Worst 2004 Toyota Highlander Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
STEERING
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2004 Toyota Highlander.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 46 | 1 | — | 22,442 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 33 | 18 | — | 61,215 mi | |
| STEERING | 23 | 1 | — | 65,922 mi | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 18 | — | — | 63,790 mi | |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 15 | 1 | — | 86,201 mi | |
| ENGINE | 15 | — | — | 120,065 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 10 | 1 | 1 | 110,350 mi | |
| VISIBILITY | 10 | — | — | 70,900 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 9 | 2 | — | 72,143 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 8 | — | — | 94,111 mi | |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 8 | 1 | — | 131,178 mi | |
| AIR BAGS | 7 | 3 | — | 111,520 mi | |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 7 | 1 | — | 48,835 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 6 | 2 | — | 116,868 mi | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 5 | — | — | 32,067 mi | |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 5 | — | — | 78,524 mi | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS | 5 | — | 2 | 48,017 mi | |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 5 | 2 | — | 31,700 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN | 4 | — | — | 101,375 mi | |
| SEAT BELTS | 4 | — | — | 104,333 mi | |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 4 | 1 | — | 33,234 mi | |
| STEERING:COLUMN | 4 | — | — | 47,159 mi | |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 4 | — | — | 43,429 mi | |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 3 | 1 | — | 73,500 mi | |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) | 3 | — | — | 255 mi | |
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM | 3 | — | — | 103,296 mi | |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 1 | — | 74,414 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM | 3 | — | — | 78,333 mi | |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 3 | — | — | 45,628 mi | |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL:AUTOMATIC (ASC) | 2 | — | — | 31,012 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2004 Toyota Highlander. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2004 Toyota Highlander
3 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~1,918,249 vehicles.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004 AVALON VEHICLES; 2004 AND 2005 CAMRY, CAMRY SOLARA, HIGHLANDER, AND SIENNA VEHICLES, 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID; 2004 AND 2005 LEXUS ES330 AND RX330; AND 2006 LEXUS RX400H VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JUNE 1, 2004 THROUGH MARCH 31, 2005, EQUIPPED WITH THE 1MZ-FE OR 3MZ-FE ENGINE. THE AMOUNT OF ADHESIVE AGENT APPLIED BETWEEN THE OUTER RING AND THE TORSIONAL RUBBER DAMPER (INNER RING) IN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY MAY BE INADEQUATE. IF THE ADHESIVE IS INSUFFICIENT, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE OUTER RING MAY BECOME MISALIGNED AND IT MAY NOT PROPERLY ROTATE WITH THE INNER RING, CAUSING NOISE AND/OR ILLUMINATION OF THE BATTERY DISCHARGE INDICATOR LIGHT.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 LEXUS RX330, RX350, AND RX400H VEHICLES. IF THE FORWARD RETENTION CLIP USED TO SECURE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, WHICH IS LOCATED IN FRONT OF THE CENTER CONSOLE, IS NOT INSTALLED PROPERLY THE COVER MAY LEAN TOWARD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARM.
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2006 AVALON, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 LEXUS RX, AND MODEL YEAR 2006 LEXUS GS AND IS VEHICLES. BRAKE FLUID CONTAINING POLYMERS IS USED THAT ACTS AS LUBRICANTS FOR CERTAIN BRAKE SYSTEM COMPONENTS. IF REPLACEMENT BRAKE FLUID IS USED THAT DOES NOT CONTAIN SUCH POLYMERS, OR THAT CONTAINS ONLY SMALL AMOUNTS, A PART OF THE RUBBER SEAL LOCATED AT THE REAR OF THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER MAY BECOME DRY, AND THE SEAL MAY CURL DURING MOVEMENT OF THE PISTON. IF THIS OCCURS, A SMALL AMOUNT OF BRAKE FLUID COULD SLOWLY LEAK FROM THE SEAL INTO THE BRAKE BOOSTER.
Other Toyota Highlander Years
Wider context: See the full Toyota Highlander reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2004 Toyota Highlander
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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