2017 Toyota Highlander Engine Problems

Your 2017 Highlander's 8-speed transmission has experienced problems, and while Toyota has issued technical service bulletins and a limited customer support program, the coverage appears limited to certain VINs. You may face transmission repair costs of $10,000 or more, which you believe should be covered under a full recall given Toyota's reputation for reliability. The transmission may need internal repairs or replacement to resolve shifting or performance issues.

Your engine is leaking oil due to a timing chain failure. Your mechanic told you the engine would need to be disassembled to fix it. This happened at around 60,000 miles. Repairing this will likely require your mechanic to take apart the engine and replace the timing chain.

Your 2017 Toyota Highlander has a leaking rear main seal, which was discovered during routine maintenance at 95,402 miles. This seal prevents oil from leaking out of the back of your engine. The leak will need to be repaired by resealing or replacing the rear main seal, which involves removing the transmission to access the seal.

During the Multi Point Inspection, technician inspected the vehicle. He checked the engine, transmission, and cooling system, topping off all fluids. However, the engine was failing inspection as there was oil underneath the vehicle, which was also seen around the engine, due to an oil leak.

Bought it used from Lexus Fremont with 46, 600 miles on March 2024 but after driving it for just a little bit over 200 miles, there is a leak underneath the engine and when I had it checked here in Salinas Toyota they found out that the leak is coming from the TIMING CHAIN COVER of which is a big job and I heard a lot from the owners of this Toyotas with the 2GR V6 Engine has this leaking problem.

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. As a result of the failure, the contact was unable to maneuver or control the vehicle before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure and advised the contact that a Toyota technician needed to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was 66,000.

Toyota issued a Customer Support Bulletin #POL 19-04 on 4/18/19 for vehicle transmission failure on the 2017 and 2018 Highlander and Sienna cars due to faulty assembly. Dealerships were issued the bulletin 5 years ago but customers were never alerted. Toyota has refused to honor the repairs claiming my VIN did not come up for affected car even though bulletin list the model that includes my car. The bulletin further states that after 60k miles the coverage continues for up to 10 years from date of purchase. Toyota knows there is an issue but they failed to alert customers despite sending the bulletin to dealers. Dealerships never alerted customers who brought in their cars for routine service. Thousands of customers are reporting failed transmissions. Toyota is not able or willing to provide information on how they identified which VINs were impacted. The mechanic pulled a code which is exactly what is being seen on the failed transmissions in the same vehicles and cannot understand why Toyota will not cover the cost of the repair for a known defective product. The replacement cost quoted by Toyota is in excess of 11k. The car failed on a busy freeway in Atlanta while traveling at high speed. Motorists exited their cars and pushed the vehicle to the side of the road. My spouse could have been harmed or worse killed.

I am writing in reference to a new Toyota Highlander that I purchased in December of 2016. The reason I chose Toyota over a Ford or GM SUV was Toyota’s long history of producing reliable vehicles. I researched and relied on Consumer Reports which gave the Highlander and Honda Pilot the highest rating for customer satisfaction and reliability. About two weeks ago I started hearing a high-pitched whining coming from the transmission, difficulty shifting, and lurching forward when engaging the gear. Last Wednesday my wife was driving on a busy freeway in Atlanta when the vehicle lost acceleration. She was nearly hit while stopped on the freeway. Fortunately, kind motorists got out of their cars and pushed her to the side of the road. The car was towed to a Toyota service shop, and we were advised they could not do the repairs. It was a known internal Toyota issue. I did some research online and found hundreds of posts from Highlander owners of 2017-18 vehicles complaining about issues with the transmission failing. I found Toyota Customer Support Bulletin ,[XXXXXXXX] REPAIR COVERAGE FOR UA80 TRANSMISSION ON CERTAIN 2017-2018 MY SIENNA AND CERTAIN 2017-2018 MY HIGHLANDER VEHICLES. We called Toyota support on 10/9/23 and spoke with a customer service representative named Amber who then transferred us to Vena. They advised based on the VIN number our vehicle was not covered. Vena advised that since all our service was not at a Toyota dealership, they could not honor the repairs. The bulletin stated “after the Primary Coverage, the Secondary Coverage is applicable for 10 years from the vehicles date of first use, regardless of mileage”. The cost of this repair is over $6,000. The bulletin list Highlander 2WD and 4WD SUVs. The representative could not explain how the VIN number exclusions are determined and applied to our SUV. My father-in-law retired from the GM Assembly Plant and as I understand parts are shipped from multiple locations to the assembly pla INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

This is the second major failure I have experienced with my 2017 Toyota Highlander. I have already filed a complaint about the transmission failure earlier this year. On November 14, 2022, I noticed a knocking sound coming from the engine. My husband was able to ascertain that the noise was coming from the water pump and that the water pump gasket had failed. He checked the coolant fluid and all coolant fluid had leaked out, both the reserve tank and radiator had NO coolant fluid remaining. If I had continued to drive the vehicle, it would have overheated and possibly caused more damage. Thanks to the cooler temperatures we have in November, I did not experience the engine overheating. There were no warning lights or any other indicator that something major was wrong with the vehicle. We called our Toyota dealership and were told that the vehicle which now has 50,100 miles, is out of warranty and we would be responsible for the repair. The normal life of a water pump is over 100,000 miles and with this complete failure of this major system, I do not trust the safety of this vehicle with this being the second major system to completely fail in this vehicle.

I own a 2017 Toyota Highlander, XLE. Last year my vehicle stalled 2 times. Luckily, I was in a position to put the car in park and restart. About 6 weeks ago, it stalled again. This time I was approaching a left turn lane, slowed down for a millisecond then accelerated and tried to make a left turn. At that moment, the vehicle stalled. I was almost in a nasty accident. I was in the middle of the intersection with a car approaching and a car behind me thinking I was making that left turn through the intersection. The 1st time it happened, I thought it might be bad gas. The 2nd time I rationalized it might be bad gas or just a fluke. The 3rd time, after almost being involved in a nasty accident, I did some research into this matter. As it turns out that as of the end of 2020 more than 6,000,000 Toyotas and Lexus’ have been recalled worldwide, 3,340,000 in the United States, including 2017-2020 Highlanders for fuel pump problems. As I understand it, it was a problem with fuel pumps with low pressure and my vehicle is experiencing the same characteristics of those recalled Toyota Highlanders. I believe it to be a very dangerous situation. I was informed that my VIN number was not included in the recall. I had a diagnostic assessment performed at Sport City Toyota in Dallas, TX., to determine the problem. They also drove it around for a couple of days to try and duplicate the problem. Of course, any reasonable person would know the chances of duplicating a problem that has happened 3 times in 60,000 mile is highly unlikely. Neither the diagnostic test nor the test drives revealed anything wrong with my vehicle. At that point Toyota told me there nothing further they could do for me. What I have experienced is legitimate issue as Toyota has a very well documented fuel pump problems. So now I’m driving what I consider to be an unsafe car. The Texas “Lemmon Law” is no help to me as I have over 63,000 miles on the vehicle.

Unkown

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, she heard abnormal clicking sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the water pump had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN A BELL SOUNDED AND ON THE DASH IT INDICATED THE CAR WAS OVER HEATING. I WAS GOING ABOUT 35 MPH THROUGH A TOWN. I HAD BEEN DRIVING THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING.

VEHICLE KEEPS STALLING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING, AFTER STALLING THERE IS NO POWER, NEEDS A JUMP START TO GET GOING AGAIN. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, VEHICLE IS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY KEEP SAYING THERE IS NO ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR

THIS ENGINE BURNS OIL. 1/8 OF AN INCH PER WEEK. IF A PERSON DOES NOT CHECK THEIR OIL VERY OFTEN THEIR ENGINE WILL FAIL AND LOCK UP. THIS COULD HAPPEN WHEN DRIVING AND CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE COFFEE CUP ICON DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HUDSON TOYOTA (599 ROUTES 440 SOUTH, JERSEY CITY, NJ, 07305, (201) 201-5483). THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, REPLACED THE ENGINE OIL, REPLACED THE FILTERS, AND ROTATED THE TIRES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT A METAL FRAGMENT WAS LOCATED IN THE MOTOR AREA; HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE METAL OBJECT THAT WAS LOCATED IN THE MOTOR. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,966.

ON AUGUST 10TH 2018, I WAS DRIVING MY 2017 HIGHLANDER WITH 17,000 MILES ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY IN CALIFORNIA WHEN I ACCELERATED HARD TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES. SUDDENLY THE HIGHLANDER LOST ALL POWER WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES SOUNDING. THE ORANGE TRIANGULAR WARNING/CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON WITH THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FAILURE FLASHING NEEDING IMMEDIATE SERVICE. I WAS ABLE THE GET TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT GETTING KILLED AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER A MINUTE I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS RESET. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED. FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED THE HIGHLANDER HAD ONLY 4,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. I WAS TRYING TO PASS. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN RENO NV THEY SAID ALL THE ERROR CODES WERE NOT CAPTURED AND THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS ISSUE DESPITE MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET AS WELL AS THIS SITE? I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO WITHOUT AN ERROR CODE. THEY SUGGESTED THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS, DO NOT RESTART THE CAR AND HAVE IT TOWED THE A DEALERSHIP TO TRY AND RECAPTURE AN ERROR CODE. I FILED A CLAIM WITH TOYOTA CORP BUT THEY LEAD ME TO THINK THAT THEY DON'T INVESTIGATE INCIDENTS LIKE THIS UNLESS THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS. I HAVE ADVISED MY FAMILY OF THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION WITH THE HIGHLANDER AND IF ANY ONE GETS HURT OR KILLED PLEASE SUE THE HECK OUT OF THEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SYMPTOM WITH THE HIGHLANDER THAT IS GOING TO GET SOMEBODY KILLED AND TOYOTA DOESN'T SEEM TO CARE.

CITY STREET, TWO WHILE TURNING FROM A STOP AND TWO FROM A STATIONARY STOP. LOSS OF POWER. PRESSING ON ACCELERATOR HAD NO AFFECT BUT APPROXIMATELY 5-10 SECONDS REGAINED MOVEMENT AND CONTINUED ON. UNSURE/UNKNOWN OF THE SAFETY CAUSE. SCARING ESPECIALLY TURNING LEFT WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC COMING AT YOU.

IN MOTION, THERE WAS NO INDICATOR LIGHT ON BOARD, JUST BIG NOISE STARTED COMING DURING START OR SPEED OF CAR. ENGINE CYL 6 ROD BEARING WAS FAULTY , MAKING NOISE, DEALER REPAIRED IT AND NOT ABLE TO ASSURE OTHER BEARINGS DONT HAVE ANY ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE ENGINE REVVED AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ISLAND TOYOYA (1591 HYLAN BLVD, STATEN ISLAND, NY), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,100.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS ALSO AN ABNORMAL FUEL ODOR EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK UNDER THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FORT'S TOYOTA OF PEKIN LOCATED AT: 120 RADIO CITY DR, PEKIN, IL 61554, TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT RODENTS HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE FUEL LINE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000. UPDATED 11/06/17*LJ *JS *TT