2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER OR HEATER IS ON THERE IS A HORRIBLE SMELL THAT COMES OUT. MOLD OR BODY ODOR TYPE OF SMELL.

WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THERE IS LOUD WIND NOISE WITH WINDOW SHUT. ALSO IF ONE WINDOW IS DOWN THERE IS A AWFUL NOISE THAT HURTS THE EARS.

THE TRANSMISSION HAS A FLUTTER WHEN TRYING TO SHIFT UP OR DOWN TO DIFFERENT GEARS. IT CAUSES A HESITANCY. IT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY THE CALDWELL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN CONWAY, AR USA AND I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT IS IN OTHER HIGHLANDERS. I REQUEST A RECALL TO HAVE THIS FIXED. THANK YOU *TR

PURCHASED VEHICLE 5/26/14. AT FIRST HAD A POPPING NOISE FROM RIGHT REAR BREAK; TOOK TO DEALERSHIP STATING COULD FIND PROBLEM, SO LIVED WITH IT. AT 10,000 + MILES DEALER FOUND FRONT BREAKS WARPED, SO HAD THEM REPLACED. AROUND SAME 10K + MILES DEALER HAD TO DROP ENGINE TO REPLACE LEAKING OIL FOUND AROUND TIMING COVER AREA, STATING FACTORY INSTALL DID NOT ALLOW PROPER SEALING. ON 7/22/15, @ 12,748 MILES NOTICED OIL LEAK SAME AREA, AND INFORMED BY DEALER THAT ENGINE HAS TO BE DROPPED FOR THE 2ND TIME TO REPAIR OIL LEAK. ABOVE DOES NOT INCLUDE OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS REPLACING MIDDLE ROW CUP HOLDER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT RECUSHION. SOUNDS LIKE I PURCHASED A 2014 HIGHLANDER LIMITED CONSIDERED A LEMON. MY THREE PREVIOUS CARS - '06 AVALON; '02 4RUNNER; & '90 4RUNNER NEVER HAD EXTREME ISSUES, SUCH AS THE 2014 HIGHLANDER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT HOOD WAS SO HEAVY AND EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PROP OPEN. THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. MA 08/05/15

AUTOMATIC/POWER LIFTGATE DOES NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY. STARTS - THEN STOPS HALF TO 90% CLOSED. REQUIRES MANUALLY LOWERING TO CLOSE. HAPPENS 75% OF THE TIME. TOYOTA DEALER RELUCTANTLY ACKNOWLEDGED A SERVICE BULLETIN AND SAYS THEY WILL REPLACE MOTOR BUT IT TOOK SOME PUSHING TO GET PAST THE SERVICE DESK AND TECH WHO SAY, "WE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG". I SAID NOT GOOD ENOUGH ANSWER AND, LO AND BEHOLD, THE SENIOR CSR LOOKED IT UP ONLINE AND CONFIRMED THE MALFUNCTION IS NOT UNCOMMON AND IMMEDIATELY OFFERED TO REPLACE THE POWER LIFTGATE MOTOR.

WE PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED ON AUG 9, 2014. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 150 MILES THE PERSON IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT EXPERIENCES SEVERE BACK AND DISCOMFORT IN THE AREA OF THE TAILBONE. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY HARD TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE SEAT. I COMPLAINED TO THE SELLING DEALER AND THEY RECOMMENDED COMING BACK WHEN THE ZONE REP WAS IN AREA. I RETURNED A WEEK LATER AND MET WITH THE ZONE REP. SHE HAD ME SIT IN ANOTHER HIGHLANDER LIMITED AND ASKED IF IT FELT DIFFERENT, IT DID FEEL THE SAME. HER REPLY WAS "DIDN'T YOU SIT IN THE CAR BEFORE YOU BOUGHT IT?" I TOLD HER MY WIFE SAT IN THE BACK SEAT AND I DROVE, SALESMAN SAT IN RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTOMOTIVE UPHOLSTERY SHOP WHERE THE REMOVED THE LEATHER SEAT COVER AND DISCOVERED THE METAL SEAT HEATER MODULE AND WIRING DIRECTLY UNDER THE LEATHER AND ON TOP OF THE FOAM. THE SHOP CUT ABOUT 1/2 INCH INTO THE FOAM AND BURIED THE MODULE AND PLACED THE CUT OUT FOAM ON TOP OF IT. THEY ALSO DID THE SAME FOR THE SEAT BACK. I REQUESTED DEALER TO REIMBURSE ME THE $200.00 IT COST TO HAVE THE ABOVE MENTIONED WORK DONE; THEIR RESPONSE WAS THEY WOULD REQUEST TOYOTA TO COVER THE COST. A WEEK LATER I LEARNED THAT TOYOTA REFUSED TO PAY FOR A MODIFICATION THEY DID NOT APPROVE AND THEY FELT THE PLACEMENT OF THE MODULE WAS NOT A DEFECT. I THEN ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO REIMBURSE ME AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID TOYOTA WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE THE EXPENSE. I TOLD HIM I WORKED FOR A GM DEALERSHIP AND SAW MANY MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE APPROVED BY GM. HIS RESPONSE WAS "CHEVROLET HAS TO ACCOMMODATE CUSTOMERS IN ORDER TO SELL CARS AND TOYOTA DOESN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE THEY SELL CARS AS FAST AS THEY ARE MADE. AND, WHEN TOYOTA SELLS TWO MILLION CARS AND ONLY A FEW HUNDRED CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN ABOUT AN ISSUE SUCH AS MINE TOYOTA ISN'T CONCERNED ENOUGH TO MAKE OR REIMBURSE A MODIFICATION;" UPON LEARNING THIS IS THE ATTITUDE OF TOYOTA, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A TOYOTA AGAIN. *TR

WHEN DRIVING ON THE FWY, INTERMITTENTLY DEPENDING ON THE WIND OR HOW THE DOOR WAS SHUT FOR THE RUBBER SEAL TO MAKE A SOLID CONNECTION, THERE IS SIGNIFICANT WIND NOISE THAT BREACHES THE SEAL AND MAKES EXCESSIVE NOISE. THIS IS MOST NOTICEABLE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE AND IS WHERE I MEASURED FOR SOUND LEVELS. THE CLOSER I BRING THE METER TO THE WINDOW BY THE SIDE MIRROR THEN MORE NOISE IS RECORDED. SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AT ALL, EVEN AT 70MPH. OTHER TIMES, AND OFTEN IT THERE IS A WIND NOISE COMING INTO THE CABIN. WITH TOYOTA'S CLAIM FOR IT BEING SUCH A QUIET CABIN, THIS NOISE IS NOT RIGHT. I TEST DROVE WITH THE TECH MANAGER AT MY DEALER AND HE TOO NOTED THE PROBLEM. HE ORDERED A NEW DOOR SEAL. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE DOOR SEAL, AND I DIDN'T HAVE IT INSTALLED. HOWEVER THERE WAS A WINDOW FRAME BLACK PLASTIC PANEL THAT WASN'T PROPERLY SEATED, AND THIS WAS REPLACED. NOT SURE IF IT FIXED THE PROBLEM, AS ITS TOO EARLY TO TELL. THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF REPORT FROM OTHER OWNERS ONLINE WITH THIS ISSUE. SO FAR I KNOW OF ONE OWNER WHO RETURNED THE CAR DUE TO THIS EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE. *TR

A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS PURCHASED IN 2/2014.THE CUSTOMER NOTICED WATER COMING INSIDE THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE SEAT BELT A-FRAME PANEL CAUSING THE INTERIOR FLOOR TO BECOME WET WITH STANDING WATER.UPON DEALERSHIP INSPECTION IN 2/2015, BLACK MOLD WAS FOUND FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE EXTENDING TO THE TRUNK.THE BLACK MOLD FOUND WAS EXTENSIVE PENTRATING THE CARPETS, THE SOUND BARRIER FOAM INTO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE.DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE MOLD FOUND, THE DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED THE CUSTOMER THAT CORPORATE WOULD NEED TO BE INVOLVED, AS THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DEALT WITH AT THEIR LEVEL. WHEN THE CUSTOMER MET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF TOYOTA CORPORATE,THE CUSTOMER WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS THE 3RD VEHICLE THAT THE REP HAD IN THEIR TERRITORY. THE CUSTOMER LEARNED OF AN INTERNAL TOYOTA DOCUMENT THAT SPECIFIES THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER?S DEFECT THAT OCCURRED DURING THE BUILD PROCESS (T-TT-0322-15). THE DOCUMENT DESCRIBES THE KNOWN ISSUE WITH A KINKED SUNROOF DRAIN THAT LEADS TO WATER INTRUSION AND MOLD.WHEN ASKED WHY THIS WAS NOT RECALLED DUE TO THE HEALTH EXPOSURE OF BLACK MOLD, THE REP RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE LIKE A BRAKE FAILURE.THE REMEDIATION PROCESS OUTLINED BY THE CORPORATE REP WAS INADEQUATE AS IT DID NOT REMEDY THE SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. TOYOTA COULD NOT PRODUCE ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT SUGGESTS A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OR CERTIFIED THAT THEIR PROCESS WILL RECTIFY THE MOLD EXPOSURE. THE CUSTOMER HAS PHOTOS OF THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, THE INTERNAL TOYOTA DOCUMENT SPECIFYING THIS DEFECT AND EMAILS WITH TOYOTA THAT DEMONSTRATE A LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO ADDRESS THIS FROM A HEALTH AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVE BUT RATHER FROM A CORPORATE LOSS STANDPOINT. TOYOTA?S ACTIONS SEEM UNWILLING TO HELP DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION REGARDING A KNOWN TECHNICAL ISSUE LEADING TO THE WATER INTRUSION AND BLACK MOLD. *TR

PURCHASED NEW 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN MAY 2014, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP A FOUL ODOR BEGAN TO EMIT FROM A/C UNIT WHENEVER VEHICLE WAS STARTED. AFTER 3 TRIPS TO SELLING DEALER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM I WAS GIVEN TOYOTA T-SB-0142-13 WHICH INFORMS ME THAT THERE ARE 23 TOYOTA VEHICLES WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP ATTEMPTED TO PLACE BLAME ON VARIOUS ITEMS BUT, SINCE TOYOYA PUBLISHED A TSB IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT IS NOT WANTING IT TO BECOME KNOWN AS IT MIGHT IMPACT THEIR SELLING VEHICLES. MY A/C EXPERIENCE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY AN IMPROPERRLY DESIGNED A/C SYSTEM WHICH IS FAILING TO DRAIN ALL THE MOISTURE FROM THE A/C SYSTEM THEREBY ALLOWING MOLD, MILDEW, ALGAE TO GROWN IN THE UNDRAINED LEFT OVER WATER IN A/C SYSTEM.