2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

MY PROBLEM IS WITH THE LOW TIRE WARNING SYSTEM. MY ISSUE IS THAT YOU CANNOT MANUALLY RESET THIS WARNING LIGHT AS WITH OTHER CARS. I HAVE HAD TO TAKE MY CAR TO THE DEALER TWICE IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS FOR THEM TO PROPERLY INFLATE/RESET THE SYSTEM. ALL MY TIRES WERE PROPERLY INFLATED EXCEPT FOR THE SPARE. MYSELF AND FIRESTONE AUTO CARE COULD NOT GET THE WARNING LIGHT TO GO AWAY. FINALLY, AFTER MONTHS OF HAVING THE WARNING LIGHT ON, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY PROPERLY RESET ALL THE TIRES INCLUDING THE SPARE AND THE WARNING LIGHT FINALLY WENT OFF. SEEMS LIKE A PLOY TO GET YOU TO GO TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD A LOT OF THOSE ISSUES DUE TO THE CHANGES IN THE TEMPERATURE. IF ALL THE TIRES ARE PROPERLY INFLATED, THE WARNING LIGHT CAN STILL GO OFF IF BECAUSE YOUR SPARE TIRE MAY BE LOW. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ME AS YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT YOU REALLY HAVE A LOW TIRE THAT COULD AFFECT DRIVING. IF THE LIGHT IS ALREADY ON DUE TO A LOW SPARE TIRE, AND A REGULAR TIRE GOES LOW, ONE WOULD HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING AS THE LIGHT IS ALREADY ON. *TR

THE STEERING COLUMN IS MAKING A THUNKING-TYPE OF NOISE WHEN TURNING, USUALLY AT LOW SPEEDS, AROUND CORNERS (NOT SLIGHT TURNS, SUCH AS WHEN THE ROAD CHANGES ON THE FREEWAY). IT'S BEEN DOCUMENTED IN MY RECORDS AT LEAST SINCE 30,000 MILES, JUST OUT OF TOYOTA'S WARRANTY PERIOD. THE CAR DEALER REPORTED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE ISSUE AT THE 30,000 SERVICE, AS DOCUMENTED. IT WASN'T HAPPENING AS FREQUENTLY THEN, BUT NOW AT 60,000 MILES, IT'S CONSTANT. IT SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE STEERING SHAFT/INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. THERE APPEARS TO BE A SERVICE BULLETIN FROM THE MANUFACTURER, BUT NO FURTHER INVESTIGATION/RESEARCH PRESENTED. SINCE I AM AWARE OF WHAT PART IS FAILING, I WANT TO GET IT FIXED, AS I'VE READ THAT THIS PART, IF IT FAILS, COULD CAUSE THE CAR TO FAIL, BUT DON'T WANT TO PAY MONEY FOR A PART THAT IS CONSIDERED DEFECTIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PRETENSIONER ON THE SEAT BELT WAS EXCESSIVELY TIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

STEERING TSB BY TOYOTA: WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AND TURNING CORNERS, I FELT POPING CLUNKING NOISE IN STEERING WHEEL. SOMETIMES MADE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATE. INSTEAD OF JUST A SERVICE BULLETIN, THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL SINCE TOYOTA HAS RE-DESIGNED THE FAILING COMPONENT. TOOK VEHICLE INTO DEALER TO HAVE FIXED. WOULD HAVE PAID FULL REPAIR PRICE BUT WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A DISCOUNTED PRICE FOR VEHICLE WITH ONLY 52,000 MILES. COMPONENT SHOULD HAVE EASILY LASTED OVER 125,000 MILES. MAY BE THE SAME AS YOUR 10075792 RECORD.

VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING, USUALLY WHEN MAKING A TURN FROM A STOP OR MOVING SLOWLY. IT IS ESPECIALLY HAZARDOUS WHEN TRYING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, NOT JUST THE DATE BELOW. THE DEALER CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. WE BOUGHT THE CAR IN EARLY 2014 NEW, AND NOTICED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE 5,000 MILES. THE CAR NOW HAS 22,000 MILES AND IT STILL DOES THIS INTERMITTENTLY.

8/1/2016 2013 HIGHLANDER HYBRID WAS TRAVELING AT 60MPH WHEN LIGHTS ON DASH STARTED BLINKING WITH A LOUD BEEPING NOISE. BRAKE MALFUNCTION, CHECK ABS WAS READING ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN. TRAFFIC AHEAD ON 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55MPH HAD SUDDENLY STOPPED AND I WAS FORCED TO SLAM ON BRAKES. AT THIS POINT THE BRAKES FELT VERY HEAVY, HEAVIER THAN USUAL, AS I DETECTED WHEEL LOCK UP AND PROCEEDED TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO AVOID REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE AHEAD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REVERSED, THE HATCHBACK OPEN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS PLACED IN PARK BEFORE EXITING THE VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE HATCH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS AND KNOCKED THE CONTACT TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HIP AND ARMS, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED FROM THE CRASH SITE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. UPDATED 09/01/16*LJ

WHEN THE LIFT GATE OF MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS CLOSING I HEARD A CLUNK AND SAW THE LIFT ARM DETACH FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD NO WARRANTY OR EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD COVER THE DAMAGE. I HAVE 41,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE PLATINUM EXTENDED WARRANTY. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE SO MANY LAWSUITS AND COMPLAINTS AGAINST TOYOTA FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE REGIONAL TOYOTA OFFICE AND THE MOST THEY ARE WILLING TO DO IS 50% OF THE BILL WHICH WOULD LEAVE ME TO PAY $1700.00. CONSIDERING IT LOOKS TO ME THAT A $2 BOLT IS THE CULPRIT, I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE RECALLED NOT JUST DONE A SILENT SERVICE BULLETIN. IF YOU COULD CONTACT TOYOTA AND TELL THEM THEY SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE LIFT GATE BECAUSE OF A TERRIBLE DESIGN, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. *TR

AFTER PRESSING THE IGNITION BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE ENGIN WHEN IN PARK, I CAME BACK TO THE CAR TO FIND IT RUNNING. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I REPORTED IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THAY HAD NO INFORMATION NOR WERE THERE ANY BUILTINS FRO TOTOTA. PARKED THE CAR AT THE PHL AIRPORT FOR 5 DAYS, CAME BACK TO FIND NO GAS. CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING WILE I WAS GONE UNTIL IT RAN OUT OF GAS. SAW IN THE NEWS THAT A US SENATOR FROM PA WAS INVESTIGATING THESE EVENTS. OCTOBER 2016

CAR HESITATES UPON ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AS IF IT WAS COASTING. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME BUT IT HAS OCCURRED FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. THE HESITATION CAN BE FROM 2-4 SECONDS. IT ALSO HAPPENS WHEN TURNING FROM A STOP. PLAYING WITH THE GAS PEDAL DOESN'T SEEM TO HELP BUT ,CURIOUSLY, SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE SEEM TO STOP THE HESITATION. I HAVEN'T EXPLORED THIS RIGOROUSLY; JUST TRIED IT A COUPLE OF TIMES. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE DENIED IT IS A PROBLEM: OBVIOUSLY THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT.