Hi Scotty, I have a 2018 Highlander described above with 30k miles, almost. Lately I've been noticing that when 1) I am reving up and between 2nd and 3rd gear the transmission doesn't release; it just stays high rev until I take my foot of gas or it gets past whatever is holding it up. 2) When moving at slower speeds, the engine and/or transmission sounds like my old manual transmission Matrix when you'd be in a higher gear but going slower than that gear likes, if that makes sense.
Thoughts? I have an appointment with Toyota this week and the car is still covered under warranty and I even have the premium warranty with 100% covered of anything. How should I direct Toyota to take a look at this?
Thanks - Dan
Yeah I shouldn't do that it might need transmission work could be a solenoid or could be some other problem but they certainly do not act like that normally. And if they try some BS like oh it won't act up on us make a video of it on your phone when it's acting up to show them
This doesn't sound good at all.
You really want to have it sorted out under warranty - a transmission replacement on any car isn't cheap, but on a Highlander it's super expensive as it does require MUCH more labor.
Don't let them tell you that "It's ok" - I'm almost certain that it is not.
The highlander's 8 speed transmission is the same one that has been used on Volvo, BMW and was even was offered on the Chevy Malibu - it should be smooth and silent.
Looking online, I see there are a lot of complaints about leaks - check for those and have them properly repaired, obviously no additives.
But generally, make Toyota fix your car so it won't have any whining sounds nor hesitation when shifting - or dump the car, as it won't be economical to replace a tranny on the new generation of Highlander even with low milage.
Sadly Toyota quality seems to be going drastically downhill, like in this post (carkiller.com/scottykilmer/postid/202634/) where a Toyota Sienna get's called a "nightmare" of repairs, and a lot of posts about torque convertor issues on Camrys made after 2010 and a lot of other issues I would not expect to see on Toyotas.
you linked to a post about a Nissan Maxima
I distinctly remember this one, but I can’t find it.
I'd do a drain and fill of the transmission fluid and see if it improves the shifting. But you'll likely get the canned response, "it's a sealed unit and we don't/won't do that.
That car definitely shouldn't be acting like that; I've driven one from the same year multiple times and it's a very quiet and smooth car. Since it's under warranty have them fix it and in no way accept the dealership nonsense "it's normal" response. Also, if you want and know of a trusted independent mechanic get their thought on it as to what is most likely going on so you have more information before taking it for the appointment with Toyota.
