RecallMyCar

2003 Toyota Highlander Recalls, Complaints & Specs

2 safety recalls list the 2003 Toyota Highlander, and owners have filed 258 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

2
safety recalls
258
owner complaints to NHTSA
33 / 1
complaints citing a crash / fire
18–22
MPG combined (EPA)

2 safety recalls for the 2003 Toyota Highlander

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Latch (latches/locks/linkages)

    NHTSA 04V181000 Reported 366,572 vehicles potentially affected TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

    Certain sport utility vehicles have a child protection lock (cpl) system on both of the rear side doors. When an operator of the vehicle closes the door very hard with the cpl lever set to the lock position, there is a possibility that the lever may contact the body panel, causing the cpl lever to move into the unlock position.

    Remedy: Dealers will shorten the cpl lever. Owner notification began may 7, 2004. Owners should contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

  2. Wheels

    NHTSA 02V339000 Reported 176 vehicles potentially affected SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS

    On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with five factory alloy wheels (model 6934 and 6936), with factory llat, and with port installed wr4, four alloy wheel upgrade processed at the jacksonville, florida port and distributed by southeast toyota distributors in the states of alabama, florida, georgia, north and south carolina, when…

    Remedy: Owners will be provided with different style lug nuts, a warning label for the spare re/alloy wheel, and an owner's manual addendum.

258 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2003 Toyota Highlander have filed 258 complaints with NHTSA; 33 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 11 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 86,227 miles. Complaints peaked in 2010 with 52 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“Automatically disengage the transmission Stopped the road Icalled my husband Myhusband came and together we got the car to a safe place.Then Icame home with my husband and he called the insurance comp”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, May 25, 2023 · Engine

“The hood latch cable inside the vehicle when pulled did not allow the hood to open now the secondary hood latch is stuck in the closed position and will not release..I have to use a strap from wheel o”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, March 22, 2023 · Unknown or other

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2003 Toyota Highlander (Highlander 2WD, Highlander 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined18–22 mpg
City / Highway16–19 / 21–25
FuelRegular
EPA classSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Engine4/6 cyl, 2.4/3 L
TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Compare Toyota Highlander model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Toyota Highlander model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1997 Toyota Highlander01
1998 Toyota Highlander01
2001 Toyota Highlander3137
2002 Toyota Highlander2301
2003 Toyota Highlander2258
2004 Toyota Highlander5286
2005 Toyota Highlander6224
2006 Toyota Highlander7277
2007 Toyota Highlander4124
2008 Toyota Highlander11404
2009 Toyota Highlander9134
2010 Toyota Highlander10216
2011 Toyota Highlander5181
2012 Toyota Highlander2182
2013 Toyota Highlander3207
2014 Toyota Highlander4136
2015 Toyota Highlander1192
2016 Toyota Highlander2111
2017 Toyota Highlander3269
2018 Toyota Highlander4268
2019 Toyota Highlander3490
2020 Toyota Highlander4319
2021 Toyota Highlander4529
2022 Toyota Highlander5260
2023 Toyota Highlander9184
2024 Toyota Highlander742
2025 Toyota Highlander410
2026 Toyota Highlander02

Checking a specific 2003 Toyota Highlander

How do I know if my 2003 Toyota Highlander has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 2 campaigns currently list the 2003 Toyota Highlander; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Toyota dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 02V339000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Toyota models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.