Used 2013 Toyota Highlander Consumer Reviews
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Struts busted on 6k miles
teban, 06/08/2014
2013 Toyota Highlander Plus 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
I bought my highlander in october of 2013 as brand new. After driven 6kmiles, in May of 2014, R/R struts got busted, leaking and noise. I only have two kids, and never loaded it yet with more than 5 people yet until today. So why the hell the struts failed? On 6k miles? Really? Well, I don't know why. It's on the record, i got this car at oak lawn toyota of oak lawn illinois. Repairs were done in oak lawn toyota under warranty. I'm giving it another chance coz I still do trust toyota, I guess I just got unlucky with that strut as a factory defect. It happens, but I'm really bit worried. What if my warranty expires? Well i still do have two years? Crossing my fingers.......
Owned it since it was new and it's been great
osfans, 04/02/2016
updated 04/04/2023
2013 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV (2.7L 4cyl 6A)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
Othere than a few minor dings, and we now have 135,000 on it, the vehicle has been dependable, looks good and runs great. Never an issue other than stuff that wears out like brakes and tires.
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2013 Toyota Highlander for sale near you
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Reliable, just do not get the Toyota warranty!
Anthony, 07/04/2019
updated 01/17/2023
2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Performance - The truck is reliable and does have good pickup for the 6 cylinder model. She goes when she wants to. The only thing is around 70k miles we had to have our drive shaft looked at because we were getting slippage during acceleration. She started struggling but once we had her repaired she's driving a lot better. Breaking is good on these vehicles, just have to keep up on the break pads and rotors. Quality - The truck has good acceleration and the backup cam is extremely helpful when parking and backing up. The lens is a little fish-eyed but once you get used to it, you will become accustomed to gauging the distance. The interior is not bad but it's kind of generic to be honest. The seat material is cheap, though; it has begun cracking in a few spots. If you maintain this vehicle regularly and bring it in to get checked over it will last you! Warranty - We got a warranty through Toyota which was extremely costly. Getting the oil changed and filters as well as tire rotation costs over $600 which is over priced. We started taking the truck to other repair shops which we trust for routine work. Getting brakes done also would cost $800+ if I recall correctly. As opposed to $100-200 at our regular shop. We cancelled the warranty because it was too expensive to have any work done. A simple key fob battery replacement was $80 or some such. I started buying the batteries on Amazon and doing the replacement myself for a few dollars and five minutes worth of time. Overall though, the truck is reliable and we haven't had any major issues since we've bought it. Our last vehicle needed constant repairs and replacements (all at an increased mark up since it was Mitsubishi). Overall though, the truck is reliable and worth the cost. I would recommend the 2012 - 2016 model Highlanders. The newer models, I am not familiar with. Just one tip, if you are buying used check each door for the vin number sticker. If one or more doors are missing this sticker, be sure to point it out because that means at least one door was replaced. We didn't realize one of the doors had been replaced so we were swindled there. Surprisingly, it was a little harder to find some parts for this truck. Toyota parts are more abundant in general but specific pieces may be harder to find even online. If you do buy this truck and get a warranty, be prepared to overpay for some repairs or replacements through the dealership. Otherwise you may be fine to go with your trusted local repair shop. Edit: Almost 7 years later and she's still running great. I still recommend Highlanders to anyone looking for a nice SUV.
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Entune sysem is garbage
phillymic22, 07/30/2013
updated 09/24/2013
2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
15 of 17 people found this review helpful
I love the look and feel of my Toyota Highlander and it is a pleasant ride until you try to use the Entune radio system. The HD radio is awful, constantly goes in and out, the satellite radio constantly loses reception and the GPS system leaves a lot to be desired. I am so disappointed with this system, I am starting to regret paying top dollar for a limited model. I will need to replace this system to save my sanity.
11 Years, Two Highlanders. Can it hold up?
Arkman28, 04/18/2024
2013 Toyota Highlander Limited 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
After 11 years and two 2nd generation Highlanders, let me explain my story. We first bought one in late 2013, right when the new body style was rolling out in the market. This one was a Plus with the 2.7L 1AR-FE 4-cylinder. It was a no-gimmick car with only a few optional extras and features, the main one being Bluetooth and a windshield de-icer and somewhat better cloth seating. While this trim did come with some anti-theft protection, it was not as much as I would hope for the year. It had a key transmitter but no alarm system. That Highlander was definitely a no-thrills Toyota, but it got the job done and it did it well. From my experience with two of them, I would have to say avoid the 4-cylinder Highlanders from 2008-2019. They are sluggish and likely to give problems in the future due to the heavy load on the engine. The torque converter blew out on that one because it couldn't handle the weight of the vehicle. The fuel economy is only slightly better in the real world. It provided good comfort and felt like I was driving a sedan. It is based on the Camry platform, so suspension components are shared between the two, resulting in a nice ride quality. The steering is responsive but can sometimes feel stale and static. Acceleration is decent on V6 models, to the point where if you don't master the throttle, you can make your passengers feel like they are on a roller coaster. On 4-cylinder models, there is a 20-50% linearity on the throttle for decent acceleration. Sequential shift mode will almost be needed every time you need to accelerate quickly on a 4-cylinder model. Even on the V6 models, the transmission can be a little delayed or sluggish, to the point where you will need to manually shift it. Although this should only be a problem if you are used to driving an Altima. If you drive pretty chill and not aggressively, the transmission and engine make a great pair on both the V6 and 4-cylinder models. In terms of cargo space and space in general, it has a pretty decent load space with the 3rd row down, but with it up, it is nonexistent. The same goes for legroom; in general, if you're tall or fat, there's nowhere for your legs to go. In the 3rd row, legroom is nonexistent. Don't buy this car for the third row if you plan to have it longer than 4 years, especially if you have small children. The middle seat is a joke and is only 1 foot long, so any person who sits there and is not 4 feet tall would be into the other two seats. The Stow and Go seating is neat, allowing you to switch the 2nd-row seat from a bench seat to a pass-through, to extra cupholders and a storage compartment. Speaking of cupholders, you will not run out in this car. Even the headlights can be cupholders. There are 12 cupholders on the inside of the car. In terms of software, it is showing its age in every department. Along with that, the radio software is really mixed. If you have the standard radio without Entune, the software is a little less buggy and intuitive. But if you have the Entune radio, you will be fighting it most frequently. And with the software sunsetted, it makes no sense to continue to have it. The Entune software is overlayed and clunky and blocks everything from working well. Moving onto if this is a good car nowadays, I would say if you want to get one, get the Limited trim as you get the most features. This car is good for people who want the modest without the hard-to-use tech and bothering systems. It's simple, laid out, clear, and good-looking. It is reliable with the proper powertrain to suit, and I have not had any major mechanical problems besides that torque converter on the 4-cylinder. Would I buy again? Probably not because I've already had two, but if I bought another one, then it should show just how good it was to begin with.
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