2009 Toyota Highlander Engine Problems
- 17
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 17 stored complaint records:
- 0 indicate a crash
- 0 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 5 |
| 100–150k mi | 4 |
| 30–60k mi | 4 |
| 150–400k mi | 2 |
| 1–30k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
I was driving down the interstate in wisconsin during rush hour when i took off my cruise control to slow down to take the next exit. I noticed an abnormal down shift when i took off the cruise control. Almost immediately the oil and traction control lights came on. As i slowed to the stop sign at the end of the exit the display screen began dinging and read low oil pressure and immediately stop the car and turn off…
ODI 11230911
Engine
Vvti cam gear issue, making grinding noise.vehicle just hit 60,000 and out of warranty. Earlier tsb from toyota didn't cover this since the vehicle didn't show any signs.
ODI 11258486
Engine
I was turning into a parking lot and i started getting "low oil pressure" alerts on my dashboard. I was worried if it was a sensor issue and kept moving till i parked my vehicle. Upon further investigation, i saw that oil had started to drip from where i had turned, and when i parked the car the oil drip got bigger and had pooled under the vehicle. Based on the information i got from the toyota dealership, this was…
ODI 11221487
Engine
When vehicle is stationary, engine always makes strange noise upon initial start.
ODI 11222048
Engine
The coolant pump pulley broke and engine got overheated and stopped on a major highway and had to be towed. The vehicle has less than 60k miles on it. Dealer tells me that both the engine and water pump have to be replaced and would cost over $9,000.
Fire reported
ODI 10968644
Engine
Oil cooler hose burst in car. Yo have about 20 seconds to turn the engine off before it seizes up because all the oil is pouring out of the car. We had it towed to midas dealership and they fixed it. I called toyota because i noticed they had a customer support program covering this problem. I was told if i would have taken it straight to the dealership, it would be covered but instead i had to submit paperwork…
ODI 10979156
Engine
2009 highlander, purchased new, had 105000 miles on 3.5l v6 engine. Oil changed every 7000 miles, fully synthetic. No warning lights or engine noises prior to incident. Car started after work, drove .6 mile. Started running very rough, pulled over to shoulder thinking i had a flat tire. Car died before finishing maneuver, coasted to shoulder. Engine would not start. Towed to repair shop, they diagnosed "engine fully…
ODI 10924493
Engine
March 10, 2016 vehicle was taken to dealer for oil change. Parked vehicle after return home ([redacted] between dealership and home) same day and after a few hours, noticed all oil had leaked from vehicle. Vehicle was towed back to dealer that day. Upon investigation dealer said the problem was the oil cooler pipe. Dealer said toyota issued a technical service bulletin t-sb-0201-11 over 5 years prior that issued a…
ODI 10888472
Engine
Noticed large oil puddle in driveway. Had car towed as oil loss could have caused fatal damage to the engine. The oil line was diagnosed as dry rotted and needed to be replaced. The replacement oil line was vastly different than that of the original line indicating a problem with the previous design. The leak began while driving and we were able to trace the oil for miles leading home. The oil indicator light did…
ODI 10811715
Engine · Unknown Or Other
August 6, 2015 i was driving northbound on hwy 45. After about 20 minutes on the road my 2009 toyota highlander began to smoke, the oil pressure warning light came on and i pulled over to the side of the road. Within a few minutes, black smoke was pouring out from underneath the hood. Within another minute or two the suv was on fire and soon the front half was completely engulfed in flames. I thought it would…
Fire reported
ODI 10778142
Engine
We were traveling down a state route highway at 50 mph when suddenly we lost power to the car, we were between two mac trucks, and the oil light started flashing. We had to quickly get off the roadway (no breakdown lanes) and find a safe spot to stop on some grass. The rubber oil line had cracked/ruptured and drained the oil from the car rapidly causing the engine to lose power and make noise. I found out online…
ODI 10743458
Engine
Massive oil leak from oil cooler line of 2009 toyota highlander with tow package at ~78,000 miles. Rubber hoses burst and oil leaked out from engine.
ODI 10680148
Electronic Stability Control · Engine · Service Brakes
While driving down the expressway with the family (50mph), check engine light and traction control suddenly turn on and flicker on and off randomly. Engine power hesitates. At the stoplight, check engine light continues to turn on, and off randomly, as well as traction control light. Engine appears to be stalling at times, and rpm bounces between 500-900. Acceleration when pressing against gas pedal results in…
ODI 10533441
Engine
I'm contacting you about an issue recently encountered on my 2009 highlander. The oil hose attachment located at the bottom of the car had pin size hole that pushed all the oil out of my car. The oil hose is in a location that would not be exposed to any element. I truly feel that this is a manufacture defect but can't find recall information on the site. I had the car towed to the dealership that said this part…
ODI 10521684
Engine · Power Train
T-sb-0201-11 from toyota states "some vehicles equipped with 2gr-fe/fxe towing package engines may exhibit an oil seep from the engine oil cooler pipes." this tsb affects toyota and lexus vehicles going back to at least 2008-present. This is a major issue, and i feel this should be handled as a recall instead of a tsb due to the severity of the issue if/when the pipe breaks. I recently elected to have my vehicle…
ODI 10507161
Engine · Power Train
Toyota has issued a t-sb-0201-11 which states "some vehicles equipped with 2gr-fe/fxe towing package engines may exhibit an oil seep from the engine oil cooler pipes." this affects toyota and lexus vehicles going back to at least 2008-present. This should have been handled as a recall vs. A t-sb with a defined expiration date because consumers engines are being destroyed when this 'seep' occurs. This happens with a…
ODI 10504836
Engine
The water pump went on my toyota highland. I looked it up online and found out the water pumps are faulty and will make a sound like there is gravel in the motor. I had toyota fix the problem under warranty, but i looked online and found that other people have the same problem. Should be looked into due to being bad pumps.
ODI 10840437