ENGINE SEIZURE
Opened Apr 30, 2002
Closed Jun 20, 2002
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
1997 Toyota Highlander
Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data
Data refreshed
Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Apr 25, 2013
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0
Overview
Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1997 Toyota Highlander, most frequently naming the visibility category. 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 19 manufacturer communications are on file.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Complaint activity over time
When owners filed reports about this model year
Not enough dated records to plot a meaningful trend — 1 month of data.
What owners report
Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded
- Visibility1100.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Safety recalls
No recalls in our database for this model year
That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Safety investigations
NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.
Recent owner complaints
Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words
Visibility
Filed Apr 25, 2013
DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR FALLS DOWN AND WILL NOT STAY UP---IMPEDES VISION. *TR
- NHTSA ID
- 10509618
- Incident
- Apr 16, 2010
- Mileage
- 26,000 mi
Manufacturer communications
A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.
TSB003220
AIR BAGS; EQUIPMENT; VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2023 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
Toyota PRO19-02
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL; TIRES; WHEELS
POL: This consolidated Tire Warranty Guide contains the complete warranty terms for all brands of ground and spare tires currently in use by Toyota. This information must be kept near the point of vehicle sale and be available to any customer that requests it. Customers can find this information on the Owner?s section of Toyota.com. Dealers can locate a copy of this guide on the Claims Processing & Resource Center in Dealer Daily as well.
Toyota Safety Re
AIR BAGS
Toyota Safety Recall and Service Campaign - Technician Certification Requirements
T-SB-0032-20 Rev
EQUIPMENT
TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2021 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
T-SB-0304-17 Obs
EQUIPMENT
TSB: OBSOLETE NOTICE April 07, 2020: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0032-20. Replacement Certification Labels and VIN Plates
T-SB-0032-20
EQUIPMENT
TSB: SUPERSESSION NOTICE The information contained in this bulletin supersedes Service Bulletin Nos. PG021-88, PG015-89, PG0015-90, PG002-91, PG002-93, PG005-97, PG007-01, PG007-07, PG006-01, PG004-97, T-SB-0144-08, and T-SB-0304-17. The aforementioned bulletins are obsolete, and any printed versions should be discarded. Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ? 2020 model year vehicles may be available provided the requests meet the criteria listed in this Service Bulletin. Follow the Procurement Procedure in this bulletin to request a replacement certification label or VIN plate.
Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.
Compare model years
Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Investigations | Issue Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2025 | 9 | 3 | 0 | — |
| 2024 | 39 | 7 | 0 | 65.5 |
| 2023 | 172 | 9 | 0 | 60.8 |
| 2022 | 229 | 5 | 0 | 59.6 |
| 2021 | 487 | 4 | 0 | 60.2 |
| 2020 | 304 | 4 | 0 | 60.6 |
| 2019 | 471 | 3 | 0 | 60.7 |
| 2018 | 258 | 5 | 0 | 61.7 |
| 2017 | 261 | 4 | 0 | 61.2 |
| 2016 | 109 | 3 | 0 | 56.6 |
| 2015 | 189 | 2 | 0 | 55.2 |
| 2014 | 134 | 5 | 0 | 52.1 |
| 2013 | 205 | 3 | 2 | 60.5 |
| 2012 | 181 | 2 | 2 | 57.3 |
| 2011 | 181 | 5 | 2 | 58.5 |
| 2010 | 216 | 10 | 2 | 60.9 |
| 2009 | 134 | 9 | 2 | 58.0 |
| 2008 | 403 | 13 | 2 | 63.7 |
| 2007 | 123 | 4 | 0 | 51.3 |
| 2006 | 275 | 7 | 2 | 63.4 |
| 2005 | 224 | 6 | 1 | 61.7 |
| 2004 | 286 | 5 | 1 | 58.4 |
| 2003 | 258 | 2 | 0 | 50.7 |
| 2002 | 301 | 2 | 0 | 51.2 |
| 2001 | 137 | 3 | 0 | 53.4 |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1999 | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1998 | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 1997Viewing | 1 | 0 | 1 | — |
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.