ENGINE HEAD BOLTS ON 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER BECAME LOOSE; THREADS HAD WORN OFF ON 2 OR 3 BOLTS THAT HOLD THE TOP OF THE ENGINE TO THE MAIN ENGINE BLOCK. VEHICLE HAS BEEN WELL-MAINTAINED; 87,000 MILES. REPAIR REQUIRES NEW ENGINE BLOCK AT COST OF $6,400. APPEARS TO BE MANUFACTURING DEFECT - ENGINE BOLTS SHOULD NOT COME LOOSE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE IN REPAIR. VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND WAS TOWED TO REPAIR SHOP. *TR
2007
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
WHEN NEW I HAD NO DIFFICULTY WITH THE BRAKES ON MY VEHICLE. THEY PERFORMED WELL, AND I NEVER FELT ANXIETY THAT MY BRAKES "WOULDN'T BE THERE" WHEN NEEDED. BUT OVER THE PAST YEAR THIS HAS CHANGED. AT FIRST I NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL FELT SOFT, AND WAS LOWER TO THE FLOOR. I BROUGHT MY CAR IN TO WESTBURY (NY) TOYOTA. THEY MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS WHICH APPEARED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THAT TIME. THEN, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, THE BRAKE PEDAL AGAIN BEGAN TO FEEL SOFT. IN ADDITION, IT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SINK ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WHILE DEPRESSED. THIS WOULD HAPPEN MAIN;Y WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICE (STOP SIGN OR LIGHT), BUT OCCASIONALLY ALSO HAPPENED WHILE USING MODERATE BREAKING TO CONTROL VEHICLE SPEED WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN INCLINE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN TO MARIETTA (GA) TOYOTA. THEY MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, WHICH SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, A FEW WEEKS LATER THE BRAKES BEGAN AGAIN TO EXHIBIT THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THIS BECAME EXTREMELY ALARMING WHEN, WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN INCLINE, I WAS UNABLE TO FULLY STOP BEFORE MY VEHICLE TRAVELED INTO THE NEAR LANE OF CROSS TRAFFIC. I AGAIN BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MARIETTA TOYOTA. THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, AND TOLD ME THE MASTER CYLINDER IS DESIGNED TO RELEASE PRESSURE WHILE THE PEDAL IS HELD. I OPENED A TICKET WITH TOYOTA (#1003232005), BUT I AM CONCERNED THEY MAY SAY THE BRAKES ARE WORKING CORRECTLY, EVEN THOUGH THEY CLEARLY SEEM UNSAFE TO ME.
