2003 Toyota Highlander Lights Problems
8 owner-reported lights complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (8)
Your headlight lenses have become cloudy and foggy, which significantly reduces how well you can see the road after dark. This makes driving unsafe in low-light conditions. The fix typically involves either polishing and sealing the headlight lenses or replacing them entirely.
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Your driver's side seat belt is fraying at the edges, and other Toyota Highlander owners report the same issue. Your dealership wants you to pay for a new seat belt and installation, but you believe this is a manufacturer defect that should be covered under warranty. Additionally, your brake lights don't work even after you've replaced the bulbs, fuses, and checked the wiring, and Toyota is asking you to pay $400 just to diagnose the problem with no guarantee of a fix.
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DRIVER SIDE REAR LIGHTS STOPS WORKING ONCE IN A WHILE. THE BULBS ARE FINE HAVE REPLACED THEM WITH THE NEW ONE AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSIST. THERE HAS BEEN QUITE A LOT OF COMPLAINT AND NOTHING HAS BEEN ADDRESSED. *TR
LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHER 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS ONLY THE RIGHT SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WILL ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS PRESSED. *TR
THE REAR RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT STOPPED BRIGHTENING UPON HITTING THE BRAKES AT FIRST. THEN A FEW MONTHS LATER, NEITHER BRAKE LIGHT IS LIGHTING UP AT ALL. I ALSO WITNESSED THE SAME ISSUE OCCUR ON ANOTHER 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT WOULD NOT FUNCTION WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT BULBS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED. UPDATED 12/12/11
THE LEFT REAR BRAKE LIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE. I'VE HEARD OF PEOPLE GETTING THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REPLACED ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RETURN A YEAR LATER. SEE HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER/T7H7LD934GSQLC6BE NOW MY VEHICLE IS DOING THE SAME THING AND TOYOTA SEEMS UNINTERESTED IN A RECALL. *TR
HEADLIGHT LENSES HAVE BECOME PROGRESSIVELY TRANSLUCENT BLOCKING SIGNIFICANT LIGHT ENERGY FROM VEHICLE TO OPERATE VEHICLE IN A TOTALLY SAFE MANNER. (INCIDENT DATE AND ODOMETER READING NOT APPLICABLE IN THIS CASE.) SOME INTERNET WEB SITES SUGGEST DRILLING HOLES IN THE HEADLAMP FIXTURE TO FIX PROBLEM. I BELIEVE IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD STAND BEHIND GETTING THE PROBLEM RESOLVED. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO TOYOTAS AS I HAVE OBSERVED OTHER BRANDS OF VEHICLES WITH THE SAME SAFETY PROBLEM AND MAY BE RELATED SPECIFICALLY TO A HEADLIGHT FIXTURE MANUFACTURER SHARED BY OTHER VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD. *TR