Scotty, I saw an 03 highlander v6 4wd limited edition with 102k miles for $5.5k. Are these older highlanders any good?
That year’s V6 was the 3.0L V6 (1MZ-FE) and was susceptible to oil sludge. There was even a class action lawsuit against Toyota for that issue. One way to mitigate that issue was religiously changing the engine oil on time (and using the proper oil meeting Toyota’s specs). Look for evidence the previous owner or owners were on top of the engine oil changes (it gets harder to track when a vehicle has multiple owners). Otherwise, I would walk away. Also, that engine had a timing belt and recommended interval to change was 90,000 miles, so if it didn’t have that done you are looking at additional $$ to get it replaced (budget for that).
https://www.motorreviewer.com/engine.php?engine_id=149
See below for other issues: the 2.4L I4 had head bolt issues and oil consumption but you don’t have to worry about that with the V6.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Toyota/Highlander/2003/
https://www.samarins.com/reviews/highlander.html
https://blog.1aauto.com/top-5-1st-gen-2001-to-2007-toyota-highlander-problems/
https://parts.olathetoyota.com/blog/toyota-highlander-problems-complaints
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mFvXGmmL3Sc&feature=youtu.be
I knew they were crappy cars.
The oil sludge alone would cost a fortune.
I still wouldn’t rule it out, but realize the prior owner’s maintenance is key. If they chained the oil every 3,000-5,000 miles the whole time, then it mitigates the sludge issue. The other issues are not dealbreakers, just you have to be aware of them and budget for it. It also helps to learn as much about how cars work, so issues seem less intimidating.
I don't think many poeple change their car oil every 5k miles for a highlander. If there was a problem, how much do you think it would cost to fix?
Yes, those old Highlanders were excellent cars. If you like it go ahead and buy it.
Thanks!!!
Solid built cars especially ones with the V6. Have your mechanic check it. If I’m not mistaken, they were built in Japan too.
they were built in Japan and thanks for the response.