Automatic Transmission problems of the 2004 Toyota Highlander - part 1

Car hesitates and suddenly surges forward. The is the 2nd time this has occurred in the past 3 months. The first time was near my garage and fortunately the car only traveled several feet forward before hitting the corner of the garage and coming to a stop. Last Sunday, I was leaving a parking lot. I was turning left when the car hesitated and suddenly surged forward at a rapid speed. Before I was able to regain control, the car had traveled approximately 20-25 feet forward, ran up on a median and crashed into a tree. I called the police about filing a report but as it occurred on private property, they declined,.

The contact owns a 2004 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph and depressing the accelerator, the vehicle was hesitant to respond. The failure would occur most prominently when the vehicle was first started. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 91,000 and current mileage is 93,000.

My 2004 Toyota Highlander v6 at time has very rough shifts. The transmissions seems to hesitate and lag when I try to accelerate during normal driving speeds. This has happened when I was going 20 to 60.

S10 appropriate handling re complaint against Toyota motor corporation and jay wolfe Toyota of west county fm owner of a 2004 Toyota Highlander. After driving the vehicle for a few weeks, it became apparent there was a problem with the shifting with the automatic transmission. The condition was most noticeable during sharp acceleration periods. The engine would rev up, but it did not gain speed relative to the amount of pressure applied to the accelerator. The engine would sound as if it was under stress and it would then shift with a severe jolt. The dealer informed the consumer Toyota was aware of the transmission flaw, but there was no fix. The consumer has since traded the vehicle.

2004 Toyota Highlander v6 - auto (2wd) since we've purchased the t-highlander, the car will occasionally suddenly jerk forward uncontrollably when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear and when the shift takes place between 2,000 and 2,500 rpm when in 2nd gear. We have brought this in to the Toyota dealership on numerous occasions only to be told this is a "programming" issue and the car is trying to figure out how to shift based on different drivers. I've looked online and on forums and other owners have the same problems. I think it's Toyota trying to save $$. My concern since we've brought the car in to the Toyota dealerships is the same concern that I want the NHTSA to be aware of now and that is, there is a problem with the car and there is a potential for an accident here due to something that is clearly defective with the transmission and/or the "programming" of how the computer shifts. This complaint is being filed because all of the other Toyota problems that have surfaced have reaffirmed what I've known all along, that there are problems with Toyotas and in our case, not having complete control of the vehicle when driving. However, I was made to feel that I had no basis for my complaints when in fact, I do. I hope that even if nothing is done to fix my t-highlander as I have given up on it (short of legal action, which might be worthwhile now) that the NHTSA does do something to ensure that no one is injured as a result of this "programming" issue.

Have a 2004 Toyota 3. 3l 2wd Highlander that has had a surging problem when taking off from a start since I had it new. . . . Dealer recalibrated computer but didnt fix the problem. . . . They told me this is normal. . . . . It is not normal and is very dangerous. . . . Being they dont want to fix it, I guess it will come down to a law suit if something happens. . . . . There are all kinds of post on this problem and Toyota should be recalling and fixing. . . . . . Wont never buy Toyota again if something isnt done because they still seem to be having this problem in other makes and models in Toyota line. . . . And Lexus. . . . . . . .

Transmission shift hesitation on acceleration at lower speeds. Just enough lag time to scare me a few times that I wouldn't make it across traffic.

Let me start by saying I am a die-hard Toyota owner, my current vehicle being the 3rd Toyota we own. I own a 2004 Toyota Highlander, v6, 5 speed automatic with awd. This vehicle has a very serious hesitation problem which is dangerous. Upon acceleration from a stop or at speed, there is a very serious lag in throttle response. Many times leaving a stop or accelerating from a slow speed I. E. Parking lot driving, the vehicle will lag with no response, then lurch & accelerate suddenly. Merging into traffic, safe passing, starts at lights and safe driving in parking lots and around pedestrians can be hazardous. Thousands of owners across the nation are affected by this defect. From my recent research it apparently is not restricted to the Highlander, but affects many Toyota vehicles with "drive by wire" as opposed to mechanical transmission & throttle linkage. I took the vehicle back to the dealer right after my purchase in November of 2004 and was told they could find nothing wrong, now recent research tells me they were well aware of the problem at that time. I love Toyota but there methods of dealing with problems like this is deceptive at best and just short of criminal at worst. Please "google" Toyota Highlander hesitation problem and also visit tundrasolutions. Com for more evidence of what I am talking about. Toyota has not devoted enough resources to this problem or a permanent fix would have already been developed. Please contact Toyota and urge them to take care of this matter with all the thousands of owners across the u. S. That are having to deal with this matter. I will be following this matter with keen interest to see if anything is being done and am advising aaa of the issues as well as my state and federal representatives. Toyota commands a premium price for what are otherwise exceptional vehicles and their customers and the nations drivers deserve a better more responsible response from Toyota.

I have a 2004 Toyota Highlander with a 3. 3l v6 automatic transmission. Within the first week of driving the vehicle that was purchased new from the manufacturer, I noticed that the transmission seemed to hesitate when accelerating at low speeds. The problem persisted and I took the vehicle in for service. The dealer said they could not reproduce the problem or find anything wrong. Now the car has almost 20,000 miles on it, I've taken the car back to the dealer a few times as the hesitation has gotten worse and they continue to tell me there is nothing wrong with the car. I rarely drive the car now since I have come very close to having a major accidents numerous times. In each case, I will try and merge onto a freeway. Going up the ramp (or down) and accelerating to get up to speed, the transmission will delay for 2-3 seconds. I then push the gas pedal down a bit more and the rpm's will shoot up, the car will jerk, and speed ahead. If I don't apply the extra gas, it leaves me in a situation where I might be hit from behind by other cars. When the car jerks ahead, I've come close to slamming into cars ahead of me. I've done some research on the web and have found numerous other Toyota owners with this same exact problem. I hope no one has been killed or injured from this defect that Toyota is unwilling to address, and that the NHTSA will investigate this before anyone is killed or injured.

: the contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the transmission momentarily hesitates before properly selecting the correct gear to engage. The vehicle was taken to the dealership several times for inspection. The dealership mechanic reset the software three times, but this did not correct the problem. Diagnostic testing were performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and sent a representative to inspect the vehicle. The representative drove the vehicle and experienced the hesitation and explained, this is a flaw in the design and the vehicle is free-wheeling. The representative would contact the engineers and try to solve the problem. Updated 03/17/06.

2004 Toyota Highlander limited developed a hesitation after around 10,000 miles. The hesitation is followed by a head-jerking surge. This situation is very hazardous when attempting to make a right or left-hand turn, or fast acceleration merge, in high traffic situations. I am very concerned about my 15-yr-old twins who are learning to drive in this vehicle. I don't understand why this issue has not been addressed by the NHTSA considering the very large number of complaints about this issue, here and on the web. Are you waiting for a death? my dealer says there is nothing they can do.

Engine hesitation when accelerating from low speeds; transmission shifts hard at low speeds causing the vehicle to hesitate and then surge when accelerating.

2004 Toyota Highlander automatic transmission had experienced a dangerous hesitation while trying to downshift.

I own a 2004 Highlander limited, v6, 5-speed automatic. When decelerating and then accelerating, there is a 1 to 2 second hesitation before the car moves again. This happens every time. This inaction by the vehicle is a safety hazard, especially when merging onto a fast-moving freeway. Note: this hesitation does not occur if you come to a complete stop. I did a web search to see if anyone else experienced the same problem, and I found a lot of complaints (you need to add "web search" to your "source" list below). So it's not just my vehicle. This design fault is evident on all Toyotas with the 3. 3 liter, 5-speed automatic. Evidently the Lexus es330 and rx330 have the same problem. I also have a friend with a 2004 sienna that has the same problem. When I took my car into the Toyota dealership to complain, they said it was the electronically-controlled transmission, and that "it was designed that way. " I asked about reprogramming the flash memory of the controller involved and they said there was no updated software, there was nothing they could do. So, I guess it's up to you to get Toyota to do something. I see here on your site, that there have been a lot of other similar complaints. This is a repeatable, measurable system fault. Just take a Toyota Highlander with a v6 out for a drive. Then slow down a bit, then accelerate as you would normally. The car will hesitate. Every time. Now do this while you're merging onto a fast-moving freeway. When it hesitates, you'll do an "OH,?!@#$%" and accelerate harder, at which point the transmission will hesitate slightly again, then shift down. The engine will rev up and you'll roar out onto the freeway like an idiot. Please. Do something about this before someone gets hurt, if it hasn't happened already.

At apprx. 13000 miles on a 2004 Toyota Highlander, noticed increasingly rough shifting from the automatic transmission. Vehicle often hesitates when shifting, then surges into next gear, causing unpredictable ride. Throughout the gears, vehicle seems to be hunting for gears, upshifting & downshifting at odd times, causing a rough, unpredictable ride. Took it back to the dealer and they 'recalibrated' the tranmission, however, this didn't seem to rectify the problem.

At 12 months and 13,000 miles, noticed 2004 Toyota Highlander to have transmission problems. During shifting, transmission often hesitates and then suddenly surges into next gear, causing inability to predict vehicle performance. Throughout driving, transmission feels like its hunting for gears, frequently shifting at odd times, causing a rough, unpredictable ride.

I own a 2004 Toyota Highlander limited v6 awd. The car has extremely dangerious performance characteristics which will be the cause of many accidents. There is an unexpected and varying degree of lag in acceleration when trying to acclerate to merge on highways or to make turns across oncoming traffic. This is a severe and dangerous problem which will lead to loss of life. The dealer says it is "just a characteristic of the car" and nothing can be done. This kind of "characteristic" is too dangerous to just accept that nothing can be done. This is an unacceptable and dangerous problem!.

Power steering and brakes failed while driving the 2004 Toyota Highlander. I have previously filed a complaint here and with Toyota about the car cutting out between 20 and 30 mph which is dangerous in traffic. The hesitation is more prevalent now with 10,000 miles on the vehicle even though at 700 miles it was infuriating not knowing if you were safe trying to merge into traffic or make a left turn. I don't understand how this company can sell unsafe cars and be allowed to cheat the people who paid for them. When the power steering and brakes failed the car had to be towed of course. How long before someone holds Toyota responsible for these problems? how do individuals fight large foreign companies? isn't it this agency's job to make sure american consumers are safe and treated fairly?.

Our new 2004 Toyota Highlander has hesitation problem when driving around 10-30 miles per hour. This is a very serious safety issue since there are a lot of situations that even a second hesitation can lead to accident, such as making a quick left turn in a busy intersection to avoid on coming cars. Here is how to reproduce the problem: drive the car over 25 miles per hour, then gradually slow it down to about 20 miles per hour. Press down the gas paddle very briefly, regardless how hard the paddle is hit, the car will not response.

Safety concern with 2004 Toyota Highlander transmission. The consumer stated that the vehicle shifts in a hesitation mode then surges. The vehicle takes a long time to shift from first to second gear.

Car lags when shifing whn cold. Toyota claims this is 'normal".

Press the gas pedal and nothing happens leaving you stuck in traffic. Transmission and or gas kick in 2 seconds later.

Toyota 2004 Highlander purchased new on 7/1/04 has transmission surging and drivetrain "clunk" when downshifting from 3rd to 2nd gear. Dealer has replaced transmission to no avail and claims it is part of "fly-by-wire" desing by manufacturer.

The vehicle has a constant minor hesitation and surging behavior in acceleration and deceleration situations. I don't know if it could be a true 'hazard' but it is quite annoying.

Our 2004 Toyota Highlander has consistent acceleration "delays" that not only make the vehicle a chore to drive but at times can be dangerous ex. Merging with moving traffic.

I have owned a 2004 Toyota Highlander v6 4-wd vehicle since July 10, 2004. About two weeks ago I noticed there was some hesitation upon acceleration and on occasion the vehicle seems to down shift for no apparent reason. This is extremely dangerous when making a left-hand turn against traffic without a turn arrow or pulling out into any kind of traffic. Sometimes it will go - often times there is a 1-2 second delay. I have also noticed on occasion that while driving on the highway, suddently the vehicle downshifts with no change in acceleration on the driver's part. This makes for a jumpy feel in what was originally a very smooth driving car. In addition, it is wreaking havoc on my mileage (am currently getting 17. 1 mpg even on the highway). I can see these problems leading to accidents and I've had a couple of close calls already. I also have teenaged drivers and there is no way I can feel they are safe driving this vehicle. I have had the car in two times in the last week. I am told that the Highlander has a "unique shift pattern" and the technician didn't notice any hesitation problems. Upon leaving the dealership, I noticed hesitation right away. I suppose they are choosing to ignore these problems. The suggestion was that I speak to my salesman and maybe they would offer me a good deal on another model since I have just 2,000 miles on the Highlander. What kind of solution is that? furthermore, I went to this dealer's website and found several low-mileage Highlanders for sale. This leads me to believe they have had to satisfy other owners by trade as well. Aside from that, nothing was done to rectify the problems.

My 2004 Toyota Highlander v6 (3. 3l with 5-speed transmission) has an intermittent fault where the automatic transmission will abrubtly drop down a gear (or gears) while simultaneously trying to accelerate creating a sensation like it is bucking or porpousing. Usuall stepping off of the accelerator is sufficient to eliminate the bucking sensation. This has occured since I purchased the vehicle new in August 2004.

I purchased a Toyota Highlander in March 2004, largely on the merits of Toyota's safety record and user reviews of driveability. Within the first few weeks of driving, I started to notice that there was a hesitation in the throttle upon acceleration at low speeds. . . As if the car had to "think about it" before deciding to respond. Took it in to dealer who found "nothing wrong". . . Needed break-in period, he said. Problem continued and resulted in at least two occurrences that caused concern: one making left hand turn in oncoming traffic and one attempting to merge onto highway. Hesitation was pronounced enough to cause moment of panic. . . Kids in car etc. Took to another dealer who had explanation of use of drive-by-wire throttle technology used in fighter planes, said that Toyota knew of issue but there was no way for them to calibrate. I then went to internet to see if could validate and found numerous others with same problem. I am filing complaint in hopes that Toyota will press solution to avoid the inevitable accident.

I have a 2004 Toyota Highlander limited v6 4wd. I was merging on a highway entrance ramp slowing down to time the traffic when I saw a gap to merge. I pressed on the gas and the Highlander hesitated and would not accelerate. I keep pumping on the gas and the hl would not accelerate, luckly for me the truck pulling a trailer that I was merging infront of moved to the next lane in time or he would have plowed me into a concrete bridge abutment.

My 2004 Toyota Highlander makes a terrible humming / moaning sound on acceleration that resonates within the vehicles and disturbs the driver. The problem typically occurs during speeding up from 0 mph. It is terribly frustrating that a brand new car makes such a annoying sound. It is also hesitates a lot during 20-40 mph speed range. The vehicle does not respond as it supposed to on acceleration and that too specially while driving within the city. On cantacting the dealer and Toyota's national customer service thay said it is designed to be like that and the hesitation is a by-product of computer controlled automatic transmission. Currently there is no fix for this. Am terribly frustrated now and promise to never buy any vehicle from Toyota in future. I would also make sure that my friends and relatives does not go near a Toyota dealer. I am desperate in getting rid of this vehicle.

When attempting to accelerate to merge with faster moving traffic there is a significant hesitation. I've nearly been hit several times because I just couldn't get up to speed in time. This is a 2004 Toyota Highlander, v6 awd. I contacted the manufacturer with no results.

Vehicle; 2004 Toyota Highlander limited, v6 engine, auto transmission. There is a definite hesitation/lag/delay in shifting and acceleration. This condition happens almost all of the time and creates a real safety concern. Moderate acceleration will produce this condition. Toyota is aware of this condition but is doing nothing to correct it.

2004 Toyota Highlander with approx. 11,000 miles. 6cyl. 2w/d I have noticed a slight but consistent hesitation between pressing the accelerator and actually accelerating. I recently experienced that when accellerating heavily, as to pass another car, the Highlander actually seems to pause, and to even momentarily slow down instead of acellerating. And then it suddenly accelerates. This delay is greater than 1-2 seconds and is significantly noticable. This is not a situation where the vehicle is droping smoothly into a lower gear to accellerate. The first time it occured to me I thought for a moment that the transmission had fully disingaged or otherwise failed. I had time to briefly consider how I was going to get safely out of traffic & onto the shoulder before it suddenly accellerated. Please understand, the engine in fact did rev in acceleration while the vehicle itself slowed before the transmission suddenly surged into connection at a high rpm. This is my wifes vehicle. She's described this "surging" before and I pretty much blew her off until it happened to me. No more. This is an accident waiting to happen. In the meantime Toyota, or more accurately the mechanic at the Toyota dealer, tells me they are aware of the issue as fairly common, but don't have a fix and have not entered a bulletin to their dealers. Again, this is an accident waiting to happen.

We purchased a 2004 v6/5 speed auto 2wd Toyota Highlander in June, 04. It has a hesitation problem which creates a safety hazard. It loses power for several seconds after decelerating and re- accelerating to change lanes or make left turns, thereby exposing a powerless, decelerating car to oncoming traffic. Have taken the car to the dealer twice. They claim it is a design problem, they cannot fix. They say it occurs as a result of the adaptive learning algorithm in the engine/transmission package. Check the edmonds town hall by searching for "hesitation" and you'll find it reported since 12/03 by Highlander, camry, solara, Lexus rx330 and Lexus camry equivalent owners all having gotten no commitment by Toyota to fix it. This is a safety hazard as described by the classical definitions. It occurs frequently (in most vehicles and in normal operation, and more than a few of the occurrences will expose the occupants to severe personal injury. Toyota claims the hesitation is "normal" because all the Highlanders on the lot do it--which only reinforces the high frequency estimate. For whatever reason, they are not addressing this issue with anything other than an offer to have a Toyota rep confirm your car has it and then to take the issue to arbitration. Its time for you to investigate, before serious injuries or deaths occur. If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me. Jim mullen.

2004 Toyota Highlander hesitates on acceleration as when trying to merge into traffic. There is no way to determine when this hesitation will occur making it very dangerous because there is no way to judge when it is safe to merge or when someone might rear end you.