2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

HARMONIC NOISE FROM BENEATH CAR AT 30 MPH WITH POWER APPLIED, SIMILAR NOISE, OF LESSENED MAGITUDE AT 60 MPH. DEALER REPLACED REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND THEN TRANSMISSION. NOISE REMAINS. DEALER SAYS LEXUS RX300, WITH SAME TRANSMISSION, HAS HAD SAME PROBLEM. UNKNOWN CAUSE AS YET. *AK

WHILE AT A STOP ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH, HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE IN THE REAR. IMPACT FORCED CONSUMER INTO A DITCH. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND DRIVER SUSTAINED SOME INJURIES.*AK

01 V 228 000/BRAKE SYSTEM: RECALL REPAIRS WAS DONE AT(OURISMAN FAIRFAX TOYOTA; FAIRFAX, VA; PHONE# 703/359-1010). AFTER REPAIRS WAS MADE, PROBLEM WITH SOFT PEDAL AND APPLYED TO CLOSE TO THE FLOOR BEFORE STOPPING; DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS CONCERNING THIS MATTER.

THE RECALL WORK SUBJECT TO CAMPAIGN 01V228000 WAS NOT PERFORMED CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE STILL HAS EXCESS PEDAL TRAVEL, AND THE PEDAL FEEL IS 'MUSHY,' LIKE THE BRAKES NEED TO BE BLED, AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DURING THE RECALL WORK. THE INCREASED PEDAL STROKE LENGTHENS THE STOPPING DISTANCE OF THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. THE RECALL WORK TOOK 20 MINUTES - TOYOTA SAYS IT SHOULD TAKE ABOUT 1 HOUR. BLEEDING THE BRAKES, ACCORDING TO THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SERVICE MANUAL, CONSISTS OF THREE PARTS - THE MASTER CYLINDER, THE ABS/VSC ACTUATOR, AND THE BRAKE LINES. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE ACTUATOR OR THE MASTER CYLINDER WERE BLED. THE DEALER HAS SINCE TRIED TO CONVINCE ME THAT THEY'RE ALL LIKE THAT, AND THIS IS NORMAL BRAKE OPERATION. THERE ARE SEVERAL POSTS TO THE EDMUNDS HIGHLANDER DISCUSSION GROUP ABOUT MUSHY HIGHLANDER BRAKES, WITH SOME SAYING THE RECALL WORK IMPROVED THEIR BRAKE FEEL, OTHERS SAYING IT DIDN'T. I FEAR THAT MANY OF THE RECALL CORRECTION ATTEMPTS HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL.*AK

THIS IS A GREAT VEHICLE; BUT TRYING TO READ OR SEE THE GAUGES OR INSTRUMENTS IN THE DASH CLUSTER IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THESE INCLUDE THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TEMPERATURE, GAS AND CLOCK GAUGES. IN FACT ALL GAUGES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE ON A BRIGHT DAY. NOTE: THE D TO INDICATE DRIVE FOR THE SHIFT LEVER IS A BRIGHT GREEN WHICH READS EASY; IF ONLY THE OTHERS WERE THAT GOOD. THE NIGHT VIEWING OF THE DASH CLUSTER IS GREAT. DRIVING REQUIRES FULL ATTENTION TO THE ROAD AND YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE CONCENTRATE ON THE DASH TO GET INFORMATION. TRYING TO READ THIS DASH CAN PLACE THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS ANDOTHER DRIVERS IN JEPRODY. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS SAFETY DEFECT IN AN OTHERWISE EXCELLENT VEHICLE. IF I CAN PULL THIS FORM OFF THE COMPUTER I WIIL SEND A COPY TO TOYOTA AND ASK FOR THEIR COMMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE TOYOTA CORPORATION REGARDING THIS MATTER IN THE PAST AND AS LATE AS 12/18/01 WHEN I SPOKE TO JAMES AT 1800 331 4331 WHO SAID THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS FROM CUSTOMERS TO WARRANT TOYOTA DOING ANYTHIG ABOUT IT.TEMPERATURE, GAS AND CLOCK GAUGES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH SOMEBODY WILL OPEN REAR WINDOW, AND IT WILL MAKE A TREMENDOUS NOISE, WICH WILL HURT PASSENGERS' EARS. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE WAS BRAND NEW, AND CONSUMER WAS PUSHED INTO CIGARETTE LIGHTER JUST TO TEST. IT. CIGARETTE LIGHTER POPPED OUT WITH FORCE , LANDING ON FLOOR ONCE IT WAS HEATED. CONSUMER STATED IT COULD CAUSE SERIOUS HARM OR A FIRE. *AK

THE DESIGN OF THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTER PLACES IT ALMOST DIRECTLY OVER THE CUP HOLDERS OF THE CENTER CONSOLE. USING THE CUPHOLDERS MAKES ACCIDENTIAL CONTACT WITH THE SHIFT LEVER VERY LIKELY, AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE SHIFTER CAN BE EASILY KNOCKED OUT OF DRIVE AND INTO NEUTRAL. THERE IS NO DETENT OR OTHER RESTRICTION TO KEEP A SLIGHT BRUSH WITH THE SHIFTER FROM ALLOWING THE LEVER TO MOVE FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL. THIS HAS HAPPEND TO ME THREE TIMES, EVEN THOUGH I AM TRYING TO AVOID THIS ACCIDENTAL CONTACT.*AK

TINNY SOUND FROM DASHBOARD (LIKE DEFECTIVE SPEAKER) EVEN AT LOW VOLUME. LOOSE COMPONENT OR POORLY INSTALLED DASH IS CONSIDERED NORMAL BY TOYOTA. EXTRA $595.00 FOR "PREMIUM" SOUND SYSTEM IS A QUESTIONABLE INVESTMENT.

THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO A DESIGN DEFECT WHICH MAKES THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND ESPECIALLY THE SPEEDOMETER UNREADABLE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE TIME WHEN THE DRIVER IS WEARING SUNGLASSES. I CANT'T DRIVE WITHOUT SUNGLASSES. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NOT ENOUGH LIGHT INCIDENT ON THE RECESSED INSTRUMENTS TO MAKE THEM READABLE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. THIS VEHICLE LIKE ALL IN THE SOUTHEAST U.S AND LOTS OF OTHER AREAS HAS THE TINTED "PRIVACY GLASS" INSTALLED ON THE REAR WINDOWS WHICH CONTRIBUTES TO LESS LIGHT INSIDE THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT I DEPEND ON THE SPEEDOMETER TO KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING WHEN ENTERING CURVES, ON-RAMPS, ETC. THE VEHICLE IS TOO SMOOTH AND QUIET TO JUDGE SPEED ANY OTHER WAY. THIS COULD BE INEXPENSIVELY FIXED JUST BY HAVING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME.