2008 Toyota Highlander Engine Problems
Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2008 Toyota Highlander, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 112,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “oil cooler” (41% of reports).
- 58engine complaints
- 112,500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $8,750typical repair cost reported by owners
- 52%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Oil cooler: mentioned in 24 of 58 complaints (41%)
- Rubber hose: mentioned in 5 of 58 complaints (9%)
- Engine damage: mentioned in 5 of 58 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2008 Toyota Highlander at $8,750, and half of them between $2,800 and $9,100.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2013–2019), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 52 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 58 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 6 a fire, 1 an injury.
Toyota Highlander engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Highlander | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2024 Highlander | 5 | 12% | — |
| 2023 Highlander | 28 | 15% | 30,500 |
| 2022 Highlander | 10 | 4% | 17,781 |
| 2021 Highlander | 47 | 9% | 39,050 |
| 2020 Highlander | 17 | 5% | 8,000 |
| 2019 Highlander | 69 | 14% | 13,000 |
| 2018 Highlander | 33 | 12% | 14,800 |
| 2017 Highlander | 47 | 17% | 20,400 |
| 2016 Highlander | 9 | 8% | 46,000 |
| 2015 Highlander | 10 | 5% | 66,670 |
| 2014 Highlander | 3 | 2% | 57,374 |
| 2013 Highlander | 32 | 15% | 6,300 |
| 2012 Highlander | 17 | 9% | 31,900 |
| 2011 Highlander | 17 | 9% | 123,350 |
| 2010 Highlander | 12 | 6% | 90,403 |
| 2009 Highlander | 23 | 17% | 82,518 |
| 2008 Highlander | 58 | 14% | 112,500 |
| 2007 Highlander | 7 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2006 Highlander | 19 | 7% | 102,000 |
| 2005 Highlander | 6 | 3% | 81,000 |
| 2004 Highlander | 16 | 6% | 113,000 |
| 2003 Highlander | 41 | 16% | 115,000 |
| 2002 Highlander | 7 | 2% | 140,000 |
| 2001 Highlander | 2 | 1% | 161,349 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2008 Toyota Highlander. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owned a 2008 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, an abnormal, booming sound was emitted from the vehicle as heavy, black smoke entered her vehicle. Due to the smoke, the contact's vision became obstructed, and the contact immediately shifted…
The engine burns Coolant and yet doesn't overheat. The engine on cyl 4 misfires. Changing the head gasket didn't repair the issue, replacing all fuel Injectors and ignition parts didn't either. Heads inspected and passed. Compression testing passed. Always misfires on cyl 4. No repair aside from an…
On January 19, 2021, after driving for about two hours, I suddenly started to hear an unusual knocking noise from the engine. I slowed down, but I was unable to pull over immediately because I was driving on a very dark two lane highway, with no safe shoulder. After the same noise continued for…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Toyota Highlanders have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 58 owner complaints about engine for the 2008 Toyota Highlander (14% of the 404 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Toyota Highlander engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 112,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2008 Toyota Highlander?
Owners report a typical cost of $8,750 (half paid between $2,800 and $9,100), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2008 Toyota Highlander?
The most frequent phrase is “oil cooler”, in 24 of 58 complaints, followed by “rubber hose” (5).
Other 2008 Toyota Highlander problems
- Service Brakes problems (66)
- Air Bags problems (57)
See all 2008 Toyota Highlander problems or engine problems across all Highlander years.