Used 2004 Toyota Highlander Consumer Reviews
this car for safety
If your looking for safety this is a great car. I was in a accident with a semi truck should of been dead this car saved my life. I'm sad to see it go would like to get another. And it ran great no problems
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No Complaints
My 2004 Highlander has 170,000 miles on it, is running strong, and not one problem This vehicle has served me well. Only general maintenance like fluid flushes, filter replacements and tire replacements.
Expensive to maintain
I enjoy driving the Highlander but I have found it very expensive to maintain. I have had to replace 7 wheel bearings and the drive shaft to the rear wheels because of the bearings. It has 93,000 miles on it now. Brakes have also been expensive as it seems the ABS sensor are quite sensitive to failure and have had to replace some with the brakes which makes it very costly. I bought the Toyota as it was rated as a reliable car. It has turned out to be very expensive!
My Baby
I bought this baby new in 2004 with the trailering package ,and have only used full synthetic oil. I never pulled anything with her even though I had the trailering package. I now have 221,000 miles on her, and she does not leak any of the full synthetic oil. I changed timing belt ( it is still intact hanging in my garage ) at 200,000. Other than batteries, tires ( only Michelin ), brakes and coolant flushing, I have had 3 repairs, as follows: 1) rack & pinion steering ( where I live we have two seasons winter and construction ( pot holes everywhere ). 2) power window not functioning ( I tried to open the window in friged weather and I caused the failure. 3) oxygen sensor at 210,000 miles. I think the trailering package helped with longer life on the suspension system and engine life ( larger transmission cooler ). She rides like a luxury car always has and still does !!!
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xticx
No doubt Toyota highlander is wonderful on road and comfortable to drive, the only problem i have is the fuel consumption when the a/c is on.
My Highlander
My Highlander is the 3rd Toyota I have owned in twenty years. I love Toyota's reliablity. I very much like driving this car, the only disappointing thing is that I cannot ride with the window down because the car has a warble type hum that bothers my ears.
11 Years In Still Solid
We bought out Highlander new in 2004 and now more than 120,000 miles later its still running great. I don't really think jinx's exist but I hope there isn't one coming after writing this! Tires are a bit of an issue the OE's were junk. But after having two sets of Michellin's on them you get what you pay for and a good set of SUV rubber will make the Highlander a much better vehicle to drive around. Since having the car we have replaced the brakes only once an axle. The front OE lasted until 115K miles. We did have a sized caliper but otherwise just pads and rotors all around. I've changed one O2 sensor and oil changes. I waited till 120k miles to change the timing belt, cam seals and water pump, but all was well in the run up to replacing it. Its over the normal replacement schedule but I pushed it a little with no trouble on my end. I have had the very common A/C Heater problem. I fixed it myself and saved about $700 - $900 dollars. The others are right, look it up on internet and try to fix it yourself. Other than those issues its been a trouble free ride. I think its a fairly comfy ride for a mid-2000s SUV. Better tires make it quieter on the road. After very good record keeping we average about 18-19 mpg. Its 16-17 in the city and about 19 on the highway. I have no idea how one person here can say they were getting 26+ mpg on the highway. I simply don't trust that number. I tried my best to hypermile it one time on a 200 mile road trip and couldn't break 24. Its a good safe car. New SUVs will have some more refinements but its great for around the town driving and some highway miles and it should be on the reliable side of things. If you get one enjoy it.
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2004 Toyota Highlander
This is the best vehicle I have ever owned
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OH WHAT A FEELING TO DRIVE A TOYOTA
Never knew driving a toyota could be so much fun, this vehicle steers like a go cart it is super responsive on the road, the interior looks awsome,the lumbar support really helps me out greatly. The radio has some great sound loud and clear,the seating is super. Also she has real horse power on the 3.3, To be honest about the highlander its a beaut well worth its price and the re-sale value dont depreciate like other vehicles. THUMBS UP TO TOYOTA you got me.
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2004 Generation Highlander Most Reliable
Own a 2004 Toyota Highlander. Other than routine maintenance, it has only needed timing belt changed (critical to do every 100,000 miles because a failure will destroy the engine), cat replacement at 220,000 miles, wheel bearings replaced at 200,000, front sway bar linkage replaced at 220,000, and corroded power steering hose replaced. Later Highlanders (post 2007) switched to a less reliable timing chain. If you want the good ones, go with 2003-2006. My mechanic says this generation Highlander is one the top three most mechanically reliable vehicles he has ever seen. I notice many of these 14 year old SUVs on the road. Can't say that about most 2004 vintage cars.
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