Just bought a sweet Toyota Certified used '08 Highlander with 52k miles. The window sticker said it has a tow package, but there's no reciever or trailer electrical hookup.

Looking at the Toyota website for the Highlander, part of the tow package includes an auxiliary transmission cooler (like my Tacoma has), and there is an extra transmission cooler mounted behind the front bumper on the driver side in addition to the one in the radiator (also like my Tacoma has). So I don't doubt there's a tow package. But I thought a tow package would come with a reciever and electrical hookup, like my Tacoma did? Especially since the Highlander can't tow using the bumper like a Tacoma can.

Has anyone experienced this with a Toyota that supposedly has a tow package?

 

Did you crawl under there to see if it was ever there and removed by the last owner.

They could have pulled it off to install on there next vehicle.

I would raise the question to who you bought it from if you bought a vehicle with a towing package where is my hitch?? As a option I am sure it figured in the price.

 

I did, look and it looks like it was never there. Even then, it makes no sense they would remove it to install on their next vehicle because their next vehicle would have to be one that the reciever happens to fit, which would likely be a Highlander-specific reciever. And also, being that the Carfax report showed it being reposessed from the last owner, I don't think they would be likely to be able to buy another vehicle like it. After all, if this one was reposessed, I'm sure they couldn't afford another one.

I did see on a forum somewhere where someone else had a Highlander with the tow package, but theirs didn't have a reciever either. So it may be common.

 

It could be they leave the receiver up to the owner that way you can install what class hitch you want .

Interesting that the tow package only has a transcooler.

 

It's actually more than a transmission cooler. According to the Toyota website, it's also a higher capacity alternator, more radiator cooling fan flow, and an engine oil cooler that's cooled by coolant from the radiator.

I mentioned only the transmission cooler because it was the easiest thing to find to determine if it has the tow package because of the cramped engine compartment.