2012 Toyota Highlander: All wheel drive not engaging
Common wear/failure (not a recall)
Symptoms
Owners of the 2012 Highlander report: all wheel drive not engaging. CarComplaints.com lists 1 owner complaints, average mileage 8,300 miles.
NHTSA has 8 owner complaints for the 2012 Highlander in this area. Examples:
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11540363 (filed 08/23/2023): “Toyota piston and ring defect. my 2012 toyota highlander engine has defective pistons and rings that have led to excessive oil consumption and the potential for a serious accidents as it causes the engine to lose compression and conk out, all of a sudden, in …”
- NHTSA complaint ODI #11389533 (filed 01/23/2021): “My vehicle was fine no noise nothing all of sudden the transmission fail to shift gears…”
Likely causes
Sources do not establish a single root cause; diagnosis is needed. Owner-reported fixes are listed below.
Fix, in plain English
Most common owner-reported solutions on CarComplaints.com: replace transmission (1 reports). Check for open recalls and extended warranty coverage with a dealer before paying out of pocket.
DIY difficulty: Pro
Diagnosis needs a scan tool; repair or replacement needs a lift, transmission jack and the manufacturer's fluid fill/relearn procedure. (Our assessment.)
Cost
CarComplaints.com owners report a typical repair cost of about $4,410 (owner-reported average, not a quote).
Typical parts (search links, no affiliate codes)
AutoZone · O'Reilly · Advance · RockAuto
Sources
- CarComplaints.com: All wheel drive not engaging (2012 Highlander)
- NHTSA complaints API, 2012 Highlander
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