissions system)

134000 mi

US $2523

Replaced ABS control module. Known problem with this vehicle, date of failure outlasted extended warranty deadline.

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69700 mi US $517	GPS became unreliable and diagnosis was damaged Data DVD which was replaced
88000 mi US $1581	Coils (2) quit, replaced timing belt and water pump at same time
93000 mi US $780	Replacement of rear brakes, rotors & calipers
96000 mi US $1400	tHE FRONT BRAKE SYSTEM WAS REPAIRED/REPLACED AND SOMETHING ELSE WAS DONE (I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAID).

130800 mi US $1000	Mechanic noticed that boots on left front axle were torn. He tried to pull axle apart to clean and grease, but was unable to. Hybrid axles are different than standard. Ended up getting new axle from dealer.
135000 mi US $100	Left rear brake backer plate was bent and rubbing on something moving. They removed it. They told me that putting a new one back on will be expensive.

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121000 mi US $312	Alternator bearing wearing out. Alternator replaced.
150000 mi US $1224	Serpentine Belt replaced. Battery Replaced Rear Brakes; Calipers, Pads, Rotors. Valve cover gasket replaced.

112000 mi

US $1000

Car wouldn't turn over, or was intermittently turning over. Claimed the dead battery had messed up throttle control valve (whatever that means) Replaced it. All I know is the car starts now.

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198000 mi

US $1465

Water pump replacement, including timing belt

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155000 mi US $2000	Power steering pump and hose failure.
156700 mi US $300	Rusty exhaust part replaced.

119040 mi

$1200

Right rear strut broke internally. Both rear struts replaced

133300 mi US $850	Window stuck in down position. Had to replace both window and regulator.
151000 mi US $1000	Replaced both front lower control arms.
156000 mi US $950	Alternator failed and was replaced with an OEM unit.

48360 mi C $1800	Had transmission oil leak that required the drive-shaft and other components to be removed in order to fix the leak. Parts were only 10% of the repair, the rest was labor.
58280 mi C $1200	Replaced leaking transfer case seals

95560 mi

C $1500

Rear wheel bearings

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138000 mi US $1200	leaky transmission seal needed to be replaced
149000 mi US $1100	[blend door] motor for thermostat change botton

153400 mi

US $1300

AC Condenser leak

93000 mi $250	Car started overheating very quickly. Turns out the radiator was busted. Part of the radiator needed to be replaced.
93400 mi $1000	My ABS started malfunctioning, driving was ok except for odd noises and choppy brakes at very low speeds. Had to replace the ABS which is very costly at the dealership, so I bought it used instead.

91000 mi US $1600	Break actuator fail again in a year.
103000 mi US $3100	Hybrid Battery
130000 mi US $1600	Brake actuator again
131000 mi US $317	Replaced shocks

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110000 mi US $350	The seat belt would not retract and it could not be repaired. front passenger seat belt was replaced. not covered under warranty due to age and mileage.
119400 mi US $500	radiator leak
129700 mi US $1100	front struts

48300 mi

US $2497

Cracked mounting points on shock absorber and suspension arm sub-assembly.

131300 mi US $650	some steering wheel vibration
140000 mi US $1200	3 of the 4 brake calipers seized. had to replace all pads, rotors, and 3 calipers.

105000 mi US $500	Tailgate latch failed. Tailgate could not be opened at all due to failure. Repair required replacement of entire latch mechanism inside tailgate.
145000 mi US $1150	Radiator cracked and leaked

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167000 mi US $890	Alternator failure Emissions sensor replacement
167000 mi US $2000	Catalytic converter replacement, $1400 Valve cover gasket replacement, $600
197000 mi US $325	Oxygen sensor replacement

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81220 mi

A $1600

transfer case rebuild

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202000 mi US $325	Wheel bearing
208800 mi US $675	Power steering pump failed
242000 mi US $160	Bad brake pads, stuck caliper
244000 mi US $500	Hesitation and loss of power. Replaced coil, injectors cleaned.
244000 mi US $1500	Vibration in front end. Front axle replaced. Loss of power. Replaced catalytic converter.
249000 mi US $1500	Worn shocks, worn brake rotors, worn tires
301200 mi US $1000	Torn CV boot- axle went bad. Timing belt, water pump
307000 mi US $300	Passenger rear window actuator

42160 mi

C $3200

We found the heater to blow cooler air on passenger side than the drivers side to repair it was quoted at 3200.00. for a new one so, never fixed it.

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203500 mi US $1100	Wheel bearings needed to be replaced
206000 mi US $1000	Water pump leak. Dead battery

102300 mi C $1500	Rear brakes are rusted out and it had to be replaced
109740 mi C $650	Power steering pump return line to reservoir was rusted out and leaking
111113 mi C $1100	Front brakes are rusted out and it had to be replaced

83700 mi

C $3000

Heater failed- problem was wiring to controls

110000 mi

US $1500

both rear wheel bearings had to be replaced

67000 mi US $900	frozen caliper (right front)
73700 mi US $200	Right rear caliper pins "frozen"
90000 mi US $2200	Rear brakes rusted rotors, rt rear sliding pins frozen. Power steering line leaking, rotted.
118000 mi US $200	Rear calipers "frozen".

118000 mi

US $1000

Worn struts replaced

161000 mi

US $1147

R front caliper froze. Replaced calipers (both), pads, turned both rotors. Replaced steering link. Replaced worn U joints.

76000 mi US $1780	Brakes shuddered upon firm application. Three calipers/pistons were found siezed. All calipers plus rotors replaced. Possible factor was non-usage of the vehicle for days or more last winter after driving over salted, slushy roads.
96000 mi US $260	Replaced corroded power steering fluid return line.
113000 mi US $732	Rear caliper seized. Replaced both rear calipers, pads, rotors, and hoses. Changed brake fluid.

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78000 mi US $382	I had to have the alternator and battery replaced.
84500 mi US $375	replaced a/c control head with reconditioned one.
87000 mi US $1000	replaced ac compressor and evaporator
103000 mi US $1600	I had a/c repairs done approx. 3 years ago. At that time, unknown to me, the repair shop did their own electrical modification to the a/c system. It shorted out this June and resulted in major repairs to the a/c system.
116000 mi US $4400	blown engine replaced with a used engine

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71500 mi US $485	Calipers failed requiring pads, rotors and calipers to be replaced, on both sides in the rear.
90000 mi US $1900	Replced drive shaft from front to rear due to play in shaft.

66000 mi US $1400	Frozen caliper; rusted discs.
102000 mi US $1000	Water pump and timing belt. This is the second water pump and timing belt replaced. The first replacements occurred at 60K miles.

95480 mi C $120	A/C failure did not last for a long time after repair. Will take it to shop this or next month.
98580 mi C $300	A/C system cleaned by shop, filled out with sealant and leak detector (UV dye).
137888 mi C $250	Caliper replacement
174220 mi C $250	Exhaust system gaskets replacement ( 2 burned out) Exhaut system gaskets replacement ( 2 burned out)
203360 mi C $4300	Replace control arms and bearing. Replace struts and shocks. Replace parking shoes and cables.
203360 mi C $826	condencer replaced; eletrical issue with compressor is fixed
249540 mi C $1021	Left from strut start leaking (noticed my mechanic at the previous visit) Done by another shop (fixmycar.ca) less that 6 month ago
226300 mi C $600	stabilizer bar, joint one of the calipers
234840 mi C $950	replace broken control arms; joints
241760 mi C $160	Rear wiper blade assemply
261020 mi C $250	upper radiator hose replacement
268600 mi C $1300	Both rear wheels bearings were broken
284740 mi C $300	driveshaft assembly replacement over the broken U-joint coolant leak; radiator block is resealed by shop
310620 mi C $500	Hood cable has been replaced, $200. Battery replacement. Earlier in a month I have decided to clean up the battery which has to be replaced before the winter anyway. One of the bolts that holds the battery in place but that was solidly rusted in snapped. The attempt to drill it out was not successful (shop had to use welding to fix it). So I took car to the shop to fix it and replace battery at the same time as the cost of servicing the battery is a one third of replacing. $250. O2 sensor failed and needs to be replaced to pass emission test Rear stabilizer links were making extensive noice over uneven terrain
330460 mi C $680	transmission leak, replaced transmission pan(?) and gasket
333560 mi C $3000	Shocks, struts, control arm, bushing
336 mi C $600	Oil pan and oil pan plug replacement over the oil leak ( thread on the oil pan was damaged over the time due to number of oil changed over the span of time)
334180 mi C $540	Re-seal oil pan

97000 mi US $150	new battery
100000 mi US $2000	alternator replaced
104000 mi US $800	corrosion of wiring harness and sensor

83000 mi

US $1200

Replace left rear wheel bearing

89500 mi US $806	Both front door locks quit working and had to be replaced.
132000 mi US $1400	Replaced leaking struts on the front and the rear.

75000 mi US $500	Humming or revving noise from rear end noticed at speeds over 40mph. Mechanic said sounded like bad wheel bearing and confirmed it on lift. replaced right rear wheel bearing and hub assembly.
104000 mi US $1300	Car developed a vibration when accelerating in lower gears. Took it to transmission shop. Could not find any codes or transmission issues. Diagnosed as a bad u-joint in the drive shaft. Not U-joint staked to shaft. Must replace entire shaft.
112000 mi US $450	Car began making loud humming/growling noise coming from rear of vehicle after 20 MPH. Classic bad wheel bearing sound. We had already replaced the left rear wheel bearing at 75K. Mechanic replace with new wheel bearing, sound is gone. Mechanic said he replaces manywheel bearings on these cars. Design is faulty and lets road salt and dirt in from the back side. Says we will eventually have to replace them all.
125000 mi US $200	Power Steering pump was making loud sound. Fluid Reservior was low. discovered leak in line at bottom of engine compartment on passenger side. line had corroded. Mechanic recommended replacing replace section of line rather than entire line. (several metal to rubber connections on entire line) added new fluid. everything fine. Brake light came on. Stayed on. Fluid Low. discovered small leak in brake line near caliper.replace. everything fine

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208000 mi US $2500	new power steering rack, pump and hoses.
248000 mi US $800	Transmission Mount; Engine Mount front & right and torque strut.

113000 mi US $1200	Ac condensor coil had a leak
117000 mi US $700	Brakes wore out. front rotors out of round. rears rotors were too thin to machine, ended up getting all four new. AC lost its charge. Had window motor replaced, another $650

115000 mi US $1100	Replaced faulty condensor Replaced rear struts
117000 mi US $123	O2 sensor fault

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165000 mi

US $2000

Replaced timing and accessory belts, also replaced charcoal canister and other emissions items

103800 mi US $286	Needed to replace a fuel evaporative control valve.
108000 mi US $500	Replaced oxygen sensor. Rear side window stuck in down position.
99000 mi US $160	A sensor in the exhaust system had loosened and its gasket blew out resulting in a loud exhaust noise. The dealer tightened the sensor and replaced the gasket.
113000 mi US $260	The area around the rear anti-lock brake sensors was rusty, and was creating a mechanical situation where the antilock brakes were activating each time the car stopped. My mechanic was able to diagnose the problem and fix it.
130000 mi US $1300	Replace catalytic converter.

152700 mi

US $1200

check engine light was on; the shop diagnosed that there were several sensors (for emissions) that were no longer working and needed to be replaced.

195000 mi

US $1060

Rear pistons frozen; pads, rotors, calipers needed replaced. both serpentine belts needed replacement due to prior mechanic never adjusting tensioner.

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129000 mi

US $1800

Struts replaced and alignment

189000 mi US $1750	Classic head bolt failure, Time-Cert thread repair done.
209600 mi US $100	A single coil pack failed causing misfire and the check engine light to come on. A trip to the parts store for a code reading showed a failed coil pack on cylinder 3. Replaced coil pack.
216000 mi US $920	Repairs to the gas tank emissions control components. Involved removing the tank and replacing abour $250 in parts. Heavy labor cost. Had CEL on and strong gasoline odors with a full tank.
233000 mi US $105	Failed coil pack - was actually the one that failed before and was replaced. I took the opportunity to replace them all. They are old.
240800 mi US $275	LR wheel ABS sensor failed. It is less expensive to replace the whole axle hub. Brake backing plate had to be replace due to rust.Job took longer than it should due to frozen bolts and corrosion on the backing plate.
244000 mi US $425	Alternator failed and battery was weak enough that it was recommended to replace it at the same time.
251000 mi US $330	Replaced the catalytic converter. I had installed an Eastern Catalytic catalytic converter about two years ago when the OEM original failed. The Eastern unit failed about 10 months ago but I am just getting around to fixing it.

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148000 mi

US $1400

The electrical system was replaced. The air conditioner would not work.

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161423 mi

US $3658

Would not change out of 1st gear.

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101300 mi US $930	Exhaust leak. Replaced rear gasket on converter assembly. Passenger side rear shock absorber leaking. Replaced left and right rear shock absorber assemblies and associated support assemblies.
106000 mi US $337	Replaced oxygen sensor, part no. 89465-49075.
100500 mi US $103	Passenger side sun visor would not stay up. Replaced visor.
118400 mi US $530	Replaced air/fuel ratio sensor.
119500 mi US $300	Replaced noisy/misaligned driver side rear brake caliper. 120,000 mile maintenance done on same trip.
122000 mi US $2064	Fuel tank leak. Replaced tank and regulator.

131000 mi US $1880	Left front hub bearing. I asked Toyota to replace the remaining 3 hub bearings because I still heard the same noise that I heard the first time I took the car in; thinking it was another bearing. However after doing all that I still hear the noise when slowing down
147100 mi US $757	Water pump replacement, belts, ignition work, battery.

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65000 mi

US $2500

The rear wheels (left and right) sealed bearings wore out.

129700 mi US $603	P0420 and P0430 engine light codes. Replaced O2 sensors.
157600 mi US $2500	Engine header bolts worn to where required torque not possible. Machinest bore new holes into engine block so that new bolts could take hold. The overall problem caused by this was engine coolant leaking all over. Old and worn out water pump replaced.

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142000 mi US $1150	AC not coooling
142300 mi US $700	Check engine light came on and replaced emissions part?

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42000 mi US $1500	Check lights turned on again, had to visit the dealer as instructed by my local repair shop. Although only 42k miles, but it has been 11 years, the dealer replaced timing belts, rubber belts, leaky valves.
43000 mi US $771	Air/fuel ratio (O2) sensors need to be replaced.

224305 mi US $800	Would not shift into overdrive. Engine misfire on cylinder 2. replaced antiknock sensors and harness, spark plugs and all associated gaskets.
227837 mi US $383	roaring when turning in a left hand turn. Right front wheel bearing replaced.
252434 mi US $3154	Transmission failed. Had to replace it.

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62000 mi

C $1400

Squeaks from wheel while moving

120100 mi US $1700	Worn struts caused uneven tire wear
135000 mi US $180	Worn stabilizer bar needed to be repaired. Not successful, need to go back.

101700 mi US $650	Tune up, fluids replaced. Suspension needs replacing but not replaced on this visit.
105000 mi US $1400	new suspension parts installed

153000 mi US $150	O2 sensor and clean throttle body plate...full of carbon limiting the throttle cable movement.
198000 mi US $1422	Front end alignment could not be performed due to tie rods with no more adjustment available. Removed and replaced inner & outer tie rods, stabilizer links for front and rear, lower ball joints along with rotors, calipers and pads for front.

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Expensive Toyota Highlander repairs by problem area

Toyota Highlander repair cost distribution

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2014 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

2014 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2011 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2007 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2005.5 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2005 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

2005 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2003 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

2003 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

2003 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2002 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

2002 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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2001 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

2001 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

Toyota Highlander Expensive Problems