2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL ON MY 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER KEEPS SWITCHING BY ITSELF FROM HOT TO COLD AND HOT AGAIN. I HAVE TO ACTUALLY TURN THE AC ON EVEN WHEN THE OUTSIDE AIR COMING IN IS MODERATE BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL WILL SWITCH BY ITSELF TO HOT AND I CAN'T SWITCH IT OFF. THIS OCCURS EVERY TIME I DRIVE AND MORE SO WHEN I GO OVER A BUMP OR MAKE A TURN. I TURN THE VENT ON FOR OUTSIDE AIR, BUT THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL GETS LOCKED ON TO HOT AND I CAN'T TURN IT OFF. I HAVE CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE SAID THAT IT WOULD COST AROUND $1000.00 TO FIX IT. THEY WANT TO REPLACE THE WHOLE CONTROL UNIT. I HAVE READ VARIOUS FORUMS OF NUMEROUS OWNERS HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA NOT LEAVING ENOUGH SLACK IN A RIBBON CABLE WITH 3 CONNECTIONS THAT CONNECT FROM THE CIRCUIT BOARD TO THE CONTROL KNOB. THE WIRES BREAK OFF FROM THE SOLDERING ON THE KNOB. THIS SOUNDS LIKE A KNOWN DEFECT TO ME THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF, BUT CHOOSES TO IGNORE. APPARENTLY A CHEAPER FIX IS TO RE-SOLDER THE CABLE, BUT THEY REFUSED TO DO THAT. I THINK THEY SHOULD BE FIXING THIS FOR FREE. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF TOYOTA IGNORING KNOWN ISSUES WITH THEIR VEHICLES. *TR

DATE OF INCIDENT: SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2010 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:45 P.M. INCIDENT DESCRIPTION: COMING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL TO PARK A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER INTO A PARKING SPOT. THE DRIVER GENTLY/MINIMALLY TOUCHED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO PULL INTO THE PARKING SPOT. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL FORCE PLACED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE DRIVER IMMEDIATELY APPLIED THE BRAKES IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE VEHICLE. PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE STRUCK THE METAL PART OF A SIGN. THIS IS THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE USED FROM A DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SCHEDULED FOR REPAIR AT THIS TIME. UPDATED 10/20/10 *BF UPDATED 10/22/10 *TR

2004 HIGHLANDER - STEERING FAILED ON MAJOR SHOPPING ROAD TODAY. HEARD ONLY A HISSING SOUND IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WITH A LARGE PLUME OF DARK SMOKE OUT THE TAIL PIPE. ENGINE DID NOT QUIT BUT WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO PULL WHEEL HARD RIGHT TO TURN INTO PARKING LOT. AI/C STAYED ON, DID NOT OVERHEAT, TIMING BELT JUST CHANGED, NO LEAKING FLUIDS BUT MOST OF ALL NO WARNING LIGHTS OR CHECK ENGINE LITE CAME ON. HAD PROBLEM LAST MONTH WITH A/C WHICH WAS FIXED. WHAT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE DRIVING AT 65 ON HIGHWAY AND LOSES ABILITY TO STEER ... INSTANT DEATH TO DRIVER AND PERHAPS MANY OTHERS. BEEN A TOYOTA FAN FOR 30 YEARS BUT THIS COUPLED WITH OTHER MAJOR RECALLS SERIOUSLY FRIGHTENS ME TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL AGAIN. CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER WHO HAS MAINTAINED THE CAR SINCE 2004. AWAITING OUTCOME OF INVESTIGATION. POSTED 8-9-10. *TR

I OWN A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I HAVE HAD AN OCCASIONAL PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE HESITATING AND THEN LURCHING UPON ACCELERATION SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT AS THE VEHICLE AGES. I HAVE MENTIONED IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKE IN FOR SERVICE BUT THE MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE BEEN USING AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS FOR MY REGULAR SERVICE ON THE CAR (THE CAR HAS BEEN A VERY GOOD CAR OTHER THAN THE ACCELERATION ISSUE AND HAS NOT NEEDED ANYTHING OTHER THAN REGULAR SERVICE). I MENTIONED THE PROBLEM TO HIM ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND AT FIRST, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM EITHER. MY HUSBAND MENTIONED IT AGAIN WHEN WE TOOK IT IN FOR THE LAST SERVICE. THIS TIME WHEN THE MECHANIC DROVE THE CAR HE WAS ABLE TO FEEL THE HESITATION AND SUBSEQUENT LURCHING. HE THEN PUT IT ON AN ANALYZER WHICH SHOWED VOLTAGE SPIKES IN THE THROTTLE BODY. HE SAID TO CALL TOYOTA. WE CALLED TOYOTA AND WERE TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE TAKEN TO A TOYOTA DEALER. WE TOOK IT TO A DEALER THIS MORNING AND WERE TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AGAIN. I CALLED TOYOTA AND FILED A COMPLAINT (10070906470 AND 1007090670 WERE THE NUMBERS I WAS GIVEN). THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO UNTIL A TOYOTA DEALER CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE FOUND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE BY OTHER 2004 HIGHLANDER OWNERS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN FOR HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING EXTREME FORCE TO THE BRAKES. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHICH ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER BUT DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED OF DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 36,000.

AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR 2004 HIGHLANDER SOME MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD THE BACK WINDOWS WOULD GET JAMMED WHEN ROLLED DOWN. WHEN ROLLED DOWN THEY WOULD NOT ROLL BACK UP SO WE WOULD KNOW NOT TO EVER ROLL THEM DOWN. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE TO ACCOMMODATE THE VEHICLE RATHER THAN VISE VERSA AND NOW THEY SIMPLY WENT DOWN ON THEIR OWN AND WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE MISTAKE WAS PROCRASTINATING YEARS BEFORE WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED AND NOT TAKING IT RIGHT AWAY BUT NOW THAT THEY ARE COMPLETELY DOWN I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS IS A 2004 GENERIC DEFECT OR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY TOYOTA. *TR

MY 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 AT TIME HAS VERY ROUGH SHIFTS. THE TRANSMISSIONS SEEMS TO HESITATE AND LAG WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE DURING NORMAL DRIVING SPEEDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS GOING 20 TO 60. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE REVERSING FROM HER DRIVEWAY AT RELATIVELY LOW SPEEDS OF 1 MPH, THE FRONT BUMPER FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE FURTHER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE COMPONENTS THAT HELD THE BUMPER TO THE VEHICLE WERE ALSO BROKEN. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER WHO REFERRED HER TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER REFERRED HER BACK TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 73,658.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD INTERMITTENTLY OVERHEAT AND MELT WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER ADVISED THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE BULB BECOMING EXTREMELY HOT AND MELTING THE HEAD LIGHT LENS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

CONTROL PANEL OF 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. NUT SECURING THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL BUTTON IS LOOSE. CAUSES ENGINE AIR TO ENTER THE CABIN. A/C DOES NOT WORK; GETS JUST HOT ENGINE AIR. REFER TO SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS AT: HTTP://WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM/FORUMS/HIGHLANDER/100664-HIGHLANDER-HEAT-COOL-CONTROL/ AND HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.EF00024/4224. IT OCCURS DAILY. *TR