2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

I OWN A 2016 HIGHLANDER LIMITED PLATINUM AND AFTER A MAJOR ACCIDENT I HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY CLAIMS. YESTERDAY MY WIFE WAS IN A ROLLOVER (2 FULL ROTATIONS) ACCIDENT IN HER 2016 HIGHLANDER PLATINUM. CAR WAS DESTROYED, HER HEAD HIT BOTH THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE B-PILLAR, BOTH HAVE AIRBAGS. NOT A SINGLE AIRBAG WAS DEPLOYED. DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT-MOUNTED SIDE AIRBAGS, DRIVER KNEE AIRBAG, FRONT PASSENGER SEAT-CUSHION AIRBAG AND ALL-ROW ROLL-SENSING SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS = ALL A TOTAL FAIL, NONE OF THAT WORKED. THE ONSTAR LADY DID HOWEVER SENSE THE ACCIDENT AND DISPATCH AN AMBULANCE AND POLICE, THAT WAS EXCELLENT. WHATEVER CAR I GET AS A REPLACEMENT WILL DEFIANTLY HAVE THAT. NOT REAL HAPPY ABOUT THE SAFETY ON THIS VEHICLE. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE WAS THE IIHS RATING ON THE VEHICLE. RIGHT ON THERE SITE IT TALKS ABOUT THE SAFETY AND THE AIRBAG ROLL SYSTEM BUT THE REALITY IS IN A ROLLOVER THIS DID NOT WORK I WILL HAVE THE ACCIDENT SCENE PICTURE LATER TODAY. I CURRENTLY ONLY HAVE SOME OF THE VEHICLE AFTER IT WAS TOWED.

TOWING CAPABILITIES ARE NOT CONGRUENT WITH THE SPECIFICATION PER MANUAL... REAR SUSPENSION IS VERY WEAK AND CANNOT HANDLE THE WEIGHT OF THE CABIN CARGO AND THE WEIGHT OF TRAILING UP TO 5,000 LBS SAFELY... MULTIPLE PICTURES (1 ATTACHED) TAKEN BUT DID NOT DRIVE ON THE ROAD FOR SAFETY REASONS FOR IT PASSENGERS

JULY 3, 2016: WE BOUGHT THE CAR. JULY 23 5PM I FILLED UP WITH GAS AT THE CHEVRON. DROVE TO WEST LA FOR 15 MILES ON THE 10 FWY WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR, NO PROBLEM TO VISIT MY MOM. 8:30PM WE LEFT HER HOUSE TO GO HOME. WE DROVE ON THE STREET FOR TWO MINUTES AND WE CAME TO A STOP LIGHT I BRAKED TO A COMPLETE STOP, AND THE CAR DIED. THE DASH BOARD SCREEN SAID PUT YOUR CAR IN PARK AND START THE CAR. IT WAS DARK AND MANY CARS WERE BEHIND ME, WAITING FOR ME TO START MY CAR. WE WERE AFRAID THE CAR BEHIND US WOULD HIT US. MY DAUGHTERS WERE SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT, AND MY WIFE IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I PUT IT IN PARK, TRIED TO START. BUT IT DID NOT, SO I PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR, THEN IT STARTED. I DROVE ONTO THE FREEWAY ON RAMP, GOT ON THE 10 FWY HEADING EAST. TRAFFIC WAS GOOD AT FIRST, EVERYONE WAS GOING 60 MPH. THEN SUDDENTLY, THE THE FREEWAY TRAFFIC WAS BUMPER TO BUMPER AND I HAD TO BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN QUICKLY. WHEN I DID, THE CAR DIED ON ME AGAIN. THE DASHBOARD SCREEN SAID TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND START MY ENGINE. NOW, WE ALL BEGAN TO PANIC BECAUSE THE CARS BEHIND US WERE GOING FAST, AND THEY MIGHT SMASH INTO US. WE WERE AFRAID WE WOULD DIE OR BE BADLY INJURED BY THE COLLISION COMING. LUCKILY THE CAR BEHIND ME STOPPED WITHOUT HITTING US. ONCE AGAIN, I PUT IT IN PARK, PUMPED MY ACCELERATOR, AND THE CAR STARTED. AT THIS POINT, I DECIDED, NO MATTER HOW SLOW THE FREEWAY TRAFFIC IS, I WILL L NOT BRAKE, BECAUSE IF I DO, THE CAR WILL STALL, AND WE CAN GET HIT BY THE CAR BEHIND US. SO I DROVE VERY SLOWY UNTIL WE GOT OFF THE FREEWAY, AND ARRIVED HOME. AUGUST 2, 2016: 6:30AM I FILLED UP THE TANK AT THE SHELL GAS STATION NEAR MY HOUSE, BEING CAREFUL NOT TO OVERFILL IT. THEN I TRIED TO DRIVE TO WORK BUT THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED.

WE RELIED ON CONSUMER REPORTS GLOWING REPORTS OF TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS WHEN PURCHASING OUR NEW, 2016 MODEL LE HIGHLANDER. HOWEVER, WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE DRIVER FRONT VISIBILITY TO THE SIDES IS OBSCURED BY THE OVERLARGE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS AND THE WINDOW FRAMES; AND BACKUP VISIBILITY IS EXTREMELY POOR BECAUSE THE REAR WINDOW DESIGN WITH TURNED UP BOTTOM CORNERS, LOW PLACEMENT OF REAR WIPER, AND SMALL WINDOW SIZE SEVERELY REDUCES WHAT THE DRIVER CAN SEE WHEN BACKING UP. THE BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT CLEARLY SHOW REAR OBSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED IN SHADE OR SHADOWS, OR THE DRIVER IS WEARING SUNGLASSES. THESE ARE MAJOR, CRASH INDUCING PROBLEMS, WHICH WE REPORTED TO TOYOTA TODAY. WE NARROWLY AVOIDED TWO COLLISIONS BECAUSE WE DID NOT SEE VEHICLES APPROACHING US FROM THE SIDE FRONT OF OUR VEHICLE; AND WE NARROWLY AVOIDED BACKING INTO A PARKED CAR (IN SHADE) WHICH DID NOT CLEARLY SHOW UP ON THE BACKUP CAMERA. TWO OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE IN PARKING AREAS; THE THIRD WAS DRIVING INTO A LEFT BEND ON A ROAD AS ANOTHER VEHICLE APPROACHED HEAD ON. ALL THREE OF THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, WITH DRY ROAD CONDITIONS. WE HAVE HAD THIS HIGHLANDER FOR ONLY 7 MONTHS; AND WE ARE BOTH VERY EXPERIENCED ADULT DRIVERS WITH EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORDS, WHICH OUR AAA INSURANCE RECORDS WILL SHOW. WE ARE VERY SURPRISED THAT TOYOTA WOULD MARKET THE HIGHLANDER WITH THESE MAJOR SAFETY DESIGN FLAWS. THEY SEEM TO HAVE PLACED VEHICLE APPEARANCE OVER SAFETY WITH THE 2016 HIGHLANDER LE.

WHEN SEATED ON FRONT PASSENGER RIGHT SIDE THE SEAT DOES RETURN TO NORMAL SHAPE. CONTACTED TOYOTA THEY REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM

BRAND NEW CAR IN THE SHOP TWICE DURING FIRST WEEK. FOLLOWING REFUELING (NOT TOPPED OFF - STOPPED AT FIRST CLICK) THE CAR STARTS STALLING AT RED LIGHTS OR AT LOW SPEEDS. HAS DONE THIS A DOZEN TIMES. ON THE HIGHWAY CAR STUTTERS, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND TRACTION CONTROL BECOMES DISABLED. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THIS IS DUE TO OVERFILLING THE GAS TANK AND CHANGED THE CARBON CARTRIDGE FOR THE EVAC THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT THE CASE. A SECOND REFILL AFTER THE REPAIR CONFIRMED THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS EVEN WHEN FILLING UP VERY CAREFULLY. IF GASOLINE IS FILLING UP THIS COMPONENT THEN THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE AND ITS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. AGAIN THIS CAR IS ONLY 9 DAYS OLD AND IN THE SHOP TWICE FOR THE SAME REASON. LOSING POWER AT A BUSY INTERSECTION IS DANGEROUS AS THIS HAS HAPPENED IN AREAS WHERE CARS ARE MOVING QUITE FAST. I WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED WHEN MY CAR STALLED.

AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE 2016 HIGHLANDER HIT THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT THAT HAD SLOWED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON 1-25-16 AND THE CAR WAS TRANSPORTED TO A TOYOTA AUTO BODY SHOP ON THE 26TH. SINCE THEN HIGHLANDER HAS BEEN TOTALLY REPAIRED EXCEPT FOR THE SIDE AIRBAGS. TOYOTA MOTOR IN CA HAS NO IDEA WHEN AIRBAGS WILL BE RELEASED FOR USE IN PARTS ON 2016 MODEL. IT IS NOW 3/21/16.

I PURCHASED THE TOP OF THE LINE LIMITED PLATINUM MODEL IN ORDER TO GET SAFETY FEATURES. HOWEVER, THE WARNING CHINES FOR LANE DEPARTURE, BACK UP CROSS TRAFFIC PROTECTION ETC. ARE VERY FAINT WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER CARS THAT HAVE THESE FEATURES. WHEN THE RADIO PLAYS MUSIC THEY CAN NOT BE HEARD AT ALL RENDERING THESE PROTECTION FEATURES USELESS. FURTHERMORE, THE VOLUME OF THE WARNING CHIMES CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY BOTH THE DEALER AND TOYOTA.

WE SPECIAL ORDERED THE 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED PLATINUM MODEL. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN A TOWN APPROX 180 MILES AWAY. I WAS THE DRIVER BACK HOME. I AM 6' 1" AND WIFE IS 5' 3". WE ORDERED THE ADJUSTABLE MEMORY SEATS WHICH ARE GOOD. THE SAFETY PROBLEM WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IS THE HEADRESTS. FOR SHORTER PEOPLE THEY ARE TILTED FORWARD IN A AWKWARD POSITION. OTHER THAN AND UP AND DOWN POSITION THERE IS NO WAY TO PROPERLY ADJUST THEM. MY WIFE HAS COMPLAINED THAT SHE CANNOT BE SAFELY POSITIONED OR COMFORTABLE DRIVING WITH THE HEADREST IN THE TILTED DOWN AND FORWARD POSITION. ADJUSTING THE SEATS DOES NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM EITHER. THIS JUST MAKES THE VIEWING MORE DIFFICULT CREATING BLIND SPOTS. WE PAID OVER $52,000 FOR THIS EQUIPMENT VEHICLE AND EXPECTED COMFORT AND PAID FOR THE EXTRA SAFETY FEATURES. HOWEVER MY WIFE IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER (90%) OF THE TIME. HER SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHERS SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SEE IS MOST IMPORTANT. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE DEALER AND EXPRESSED THE DETAILS AND SAFETY CONCERNS AS WELL AS REQUESTING A WORKABLE SOLUTION. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE SALES CONSULTANT WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FFROM SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THESE HEADREST COMPLAINTS. HE RECOMMENDED DOING WHAT OTHER DRIVERS HAVE HE TOLD US TO REVERSE THE HEADRESTS? I REMOVED AND REVERSED THEM. THIS DID NOT ACCOMPLISH A SAFE RESOLUTION. INSTEAD THE HEADRESTS SIT BACK MUCH FARTHER ENOUGH THAT WHEN THERE WOULD BE A COLLISION THE DRIVER OR FRONT PASSENGER COULD SUSTAIN SEVERE NECK INJURIES OR WORSE POSSIBLE PARALYSIS OR DEATH. I CAN JUST PLACE MY HEAD BACK ENOUGH TO TOUCH THE HEADRESTS BUT I AM THEN LOOKING UP TO THE ROOF. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A SAFETY COMPLAINT AND CASE WITH TOYOTA, I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD CONTACT ME IN 7 DAYS. IT'S 23 DAYS LATER. I RESEARCHED THE COMPLIANT AND FOUND THERE ARE MANY OTHER DISSATISFIED OWNERS ! UNACCEPTABLE!

WHEN I PURCHASED THIS 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LE IN MID DECEMBER, I DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL I GOT IT HOME, THERE WAS NO INTERIOR REAR DOOR RELEASE. NO RELEASE BUTTON ON THE DASH AND NO INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, FOUND MY SALESMAN AND ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS AN INTERIOR DOOR RELEASE. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOT AND "THAT'S WHY THEY OFFER THE LE PLUS MODEL WHICH HAS A POWER REAR DOOR WITH INSIDE RELEASE". EVERY VEHICLE I'VE OWNED SINCE 1998 HAS HAD AN INSIDE TRUNK OR REAR DOOR RELEASE. IT SEEMS LIKE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE TO ME, HOW WOULD ANYBODY ESCAPE FROM THE BACK IN CASE OF FIRE OR OTHER TRAGEDY? AREN'T PASSENGER VEHICLES REQUIRED TO BE MANUFACTURED WITH AN INSIDE RELEASE/DOOR HANDLE?