The Lemon Index2004 Toyota Highlander.
The 2004 Toyota Highlander is about average by owner complaints: 114 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 100, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, it has 5 recalls, and it gets 19 to 22 mpg combined. The best Toyota Highlander year is 2014.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 286 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Toyota Highlander year. 2004 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 15K to 96K miles on the car (235 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 0K–70K miles
- speed control complaints mostly came at 16K–88K miles
- steering complaints mostly came at 32K–84K miles
Recalls 5
- engine 2011
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…
- speed control 2011
TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2004-2006 HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID, AND MODEL YEAR 2004-2007 LEXUS RX330, RX350, AND RX400H VEHICLES.
- brakes 2010
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.
Show all 5 recalls
- speed control 2006
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY AND HYBRID VEHICLES, THE TWO RETAINING CLIPS FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE FORWARD CENTER CONSOLE CAN BECOME LOOSE.
- latches/locks/linkages 2004
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A CHILD PROTECTION LOCK (CPL) SYSTEM ON BOTH OF THE REAR SIDE DOORS.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Toyota told dealers about
Toyota sent dealers 164 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Countermeasures to the air conditioner (a/c) magnetic clutch relay for a/c light flashing…
- Steering intermediate shaft noise
- "tt: some customers may encounter bluetooth connectivity concerns such as: difficulty pairing…
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedUnintended and uncontrolled acceleration2010–2011
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★★ · side ★★★★★ · rollover —
Fuel cost and engines
About $2900–3400 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
2004 Toyota Highlander brakes engaged when accelerator was depressed. Customer states that he was in a parking lot hit the accelerator and the brakes applied, and that made the engine stall. He was unable to start the vehicle.
2004 Toyota Highlander owner · NHTSA complaint 10203753
More owner reports
Engine hesitation when accelerating from low speeds; transmission shifts hard at low speeds causing the vehicle to hesitate and then surge when accelerating.
NHTSA complaint 10143398
2004 Toyota Highlander automatic transmission had experienced a dangerous hesitation while trying to downshift.
NHTSA complaint 10134521
Quick answers
Is the 2004 Toyota Highlander reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 100; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Toyota Highlander year by this measure is 2014.
What are the most common 2004 Toyota Highlander problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (38%), steering (14%) and speed control (13%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2004 Toyota Highlander have?
5 safety recalls (latest: engine). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2004 Toyota Highlander get?
19 to 22 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2004 Toyota Highlander problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 15,200 and 96,000 miles. The middle report was at 53,100 miles, from 235 complaints.
Does the 2004 Toyota Highlander have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 38% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2004 Toyota Highlander cost in fuel a year?
About $2900 to $3400 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2004 Toyota Highlander have?
2.4L 4-cyl, 3.3L 6-cyl.
What Toyota Highlander year is better than the 2004?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works