2008 Toyota Highlander Toyota Highlander 2008

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2008 Toyota Highlander repairs by problem area

Engine (40%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (8%)

Brakes and Traction Control (5%)

Suspension and Steering (12%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (25%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (6%)

Other (4%)

Chart based on 143 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2008 Toyota Highlander.

2008 Toyota Highlander repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (14%)

$500 - $999 (19%)

$100 - $499 (29%)

< $100 (35%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 126 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

Toyota Highlander in Illinois, United States
Feb 2010 - Nov 2015
Sep 2013

85000 mi

US $250
TSB for oil cooler line replacement. Replaced Rubber hoses with metal tubes. 
Aug 2014

99600 mi

US $500
Oxygen sensor replaced. 
Toyota Highlander in North Carolina, United States
Jan 2013 - Jun 2018
Sep 2017

134000 mi
Main seal leaking oil; had to pull engine to repair A part in the rear brake was broken Brake noise- no problem found 
Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States
Jun 2014 - Jun 2016
Jun 2014

100000 mi

US $800
Water pump leaking. Replaced at 100K miles. 
Toyota Highlander in California, United States
Sep 2012 - Oct 2014
Sep 2014

48000 mi
Water pump bearing 
Toyota Highlander in Alabama, United States
Feb 2009 - Sep 2011
Dec 2010

56000 mi
Car exhibits a rattling like a collapsed lifter. Dealer says they all do that but could not find me another car of that age and vintage that exhibited the symptom. TSB for engine rattle, replaced timing chain tensioner. 
Aug 2011

72000 mi
Aftr earlier work on a TSB instalation the timing chain tensioner came loose tearing up all kinds of internal parts and flooding the engine with metal particles. 
Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States
Oct 2014 - Nov 2015
Nov 2014

106800 mi

US $415
Magnet attached to compressor unbolted itself and fell off car. AC is not able to engage magnetic compressor clutch. Caused AC light to flash on dash. Had to replace 
Oct 2015

117000 mi
V6 Cam issue that makes noise upon start. $5000 cost to be repaired covered by Toyota. 
Nov 2015

117000 mi
Needed a new top radiator hose, which I bought at dealership and handed over at trade-in time. 
Toyota Highlander in Virginia, United States
Feb 2018 - Jun 2022
Aug 2018

105000 mi

US $566
Water pump leakage. 
Toyota Highlander in Georgia, United States
Nov 2011 - Mar 2013
Feb 2012

29000 mi
Replaced defective cam gears in engine, addressed air bag TSB 
Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States
Mar 2008 - Apr 2021
Jun 2015

170000 mi

US $1200
Would only blow hot air, would not cool 
Mar 2016

189000 mi

US $35
Fuse for electric power ports 
Mar 2017

205000 mi

US $2000
Leaking water pump Replace Axle Boots 
Jun 2017

212000 mi

US $250
Plastic trim on drivers seat with seat controls came loose 
Nov 2017

222284 mi

US $365
Replace leaking inner CV boot 
Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States
Nov 2007 - Sep 2013
May 2012

66900 mi

US $450
Driver's side front window came off track, track was bent, new window assembly installed 
Jun 2013

87000 mi

US $450
Automatic window opener came off track, driver side front, bent the lifter which had to be replaced 

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2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

Toyota Highlander in California, United States
Jul 2015 - Apr 2017
Aug 2015

95000 mi

US $1600
The AC was leaking INSIDE the car. Had to pull dash etc. 
Apr 2016

109200 mi

US $1146
Alternator went out while in a trip out of town, $746 CV boot was torn, $400 
Aug 2016

115000 mi

US $287
Corrosion on wires on passenger side panel caused alert light to trigger. 
Nov 2016

118500 mi

US $325
Front and back struts Driver visor no longer stayed up Starter needed replacement 
Apr 2017

122000 mi

US $850
Rear axle leak. Rear brakes. 
Toyota Highlander in Washington, United States
Dec 2014 - Mar 2016
Jan 2016

US $2000
Oil gasket replacement 
Toyota Highlander in Nebraska, United States
Dec 2014 - May 2015
Feb 2015

119000 mi

US $550
Perform air induction system service. Dealer discovered carbon build up in throttle body when they checked the air filter. 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
May 2014 - Jun 2017
Dec 2014

94240 mi

C $650
O2 And fuel/air flow sensors caused check engine light to come on. Car was drivable but..... 
Nov 2015

106020 mi

C $70
Loose heat shield 
Jun 2016

111600 mi

C $90
Exhaust seal 
Apr 2017

122760 mi

C $1700
Slider seized back pads worn Alt belt 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Sep 2012 - Jul 2015
Mar 2014

76880 mi

C $900
the car did not start. thought it was the battery (which was earlier replaced). turned out to be alternator. 
May 2014

77980 mi

C $1000
Engine oil line "blew up" 
Toyota Highlander in Colorado, United States
Mar 2015 - Mar 2016
Sep 2015

87000 mi

US $450
Strut replacement 
Toyota Highlander in Colorado, United States
Oct 2014 - Jan 2015
Dec 2014

95000 mi

US $50
Intermediate Steering Shaft was replaced and Drivers Side Heated Seat Replaced under CNA Extended Warranty. Also had Front Brake Pads and Brake Fluid Replaced while at Dealer. 
Toyota Highlander in Massachusetts, United States
Jul 2013 - Jun 2017
Feb 2017

166000 mi

US $800
replaced struts alternator failed and replaced 
Jun 2017

168000 mi

US $400
Drive shaft replacement due to worn u-joints; u-joints are staked-in and not replaceable 
Toyota Highlander in New Jersey, United States
Oct 2016 - Jun 2022
Nov 2021

97000 mi

US $300
Sunroof drains clogged. Shop drilled new holes for drainage. 
Toyota Highlander in Maryland, United States
Jun 2018 - Jun 2022
Jun 2018

135000 mi

US $600
Front struts 
Apr 2022

161000 mi

US $300
Driver front wheel bearing 
Toyota Highlander in New Jersey, United States
Apr 2015 - Dec 2022
Feb 2022

234000 mi

US $1900
parking brake would not hold. Replaced shoes, hardware, 2 cables. 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Dec 2011 - Feb 2022
Nov 2016

107880 mi

C $1000
Alternator required replacement. 
Jun 2021

151900 mi
A/C lines from front to back require replacement. Parts not available at the time. Job still to be performed. 
Toyota Highlander in Alabama, United States
Jun 2014 - Dec 2017
Jun 2014

49450 mi

US $50
Car alarm was going off all by itself at random times. Read on Toyota owner's forums that the hood latch could be faulty. Since I had the same problem on my Acura a few years prior, I replaced the hood latch. Found instructions online and replaced in about an hour. Problem solved and alarm system works properly. 
Jun 2017

94000 mi

US $650
Check engine light came on 1st time in 9 yrs., 94K miles. Engine was misfiring. Problem was oil control valve sensor related to the variable valve timing in cylinder head. Toyota dealer replaced for $650 parts and labor. At the same time, I had dealer replace spark plugs because Toyota recommends at 110K. Total bill $820. Check engine light has stayed off. 
Toyota Highlander in Colorado, United States
Feb 2016 - Sep 2018
Jun 2016

122000 mi

US $35
Spark plugs need to be changed. 
Jan 2017 HVAC issue. I could not figure it out. Drivers Window not functioning well jerks when going up. 
Mar 2017

142000 mi

US $200
CV axle passenger side 
Sep 2018

155151 mi

US $35
Window regulator was bent out of shape. 
Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States
Nov 2016 - Dec 2017
Apr 2017

216334 mi

US $380
Plugs and coils replaced to try and cure a P0303 code; did not work. 
May 2017

217985 mi
Diagnosed bad CV joint in front; not replaced. Vibration is present starting at 68 mph (gets much worse around 90) and does not abate with change in throttle input. 
Jul 2017

219625 mi

US $100
Attempted to replace rear bank fuel injectors (cylinders 1, 3, 5) to cure P0303 code. Paused repair due to a stripped bolt that denied me access to the rear bank. 
Oct 2017

222565 mi

US $350
Front struts replaced to ameliorate a front-end vibration; repair was successful, but front end still vibrates. 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Jan 2012 - May 2020
Jun 2012

59520 mi

C $600
Drivers window bracket bolt came loose, fell out and resulted in the bracket breaking. Window was fine but dealer stated the bracket couldn't be repaired only replaced at a cost of 300 plus install plus inspection, plus retinting. 
Sep 2012

62000 mi
Started feeling weird vibration when driving in the 80km/hr range. Felt like AWD system was acting up. I pulled over switched to low speed 2wd, drove for a couple of blocks at low speed, switched off low range and kept going without issue. 
Jul 2014

77500 mi

C $250
Alarm started going off for no reason. Hood latch sensor failure. Told it was due to vibrations over time rattling it loose. $150 part 
Oct 2015

94120 mi
Inspected vehicle following repeated (and random) flash discharge of battery. Already replaced the battery in October 2014 following the first instance. Issue remains unresolved. 
Feb 2016

96720 mi

C $1050
Water pump had a crack in it. Replaced it. 6hrs charged time. Fak! O2 sensor spoiling resulted in VSC and engine light warning. VSC not functioning because sensor failure prompted computer to turn it off as it is an "auxiliary function". 3 of 4 sensors failed. Suspect use of injector cleaner. Lower control arm apparently has a seal failure and has to be replaced. 
Sep 2018

131440 mi

C $450
Rear hub assembly replaced. Constant hum coming from the back wheel with some vibration at around 60-80 km/hr. Same problem occurred on passenger rear wheel about 2 years ago. 
Feb 2019

133300 mi

C $850
Alternator failed to recharge battery while driving. Replacement was needed, but due to the location of the unit it was a 4 hour repair. 
Toyota Highlander in West Virginia, United States
Jul 2015 - Jul 2022
Feb 2016

123800 mi
Engine oil cooler pipe failed and all engine oil leaked out. Vehicle was towed to dealer and the oil cooler pipe was replaced under an extended warranty. 
Jun 2021

207000 mi
Dealer diagnosed leakage from timing chain cover. Estimated cost to repair at $3500.00. No signs of leakage on garage floor yet so will wait until leakage in detected. 
Toyota Highlander in New York, United States
Oct 2011 - Sep 2020
Aug 2013

55300 mi

US $104
Paint was wearing off on all exterior handles 
Nov 2015

84000 mi
check engine light on, said it was repaired ...it came back on 15 mile away from the dealer Oxygen sensor replaced. Light came back on 30 miles away. Another oxygen sensor was replaced. 
Jun 2017

105000 mi

US $80
AC not cooling, refilled rather than test for leak to see if it holds. Discussed rust by door handles and around doors - didn't fix 
Jul 2017

105000 mi
AC lines to back leaking, replaced 
Toyota Highlander in North Carolina, United States
Nov 2008 - Mar 2014
Mar 2014

24000 mi

US $300
Dead battery. Would not start with a jump. Towed to dealer. 
Toyota Highlander in Ohio, United States
Jul 2009 - Mar 2016
Aug 2010

46000 mi

US $87
Plugged AC condenser hose caused water to seep in and drench front footwells. Dealer cleared the hose and wash/dry carpet. 
Apr 2012

54200 mi
Door panel rusting at bottom. Dealer will not fix until rusted completely through. Will be covered until 5 year warranty expires in October. 
Dec 2013

61000 mi

US $153
Heatshield was loose. Was Replaced 
Sep 2014

66000 mi

US $56
Engine heat shield disintegrated, making loud metallic noises. Required replacement. 
Jun 2015

71000 mi

US $958
Needed fuel to air ratio sensors and mass airflow sensors. 
Toyota Highlander in New York, United States
Sep 2007 - Aug 2017
May 2008

6000 mi
Smell emitted from air vents. Akin to mulch smell. Dealer replaced Hepa filter and treated system with Ozium. 
Oct 2008

11000 mi

US $30
Under the drivers side door arm rest cushion is a plastic support piece. This piece cracked. It supports the arm rest cusion from inside the arm rest. 
Jan 2010

23000 mi
Radio volume would not function with dial. It did function with steering wheel buttons. Dealer replaced radio under warranty. 
Dec 2012

45000 mi

US $1000
Replaced bad O2 sensor 
Dec 2016

89000 mi

US $900
All four struts replaced 
Feb 2017

91000 mi

US $100
Heat shield rattle 
Toyota Highlander in New Hampshire, United States
Aug 2009 - Mar 2011
Dec 2010

58000 mi

US $20
intermittent problems with console features turning off at random. mechanic found a loose connection and problem seems to be fixed.  
Toyota Highlander in Quebec, Canada
Sep 2008 - Jul 2022
Jun 2009

3720 mi
Passenger seat airbag not working, seat was replaced. 
Feb 2013

39060 mi
Replacing engine head gasket 
Jul 2014

51660 mi
Oil transmision cooler leaking, had to replace the whole unit 
Jun 2017

78120 mi

C $600
Replaced front disc and pads and rear pads 
Nov 2017

82460 mi

C $260
Front pipe gasket failed , replaced gasket and bolts/springs 
Jan 2018

83700 mi

C $950
replaced noisy water pump 
Jul 2022

109740 mi

C $330
AC not working , found nothing wrong , recharge the system with colored fluid to check for leak 
Toyota Highlander in New York, United States
Sep 2008 - Jul 2011
Nov 2010

51300 mi
Water pump began leaking at 50,000 miles. Water pump covered under 5 yr/60K mile power train warranty.  Also discovered and repaired an oil seal that was leaking during the same visit. 
Toyota Highlander in New York, United States
Nov 2007 - Jun 2015
Aug 2009

15000 mi
Had a TSB installed to fix problem with alarm system intermittenly going off. Dealer replaced good latch sensor. 
Jul 2012

46000 mi
Replaced noisy water pump under warranty (bearing going) 
Sep 2014

86000 mi
Rubber oil hose to cooler failed and was replaced per TSB with a metal hose. 
May 2015

96000 mi

US $900
Alternator and battery needed replacement 
Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States
May 2008 - Sep 2015
Jul 2012

99800 mi

US $550
Clunking noise when turning fixed by replacing the "core in the steering column". The car now drives better than ever - good road feel. This fixed the mediocre steering feel we had from day 1 owning the car. First ever repair on car! 
Jan 2013

95300 mi

US $800
Water pump replaced 
Mar 2013

117000 mi

US $200
Rear brake lights in turn signal housing were not working. Only center light on tailgate worked. Required new harness and connector to restore function. Good samaritan told us brake lights were out - no dashboard warning or alert. 
Aug 2014

134400 mi

US $200
Air conditioner was not cooling on driver's side of the car. Dealer recharged with dyed coolant to detect possible leak. No leak was found and AC now works perfectly 
Sep 2014

136000 mi

US $65
Burned out headlamp - Not OEM but previously replaced 3rd party bulb. Replaced with another 3rd party bulb. 
Jun 2015

154000 mi

US $2100
Interior evaporator was leaking Freon and needed to be replaced. Involved entire dismantling of dashboard to get to it. 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Aug 2008 - Mar 2010
Toyota Highlander in Georgia, United States
Jan 2010 - Dec 2015
Jul 2012

64700 mi

US $75
The water pump was making a lot of noise, and the shaft felt loose, but it had not completely failed. The service manual actually says to pull the engine for this. I was able to change it with the engine in place, but it was a major pain. 
Toyota Highlander in Maryland, United States
Nov 2009 - Aug 2012
Sep 2011

84000 mi

US $330
Truck was having occasional shift flares when shifting in lower gears. The transmission oil was reported as being dirty, so we changed the fluid which took care of the problem. 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Jun 2010 - Aug 2016
Aug 2011

19220 mi
Abnormal Noise from tailgate. Shocks defect identified by Dealer. Parts ordered. All covered by warranty parts installed free of charge 1 week later. problem resolved. 
Jul 2014

31820 mi

C $450
coolant pump leakage. replacement done 
Toyota Highlander in Maryland, United States
Nov 2012 - Dec 2012
Dec 2012

100000 mi

US $900
Water Pump needed replaced. 
Toyota Highlander in California, United States
Aug 2011 - Jan 2012
Sep 2011

73000 mi
In July the car was in the dealers shop for a grinding sound when starting the car. It was diagnosed as a VVTI problem. The VVTI was replaced under EXT warranty.After a few weeks the car is making the same sound dealer said to keep driving. 
Nov 2011

79000 mi

US $100
The other VVTI gear went out and had to replaced. 
Toyota Highlander in Illinois, United States
Jan 2011 - May 2014
Jun 2013

60000 mi

US $107
Heard grinding noise from engine, no visible leak, replaced water pump, discovered small leak once removed. Replacing water pump solved issue. Dealer cost was very high to perform fix. 
Toyota Highlander in Minnesota, United States
Nov 2011 - Sep 2016
Feb 2016

129000 mi

US $389
Front struts making noise. Replaced along with strut links and mounts. 
Jun 2016

134000 mi

US $400
Navigation 
Toyota Highlander in Pennsylvania, United States
Sep 2010 - Jun 2018
May 2014

97300 mi

US $481
Check engine light, dealer found codes for air fuel sensors. Replaced air fuel sensor. 
Feb 2017

140000 mi

US $1500
Needed new tie-rod but Toyota doesn't sell separate part so had to replace entire steering mechanism. 
Jun 2017

144000 mi

US $770
replace hub bearing 
Nov 2017

152000 mi

US $1200
Leak in oil cooler hose. Went through about 8 quarts of oil with multiple stops to buy more oil and refill before I could get it to the dealer. Numerous complications from the leaking oil that had run all over the back and bottom of the car but fortunately the engine itself was still OK. Just saw a post on the web from someone who says they issued a recall for this in 2010, but the dealer mentioned that to us! 

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2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

209-horsepower 3.3L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States
Feb 2013 - Feb 2016
Sep 2014

90000 mi

US $744
Intermediate steering shaft was broken; dealer replaced. 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Apr 2008 - Jun 2022
Jan 2009

4960 mi
Check Brake System and Check VSC messages came on. Brake pressure accumulator replaced due to internal leak. 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Nov 2016 - Nov 2021
Oct 2017

122636 mi

C $450
Level of engine oils are dropping between oil changes and emissions gazes are entering the cabin somehow from somewhere. This has been ongoing ( emission gas) ever since they changed the heat and a.c. fan about 4 years ago 
Toyota Highlander in Germany
Nov 2008 - Jun 2018
Sep 2009

11160 mi

€70
Oem (not toyota) metal valve cap sticks to the valve because of galvanic corrosion. During yearly service the garage mechanic broke the valve by unscrewing it. Tire pressure warning sensor inside tire had to be replaced with a used one ($35+shipping). 
Jul 2015

66960 mi

€400
Factory default rust points hatchback below tailgate. Toyota would fix that for nothing in USA - but not in Germany... 
Toyota Highlander in Wisconsin, United States
Feb 2015 - Jun 2018
Apr 2015

105300 mi

US $25
R headlight burned out. Replaced bulb. 
Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States
Apr 2016 - Jun 2022
May 2016

115000 mi

US $909
Replace relays for hybrid battery 
May 2018

182000 mi

US $3500
Replace booster pump & brake distributor 
Sep 2018

187000 mi

US $1500
Replace hybrid battery relay box. 
Aug 2021

242000 mi

US $2700
AC not cooling. Dash air handler needed replacement. 
Apr 2022

252000 mi

US $2000
Replace both front end struts and 1 drive shaft. 
Toyota Highlander in New Jersey, United States
Jul 2010 - Aug 2017
Jun 2013

59000 mi
Evaporator drain clogged. Blew out with compressed air. Still water collecting on passenger side floor. 
Aug 2015

100000 mi

US $700
Replaced failing water pump 
Toyota Highlander in Oregon, United States
Jul 2017 - Jun 2022
Jul 2017

120000 mi

US $1250
Repaired front boots that were leaking. 
Dec 2017

122000 mi
Suspension was making creaking noises when I turned the car. Shop mechanic said everything was fine, but that the cold weather was probably causing the creaking sound. Since the suspension is a closed system, there is nothing to grease. I can live with the problem. 

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2008 Toyota Highlander Repair Histories

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2008 Toyota Highlander problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.