2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

SEAT BELT CLIP BROKE; IT HAD BEEN USED MINIMALLY OVER TIME AND WAS NOT ABUSED WHEN IT FAILED TO BUCKLE. *TR

HEATER/AC FUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY THEN FAILS COMPLETELY. WELL KNOW PROBLEM WHERE PLACEMENT OF RIBBON CABLE TO POTENTIOMETER BREAKS LOOSE, PARTIALLY (INTERMITTENT FAILURE), THEN COMPLETELY (TOTAL FAILURE). QUOTED COST AT ANY DEALERSHIP $900-$1,000. I DID REPAIR MYSELF IN ONE HOUR FOR A COST OF $10. QUICK SEARCH ON THE WEB UNCOVERED MANY MANY OF SAME INCIDENT AND, FORTUNATELY, DETAILED REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS.

MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DEVELOPED A LEAK FROM THE TRANSFER CASE, WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE A COMPLETE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID AS WELL AS LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THERE ARE DOCUMENTED ACCIDENTS WHICH HAVE OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. THIS REPAIR WOULD NORMALLY BE COVERED BY A 5 YEAR/60,000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY HOWEVER THE LEAK WAS DISCOVERED A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE 5 YEAR TIME PERIOD EXPIRED. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT TOYOTA WAS AWARE OF THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND FIRST RELEASED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) IN NOVEMBER OF 2007 WITH THE MOST RECENT TSB BEING ISSUED MAY OF 2010. MY VEHICLE WAS CLEARLY UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME THAT THE TSB'S WERE INITIALLY ISSUED, BUT TOYOTA WITHHELD THIS INFORMATION FROM THE CONSUMER. THIS RESULTS IN A COST OF SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS TO THE CONSUMER IN POTENTIAL REPAIRS. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS AND THEY REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE ANY TYPE OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS. TOYOTA HAS CONTINUED TO ISSUE TSB'S FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOR 3 YEARS AND HAS APPARENTLY MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM DURING PRODUCTION. *TR

I NOTICED A CLUNKING NOISE AND ODD VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TRAVELING AT A SLOW SPEED ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING CORNERS OR ON A BUMPY ROAD. I DO BELIEVE THAT IF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT IS NOT REPLACED, IT COULD EASILY CAUSE UNNECESSARY ACCIDENTS DUE TO LOSS OF STEERING. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED 2 TSB CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER THEY SHOULD BE FORCED TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED. I WAS ABLE TO HAVE MINE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I'M REALLY WRITING FOR ALL OF THOSE OWNERS WHO MIGHT BE DRIVING WITH THIS PROBLEM, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE IT REPLACED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. THE VEHICLE MOVED TO THE DRIVERS LEFT LANE AND A CRASHED OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND AND MOVED INTO THE THIRD LANE OF THE HIGHWAY CRASHING INTO THE MEDIAN WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP. THERE WAS A POLICE REPORT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE CRASH OCCURRED SHE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ( NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V499000, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC FOUNDATION MASTER CYLINDER) AND WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

I HAVE 2005 HIGHLANDER LIMITED V6 AWD. THE CAR HAS ISSUES WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID LEAKING AFTER 30,000 MILES OR EVERY TWO YEARS. THE DEALER FIXED THE LEAKING FOR MY CAR AT 35,429 MILES (NO CHARGE DUE TO WARRANTY) IN 2008; HOWEVER, THE DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING AGAIN AT 67,329 MILES THIS YEAR. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE WARRANTY FOR THE DIFFERENTIAL IS 5 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF THESE WARRANTY GUIDELINES THE COST OF REPAIRS BECOMES THE OWNER?S RESPONSIBILITY. *TR

VEHICLE: 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. DEFECT: THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH (THE DEVICE THAT TURNS OFF THE SIGNAL AFTER A TURN IS COMPLETED) HAS FAILED IN OUR VEHICLE. WE ARE TOLD BY A LOCAL DEALER THAT TOYOTA'S TURN SIGNAL SWITCHES FAIL AT A VERY HIGH RATE. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD NEVER FAIL OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. GIVEN THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF FAILURES, TOYOTA'S DESIGN IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE. HAZARD: IF THE DRIVER FORGETS TO MANUALLY TURN THE SIGNAL OFF, OTHER DRIVERS ARE GIVEN A FALSE SIGNAL AND LIKELY TO MISINTERPRET THE DRIVER'S INTENT. THIS COULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. REPAIR: TOYOTA'S CHARGE FOR REPAIRING THE DEFECTIVE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH IS EXCESSIVELY HIGH -- APPROXIMATELY $450. CONSEQUENTLY, MANY DRIVERS ARE FORCED TO ACCEPT AND LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM, RESULTING IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. REMEDY: TOYOTA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO EITHER RECALL AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TURN SIGNAL SWITCHES OR REPAIR THEM AT NO COST TO THE CUSTOMER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOWS HAD BEEN FALLING OFF TRACK SINCE MAY 2009. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW HAD BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS WITHIN THE MECHANISM THAT LOWERED AND RAISED THE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 71,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE INVERTER STALLED. ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INVERTER HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

IN A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE FRONT BUMPER CORNER HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE BRAKES IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE FEEL VERY SPONGY MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL THE SPEED AND TRAJECTORY OF THIS VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS. *TR