2011 Toyota Highlander Transmission Problems

Your engine's oil cooler pipe, which is made of rubber, ruptured and caused sudden, severe oil loss while driving. This led to your engine losing compression and seizing, creating a dangerous loss of power at highway speeds. Your engine failed completely and required replacement. Toyota has a known technical service bulletin for this defect (TSB T-SB-0201-11), but the manufacturer refused to help cover the repair costs.

Your 2011 Highlander is burning oil faster than normal. When the oil level drops too low, your engine shuts off automatically—even while driving on the highway—after displaying a low oil pressure warning. This unexpected shutdown poses a serious safety risk while driving.

Your 2011 Toyota Highlander V6 AWD is experiencing low engine oil pressure with a recurring ticking noise from the engine area, suggesting possible problems with the timing chain and its guides. The transmission is slipping and surging, which affects vehicle control and safety. These issues may require inspection of the engine oil system, timing chain components, and transmission fluid to identify and repair the underlying causes.

Your engine makes a rattling noise when you start it in cold weather. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting multiple owners, and the problem may be related to the camshaft timing gear. Fixing this issue can be expensive and may require timing gear inspection and replacement.

DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AT ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR I WAS HEADING HOME WITH MY KIDS (5 Y.O. AND 7 Y.O.) WHEN THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND LOST POWER WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, I WAS FORTUNATE THAT THE CARE ROLLED LONG ENOUGH TO PULL OVER TO A SAFE SPOT WITH MY CHILDREN AND CALL FOR A TOW. LIGHTS THAT CAME ON CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM, CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM, CHECK 4WD SYSTEM, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED AT TOYOTA OF CERRITOS I WAS INFORMED THAT THE MASTER MECHANIC HAD TO PLACE A TICKET WITH TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE DUE TO ALL THE CODES THAT WERE LOGGED AFTER THE DIAGNOSTIC. TOYOTA MOTOR INFORMED MECHANIC IT WAS HYBRID INVERTER FAILURE. THIS COULD OF BEEN A HORRIBLE SITUATION HAD I BEEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND MY CAR SUDDENLY STOPPED FUNCTION LIKE IT DID ON THE EVENING OF 11/05/2019.

MY 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 AWD SUFFERED A SUDDEN OIL COOLER PIPE FAILURE/RUPTURE LEADING TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE/DAMAGE AT APPROXIMATELY 85,000 MILES. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH CERTAIN 2008-2011 HIGHLANDERS AND WAS THE SUBJECT OF A SERVICE BULLETIN AND EVENTUALLY A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT (ZE2) STARTING IN 2014, BUT WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE VIA MAIL OR BY THE TOYOTA DEALER AT WHICH THE VEHICLE IS REGULARLY SERVICED. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL HAD CAUSED CATASTROPHIC ENGINE DAMAGE DUE TO A BENT ROD FROM RUNNING WITHOUT OIL. AS THIS PROBLEM CAN LEAD TO MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER (NOT TO MENTION THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGE IF A COMPLETE ENGINE REPLACEMENT IS NEEDED) A MANDATORY RECALL SHOULD BE PERFORMED.

WHEN CAR GOES ABOVE AROUND 35-45 MPH A ABNORMAL WHINE NOISE EMANATES FROM THE TRANSMISSION

WHEN CAR GOES ABOVE 38 MPH A ABNORMAL WHINE NOISE EMANATES FROM THE TRANSMISSION

T-SB-0201-11 FROM TOYOTA STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS TSB AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A RECALL INSTEAD OF A TSB DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE IF/WHEN THE PIPE BREAKS. I RECENTLY ELECTED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REPAIRED ON MY OWN JUST SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS ISSUE HAPPENING TO ME OR MY WIFE, AND THUS BLOWING UP MY HIGHLANDER'S ENGINE CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. SEEMS PRETTY BAD THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR ISSUES, BUT NO RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH CAN DRAIN THE OIL FROM YOUR ENGINE IN A MINUTE, BLOW UP YOUR ENGINE, AND THEN POSSIBLY WRECK YOUR VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S ENGINES ARE NOW BEING DESTROYED, AND THIS IS SHOWING UP IN DIFFERENT ONLINE FORUMS. I FEEL THAT THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE TOYOTA TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES WITH THE NEWER METAL ONES THAT THE TSB ADDRESSES. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE FORCED TO REIMBURSE ALL COSTS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT EITHER NEEDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE, OR DECIDED TO PREVENTATIVELY HAVE THE REPAIR DONE ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THOSE PIPES BURST ON THEIR OWN. *TR

WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT HAND TURN FROM A STOP OR BARELY MOVING AND APPLYING THE GAS PEDAL SLOWLY, THE CAR ACTS LIKE IT GOING TO STALL. I SAY "ACTS" BECAUSE IF THE ENGINE STALLS, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO BRAKE OR STEER. THE ENGINE HAS NOT STOPPED IN THESE CASES; IT SEEMS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS TRYING TO SHIFT UP OR DOWN BUT CANNOT MAKE UP ITS MIND AND JUST COASTS (SCARY IF ONCOMING TRAFFIC IS CLOSING THE GAP). MAKING LEFT HAND TURNS ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS SINCE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A BREAK IN THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC BEFORE COMPLETING THE TURN; ONCOMING CARS TEND NOT TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THEY SEE YOU MAKING A TURN IN FRONT OF THEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED CONSTANTLY AND THE ENGINE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL ROARING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE AND THE NOISE THE ENGINE WAS EXHIBITING WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN AUGUST 2012 WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE MADE A CLUCKING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PLACE THE GEAR INTO REVERSE AND INTO A PARKING AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO LOCATED THE FAILURE AS THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID CLUTCH ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE ABNORMAL NOISE PERSISTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,467 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,896. UPDATED 10/03/12*LJ UPDATED 10/3/2012*JS

AT LOW SPEED, THE AUTO HAS A SERIOUS DELAY WHEN YOU PRESS DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL TO ENTER A LANE OF TRAFFIC SUCH AS ENTERING AN INTERSTATE FROM AN ENTRANCE RAMP. AFTER THE DELAY THE AUTO THEN SURGES INTO THE TRAFFIC LANE. TOYOTA OFFICIALS CLAIM IT IS CAUSED BY A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM BETWEEN THE COMPUTER AND THE TRANSMISSION. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT CANNOT BE CORRECTED. I FEEL THAT THE DELAY AND SURGE IS NOT SAFE. *TR

THE FOLLOWING EMAIL/REPORT WAS SENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FROM WHOM I HAD PURCHASED THIS NEW VEHICLE: I AM WRITING TO REPORT AN ABNORMAL INCIDENT, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE RELATED TO THE STALL PROBLEM I HAD ENCOUNTERED, AND WHICH YOU INSPECTED DURING MY LAST VISIT. IN THIS INCIDENT, I WAS VERY GENTLY TRYING TO MOVE THE CAR INTO MY GARAGE FROM A STATIONARY POSITION (THERE IS A SMALL 10 TO 15 DEGREE GRADE OVER A 3 FT DISTANCE BEFORE THE GARAGE FLOOR BECAME LEVEL AGAIN). AS I SLOWLY PRESSED DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE SLOWLY IN A NORMAL FASHION, BUT AFTER MOVING HALF WAY INTO THE GARAGE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, ALMOST AT FULL THROTTLE... I HAD TO SLAM ON THE BRAKE AS HARD AS I COULD REACT, MISSING A CRASH BY ONLY A FEW INCHES. AS I TRIED TO ANALYZE WHAT HAPPENED, THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN THINK OF IS THAT AS I WAS MOVING SLOWLY ENOUGH WHERE MOST LIKELY ONLY THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WAS MOVING THE CAR, BUT THEN VERY SUDDENLY THAT ELECTRIC MOTOR SOURCED ITS ABSOLUTE FULL POWER TO ACCELERATE THE WHEELS ---ALMOST AS IF THE SW DECIDED TO IGNORE MY VERY SOFT PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL AND SOURCE MAXIMUM POWER. PLEASE ADVISE WHEN YOUR TOYOTA ENGINEERS WILL BE VISITING YOU AGAIN SO THAT THEY MAY REVIEW THIS LATEST ABNORMALITY. I AM ALSO FORWARDING THIS MESSAGE TO THE NATIONAL AUTO SAFETY DEPARTMENT, SINCE I AM NOW QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT STARTED MOVING ON ITS OWN. THE GEAR SHIFT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN PARK IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON SINCE IT WAS TURNED OFF BY PRESSING A BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THERE WERE NO REPAIRS NEEDED AND THAT WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED. UPDATED 3/22/11 *CN UPDATED 04/25/11