NHTSA vehicle safety data

2003 Toyota Highlander Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2003 Toyota Highlander has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns and 258 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Toyota dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2003 Toyota Highlander, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2003 Toyota Highlander owner complaints

Owners have filed 258 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Toyota Highlander, describing incidents dated November 2, 2002 to May 8, 2023.

Most-cited components

Engine 87 complaints
Visibility/Wiper 34 complaints
Service Brakes 33 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control 28 complaints
Structure 18 complaints
Electrical System 15 complaints

Of the 258 complaints on file, 33 report a crash and 1 a fire; across all 258 complaints, owners report 11 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #11523925 · Filed May 25, 2023
Automatically disengage the transmission Stopped the road Icalled my husband Myhusband came and together we got the car to a safe place.Then Icame home with my husband and he called the insurance company and had the car towed. Ifound a place to fix the car and they said the transmission was broken…
ODI #11513146 · Filed March 22, 2023
The hood latch cable inside the vehicle when pulled did not allow the hood to open now the secondary hood latch is stuck in the closed position and will not release..I have to use a strap from wheel opening to wheel opening to keep my hood secure so when I am driving my hood won't open at high…
ODI #11374150 · Filed November 11, 2020
PASSENGER WINDOW HAS HAD TO BE FIXED MULTIPLE TIMES. COMES OFF THE TRACK AND WILL NOT CLOSE. HAVE HAD INTERIOR DAMAGE BECAUSE OF IT

Read all 258 complaints

Owner-reported

2003 Toyota Highlander mileage at failure

211 of the 258 complaints on file for the 2003 Toyota Highlander give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Component	Median	Middle half	Based on
Engine	Median 110,000 miles	Middle half 90,000–135,000 miles	Based on 83 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

TOYOTA/CHILD PROTECTION LOCK ON SIDE DOORS

NHTSA #04V181000 · Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch · NHTSA notice

Reported April 15, 2004 · TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

Potentially affected: 366,572 vehicles

Toyota campaign SSC 40B · Owners notified May 7, 2004 · Vehicles built November 17, 2000 – January 29, 2004 (per NHTSA)

Defect description

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A CHILD PROTECTION LOCK (CPL) SYSTEM ON BOTH OF THE REAR SIDE DOORS. WHEN AN OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE CLOSES THE DOOR VERY HARD WITH THE CPL LEVER SET TO THE LOCK POSITION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEVER MAY CONTACT THE BODY PANEL, CAUSING THE CPL LEVER TO MOVE INTO THE UNLOCK POSITION.

Safety consequence

THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPENED WITH THE INSIDE WHILE THE OPERATOR BELIEVES THAT THE CPL WAS ACTIVATED. IF THE DOOR WERE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AN OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT AND BE INJURED.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL SHORTEN THE CPL LEVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Notes

TOYOTA RECALL NO. SSC 40B.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

SOUTHEAST TOYOTA/ALLOY WHEELS

NHTSA #02V339000 · Wheels · NHTSA notice

Reported December 17, 2002 · SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS

Potentially affected: 176 vehicles

Defect description

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH FIVE FACTORY ALLOY WHEELS (MODEL 6934 AND 6936), WITH FACTORY LLAT, AND WITH PORT INSTALLED WR4, FOUR ALLOY WHEEL UPGRADE PROCESSED AT THE JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA PORT AND DISTRIBUTED BY SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS IN THE STATES OF ALABAMA, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, WHEN THE VEHICLES WERE PROCESSED AT THE PORT, AN ALLOY TIRE/WHEEL UPGRADE WAS INSTALLED. THE UPGRADE INCLUDED 4 ALLOY WHEELS. THE ORIGINAL SPARE TIRE/ALLOY WHEEL WAS NOT CHANGED. THE SPARE TIRE REQUIRES THE USE OF A DIFFERENT STYLE OF WHEEL NUT TO ATTACH IT TO THE VEHICLE.

Safety consequence

IF THE SPARE TIRE/WHEEL IS INSTALLED ON THE VEHICLE USING THE WHEEL NUTS PROVIDED FOR THE UPGRADE ALLOY WHEEL, DAMAGE TO THE WHEEL COULD RESULT AND COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A LOOSE WHEEL.

Manufacturer remedy

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH DIFFERENT STYLE LUG NUTS, A WARNING LABEL FOR THE SPARE RE/ALLOY WHEEL, AND AN OWNER'S MANUAL ADDENDUM.

2003 Toyota Highlander 4-DR.

—

out of 5

Overall Safety Rating

Not Rated

Frontal Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 4, Passenger: 4

Side Crash

Not Rated

Driver: 5, Passenger: 5

Side Pole

Not Rated

Rollover

Safety Technology

258 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Toyota Highlander.

Engine; Forward Collision Avoidance

ODI #11523925

Incident: May 8, 2023 · Filed: May 25, 2023

Automatically disengage the transmission Stopped the road Icalled my husband Myhusband came and together we got the car to a safe place.Then Icame home with my husband and he called the insurance company and had the car towed. Ifound a place to fix the car and they said the transmission was broken and it cost about 6500 dollars.Icontacted the insurance company said they couldn’t help.The car was towed home and is not available.

Unknown or Other

ODI #11513146

Incident: October 1, 2022 · Filed: March 22, 2023

The hood latch cable inside the vehicle when pulled did not allow the hood to open now the secondary hood latch is stuck in the closed position and will not release..I have to use a strap from wheel opening to wheel opening to keep my hood secure so when I am driving my hood won't open at high speeds

Unknown or Other

ODI #11374150

Incident: May 6, 2016 · Filed: November 11, 2020

PASSENGER WINDOW HAS HAD TO BE FIXED MULTIPLE TIMES. COMES OFF THE TRACK AND WILL NOT CLOSE. HAVE HAD INTERIOR DAMAGE BECAUSE OF IT

Engine

ODI #11270240

Incident: October 1, 2019 · Filed: October 22, 2019

2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4 CYL. SERVICE BULLITON FROM THEM #310436. HEAD BOLTS COMING UNDONE INSIDE MOTOR CAUSING CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF MOTOR. BOLTS NOT HOLDING DOWN MFGR KNOWS ABOUT THIS. WAS A MANUFACTURING PROCESS THAT DID NOT WORK. ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM THIS IS A RAMPANT PROBLEM REPORTED. READS ALMOST LIKE A PLAY BOOK ON HOW THE MOTOR OVERHEATS AND FAILS, TOLD HEADGASKET, AFTER OPENING UP THE MOTOR IT IS FOUND THAT THE HEAD BOLTS BACKED OUT. TOYOTA IS NORMALLY A GREAT CAR. I STILL OWE MONEY ON THIS CAR AND TOYOTA IS BASICALLY NOT TAKING CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND LEAVING US OUT TO DRY. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS. VEHICLE WAS DRIVING AND QUICKLY OVERHEATED. THIS HAPPENED TWICE IN A SHORT DISTANCE. EASILY CAN LEAVE ONE STRANDED. NO STEAM OUT THE TAILPIPE AND WATER GUSHED OUT SIDE OF MOTOR. DEALER LEFT MOTOR APART WHEN I WENT TO PICK IT UP AFTER BEING DRAGGED ABOUT. THEY PROMISED TO FIX IT AT FIRST AS THEY DUG INTO THE MOTOR THEY BACKED OUT OF THEIR WORD.

Air Bags

ODI #11268617

Crash 1 injury

Incident: September 30, 2019 · Filed: October 15, 2019

HEAD ON COLLISION AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY SPEEDS 25-40 MPH

Structure; Unknown or Other

ODI #11265544

Incident: October 1, 2016 · Filed: October 2, 2019

PAINT SEAL DELAMINATION

Air Bags

ODI #11258297

Crash 1 injury

Incident: September 17, 2019 · Filed: September 26, 2019

I WAS IN MOTION WHEN WE HIT A COW GOING 45MPH THAT JUMPED OUT AT MY HUSBAND AND I MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY THE CAR IS TOTALED WAS CITY STREET

Steering; Wheels

ODI #11172554

Crash

Incident: January 25, 2019 · Filed: January 28, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH ON ICE, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED AND THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL LOCKED UP. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT AND CRASHED INTO A SNOW MOUND. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

Suspension

ODI #11169937

Incident: January 11, 2019 · Filed: January 14, 2019

REAR FORWARD CONTROL ARM BROKE IN HALF UNDER NORMAL DRIVING. THIS IS A HOLLOW SHAFT, WHICH SEEMS INADEQUATE, AND CREATES A DANGER OF LOSS OF REAR AXEL AND OR WHEEL.

Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #11133071

Incident: September 19, 2018 · Filed: October 3, 2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED AT HIGH SPEEDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000.

Other Toyota Highlander model years

Check your 2003 Toyota Highlander VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Toyota Highlander at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Toyota VIN