2001 Toyota Highlander consumer reviews

I have never owned a car for more than 5 years until I purchased this 2001 Toyota Highlander!!! It has been 10+ yrs and I love it as much as I did when I bought it. My husband wants to buy me a new one, but I love this one so much, I can't bear to part with it!! After 5 yrs or so we had one minor problem, an oil leak behind the transmission, other than that we have just kept up with the maintenance!! No problems, Can you imagine that?? Would totally recommend this as a used car if you can find one that has been cared for. One last note, the only reason I gave the interior 4 stars is the cup holder design in the front set is not that great. There are 2 cup holders, one regular sized and one that is smaller. : (

We bought a 2 owner used 2001 Toyota Highlander 4WD in Feb. 2009 for with 72,000 miles on it. A year and half later we are at 117,000 miles with regular maintenance, but still have poured quarts of oil into the system every couple of weeks due to a leak mechanics never could find. The check engine light and VSC light were always on because of some emissions sensor that never worked correctly. Now, it's running rough and turns out that it will cost $1800 in labor just to take the engine apart to find out if it is the head or a hole in the pistons. Either way it will cost thousands more to either get parts or a new engine. I loved the car when it ran right, but it's had some major repairs and I am hoping to even get $2500 trade in on what's left of it. I'm really disappointed. The local dealership just lifts up its hands and says... the engine doesn't usually go bad at 117,000 miles. Thanks a lot... you should stand behind your product and give satisfaction if it junks out early.

I have been the owner of 4 Toyotas, 3 Hondas, 1 Volkswagon, and by some strange coincidence, I sold all the Toyotas running solid and in fact, my 1992 Toyota Camry I sold(Almost 200k miles at time of sale) is still a daily driver with 420k miles on it! I knew I should have kept it!lol With the Highlander, this suv is solid all around. I mean, the build quality throughout the vehicle is amazing! All those little rattles and sounds in the interior is non-existent. Remember my Highlander has 180k miles on it. The other day I thought I heard a sound like something was loose or rattling, turned out to be my kids AAA battery in the door panel! I felt so proud of my Highlander not falling apart like other vehicles. I am NOT a car guy! I do NOT work on my car other than to take it in for oil changes and such. I have a wife(very beautiful just in case she's reading)and two very messy kids but yet the Highlander keeps on staying cleanable meaning no rips in the leather or broken door handles or anything!I recently drove from the East Coast to the West Coast with ZERO problems. It is a FWD suv but it handled fine in snow without using chains. I plan on keeping my suv for a while since Ifeel it might give me another 200k BREAKFREE miles. If you find a Highlander chances are it will be in good to excellent condition if not it must have been majorly ABUSED! Do Not Be Concerned About Mileage! If it runs and feels pretty solid, HIGH chances it will be super solid for a long time! Good luck and for you GEN Xer's out there, Oh What A Feeling! TOYOTA!!!

I purchased my 2001 Highlander Limited brand new. It is now nearly 10 years old, with just under 200,000 miles on it and I still love it as much as the day I drove it off the showroom floor. In fact, I still get inquiries as to what year it is and people are always amazed that it is as old as it is and has as many miles on it as it does. The body styling, features, and excellent paint job has made it timeless. My husband and I use it as our family vehicle and it is more than roomy enough for us, our two children and our 125 lb. great pyrenees puppy. The only draw back is that I have absolutely no reason whatsoever to purchase a new one! I guess someday it will eventually wear out...

I bought our 2001 Highlander new. It has 116,000 miles. We have had to replace an alternator. Not unexpected. However, beware (if you're purchasing a 2001 or similarly-styled model year) of the variable heater control in the middle of the dashboard. This knob is for selecting the range of heating or cooling coming out of the vents. It was poorly designed and is prone to failure. The inner workings have 3 small wires soldered to a computer board. On many models, the knob was not tightly secured into the dash panel. The result is that when the knob is turned, the wires are torqued -- and one or more pulls away from the computer panel. My Toyota dealer wanted about $700 to repair it (although the service tech just assumed that the heater control itself was bad). Thanks to a couple of DIY sites on the internet, I found out how to dismantle the control (not that difficult). I then had a computer techie friend re-solder. If (after 9 or 10 years of service) the knob on the car you are considering purchasing is working correctly, chances are it will continue to do so. Do check it out before you buy, however. Otherwise, has been a reliable, comfortable car. When I trade it, it will be for another Toyota -- most likely a Tundra or Tacoma. (but never a US car!)

This vehicle is sturdy and reliable. It handles exceptionally well in snowy/rainy conditions. The back seat on this year's model is a bit tight for 3 adults, but can be done. I have transportated many large items using the hatchback/folding back seats.

Best family S.u.v i've owned that I have known about!I got it for $25,000 in fall of 2000.Very reliable! It has 137,000 miles and still runs great!I have the 4dr Fwd V6.And I think its the best car!Keep on rocking Toyota!

I bought my highlander new in 2001 when it first came out.I had mine factory customized to make it look sporty.The car is very comfortable inside, though it takes a while for it to pick up.The performance is very poor, and its not a fun car to drive.I have a hundred and eighty miles on it and so far all i had to replace was the muffler,and battery.Most reliable car i owned.This is the kinda car that you would buy if you want to get to point a to b w/o breaking down.

I love this car. It now has 140,000 miles on it and i have never had a problem. It runs good as new.