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2010 Toyota Highlander Engine Problems

14 owner-reported engine complaints from NHTSA data

14
Complaints
1
Fires
Jan 2020Nov 2018
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (14)

criticalENGINE
Filed: Jan 2024

Your engine suddenly failed and locked up while driving, despite regular maintenance every 3-4 months and adequate oil and water levels. The car had to be towed to a mechanic for diagnosis and repair. This type of failure typically requires complete engine inspection or replacement.

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NHTSA #: 11569155
highENGINE
Filed: Jun 2022

Your oil cooler line failed without any warning lights appearing on your dashboard, causing oil to leak from the front of your vehicle and leaving a trail on the road. You noticed smoke coming from the front and tire areas, and when you checked the dipstick, the oil level was completely dry. The shop confirmed the Toyota oil cooler line is the problem, and you're concerned this is a known issue affecting many owners without a recall in place.

NHTSA #: 11469674
mediumENGINE
Filed: Sep 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE DETECTED. A MESSAGE INDICATING TO PULL OVER WAS FLASHING. THE OIL PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE OIL LEVEL WAS EXTREMELY LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO FOLSOM LAKE HONDA (12505 AUTOMALL PKWY, RANCHO CORDOVA, CA 95742, (916) 367-4178) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE OIL COOLER HOSE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILLAGE WAS 129,000.

NHTSA #: 11352555
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jan 2020

MY VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE AND MASSIVE OIL LOSS WHILE BEING DRIVEN DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE OIL COOLER LINE WHILE DRIVING ON PA 291 IN PHILADELPHIA. IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE HIGHLANDER AND THE LEXUS RX350.

NHTSA #: 11296830
mediumENGINE
Filed: Apr 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT POWERED OFF THE ENGINE WHILE IN TRAFFIC. ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DRIVEN TO HIS RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING OIL, WHICH CAUSED IT TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,297.

NHTSA #: 11195672
mediumENGINE
Filed: Nov 2018

WE WERE TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AFTER ABOUT A 7 HOUR DRIVE AND THE LOW OIL PRESSURE WARNING DISPLAY WAS FLICKERING ON AND OFF BUT NEVER STAYED ON CONSISTENTLY. I PULLED OVER AND THERE WAS NO OIL IN THE ENGINE, I MEAN IT WAS BONE DRY. I'M TRULY SURPRISED THE CAR WAS STILL OPERATING. WHEN OIL WAS PUT IN, IT POURED, AND I MEAN POURED, RIGHT BACK OUT. WE HAD TO BE TOWED BECAUSE THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE OIL COOLER LINE WAS LEAKING.

NHTSA #: 11155185
mediumENGINE
Filed: Mar 2018

STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITH THE BRAKE APPLIED, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO REV UNCONTROLLED AND BEGAN TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS THE CAR AHEAD OF US, EVEN WITH THE BRAKE FULLY APPLIED. TO STOP THE PROBLEM, THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTED TO PARK AND IGNITION TURNED OFF.

NHTSA #: 11076812
mediumENGINE
Filed: Mar 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WATER PUMP, WHICH WAS RUSTED AND FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,973.

NHTSA #: 10965923
mediumENGINE
Filed: Oct 2015

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD WITHOUT WARNING ONE OF THE IGNITION COILS FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE AND THE CAR TO IMMEDIATELY STOP IN TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ON A RURAL ROAD AND GOING LESS THAN 30 MPH, BUT ON A FREEWAY AT SPEED WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID UNLIKE MOST CARS WILL NOT RUN AT ALL WITH AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE. THUS, THERE IS A RISK OF A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE TOYOTA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY EXPLANATION OTHER THAN THEE THINGS HAPPEN. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 80,000 MILES, HAD BEEN MAINTAINED BY TOYOTA DEALERS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IS FIVE YEARS OLD. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 58 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE.

NHTSA #: 10786138
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jan 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000.

NHTSA #: 10679333
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jun 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WHEEL BEARING SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME FAILURE ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000. *TR

NHTSA #: 10514848
mediumENGINE
Filed: Feb 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST SHOWED A DEFECTIVE COIL PACK WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COIL AS WELL AS THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,400.

NHTSA #: 10496728
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FireFiled: Sep 2011

I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AND IT CAUGHT FIRE AND COMPLETELY BURNED UP...IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

NHTSA #: 10424602
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Filed: Jul 2010

I HAVE A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4 CYLINDER THAT HAS AN ENGINE WHICH IS ACCELERATING AND SURGING DESPITE THAT IT HAS RECEIVED THE RECALL "FIX" FOR THE RECENT GAS PEDAL RECALL. EVEN AFTER THE RECALL MODIFICATION TO THE GAS PEDAL, THE ENGINE'S TACHOMETER JUMPS (OFTEN UP TO 5000 RPM) WHILE TRAVELING AT A STEADY SPEED OR NOT ACCELERATING. THE PROBLEM OCCURS EVERY TIME IT IS DRIVEN AND IS EASILY DUPLICATED. MY LOCAL DEALER SERVICE HAD THE CAR FOR OVER 3 WEEKS AND WAS WORKING CLOSELY WITH TOYOTA CORP TECHNICIANS. THEY WERE ABLE TO REPRODUCE AND OBSERVE THE PROBLEM AND ACKNOWLEDGED IT. BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PRODUCING ANY DIAGNOSTIC "ERROR CODES" AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THIS VEHICLE. IN A STRANGE TWIST THEY RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO ME AND "CHANGED THEIR TUNE". THE DEALER THEN SAID TOYOTA TECH'S STATED IT WAS A NORMAL GEAR CHANGE FUNCTION AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT THE SURGING. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND I AM ABOUT TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND GO ANOTHER ROUND. PROBLEM OCCURS AT BOTH HIGH AND LOW SPEEDS, WITH AND WITHOUT USE OF CRUISE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD AND THE ENGINE BEHAVIOR IS QUITE SCARY. I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE MY WIFE AND CHILDREN GET INTO AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE GET INVOLVED. IN MY OPINION, THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE VEHICLES ELECTRONIC ENGINE CONTROLS. A.S.I. *TR

NHTSA #: 10343908

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