Blown Head Gasket problems of the 2003 Toyota Highlander

My 4 cylinder engine overheated very quick, very high, causing a gasket to blow. Upon repairing the catalytic converter and gasket, the mechanic ran into another issue that I've been reading about happening to others, the threads are stripped where they hold the engine block. Something needs to be done. There are too many people writing about having this issue for it be a rare occurrence for this type of vehicle. The costs are high to fix and Toyota needs to help rectify the problem.

I was taking a short drive on the freeway and first my a/c started blowing hot air and then the engine overheated. My toddler was in the car and I had to get over to the side of the road quickly and was stranded. It was dangerous and scary. The mechanic said the head gasket blew and that I have to get a new engine because there is a defect in the materials in 2003 Toyotas that means the screws won't stay in the block. My car was carefully maintained, serviced and oil changes every 3,000 miles. This was a Toyota!, and I was just getting back on my feet with new job after losing my job, and now I can't drive to my different job sites -- and buses can't cover what I need. I bought this car new when I was doing better financially and thought that as long as I kept it maintained, I'd have 6 years or more left of a running vehicle. I am just shocked that Toyota won't take responsibility for this defect, nor will the service manager where I bought the car new even offer me a discount on the replacement engine or labor. He says there must be a recall ordered first. I'm a single mom hoping that Toyota is made to take responsibility for their error, and that I'm not left without a car until I can save to buy a cheap used one.

The contact owns a 2003 Toyota Highlander. The vehicle had a head gasket water leak. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the head gasket was blown and it would cost $2500 to be repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage 126,000.

My 2003 Toyota Highlander's temp gauge started going toward the h while driving about 30 mph. I turned the heat on in the car and that made the gauge go back down to normal. I took the car to a Toyota dealership where I was told my head gasket was blown and I needed a new engine for about $8000! I took the car to an independent mechanic that told me the engine itself was fine but 3 bolts on the head gasket were stripped. The repair is costing an approximate $2500 to retap the holes and use different bolts. I had done some research and I found out that this is a known problem with the 2003 Highlanders and Toyota is not doing anything about it (I have the website info and complaints if needed). Many people who have purchased this year/make/model have spent thousands of dollars repairing this defect that Toyota knows about but will not take care of. I called Toyota national customer service and they gave me this website information to file a complaint (I have a claim number if you need it). I am very upset, actually outraged, that here we are again finding out that Toyota has more issues with their vehicles and won't do anything about it. I bought this car because I thought Toyotas were reliable. Please do something about this and help all of us who bought the 2003 Highlanders recover the money we have spent on repairs to an obvious manufacturer's defective part usage. Thank you!.