Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Pulling into a parking space at kaiser hospital as I hit the brake the car unexpectedly accelerated. The car sped forward while my foot was still on the brake. I hit a tree causing damage to the left front area of the car (lights, fender, bumper) had car repaired. At the time I thought that I had accidentally hit the gas pedal;however, one month later while approaching an intersection, as I stopped, the same thing happened. Luckily no car or pedestrian was in the intersection. I was able to stop the car by shifting into park. Took the car to my mechanic. He was unable to replicate the problem. Since this unexpected acceleration occurred in the same way (coming to a stop with foot on brake and gear-shift in drive) , in a five week period, it could be a transmission or accelerater problem. I no longer feel confident driving the car and consider it unsafe.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Toyota Highlander. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated independently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to effectively slow down the vehicle. The gear shifter button was pushed into drive and the vehicle sped forward and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure recurred twice prior to the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was destroyed.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning causing a crash. The contact sustained injuries to her left foot. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,082.
)n the morning of 12-05-09, as I'm pulling into my garage, the car suddenly lurched forward with an unexpected increase in speed. Before I could brake, the car slammed into a steel shelving unit on the back wall which resulted in extensive damage to the wall ( both interior & exterior) and what appeared to be minimal damage to the auto. I took the vehicle to my Toyota service on that same day because I/we felt that this could constitute an unsafe driving condition. Total costs from this incident were as follows: covered by insurance- $3607.81 (plus 703.31 pd. Directly to the dealer?) and $916.27 ( 500.00 insurance deductible and an additional mechanical charge for a fuel/air sensor that failed on 12-26-09). I have not previously experienced "sudden acceleration" with this vehicle. …
Saturday June 18 2016 at 6:40 a.m. Driving on tully road in my 2003 Toyota Highlander. My speed was 35 miles per hour when the car suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed. I applied my brakes to slow down the Highlander this had no effect on slowing down the Highlander. The brakes went into anti locking mode the wheels started to pulsate. While this was happening my foot was not on the accelerator , but on the brakes. The Highlander was not slowing down but increasing speed. I down shifted into a lower gear, the engine raced at a high rpms. I then put the car in neutral the rpms still racing at a high rate. I then applied the brakes again to slow down. The Highlander started to slow down I then turned off the engine and then came to a stop. …
Backing out of garage in a Highlander and the engine suddenly raced w/o foot on gas pedal, causing consumer to react by applying the brakes. Consumer's foot slipped off brake pedal and landed on the accelerator resulting in the vehicle hitting the neighbor's house. A 2003 camry was supplied as a rental vehicle when the Highlander wastaken for repair. While using the camry, the consumer went to apply the brake for a stop sign and inadvertently applied both the brake and accelerator pedal. Consumer raised his foot then reapplied the brake pedal (only) and was able to stop before entering the intersection.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Toyota Highlander. He stated that while driving 2 MPH with his foot on the brake pedal, it accelerated on its own without a warning and crashed into a building . There were front end damages to the vehicle. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed. A police report was available. The dealer was contacted and they stated that his vehicle was not on the recall list. There were repairs made to the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were 62,300.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Highlander. While driving 20 MPH, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated at high speeds without warning. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop and turn off the engine. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Toyota Highlander. While attempting a right turn at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle abnormally accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was available. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 95,000.
Car accelerated and chased into house in nov 20011. Car accelerated in parking lot dec. 2012. No damage this time but in 2011 there was 14,000 $ damage to house and car. Car was checked out at Toyota twice ,no problem found. Wife will never drive the car again. She is infear of hurting someone.
Acceleration complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2003 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2003 Toyota Highlander, 11% of the model year's 258 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Toyota Highlander acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2003 Toyota Highlander, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Toyota Highlander acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 16 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.