OT: High-Mileage Highlander

[Nooch]

Anyone have any experience with first gen Highlanders? I know we've got a lot of 4Runner love around here, but I feel like I've never seen anything either way on the Highlander.

Just happened to be surfing craigslist and saw a 2004 with 192k miles, that's supposedly been worked top to bottom (hoses, belts, struts and shocks, brakes) recently for $4500. And while it seems high, that's what KBB (I know, never trust KBB) is listing as a price in "Good" condition, so it peaked my interest a bit.

So, any thoughts on how the 3.3 liter VVTI V6 holds up?

Thanks in advance!

[veloduffer]

Anyone have any experience with first gen Highlanders? I know we've got a lot of 4Runner love around here, but I feel like I've never seen anything either way on the Highlander.

Just happened to be surfing craigslist and saw a 2004 with 192k miles, that's supposedly been worked top to bottom (hoses, belts, struts and shocks, brakes) recently for $4500. And while it seems high, that's what KBB (I know, never trust KBB) is listing as a price in "Good" condition, so it peaked my interest a bit.

So, any thoughts on how the 3.3 liter VVTI V6 holds up?

Thanks in advance!

I had a 2004 Highlander and its still on the road (I gave it to my father to replace a similarly aged Grand Cherokee that was nickeling and dimeing him). Mine didn't have nearly the mileage, as I commute by train to the city. But I never had any repairs other than typical maintenance. The most that I spent was replacing the timing belt and water pump - something you should check on when it was last done.

I still see a number of the 1st generation on the road. Very roomy in the rear and holds a fair amount of cargo.

The only other thing about the HL is the headlights get fairly yellow and hazed. I tried the Maguire's kit, which worked ok for a short while. You are better off just buying new headlights (fairly inexpensive). Also, the reverse lights are weak, so you might want to try a higher wattage.

Other than that, one of the lowest cost vehicles I've owned. If you get one, let me know as I might have some Thule railholder/footpads that I can give you.

[fourflys]

I've got a 2004 4 cyl with 120k on her... still runs strong!

[shovelhd]

I've mentioned this before. My wife had a 2008 Highlander Hybrid with the 3.3l. It was fine until about 175,000 miles, when it started to use oil. By the time it hit 183,000 it was using a quart every two weeks. No leaks. I don't know if this is typical or how long you intend to keep this one, just a point of information.

[11.4]

The 4Runners are a completely different critter from Highlanders and early 4Runners can be pretty much indestructible, like early Land Cruisers or Land Rovers. They also were extremely repairable, both maintenance and also crash repairs. The Highlander seems to have had a very reliable drivetrain but I've seen more than a few with significant body issues as they got older (loose engine and differential mounts, shock mount deterioration, and the like -- not stuff that's easy to fix or worth it). I had a 1st Gen Highlander that I drove extensively to races all over the country and sold after 9 years with 273K miles. Never did anything except routine service, but I did have the engine mounts start to deteriorate and it was time to move it on. They also don't take to crashes very well, so a Carfax is an important check on them -- if they've had deeper structural damage, they tend to deteriorate fast, or so I've been told by a couple body shops. I do wish they still made them like they made them then. If you want a vehicle with a lot of longevity in that price range, you might take a look at a good condition Subaru Outback in an earlier version (2nd or so). They have their own issues but do just keep on ticking. Overall it was a period when the Japanese car makers had superb cars with amazing longevity that they haven't necessarily matched since.

[brockd15]

We have a 2003 Highlander with the V6 and 151k miles. As mentioned by others, no issues for us, just maintenance. Every once in a while I think maybe we should replace it, but there's really no reason or need, so it will stay around for the foreseeable future.

[toytech]

My 04 Highlander has 175k miles on the 4 cyl. Only major item replaced was catalytic converter last year. It uses no oil between 5k oil changes (synth). Maintenance is key. I would expect a bit of oil past valve stem seals on any engine of similar age and miles, but the rings are likely as new based on my experience working on them when I was a dealer tech. I would be more concerned about maintenance history on transmission at that miles since v6 engines are hard on transverse transmissions. They are super reliable if welll cared for. There is no more reliable suv available exept maybe a 4runner ;)