2003 Toyota Highlander Fuel system Problems

STRONG ODOR OF GAS FUMES WHEN CAR IS PARKED

NHTSA ID

10763291

Incident

Sep 20, 2013

Mileage

60,000 mi

NEEDED TO HAVE A TOTAL ENGINE REBUILD DUE TO FAULTY HEAD BOLTS THAT STRIPPED AND ALLOWED COOLANT TO ENTER THE ENGINE AND BURN. LUCKY-I GUESS-THAT I ACTED QUICKLY SO AS TO AVERT CATALYTIC CONVERTER ISSUES OR SENSORS GETTING DAMAGED BY BURNING COOLANT. I ALSO AVOIDED THE TOTAL LOSS OF ANTIFREEZE AND THE RESULTING DAMAGE &/OR INCONVENIENCE THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHERS HAD. STILL, A HUGE INCONVENIENCE AND HUGE $5425.82 COST DUE TO MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT: WEAK METAL THAT COULDN'T WITHSTAND THE TORQUE/PULL ON THEM... PERHAPS THE THREADING PLAYED A PART. I ONLY KNOW THAT 1000S UPON 1000S OF PEOPLE SUFFERED THE SAME ISSUE FROM TOYOTA ON THIS ENGINE IN SEVERAL YEARS/MODELS. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. THERE SHOULD BE COMPENSATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10712214

Incident

Sep 16, 2014

Mileage

148,500 mi

CAR ACCELERATED AND CHASED INTO HOUSE IN NOV 20011. CAR ACCELERATED IN PARKING LOT DEC. 2012. NO DAMAGE THIS TIME BUT IN 2011 THERE WAS 14,000 $ DAMAGE TO HOUSE AND CAR. CAR WAS CHECKED OUT AT TOYOTA TWICE ,NO PROBLEM FOUND. WIFE WILL NEVER DRIVE THE CAR AGAIN. SHE IS INFEAR OF HURTING SOMEONE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10490644

Incident

Dec 6, 2011

Mileage

85,000 mi

WHEN I START THE CAR IN THE MORNING (OR THE FIRST IN THAT DAY) THE CAR HAVE STRONG GAS SMELL ..I'M WORRIED OF A FIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10379245

Incident

Nov 15, 2010

Mileage

120,000 mi

VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE AND MOTOR RACED AND VEHICLE TRAVELED BACKWARD AT RAPID RATE OF SPEED AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED IN SPITE OF BRAKING. ATTEMPT TO STOP VEHICLE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. VEHICLE ONLY STOPPED WHEN STRUCK TELEPHONE POLE. PROBLEM WAS ENGINE RACING WHICH COULD NOT BE STOPPED. ACCELERATOR SEEMED TO STICK DOWN OR ACCELERATE WITHOUT FOOT APPLICATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10319521

Incident

Oct 15, 2009

Mileage

50,000 mi

)N THE MORNING OF 12-05-09, AS I'M PULLING INTO MY GARAGE, THE CAR SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD WITH AN UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN SPEED. BEFORE I COULD BRAKE, THE CAR SLAMMED INTO A STEEL SHELVING UNIT ON THE BACK WALL WHICH RESULTED IN EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE WALL ( BOTH INTERIOR & EXTERIOR) AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE AUTO. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MY TOYOTA SERVICE ON THAT SAME DAY BECAUSE I/WE FELT THAT THIS COULD CONSTITUTE AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. TOTAL COSTS FROM THIS INCIDENT WERE AS FOLLOWS: COVERED BY INSURANCE- $3607.81 (PLUS 703.31 PD. DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER?) AND $916.27 ( 500.00 INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE AND AN ADDITIONAL MECHANICAL CHARGE FOR A FUEL/AIR SENSOR THAT FAILED ON 12-26-09). I HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE NOTIFIED BOTH MY LOCAL DEALER, SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS AND TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS REGARDING THE PROBLEM STATING THAT THERE MAY BE OTHER VEHICLES BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THEIR CURRENT RECALL THAT SHOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED AS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. *TR UPDATED 05/03.10 TOYOTA DENIED THE CONSUMER CLAIM, STATING THE VEHICLE EXAMINATION REVEALED NO APPARENT REASON FOR THE ACCELERATION. HOWEVER, THE DEALER THAT PERFORMED THE INSPECTION STATED THE THROTTLE WAS BECAME STUCK DUE TO GUMMY DEPOSITS CASED BY ETHANOL IN THE GASOLINE. UPDATED 08/210/10*JB

NHTSA ID

10305790

Incident

Dec 5, 2009

Mileage

76,500 mi

VEHICLE WHICH WAS OUT OF WARRANTY WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY AND WAS OBSERVED DURING EARLY MORNING HOURS TO BE LEAKING FUEL FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE FUEL TANK. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO REPORTED THAT THE ROLL-OVER BALL (SAFETY FEATURE IN A ROLL-OVER CRASH) HAD ACTIVATED AND HAD FLOATED TO THE TOP OF THE FUEL FILLER NECK FORCING FUEL INTO THE CHARCOAL CANISTER. THE FUEL TANK HAD BEEN FILLED SEVERAL DAYS PREVIOUSLY. DEALER ESTIMATED REPAIRS TO BE $1500 FOR A NEW TANK, CANISTER, AND OTHER PARTS. FORTUNATELY, THE DISTRICT REP FOR TOYOTA INTERVENED AND PAID FOR ALL PARTS AND HALF OF LABOR AT WARRANTY RATES. VEHICLE OWNER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ONLY $248.50. *TR

NHTSA ID

10251399

Incident

Nov 29, 2008

Mileage

67,810 mi

REPLACEMENT OF A CHARCOAL CANISTER ON A 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. NO ACCIDENTS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS PART; HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF REPORTS OF HAVING TO REPLACE THIS VERY EXPENSIVE PART. ALSO IF THE PART IS A SAFETY HAZARD (MAY CAUSE AN ENGINE FIRE) IT SHOULD NOT BE AT THE EXPENSE OF THE OWNER. THE PART IS AN EMISSION CONTROL DEVICE THAT IS SURELY REQUIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THIS ACTION IS TAKEN BECAUSE I NOTICED, WHILE RESEARCHING CHARCOAL CANISTERS THAT TOYOTAS COME UP FREQUENTLY AS HAVING TO HAVE THIS TYPE REPAIR. AT THIS WRITING I AM UNABLE TO CONFIRM THE PART IS DEFECTIVE AS IT IS THE ORIGINAL PART THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN I PURCHASED IT BRAND NEW. THIS IS NOT A PRE-OWNED VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10235537

Incident

Jul 23, 2008

Mileage

48,948 mi

GAS GAUGE BROKE, 2/12/04, 4/20/04 AND 6/11/04. WHEN YOU PUT GAS IN THE CAR THE NEEDLE WOULD NOT REGISTER. SERVICE CLAIMS THAT THEY KEPT FIXING IT FROM 2/12/04. *JB

NHTSA ID

10078374

Incident

Jun 10, 2004

Mileage

3,973 mi

WHILE DRIVING. A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AS IF THE VEHICLE HAD RAN OVER SOMETHING LARGE IN THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER NOTICED A LIQUID SPRAYING OUT FROM THE VEHICLE, ONCE HE PULLED OVER, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED A HOLE WAS IN THE GAS TANK. HOWEVER, ONE MONTH LATER THE SAME LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE GAS TANK HAD A DEEP INDENTATION IN IT. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE GAS TANK. *MR *TS *JB

NHTSA ID

10029632

Incident

May 20, 2003