2004 Toyota Highlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability
337 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2004 Toyota Highlander, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 63/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 12,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2004 sits among all Highlander years
What owners report
“My 2004 toyota highlander v6 (3.3l with 5-speed transmission) has an intermittent fault where the automatic transmission will abrubtly drop down a gear (or gears) while simultaneously trying to accelerate creating a sensation like it is bucking or porpousing. Usuall stepping off of the accelerator…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Highlander
“Unintended acceleration problem, in a brand new toyota highlander causing an accident. (it had the same problem twice before)”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Highlander
“Hello, I am the Buyer of the subject Vehicle, Upon doing my research, I found out several reports stating that The subject vehicle's 2.4L engine has manufacturing defect, that causes Head Bolts to get stripped/melt down in to oil causing Engine failures and Life threating risk in the middle of the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Highlander
“Indicator lights on dash say contact your dealer. One is the tire pressure and the other is the engine. Have carried to dealer 3 times and still occurs. They are supposed to pickup tomorrow and correct tire pressure light. Only listed last date”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Highlander
“2004 highlander has bad throttle surge problem .....dealer dont know what to do.....says it is normal????? There is definitly a problem.....just read some of the internet sites on this and you will see....”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Highlander
“The passenger side in the rear windows are defective. They will not power up or down the windows in the back of suv. Also the front passenger side is now not operating up or down. The power window parts have failed two years ago, and now it's happening again. This 2004 should be included in the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2004 Highlander
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 261 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 28,000 and 103,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
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…
Fix: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO…
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE FREE OR CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAL WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331…
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND HYBRID VEHICLES, THE TWO RETAINING CLIPS FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FORWARD CENTER CONSOLE CAN BECOME LOOSE. IF BOTH CLIPS SEPARATE FROM THE FLOOR CARPET COVER, THE COVER MAY LEAN TOWARD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING INTERFERENCE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TWO FLOOR CARPET COVER RETAINING CLIPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 24, 2006, AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY EARLY SEPTEMBER 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT…
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…
Fix: DEALERS WILL SHORTEN THE CPL LEVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 11V112000.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2004 Toyota Highlander reliable?
The 2004 Toyota Highlander drew 337 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 63/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2004 Toyota Highlander problems?
The top reported problems for the 2004 Toyota Highlander are transmission & drivetrain (60 complaints), speed control (40), and steering (36).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Highlander problems show up?
Owners most often report 2004 Toyota Highlander problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 28,000 and 103,000 miles.
Does the 2004 Toyota Highlander have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2004 Toyota Highlander. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.