2003 Toyota Highlander review from North America
"Hesitation a big safety concern"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
I am worried about transmission hesitation problem. There has been recent news articles about Toyota and Lexus trying to fix this, but in the meantime the car has a serious hesitation problem. It happens when you try to accelerate from a low speed, like you do when you merge on an interstate. It can be dangerous in this situation as you gun your engine to merge into traffic and nothing happens. This makes for a very near miss and I am afraid one of these times it will cause an accident. I am told that the transmission has a computer that learns your driving style and that this will go away, but we have had it for a year now and it hasn't learned yet.There are 3 drivers in my family so I am not sure how a vehicle can learn the driving habits of multiple drivers! I will not allow my 16 yr. old to drive in this situation anymore.
General comments?
Generally, I like the Highlander, but the hesitation issue is giving me serious second thoughts on this.
Recommended reviews
  | It is an unsafe, expensive piece of scrap metal |
| Great value for the money, good ride, 4x4, good power and has towing capabilities |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model Year | 2004 |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Engine and transmission | Automatic |
| Performance marks | 1/10 |
| Reliability marks | 1/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 1/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | |
| Distance when acquired | 100 miles |
| Most recent distance | 16000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota Sienna |
| Date of Entry | 15th December, 2004 |