| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2008 Toyota Highlander repairs by problem area
Engine (40%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (8%)
Brakes and Traction Control (5%)
Suspension and Steering (12%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (25%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (6%)
Other (4%)
Chart based on 143 repairs.
2008 Toyota Highlander repair cost distribution
$2500+ (2%)
$1000 - $2499 (14%)
$500 - $999 (19%)
$100 - $499 (29%)
< $100 (35%)
Chart based on 126 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV
270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| Toyota Highlander in Illinois, United States Feb 2010 - Nov 2015 | |||
| Sep 201385000 miUS $250 | TSB for oil cooler line replacement. Replaced Rubber hoses with metal tubes. | ||
| Aug 201499600 miUS $500 | Oxygen sensor replaced. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in North Carolina, United States Jan 2013 - Jun 2018 | |||
| Sep 2017134000 mi | Main seal leaking oil; had to pull engine to repair A part in the rear brake was broken Brake noise- no problem found | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States Jun 2014 - Jun 2016 | |||
| Jun 2014100000 miUS $800 | Water pump leaking. Replaced at 100K miles. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in California, United States Sep 2012 - Oct 2014 | |||
| Sep 201448000 mi | Water pump bearing | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Alabama, United States Feb 2009 - Sep 2011 | |||
| Dec 201056000 mi | Car exhibits a rattling like a collapsed lifter. Dealer says they all do that but could not find me another car of that age and vintage that exhibited the symptom. TSB for engine rattle, replaced timing chain tensioner. | ||
| Aug 201172000 mi | Aftr earlier work on a TSB instalation the timing chain tensioner came loose tearing up all kinds of internal parts and flooding the engine with metal particles. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States Oct 2014 - Nov 2015 | |||
| Nov 2014106800 miUS $415 | Magnet attached to compressor unbolted itself and fell off car. AC is not able to engage magnetic compressor clutch. Caused AC light to flash on dash. Had to replace | ||
| Oct 2015117000 mi | V6 Cam issue that makes noise upon start. $5000 cost to be repaired covered by Toyota. | ||
| Nov 2015117000 mi | Needed a new top radiator hose, which I bought at dealership and handed over at trade-in time. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Virginia, United States Feb 2018 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Aug 2018105000 miUS $566 | Water pump leakage. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Georgia, United States Nov 2011 - Mar 2013 | |||
| Feb 201229000 mi | Replaced defective cam gears in engine, addressed air bag TSB | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States Mar 2008 - Apr 2021 | |||
| Jun 2015170000 miUS $1200 | Would only blow hot air, would not cool | ||
| Mar 2016189000 miUS $35 | Fuse for electric power ports | ||
| Mar 2017205000 miUS $2000 | Leaking water pump Replace Axle Boots | ||
| Jun 2017212000 miUS $250 | Plastic trim on drivers seat with seat controls came loose | ||
| Nov 2017222284 miUS $365 | Replace leaking inner CV boot | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States Nov 2007 - Sep 2013 | |||
| May 201266900 miUS $450 | Driver's side front window came off track, track was bent, new window assembly installed | ||
| Jun 201387000 miUS $450 | Automatic window opener came off track, driver side front, bent the lifter which had to be replaced | ||
2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV
270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| Toyota Highlander in California, United States Jul 2015 - Apr 2017 | |||
| Aug 201595000 miUS $1600 | The AC was leaking INSIDE the car. Had to pull dash etc. | ||
| Apr 2016109200 miUS $1146 | Alternator went out while in a trip out of town, $746 CV boot was torn, $400 | ||
| Aug 2016115000 miUS $287 | Corrosion on wires on passenger side panel caused alert light to trigger. | ||
| Nov 2016118500 miUS $325 | Front and back struts Driver visor no longer stayed up Starter needed replacement | ||
| Apr 2017122000 miUS $850 | Rear axle leak. Rear brakes. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Washington, United States Dec 2014 - Mar 2016 | |||
| Jan 2016US $2000 | Oil gasket replacement | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Nebraska, United States Dec 2014 - May 2015 | |||
| Feb 2015119000 miUS $550 | Perform air induction system service. Dealer discovered carbon build up in throttle body when they checked the air filter. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada May 2014 - Jun 2017 | |||
| Dec 201494240 miC $650 | O2 And fuel/air flow sensors caused check engine light to come on. Car was drivable but..... | ||
| Nov 2015106020 miC $70 | Loose heat shield | ||
| Jun 2016111600 miC $90 | Exhaust seal | ||
| Apr 2017122760 miC $1700 | Slider seized back pads worn Alt belt | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada Sep 2012 - Jul 2015 | |||
| Mar 201476880 miC $900 | the car did not start. thought it was the battery (which was earlier replaced). turned out to be alternator. | ||
| May 201477980 miC $1000 | Engine oil line "blew up" | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Colorado, United States Mar 2015 - Mar 2016 | |||
| Sep 201587000 miUS $450 | Strut replacement | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Colorado, United States Oct 2014 - Jan 2015 | |||
| Dec 201495000 miUS $50 | Intermediate Steering Shaft was replaced and Drivers Side Heated Seat Replaced under CNA Extended Warranty. Also had Front Brake Pads and Brake Fluid Replaced while at Dealer. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Massachusetts, United States Jul 2013 - Jun 2017 | |||
| Feb 2017166000 miUS $800 | replaced struts alternator failed and replaced | ||
| Jun 2017168000 miUS $400 | Drive shaft replacement due to worn u-joints; u-joints are staked-in and not replaceable | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New Jersey, United States Oct 2016 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Nov 202197000 miUS $300 | Sunroof drains clogged. Shop drilled new holes for drainage. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Maryland, United States Jun 2018 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Jun 2018135000 miUS $600 | Front struts | ||
| Apr 2022161000 miUS $300 | Driver front wheel bearing | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New Jersey, United States Apr 2015 - Dec 2022 | |||
| Feb 2022234000 miUS $1900 | parking brake would not hold. Replaced shoes, hardware, 2 cables. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada Dec 2011 - Feb 2022 | |||
| Nov 2016107880 miC $1000 | Alternator required replacement. | ||
| Jun 2021151900 mi | A/C lines from front to back require replacement. Parts not available at the time. Job still to be performed. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Alabama, United States Jun 2014 - Dec 2017 | |||
| Jun 201449450 miUS $50 | Car alarm was going off all by itself at random times. Read on Toyota owner's forums that the hood latch could be faulty. Since I had the same problem on my Acura a few years prior, I replaced the hood latch. Found instructions online and replaced in about an hour. Problem solved and alarm system works properly. | ||
| Jun 201794000 miUS $650 | Check engine light came on 1st time in 9 yrs., 94K miles. Engine was misfiring. Problem was oil control valve sensor related to the variable valve timing in cylinder head. Toyota dealer replaced for $650 parts and labor. At the same time, I had dealer replace spark plugs because Toyota recommends at 110K. Total bill $820. Check engine light has stayed off. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Colorado, United States Feb 2016 - Sep 2018 | |||
| Jun 2016122000 miUS $35 | Spark plugs need to be changed. | ||
| Jan 2017 | HVAC issue. I could not figure it out. Drivers Window not functioning well jerks when going up. | ||
| Mar 2017142000 miUS $200 | CV axle passenger side | ||
| Sep 2018155151 miUS $35 | Window regulator was bent out of shape. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States Nov 2016 - Dec 2017 | |||
| Apr 2017216334 miUS $380 | Plugs and coils replaced to try and cure a P0303 code; did not work. | ||
| May 2017217985 mi | Diagnosed bad CV joint in front; not replaced. Vibration is present starting at 68 mph (gets much worse around 90) and does not abate with change in throttle input. | ||
| Jul 2017219625 miUS $100 | Attempted to replace rear bank fuel injectors (cylinders 1, 3, 5) to cure P0303 code. Paused repair due to a stripped bolt that denied me access to the rear bank. | ||
| Oct 2017222565 miUS $350 | Front struts replaced to ameliorate a front-end vibration; repair was successful, but front end still vibrates. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada Jan 2012 - May 2020 | |||
| Jun 201259520 miC $600 | Drivers window bracket bolt came loose, fell out and resulted in the bracket breaking. Window was fine but dealer stated the bracket couldn't be repaired only replaced at a cost of 300 plus install plus inspection, plus retinting. | ||
| Sep 201262000 mi | Started feeling weird vibration when driving in the 80km/hr range. Felt like AWD system was acting up. I pulled over switched to low speed 2wd, drove for a couple of blocks at low speed, switched off low range and kept going without issue. | ||
| Jul 201477500 miC $250 | Alarm started going off for no reason. Hood latch sensor failure. Told it was due to vibrations over time rattling it loose. $150 part | ||
| Oct 201594120 mi | Inspected vehicle following repeated (and random) flash discharge of battery. Already replaced the battery in October 2014 following the first instance. Issue remains unresolved. | ||
| Feb 201696720 miC $1050 | Water pump had a crack in it. Replaced it. 6hrs charged time. Fak! O2 sensor spoiling resulted in VSC and engine light warning. VSC not functioning because sensor failure prompted computer to turn it off as it is an "auxiliary function". 3 of 4 sensors failed. Suspect use of injector cleaner. Lower control arm apparently has a seal failure and has to be replaced. | ||
| Sep 2018131440 miC $450 | Rear hub assembly replaced. Constant hum coming from the back wheel with some vibration at around 60-80 km/hr. Same problem occurred on passenger rear wheel about 2 years ago. | ||
| Feb 2019133300 miC $850 | Alternator failed to recharge battery while driving. Replacement was needed, but due to the location of the unit it was a 4 hour repair. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in West Virginia, United States Jul 2015 - Jul 2022 | |||
| Feb 2016123800 mi | Engine oil cooler pipe failed and all engine oil leaked out. Vehicle was towed to dealer and the oil cooler pipe was replaced under an extended warranty. | ||
| Jun 2021207000 mi | Dealer diagnosed leakage from timing chain cover. Estimated cost to repair at $3500.00. No signs of leakage on garage floor yet so will wait until leakage in detected. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New York, United States Oct 2011 - Sep 2020 | |||
| Aug 201355300 miUS $104 | Paint was wearing off on all exterior handles | ||
| Nov 201584000 mi | check engine light on, said it was repaired ...it came back on 15 mile away from the dealer Oxygen sensor replaced. Light came back on 30 miles away. Another oxygen sensor was replaced. | ||
| Jun 2017105000 miUS $80 | AC not cooling, refilled rather than test for leak to see if it holds. Discussed rust by door handles and around doors - didn't fix | ||
| Jul 2017105000 mi | AC lines to back leaking, replaced | ||
| Toyota Highlander in North Carolina, United States Nov 2008 - Mar 2014 | |||
| Mar 201424000 miUS $300 | Dead battery. Would not start with a jump. Towed to dealer. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ohio, United States Jul 2009 - Mar 2016 | |||
| Aug 201046000 miUS $87 | Plugged AC condenser hose caused water to seep in and drench front footwells. Dealer cleared the hose and wash/dry carpet. | ||
| Apr 201254200 mi | Door panel rusting at bottom. Dealer will not fix until rusted completely through. Will be covered until 5 year warranty expires in October. | ||
| Dec 201361000 miUS $153 | Heatshield was loose. Was Replaced | ||
| Sep 201466000 miUS $56 | Engine heat shield disintegrated, making loud metallic noises. Required replacement. | ||
| Jun 201571000 miUS $958 | Needed fuel to air ratio sensors and mass airflow sensors. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New York, United States Sep 2007 - Aug 2017 | |||
| May 20086000 mi | Smell emitted from air vents. Akin to mulch smell. Dealer replaced Hepa filter and treated system with Ozium. | ||
| Oct 200811000 miUS $30 | Under the drivers side door arm rest cushion is a plastic support piece. This piece cracked. It supports the arm rest cusion from inside the arm rest. | ||
| Jan 201023000 mi | Radio volume would not function with dial. It did function with steering wheel buttons. Dealer replaced radio under warranty. | ||
| Dec 201245000 miUS $1000 | Replaced bad O2 sensor | ||
| Dec 201689000 miUS $900 | All four struts replaced | ||
| Feb 201791000 miUS $100 | Heat shield rattle | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New Hampshire, United States Aug 2009 - Mar 2011 | |||
| Dec 201058000 miUS $20 | intermittent problems with console features turning off at random. mechanic found a loose connection and problem seems to be fixed. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Quebec, Canada Sep 2008 - Jul 2022 | |||
| Jun 20093720 mi | Passenger seat airbag not working, seat was replaced. | ||
| Feb 201339060 mi | Replacing engine head gasket | ||
| Jul 201451660 mi | Oil transmision cooler leaking, had to replace the whole unit | ||
| Jun 201778120 miC $600 | Replaced front disc and pads and rear pads | ||
| Nov 201782460 miC $260 | Front pipe gasket failed , replaced gasket and bolts/springs | ||
| Jan 201883700 miC $950 | replaced noisy water pump | ||
| Jul 2022109740 miC $330 | AC not working , found nothing wrong , recharge the system with colored fluid to check for leak | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New York, United States Sep 2008 - Jul 2011 | |||
| Nov 201051300 mi | Water pump began leaking at 50,000 miles. Water pump covered under 5 yr/60K mile power train warranty. Also discovered and repaired an oil seal that was leaking during the same visit. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New York, United States Nov 2007 - Jun 2015 | |||
| Aug 200915000 mi | Had a TSB installed to fix problem with alarm system intermittenly going off. Dealer replaced good latch sensor. | ||
| Jul 201246000 mi | Replaced noisy water pump under warranty (bearing going) | ||
| Sep 201486000 mi | Rubber oil hose to cooler failed and was replaced per TSB with a metal hose. | ||
| May 201596000 miUS $900 | Alternator and battery needed replacement | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States May 2008 - Sep 2015 | |||
| Jul 201299800 miUS $550 | Clunking noise when turning fixed by replacing the "core in the steering column". The car now drives better than ever - good road feel. This fixed the mediocre steering feel we had from day 1 owning the car. First ever repair on car! | ||
| Jan 201395300 miUS $800 | Water pump replaced | ||
| Mar 2013117000 miUS $200 | Rear brake lights in turn signal housing were not working. Only center light on tailgate worked. Required new harness and connector to restore function. Good samaritan told us brake lights were out - no dashboard warning or alert. | ||
| Aug 2014134400 miUS $200 | Air conditioner was not cooling on driver's side of the car. Dealer recharged with dyed coolant to detect possible leak. No leak was found and AC now works perfectly | ||
| Sep 2014136000 miUS $65 | Burned out headlamp - Not OEM but previously replaced 3rd party bulb. Replaced with another 3rd party bulb. | ||
| Jun 2015154000 miUS $2100 | Interior evaporator was leaking Freon and needed to be replaced. Involved entire dismantling of dashboard to get to it. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada Aug 2008 - Mar 2010 |
| Toyota Highlander in Georgia, United States Jan 2010 - Dec 2015 | |||
| Jul 201264700 miUS $75 | The water pump was making a lot of noise, and the shaft felt loose, but it had not completely failed. The service manual actually says to pull the engine for this. I was able to change it with the engine in place, but it was a major pain. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Maryland, United States Nov 2009 - Aug 2012 | |||
| Sep 201184000 miUS $330 | Truck was having occasional shift flares when shifting in lower gears. The transmission oil was reported as being dirty, so we changed the fluid which took care of the problem. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada Jun 2010 - Aug 2016 | |||
| Aug 201119220 mi | Abnormal Noise from tailgate. Shocks defect identified by Dealer. Parts ordered. All covered by warranty parts installed free of charge 1 week later. problem resolved. | ||
| Jul 201431820 miC $450 | coolant pump leakage. replacement done | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Maryland, United States Nov 2012 - Dec 2012 | |||
| Dec 2012100000 miUS $900 | Water Pump needed replaced. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in California, United States Aug 2011 - Jan 2012 | |||
| Sep 201173000 mi | In July the car was in the dealers shop for a grinding sound when starting the car. It was diagnosed as a VVTI problem. The VVTI was replaced under EXT warranty.After a few weeks the car is making the same sound dealer said to keep driving. | ||
| Nov 201179000 miUS $100 | The other VVTI gear went out and had to replaced. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Illinois, United States Jan 2011 - May 2014 | |||
| Jun 201360000 miUS $107 | Heard grinding noise from engine, no visible leak, replaced water pump, discovered small leak once removed. Replacing water pump solved issue. Dealer cost was very high to perform fix. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Minnesota, United States Nov 2011 - Sep 2016 | |||
| Feb 2016129000 miUS $389 | Front struts making noise. Replaced along with strut links and mounts. | ||
| Jun 2016134000 miUS $400 | Navigation | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Pennsylvania, United States Sep 2010 - Jun 2018 | |||
| May 201497300 miUS $481 | Check engine light, dealer found codes for air fuel sensors. Replaced air fuel sensor. | ||
| Feb 2017140000 miUS $1500 | Needed new tie-rod but Toyota doesn't sell separate part so had to replace entire steering mechanism. | ||
| Jun 2017144000 miUS $770 | replace hub bearing | ||
| Nov 2017152000 miUS $1200 | Leak in oil cooler hose. Went through about 8 quarts of oil with multiple stops to buy more oil and refill before I could get it to the dealer. Numerous complications from the leaking oil that had run all over the back and bottom of the car but fortunately the engine itself was still OK. Just saw a post on the web from someone who says they issued a recall for this in 2010, but the dealer mentioned that to us! | ||
2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV
209-horsepower 3.3L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD
| Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States Feb 2013 - Feb 2016 | |||
| Sep 201490000 miUS $744 | Intermediate steering shaft was broken; dealer replaced. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada Apr 2008 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Jan 20094960 mi | Check Brake System and Check VSC messages came on. Brake pressure accumulator replaced due to internal leak. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada Nov 2016 - Nov 2021 | |||
| Oct 2017122636 miC $450 | Level of engine oils are dropping between oil changes and emissions gazes are entering the cabin somehow from somewhere. This has been ongoing ( emission gas) ever since they changed the heat and a.c. fan about 4 years ago | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Germany Nov 2008 - Jun 2018 | |||
| Sep 200911160 mi€70 | Oem (not toyota) metal valve cap sticks to the valve because of galvanic corrosion. During yearly service the garage mechanic broke the valve by unscrewing it. Tire pressure warning sensor inside tire had to be replaced with a used one ($35+shipping). | ||
| Jul 201566960 mi€400 | Factory default rust points hatchback below tailgate. Toyota would fix that for nothing in USA - but not in Germany... | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Wisconsin, United States Feb 2015 - Jun 2018 | |||
| Apr 2015105300 miUS $25 | R headlight burned out. Replaced bulb. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States Apr 2016 - Jun 2022 | |||
| May 2016115000 miUS $909 | Replace relays for hybrid battery | ||
| May 2018182000 miUS $3500 | Replace booster pump & brake distributor | ||
| Sep 2018187000 miUS $1500 | Replace hybrid battery relay box. | ||
| Aug 2021242000 miUS $2700 | AC not cooling. Dash air handler needed replacement. | ||
| Apr 2022252000 miUS $2000 | Replace both front end struts and 1 drive shaft. | ||
| Toyota Highlander in New Jersey, United States Jul 2010 - Aug 2017 | |||
| Jun 201359000 mi | Evaporator drain clogged. Blew out with compressed air. Still water collecting on passenger side floor. | ||
| Aug 2015100000 miUS $700 | Replaced failing water pump | ||
| Toyota Highlander in Oregon, United States Jul 2017 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Jul 2017120000 miUS $1250 | Repaired front boots that were leaking. | ||
| Dec 2017122000 mi | Suspension was making creaking noises when I turned the car. Shop mechanic said everything was fine, but that the cold weather was probably causing the creaking sound. Since the suspension is a closed system, there is nothing to grease. I can live with the problem. | ||
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