2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. CONSUMER EXPRESSES DISCONTENT REGARDING TOYOTA *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED ON FOUR OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE STALLED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. ON THE FOURTH OCCASION, IT NOT ONLY STALLED, BUT ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE BEHIND THE CONSUMER. THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. (CONSUMER DIDN'T STATE IF THERE WAS PROPERTY DAMAGE) *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE WAS HESITANT TO RESPOND. THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR MOST PROMINENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE IS 93,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE ENGINE STARTED TO OVERHEAT AND SMOKE. NONE OF THE WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED NOR DID THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INFORM HIM THAT IT WAS GOING TO OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED HIM THAT THE THREADS FROM THE ENGINE BOLT STRIPPED AND HE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 151,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOOSING COOLANT BECAUSE OF A FRACTURED STRIP HEAD BOLT IN THE ENGINE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SMOKE AND OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

HEATER CONTROL BOARD THAT ADJUSTS HOT AND COLD ON 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS MALFUNCTIONED. ADJUSTMENT FOR HOT AND COLD NO LONGER WORKS. WILL GO FROM HOT TO COLD AND VICE VERSA SIMPLY BY DRIVING THE VEHICLE. WENT ON MANY FORUMS AND IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WILL THE 2004. SAME PROBLEM WITH MANY PEOPLE. TOOK INTO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE PART IS 749.00 AND WOULD BE ABOUT $1000.00 TO REPAIR WITH LABOR. HAVE HAD NUMEROUS RECALLS WITH TOYOTA AND BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE ANOTHER. DON'T THINK THE CONSUMERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. INITIALLY THOUGHT THE VEHICLE JUST WARMED UP SLOWLY BUT NOW BELIEVE THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A MORE COMPLEX PROBLEM WITH HEATER BOARD. CANNOT GET HEAT TO WORK PROPERLY ALL THE TIME. HAVE TO TAKE OFF KNOW FOR HOT/COLD AND WIGGLE THE STICK FOR THE KNOB TO GET ANY HEAT AND SELDOM DOES IT STAY HOT FOR LONG. HAVE NOT GOTTEN FIXED YET BUT BELIEVE I WILL HAVE TO SINCE I LIVE IN A COLD WEATHER CLIMATE. *TR

RECENTLY DISCOVERED TWO WHITE MELTED BUMPS IN THE EXACT CENTER OF THE HEADLAMP CASING WHERE THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMP BEAMS PASS THROUGH THE PLASTIC. HAVE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE SINCE JULY 2010 AND THE INCIDENT OCCURED DURING A 19 HOUR DRIVE, MOST OF WHICH TOOK PLACE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT TURNED ON UNTIL SUNSET. CONCERNED THAT FACTORY LIGHTS ARE HOT ENOUGH TO MELT THE PLASTIC THAT IS FACTORY INSTALLED. OBVIOUS DEFECT, COULD CAUSE FIRE. IMPAIRED VISION AT NIGHT ALSO A RESULT AS PLASTIC IS NOW PERMANENTLY DAMAGED. ALSO CONCERNED THAT ISSUE COULD WORSEN AND HOLE COULD APPEAR, CAUSING RAIN AND ELEMENTS TO COME IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH LIGHTING SYSTEM. ANOTHER OBVIOUS DANGER. DISENGAGING DAYTIME LIGHTS IS NOT AN OPTION, NO CONTROL OVER OVERHEATING OTHER TO TURN ON HEADLIGHTS 100% OF TIME. ALSO CONCERNED WITH THIS SOLUTION, AS DEFECT COULD POTENTIALLY BE SIMILAR IN THESE AS WELL. ATTEMPTED TO HAVE DEALER LOOK AT PROBLEM, HOWEVER WARRANTLY PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, FOUND SEVERAL SIMILAR INSTANCES ON MODELS RANGING FROM 2004-2007. FEEL STRONGLY THAT ISSUE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS PASSENGER SAFTEY IS AT RISK.

SUMMARY: ON DEC. 30, 2009, I EXPERIENCED A MALFUNCTION IN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM OF MY 2004 4CYL FWD TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SUV. THE MALFUNCTION IS EXACTLY OF THE NATURE DESCRIBED IN THE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS FOLLOWING AN ODI INVESTIGATION OF MALFUNCTIONS IN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEMS OF 2003 TOYOTA SEQUOIA VEHICLES(NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V176000, NHTSA ACTION NUMBER EA09006). COMPLAINT: THE MALFUNCTION IN MY HIGHLANDER OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED FORWARD AT VERY LOW SPEED AFTER HAVING BEEN BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. THE VEHICLE SUBSEQUENTLY HESITATED AND SURGED DURING ACCELERATION AND THE BRAKES WERE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED AND RELEASED AS IF THE VEHICLE WERE EXPERIENCING A SKID. UNLIKE THE COMPLAINTS CONSIDERED IN THE ODI INVESTIGATION, HOWEVER, THE MALFUNCTION IN MY HIGHLANDER DID NOT SELF-CORRECT. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED THE FOLLOWING DAY AT ACTON TOYOTA IN LITTLETON, MA, WHERE THE MALFUNCTION WAS CORRECTED BY RESETTING THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER. THE VEHICLE OPERATED NORMALLY AFTER THE COMPUTER WAS RESET. SINCE ACTON TOYOTA WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY A CAUSE FOR THE MALFUNCTION IN THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM, I HAD THEM REPLACE THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR AS A PRECAUTIION ON JANUARY 6, 2010. ACTION: BASED UPON MY EXPERIENCE, I THINK THAT A RECALL OF 2004 4CYL FWD HIGHLANDERS SIMILAR TO THAT FOR 2003 SEQUOIAS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY BEGAN TO VEER OFF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE THEN SUDDENLY SPUN AROUND AND CRASHED INTO A RAVINE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER TWICE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK AND BACK AND WAS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TWO DAYS. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY THE CONTACTS INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT PRIOR TO THE CRASH, AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE AND THE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. UPDATED 01/14/11*LJ

A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SIGNAL LIGHT (SAFETY ITEM) IS MALFUNCTIONING AND WHEN I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALER (DARCARS), I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO CHANGE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM (LUXURY ITEM) WHICH CURRENTLY IS WORKING. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY HAD TO INTEGRATE THESE TWO FUNCTIONS WHEN ONE IS A SAFETY AND THE OTHER ONE IS LUXURY ITEMS. BESIDES, IT COSTS $6000 + LABOR + TAX TO CHANGE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM. AFTER INTENSIVE SEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM EXCEPT THEY ONLY COVER THE PROBLEM UNDER THE 36,000MILE/3 YEAR WARRANTY. IF THIS WAS A MILEAGE RELATED PROBLEM, I CAN UNDERSTAND EVEN IF TWO NONE RELATED FUNCTIONS ARE INTERLOCKED, BUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MILEAGE AND WE CANNOT DRIVE WITHOUT A SIGNAL LIGHT BUT WE CAN WITHOUT A NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM STARTED A MONTH AGO AND I HAVE TRIED TO GET A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA AND THEY ARE NOT GIVING ME ANY RESPONSE REGARDING THIS MATER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNALS FAILED. THE SIGNAL LIGHTS ALSO INCLUDE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE WHICH COINCIDES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE NON-FUNCTIONAL TURN SIGNALS, AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED VIA EMAIL BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.