2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

MY TOYO TIRES HAVE FAILED AFTER ONLY 18,000 MILES OF USE ON MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. *TR

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS FORCING FLUID OUT THROUGH VENT CAUSING LOSS OF FLUID AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO TRANSMISSION. DEALER SAID IT IS CAUSED BY BEARING GOING BAD IN THE TRANSMISSION. VEHICLE HAS ALMOST 90,000 MILES. DEALERSHIP SAID PROBLEM IS COVERED UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY SINCE IT WAS A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE. *TR

THERE HAS BEEN A NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN STEERING WHEEL NOISE AND PLAY IN MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE ISSUE WAS NOTICED AROUND 40,000 MILES BECOMING INCREASINGLY WORSE IN A ONLY A FEW MONTHS. MILEAGE NOW IS 46,000. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE IT APPEAR THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS PART OR DESIGN POSING A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 HIGHLANDER AND IT HAS 45K ON IT. I HAVE JUST RECENTLY NOTICED THIS CLUNK/KNOCK NOISE EVERY TIME I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT 5 DEGREES OFF CENTER. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISED SPENDING $140 ON GREASING THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND THE PROBLEM SHOULD GO AWAY, BUT THE MORE I READ UP ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, THE MORE I'M REALIZING THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND THAT IF I BANDAGE THE PROBLEM NOW, IT'LL ONLY COME UP AGAIN IN FUTURE MILEAGE. THIS SHOULD TOTALLY BE A TOYOTA RECALL BECAUSE IT DIRECTLY AFFECT SAFE DRIVING. I'M JUST WONDERING HOW I CAN ESCALATE THIS COMPLAINT TO THE TOP? *TR

I NOTICED A LOOSENESS & CLICKING NOISE IN MY STEERING WHILE EITHER PARKED OR MOVING VERY SLOWLY. A LOCAL MECHANIC I USE DIAGNOSED IT AS A WORN RACK & PINION (R&P) GEAR WHERE IT MEETS THE STEERING COLUMN. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON MY '05 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 WITH 60K MILES. I BROUGHT CAR TO KING TOYOTA IN DEERFIELD BEACH, FL AND THEY SAID THERE IS A TOYOTA SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS PROBLEM WHICH DISASSEMBLES & LUBRICATES THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY SAID IF THAT DOESN'T FIX PROBLEM THEN THEY WOULD CHANGE THE R & P ASSEMBLY. AS A FORMER AIRLINE MAINTENANCE PLANNER I DON'T KNOW HOW A LUBE WOULD FIX NOISE & LOOSENESS IN A STEERING ASSEMBLY...IT FELT LIKE A WORN PART. IF TRUE, WHY DID THE STEERING COLUMN LOSE ITS LUBE AFTER ONLY 60K MILES.. WAS THE LUBE MISSING FROM NEW & THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE WEAR...IF IT WAS LUBED WAS IT A DEFECTIVE SEAL. IS THE LUBE A STOP GAP WAY TO DELAY A RECALL? MY MECHANIC SAID & MY OWN EXPERIENCE TELLS ME SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT...THIS IS A STEERING & POSSIBLE VEHICLE CONTROL ISSUE. MOST OF MY DRIVING IS HIGHWAY ABOVE 40-70MPH, SO I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE MY FAMILY & MY LIFE ARE AT STAKE. *TR

THE WINDOW CONTROL DROPS THE WINDOW INTO THE DOOR AND YOU CANNOT BRING THE WINDOW BACK UP. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON JANUARY 2008, TO MY REAR RIGHT WINDOW ON MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $ 600.00. THAT WAS RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED, SO I FOUND A WAY TO LIFT THE WINDOW, AND THEN I DISCONNECTED THE POWER WINDOW CONTROLS TO THAT WINDOW. WITHOUT FAIL, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE REAR LEFT WINDOW OF OUR CAR IN JANUARY 2009. I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH HIGHLANDERS AND CAMRYS, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL FROM TOYOTA FOR THIS COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2005 4CYL. THE HEATER CONTROL WILL ONLY BLOW EXTREMELY HOT AIR THAT MAKES THE VENTS ALMOST TO HOT TO EVEN TOUCH. NO EVENTS LED UP TO THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH IN RESEARCHING ONLINE FORUMS, OTHER TOYOTA HIGHLANDER OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME DEFECT. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THE SERVICE ASSOCIATE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE COST TO REPAIR IS $899.00. THIS IS EXCESSIVE FOR A HEATER ON A VEHICLE A LITTLE OVER THREE YEARS OLD AND A LITTLE OVER 30,000 MILES. IT APPEARS THIS IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND THE WIRES ARE NOT WELDED PROPERLY. THE CENTER NUT BELOW THE HEATER CONTROL KNOB LOOSENS OVER TIME AND THE WIRES THEN BREAK FREE FROM THE CONTACTS. *TR

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, 2005 YR, DEFECTIVE RIBBON ELECTRICAL CABLE BETWEEN HEAT/AIR CONTROL ON DASH AND COMPUTER IN CAR. HEAT ON, HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND AIR CONDITIONING COMES ON FULL BLAST OR THE REVERSE IN THE SUMMER. OTHER REPORTS ON INTERNET INDICATE SAME PROBLEM WITH 2001 & 2002 YEAR VEHICLES. COMMENTS ARE THE ELECTRICAL CABLE BECOME HARD AND BRITTLE WITH AGE AND BREAKS OR CROSS CONNECTS CAUSING PROBLEM. DEALER COST IS $600 - $900 TO CORRECT -- REPLACE WHOLE UNIT -- ALTHOUGH ONE COMMENT IS THAT NEW WIRE CAN BE SOLDERED. IT IS MY OPINION THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR THE COST OF A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 26TH 2008 WHILE TRAVELING EAST ON INTERSTATE 70 FROM DENVER, 75 MILE AN HOUR, AND APROX TWENTY MILES EAST OF BENNET COLORADO, WE EXPERIENCED BOTH FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER TIRE BLOWOUTS AT THE SAME TIME. THE BACK PASSENGERS TIRE WAS DESTROYED. WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE IT OUT WITH OUR SPARE. THE FRONT PASSENGERS TIRE WAS EXTREMELY LOW (1" OFF PAVEMENT) AND HAD A BUBBLE ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE. IT HAD NOT BROKEN THE AIR SEAL AROUND THE RIM, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN VERY SLOW BACK APROX .25 MILES TO AN EXIT AND RETRIEVE AIR FOR THAT TIRE. AS THE SIDE WALL BUBBLE GREW IN SIZE WE STOPPED THE AIR AT ABOUT TWENTY POUNDS. WE THEN RETURNED APROX TWENTY MILE BACK TO DENVER, TO A DISCOUNT TIRE STORE. WE THEN REPLACED ALL OF THE TIRES ON OUR 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. PRIOR TO DEPARTING ON THIS TRIP WE HAD ROTATED THE ORIGINAL TIRES AS WELL AS CHECKED AND CONFIRMED ALL AIR PRESSURES, (THE PRESSURE WAS CHECKED THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE LEAVING TOWN) WHEN CHECKING THE TIRES WE HAD HEARD A HISSING SOUND AT THE VALVE STEMS ON BOTH OF THE PASSENGER TIRES. THOUGHT THIS WAS JUST THE AIR HOSE, BUT NOW BELIEVE THAT THE VALVE STEMS WERE CRACKED AND LEAKING AIR. I HAVE DOCUMENTED THE TIRE CONDITION AND HAVE THE ORIGINAL VALVE STEMS FROM THE TIRE STORE. THESE TIRES WERE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MICHELIN TIRES WITH 28644 MILE ON THEM. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS CONDITION WAS A RESULT OF FAULTY VALVE STEMS, AND MAY BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FOR OTHERS. MY TOYOTA DEALER SERVICE CENTER REFERS ME TO MICHELIN TIRE COMPANY, AND MICHELIN REFERS ME BACK TO THEM. TOYOTA MOTOR COMPANY HAS DOCUMENTED A REPORT, BUT WILL NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE AS A CONCERN. WE HAD THREE ADULTS - (500 POUNDS) AND THREE SUIT CASES - (150 POUNDS) AND THEREFORE DON'T BELIEVE THAT AT 750 - 800 POUND THAT WE WERE OVERLOADED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE "LOW TIRE PRESSURE" WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE MECHANISM WAS TURNED OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OBSERVED THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE WAS NOT LOW IN ANY OF THE FOUR TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SIX SEPARATE OCCASIONS. RECENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST WOULD BE $2,414.60. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 21,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 23,000. UPDATED 10/16/08.*LJ UPDATED 10/17/08.*JB