2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

I AM FINANCING A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. ON 6/25/09 WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR SERVICE ROAD, I HEARD A LARGE THUMP SOUND. I TRIED TO PULL OVER TO MAKE SURE THAT I DID NOT HIT ANYTHING OR BLOW A TIRE. ONCE THAT I SAW THAT EVERYTHING SEEMED OKAY, I PROCEEDED INTO MY VEHICLE AND PUT THE CAR INTO DRIVE WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS THE CAR JUST REVVED AND IT STAYED INTO POSITION, I KEPT CHANGING GEARS NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS WRONG AND AS I CHANGED INTO DRIVE AND STEPPED ON THE GAS, MY CAR QUICKLY SHIFTED AND ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME THEN IT STOPPED AGAIN. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A AUTOMECHANIC SHOP ON THE CORNER, SOMEONE FROM THE SHOP CAME TO WHERE I WAS TO LOOK AT MY CAR. THE MECHANIC DID THE SAME AS I DID, SHIFT GEARS AND THE CAR WOULD JERK SPONTANEOUSLY BACK THEN FORTH BUT WOULD NOT DRIVE. THE MECHANICS PUSHED IT INTO THE GARAGE AND INSPECTED TO FIND THAT MY TRANSMISSION WA GONE AT 68,000 MILES. I HAVE MY CAR CHECKED OFTEN, FLUIDS REPLACED WHEN NEED BE. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A TRANSMISSION CAN JUST DIE AT 68,000 MILES. I CALLED TOYOTA BECAUSE I HAVE MY CAR SERVICED AT TOYOTA. AND BECAUSE MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED IN 2008 , THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY CAN DO BUT PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO 3 LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE I HAD SEVERAL OPINIONS AND THEY ALL SAID THE SAME THING THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS BAD. MY CAR HAS BEEN AT RELIABLE TRANSMISSION FOR 2 WEEKS NOW, THEY ARE CURRENTLY REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION FOR 4,000.00. THE CAR WILL NOT BE PAID OFF UNTIL AUGUST 2010. I OFTEN HEARD THAT TOYOTA WAS ONE OF THE BEST CARS THAT ONE CAN PURCHASE THAT'S WHY I WENT WITH A TOYOTA, HOWEVER I FIND THIS TO BE QUITE DISTURBING TO HAVE TO REPLACE A MAJOR PART OF MY VEHICLE IN SUCH A SHORT TIME WITH LOW MILEAGE. MY COMPLAINT THAT I HAVE DONE RESEARCH AND SAW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH TOYOTA HIGHLANDER TRANSMISSIONS. THIS MATTER IS SERIOUS AND CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT FROM THE GEARS SLIPPING. TOYOTA SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS REPAIR! *TR

1. PLASTIC TENSION COIL HOLDING UP VISOR FAILED ALL OF THE SUDDEN. 2. PLASTIC TENSION COIL HOLDING UP VISOR FAILED CAUSING THE VISOR TO FALL DOWN OBSTRUCTING MY VISION WHILE DRIVING. THIS OCCURS ANYTIME I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD WHILE DRIVING. 3. I WENT TO TOYOTA TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY SINCE THERE HADN'T BEEN ANY RECALL NOTICES INVOLVING THE DESCRIBED FAILURE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP. THE VISOR CONSTANTLY FALLS IN MY LINE OF VISION. I'VE HAD THE PROBLEM OVER TWO YEARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2007, THE SUN VISOR IN THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ATTACH TIGHTLY AND COMES DOWN WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH AND ABOVE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED, BUT THE REPAIR WOULD COST OVER $300. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE DEFECT SHOULD BE REPAIRED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. UPDATED 07/01/09 *BF UPDATED 07/06/09. *JB

2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DRIVERS SIDE VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP. MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IF YOU HIT THE EVEN A SMALL BUMP THE VISOR FALLS DOWN WHICH IN TURN CREATES A VIEWING PROBLEM. ONE DAY THERE WILL BE AN ACCIDENT CAUSED BY THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DRIVERS SIDE VISOR. WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE, NEVER REPORTED UNTIL I SAW HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE SO HERE I GO. *TR

SUN VISOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE OF 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER CAN'T BE USED TO PROTECT DRIVER FROM THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT AS IT CANNOT BE RATCHETED UP OR ADJUSTED AND JUST HANGS LOOSELY BLOCKING DRIVER'S VIEW OF WINDOW AND REQUIRING DRIVER TO HOLD IT IN PLACE WITH ONE HAND. PROBLEM HAS EXISTED ALMOST FROM BEGINNING. OTHERS HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR PROBLEMS ESPECIALLY WITH THAT MODEL YEAR. *TR

SUN VISOR PROBLEM ... MY DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP AND HAS BECOME AN HAZARD. I'VE ALSO NOTICE THE SAME THING STARTING TO HAPPEN TO MY PASSENGER SUN VISOR, A SEAT IN WHICH IS ALL MOST NEVER OCCUPIED! *TR

MY 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER'S CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SEEMS TO COME ON EVERY 10,000 MILES. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE 2004, AT ABOUT 43000 MILES, WHEN I FIRST TOOK IT TO A LOCAL DEALER MECHANIC. IT IS NOW 2009, 111000 MILES LATER, AND AGAIN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON QUEUE. ORIGINALLY, THE DEALER MECHANICS TOLD ME THEY HAD CORRECTED IT PRIOR TO MY WARRANTY EXPIRING. WHEN MY WARRANTY EXPIRED, THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED TO GET AN OVERHAUL ON MY CATALYTIC/EXHAUST SYSTEM, WHICH WAS QUOTED TO COST ABOUT $5000 TO FIX! I BELIEVE MY CAR WAS WORTH NO MORE THAN $7000 AT THE TIME. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CATALYTIC SYSTEM AND THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM WITH THE DETECTION SYSTEM. I'VE BEEN SHOWN HOW TO RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BY THE TOYOTA DEALER PERSONNEL, I SUSPECT, BECAUSE IT IS HAPPENING TO OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS. I AM BRINGING THIS ISSUE UP NOW BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED YEARS AGO. I HOPE SOMEONE FROM TOYOTA WILL RECOGNIZE AND FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED - THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISORS WILL NOT STAY IN UPRIGHT POSITION. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING. TOYOTA OFFERS NO SOLUTIONS BUT PURCHASING ANOTHER $600 VISOR. LOOKING ONLINE, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. AT WHAT POINT DOES A MANUFACTURE BECOME RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN DEFECT AND SAFETY ISSUE. *TR