2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

VEHICLE BLOWS HOT AIR WHEN VENTILATION SYSTEM IS TURNED ON, EVEN WHILE A/C IS ON. *TR

THE VEHICLE'S HEATING AND AIR SYSTEM CAUSES ME TO HAVE TO "JOGGLE" THE KNOB SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO IT BEGINNING TO PERFORM THE SPECIFIED NEED. *TR

THE HEAT WOULD NOT ALWAYS WORK. IT WOULD BLOW COLD AIR. SOMETIMES I COULD MOVE THE KNOB AROUND AND IT WOULD COME BACK ON BUT IT DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK LIKE THAT. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND CAME UP WITH MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY DEALER SAID THE PART WAS OVER $600 TO REPLACE, THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THE DECAL WAS GOING TO COST ANOTHER $30. ONE OF THE GOOGLE SEARCHES HAD A FIX FOR IT. IT INVOLVED REMOVING THE GLOVEBOX AND PULLING THE CIRCUIT BOARD OUT. THEY SAID THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE A WIRE THAT WAS BROKEN OFF AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WAS. MY HUSBAND SOLDERED IT BACK ON, PUT THE BOAR BACK IN, AND IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM NOW. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAT DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK IN THE VEHICLE. SHE MUST TOGGLE WITH THE KNOBS IN ORDER FOR THE HEAT TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. OFTENTIMES WHEN THE HEATING SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED, IT WOULD BLOW COLD AIR. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE COOLING SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATED, IT WOULD PRODUCE WARM AIR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS A CONSISTENT FAILURE WITH THE HIGHLANDER, BUT NO REPAIRS COULD BE MADE DUE TO WARRANTY STIPULATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR COMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 57,000.

THE PASSENGER WINDOWS ON MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAVE COME OFF THE TRACKS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS. *TR

THE HEATER INSIDE MY CAR WON'T TURN OFF. I HAVE HOT AIR BLOWING CONTINUOUSLY, EVEN WHEN THE AIR SYSTEM IS TURNED OFF! THIS MAKES THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE FOR VERY LONG. (T>100 MOST OF TIME) THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT, IT JUST STARTED. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON VARIOUS CAR FORUMS ONLINE DUE TO WIRE DEFECT. *TR

WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE VEHICLE, APPROX. 20-25 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LOCKED FOR A FEW SECOND, RELEASED AND THEN ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER, LOCKED AND RELEASED ONCE AGAIN. IT WAS AS IF WE HAD SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, ONLY ON THE RIGHT DRIVER'S SIDE BRAKE. WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THE CODES LEAD THE TECHNICIAN TO AN OPEN CIRCUIT ON THE ABS ACTUATOR, HOWEVER, THE WARRANTY COMPANY WOULDN'T FIX OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE 1) THEY COULDN'T REDUPLICATE THE PROBLEM; AND 2) THE PART IN QUESTION IS A SMALL PART WITHIN A $3,500 LARGER PART, OF WHICH THE ENTIRE $3,500 PART WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THEY TOLD US TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. APPROX. ONE MONTH LATER, THE VEHICLE DID THE SAME THING, HOWEVER, IT WAS ON THE FREEWAY AT APPROX. 70 MPH. THE IMPACT WAS LESS HARD AS THE SPEED WOULDN'T ALLOW THE BRAKE TO FULLY STOP THE VEHICLE. THE WARRANTY AGENT AGAIN DENIED RESOLVING THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE IT IN THEIR PRESENCE AND THE CODES WERE DEEMED INCOMPLETE AND THEREFORE, NO REPAIR. I AM CONCERNED THIS MIGHT CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT AND/OR DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED UNWANTED TRACTION CONTROL ACTIVITY, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BRAKE EXCESSIVELY. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC REPROGRAMMED THE PCM MEMORY, WHICH REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. CURRENTLY, THE FAILURE HAS NOT RESURFACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,450. UPDATED 01-26-09 *BF UPDATED 01/27/09. *JB

THE CAR'S VSC (VEHICLE SKID CONTROL) SYSTEM ACTIVATED ON A DRY STRAIGHT ROAD. THE BRAKES WENT ON AND REDUCED THE SPEED TO ABOUT 5MPH, MAKING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE. GLAD THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN IN TRAFFIC. THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, AND RESTARTED, AND I COULD GET IT TO ABOUT 10MPH, AND THEN IT WOULD APPLY THE BRAKES QUICKLY AND REDUCED POWER NO-MATTER WHAT THE THROTTLE POSITION WAS, AND THE CAR WAS LIMITED TO ABOUT 5MPH. ONCE THIS HAPPENED THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE DRIVEN, UNLESS THE FUSES FOR THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES ARE REMOVED. I DID THIS JUST TO GET IT TO THE DEALER... IT HAD BUZZERS AND WARNING LIGHTS GOING OFF. THE DEALER LOOKED AT IT AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE & VSC "ECU", WHICH WAS GOING TO COST $2,400, BUT THERE COULD BE EXTRA SENSORS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED TOO. THIS SEEMED VERY EXCESSIVE SO I DIDN'T HAVE THE WORK DONE. NOW THE CAR IS SITTING. I'VE HEARD THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT ON THIS BUT I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND IT. I'VE HEARD THAT IT CAN BE THE STEERING ANGLE SENSOR, OR THE WHEEL ROTATIONS SENSORS, OR THE G-CENTER (ACCELEROMETER). EACH ONE IS SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS APIECE. A FAILURE IN THE SKID CONTROL SYSTEM SHOULD JUST STOP WORKING AND NOT CAUSE THE BRAKES TO BE SLAMMED ON, LEAVING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE. AND THE REPAIR COST SHOULD NOT BE $2,500 TO OVER $4,000. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. *TR

COMPLETE LOST OF HEAT FROM DEFROSTER AND HEATER. SEEM TO BE A GENERIC PROBLEM WILL ALL TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS OR MANY. *TR