Problems towing a 19 0r 21 with a Toyota Highlander?

[bobwirtz]

Hello all, we are in line to purchase a 19 (or possibly a 21) and had decided to buy a low-mileage 2017 or 2018 Highlander with the towing package as our tow vehicle. We have just been told by a mechanic that the Highlander transmission is not robust enough for extended towing. This confused us because we have seen multiple posts by people who use the Highlander successfully.

Has anyone experienced problems towing 4000+ pounds with a Highlander when properly equipped, by which I mean all towing package elements properly installed? If so, what were the Highlander model years and what were the problems?

Thanks.

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by bobwirtz

Hello all, we are in line to purchase a 19 (or possibly a 21) and had decided to buy a low-mileage 2017 or 2018 Highlander with the towing package as our tow vehicle. We have just been told by a mechanic that the Highlander transmission is not robust enough for extended towing. This confused us because we have seen multiple posts by people who use the Highlander successfully.

Has anyone experienced problems towing 4000+ pounds with a Highlander when properly equipped, by which I mean all towing package elements properly installed? If so, what were the Highlander model years and what were the problems?

Thanks.

I have no direct experience with the Highlander, but according to its specifications it should be fine with an Escape 21. I assumed you are looking at the 3.5l engine with AWD. For the 2017 MY this yields:

Curb weight - 4310#
GVWR - 5840#
GCVWR - 11000#

So the highlander has a "true" 5000# tow rating, in that it can tow that much weight even if the car is loaded all the way to the GVWR. In the case of the Highlander, that means you can carry 1530# (this must include the tongue weight plus hitch weight) and still be OK with a 5000# trailer.

Many SUV manufacturers have more of a floating trailer weight. Honda for example says the Passport can tow 5000#, but that's actually only the case if you have 335# or less in the car. Load up the car and the tow capacity drops.

[WillyB]

I always look at it this way.

Can you pick up 100 lbs.? Okay, the answer is yes.

Now, can you carry that same 100 lbs. for 2 miles?

Just because a Tow Vehicle has a tow rating higher than the Trailer doesn’t necessarily mean the Tow Vehicle can easily tow the trailer up hills, into a heavy head wind or handle heavy cross winds without concern.

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by WillyB

I always look at it this way.

Can you pick up 100 lbs.? Okay, the answer is yes.

Now, can you carry that same 100 lbs. for 2 miles?

Just because a Tow Vehicle has a tow rating higher than the Trailer doesn’t necessarily mean the Tow Vehicle can easily tow the trailer up hills, into a heavy head wind or handle heavy cross winds without concern.

This is sort of true. But worth noting is that these weights (GVWR and GCVWR) are important in the vehicle development process. The vehicle suspension parameters are all simulated to be correct at the GVWR. The durability test vehicles drive around the test track with water filled dummies and cargo up to the GVWR. The summer testing out on high ambient and long grades is done at GCVWR. Head on out to Baker Grade in California some summer and check out all the development teams from the carmakers pulling trailers up the hill.

If the OEM says the car can tow or carry that much, it means it was tested to do so.

That doesn't mean running at the limit won't affect durability. If you buy a Highlander and take a job delivering RV's for example, you will wear the SUV out fast. For the occasional family trip, it should be fine.


My take on the analogy is this:
I'm comfortable walking with no load. This is a car with a driver.
I can carry a 28# backpack all day. This is my GCVWR.
I can lift 100# and carry it a few feet. This is equivalent to an overloaded car running well above GVWR or GCVWR. Don't do this!

[Ops]

Originally Posted by WillyB

I always look at it this way.

Can you pick up 100 lbs.? Okay, the answer is yes.

Now, can you carry that same 100 lbs. for 2 miles?

Just because a Tow Vehicle has a tow rating higher than the Trailer doesn’t necessarily mean the Tow Vehicle can easily tow the trailer up hills, into a heavy head wind or handle heavy cross winds without concern.

Great analogy !

[bobwirtz]

Yes, the question isn't about rating (the Highlander will certainly tow 5000 lbs) but whether it can do so for 10 days at 250-300 miles/day (hypothetical cross-country trip). The mechanic that warned us was specific about the wear on the transmission over extended hauls.
We may be better off with a light truck, say a Ford 150 or Tacoma with a covered bed for storage.

[Iowa Dave]

58,000 trouble free miles with the 2012 Highlander with 269 HP, pulling the Escape 19 and the 21. 39,000 trouble free miles with the 2018 Highlander with 295 HP pulling the Escape 21 at 4360lbs. Coast to coast, more than once. Passes, the Appalachians, 108 degreesF across Kansas, I have worked on vehicles, trailers, boats, tractors, turf and forestry equipment for better than 50 years. Does that make me a mechanic? No. But when I get a Datsun 240 Z running that’s dead in a campground, I make friends. The Highlander is up to the lob. I am not humble but I do have an opinion. YMMV
Iowa Dave

[gbaglo]

I don't understand how a bigger, heavier vehicle is more capable than the Highlander in this application.
I towed my 17B over the Coast and Rocky Mountains many times in the 12 years I owned my RAV4 ( 3,500 lb. max tow ). I did replace the transmission fluid more frequently than the schedule called for.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I don't understand how a bigger, heavier vehicle is more capable than the Highlander in this application.
I towed my 17B over the Coast and Rocky Mountains many times in the 12 years I owned my RAV4 ( 3,500 lb. max tow ). I did replace the transmission fluid more frequently than the schedule called for.

Glenn, big difference between a 17 and a 19 /21. I towed my 17' Casita with an 2004 Tundra with 5400lb towing capacity and it did well. When I upgraded to the 21' Escape, it was obvious that I needed a larger tow vehicle.

One trip was enough to tell the difference. Where the Casita handled well behind the 2004 Tundra, the 21' didn't like passing trucks and cross winds much at all. Also, I could really tell the difference going up hills - the truck was straining pulling the 21' where with the Casita, it was fine.

So, new Tundra crewmax 4x4 with 10,500lb towing and the Escape is happy now. Bigger truck makes a lot of difference.

[Shearwater]

We currently tow a Scamp 16 with a 2011 Highlander V6 w/tow package. We did fine although any kind of grade would cause us to down shift and run at about 4,000 rpm. On a long trip that got to be tiring. We had a 21NE on order and decided the HL was just not going to be the right TV. Once we committed mentally to a Ford F150, the 5.0TA became a possibility so we changed our order. So the owning the HL turned out to be a good thing!

[JeffreyG]

Is is kind of funny that people will buy an engine with a spec like "280 hp @ 4000rpm" and then consider it offensive if the transmission shifts to allow the engine to develop the advertised horsepower.

[Shearwater]

Well in my case bought it from my brother with 95,000 miles on the odo. He takes care of his cars almost as well as I do. We started towing a 1,200 lb teardrop and it was great. Not bad with the Scamp, it was okay, but we saw the future towing an 4,000 lb Escape.

[Rossue]

We loved our 2013 Highlander AWD for the 17B; it was a big improvement over the 2011 Murano FWD. Also glad I towed out of Death Valley over the Panamints shortly after buying it. Yes, the engine can do the work and 4,000 RPM isn't bad on the engine. However noise = fatigue and if you are doing a lot of towing where that kind of RPM is needed it does get tiring. Also, driving on cruise control with Highlander meant a lot of downshifting whereas with my 3.5 ecoboost and 3.73 rear end I can drive on cruise a lot without that same problem. Keeps the sciatica pain at bay.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

Is is kind of funny that people will buy an engine with a spec like "280 hp @ 4000rpm" and then consider it offensive if the transmission shifts to allow the engine to develop the advertised horsepower.

Exactly!

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by bobwirtz

We have just been told by a mechanic that the Highlander transmission is not robust enough for extended towing. This confused us because we have seen multiple posts by people who use the Highlander successfully.

Has anyone experienced problems towing 4000+ pounds with a Highlander when properly equipped, by which I mean all towing package elements properly installed? If so, what were the Highlander model years and what were the problems?

Sounds like nonsense to me. The Sienna and Highlander use the same transaxle, and Sienna transaxle failures are minimal to non-existent. What was the mechanic trying to sell you?

[JeffreyG]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Exactly!

My company makes class 8 trucks. If they buy a 455hp rating, then they expect the transmission (also made by my company) will shift to access the maximum power while ascending a grade.

Here is the simple truth.....you can always buy a vehicle that will exceed the tow rating you need. Doing so means that the vehicle will drive, while towing, almost as if it is unloaded. If this makes you comfortable, and you can afford it, then fine.

If you buy a tow vehicle that is close to the limits with your trailer, then the vehicle will downshift a lot and rev the engine while towing. This is how the engine reaches peak power. Some towing every year within limits will not kill a tow vehicle. Continuous towing at the limit (like a commercial vehicle) will.

You don't need to buy an F350 to pull a lightweight Escape trailer. There are a lot of perfectly suitable SUV's, especially if you are just towing a couple thousand miles each year.

[outwiththedogs]

We tow our 19 with a Highlander XLE, 2018, with tow package. We are reasonable about weight but not obsessive. We are 2 smallish women, 2 60# dogs, sometimes 2 lightweight road bikes. No oven, no microwave, and we pack fairly lightly. The HL is our only car and has to work for towing, town, etc. We live in Denver so the Rockies are where we camp. We don’t speed over passes and have not had any issues. Can’t say a lot for long trips in a 19 as our extended trips this year bit the Covid dust and fell like dominoes. It works for us. Our car guy that we have used for years is pretty conservative and has not found any issues with what we do. As always, what works for us may differ from others.
Catherine

[Mark B1]

Originally Posted by JeffreyG

My company makes class 8 trucks. If they buy a 455hp rating, then they expect the transmission (also made by my company) will shift to access the maximum power while ascending a grade.

Here is the simple truth.....you can always buy a vehicle that will exceed the tow rating you need. Doing so means that the vehicle will drive, while towing, almost as if it is unloaded. If this makes you comfortable, and you can afford it, then fine.

If you buy a tow vehicle that is close to the limits with your trailer, then the vehicle will downshift a lot and rev the engine while towing. This is how the engine reaches peak power. Some towing every year within limits will not kill a tow vehicle. Continuous towing at the limit (like a commercial vehicle) will.

You don't need to buy an F350 to pull a lightweight Escape trailer. There are a lot of perfectly suitable SUV's, especially if you are just towing a couple thousand miles each year.

Exactly. Also if you use your TV for more than towing your trailer, but as your everyday driver that has to fit in smaller parking spots and get reasonable mileage while not towing, a midsize SUV makes sense. After owning various vehicles including an F150 I find smaller vehicles to be a more lively and enjoyable drive too. A personal thing I guess.

[NCBill]

Originally Posted by bobwirtz

Yes, the question isn't about rating (the Highlander will certainly tow 5000 lbs) but whether it can do so for 10 days at 250-300 miles/day (hypothetical cross-country trip). The mechanic that warned us was specific about the wear on the transmission over extended hauls.
We may be better off with a light truck, say a Ford 150 or Tacoma with a covered bed for storage.

None of the mid sized SUVs are going to give you F150 tow rating. Tacoma not so much. A fairer comparison would be the F150 versus the Tundra. Tacomas tend to have lower tow and payload ratings than F150s.

My 2010 F150 has a 9,900 pound tow rating, clearly much more than required to tow my Escape 19. I have been considering a mid sized SUV, not to replace my F150, but as a backup. On long trips we would still use the F150, not just for the tow rating, but the storage capacity in the truck.

With the 19, I wouldn't have a problem towing with the Highlander.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by NCBill

I have been considering a mid sized SUV, not to replace my F150, but as a backup.

I can see a second vehicle as an alternative, when the SUV is a more suitable vehicle for the task of the moment (which wouldn't typically be towing), or an additional vehicle when two people want to drive different places at the same time, but as a backup? The only vehicle I've ever owned that I felt should have a backup to provide reliable transportation is our 1979 Triumph Spitfire; I hope an F-150 is much more reliable than an old British sports car and doesn't need a backup.