2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR IS BROKEN AND WILL NOT STAY FULLY UPRIGHT OR FULLY DOWN, IT HANGS MIDWAY BLOCKING VISION OF TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND UPPER FIELD OF VISION, I HAVE TO HOLD THE VISOR UP WITH MY HAND TO SEE TRAFFIC LIGHTS. I FREQUENTLY BUMP MY FOREHEAD INTO THE VISOR WHEN TURNING MY HEAD TO LOOK TO THE REAR OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER AS I AM DRIVING. I CONTACTED MY TOYOTA DEALER, GIVEN A BALLPARK ESTIMATE OF $300-500 TO REPAIR. *TR

THE SUN VISOR ON THE RSIDE WILL NO LONGER STAY UP. IT FALLS DOWN AND IMPEDES VISION. IT WILL NOT STAY UP NOR STAY FLUSH AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD EITHER SO IT SERIOUSLY BLOCKS VISION. IT JUST KEEPS COMING DOWN AND THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING. *TR

CHECK VSC SYSTEM CAME ON, THEN OFF, IT HAPPENS A LOT TOOK IT TO A DEALER THEY FOUND NOTHING NOW THE WARNING IS ON ALL THE TIME, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND NOW THEY WANT $2,600.00. *TR

WE WERE DRIVING ON THE NJ TURNPIKE. SUDDENLY, THE CAR STALLED AND THE STEERING LOCKED. LUCKILY, WE JUST STARTED THE HOUR LONG DRIVE AND WERE ON THE SLOW LANE AND WAS ABLE TO GLIDE THE CAR OVER SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER. THE CHECK "CSV" AND "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE HYBRID BATTERY SHOWED NO ENERGY. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS ABOUT BATTERY ERRORS OR PROBLEMS BEFORE COMPLETELY STALLING. IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE PROBLEMS WILL ARISE, BUT WITH NO WARNING AND A CAR STALLING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED CONTINUOUSLY HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION CRASH. THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND BRUISED THE CONTACT'S LEFT ARM, CHEST AND NECK. THE CONTACT ALSO SUSTAINED MULTIPLE BRUISES FROM THE SEAT BELT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER FOR INSPECTION OF THE MASSIVE FRONT END DAMAGES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 99,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE INVERTER/CONVERTER HYBRID SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AND ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE COIL PACK THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,000. *TR

DRIVING ON A MAJOR ROAD AT ABOUT 45 MPH THE ENGINE SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD NOISE AND THE CAR STOPPED. UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN ANY GEAR- THE ENGINE WAS STILL ON BUT WOULD NOT DRIVE OR REVERSE. HAD IT TOWED TO SERVICE STATION, DIAGNOSED AS AN INVERTER FAILURE MINIMUM 7,000 COST TO REPAIR. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE ROADSIDE WITHOUT BEING HURT. THE CAR IS ONLY 6 YEARS OLD AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT WORTH REPAIRING. *TR

WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ABOUT 75MPH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ROSE ABOVE THE READ LINE (HOT). BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A PARKING AREA IT CONTINUOUSLY ROSE AND FELL, HOWEVER, IT NEVER DROPPED AS LOW AS THE MIDDLE LINE ON THE GAUGE. AFTER CHECKING THE FLUIDS I HAD TO ADD WATER. I TOOK MY HIGHLANDER TO A MECHANIC AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND WAS LEAKING COOLANT($700 TO REPAIR THIS). I HAD THIS FIXED AND HAD NOT TAKEN IT OUT OF TOWN UNTIL APR 27, 2013 AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. TOOK IT TO TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE THREADS WERE STRIPPED AND THE BOLTS WERE COMING OUT "THE HEAD IS PULLING AWAY FROM THE BLOCK AND COOLANT IS LEAKING. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF MY VEHICLE AND HAVE EVERY RECEIPT FOR OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE. I WAS TOLD THAT I MAY NEED A NEW ENGINE ($6000 TO FIX THIS) AND AM CONCERNED THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS TYPE OF CAR. COOLANT IS DANGEROUS TO HUMANS, ANIMALS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT SO THIS CAN BE A SAFETY CONCERN. TOYOTA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ERROR I AM VERY FRUSTRATED AND TOYOTA IS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE WITH THIS TOYOTA AND THEY HAVE LOST A LOYAL CUSTOMER OVER THIS. THIS ISSUE IS OBVIOUSLY HAPPENING MORE AND MORE EVERYDAY AND IT IS FRUSTRATING. ANY ADVISE IS WELCOME!!! *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ROSE ABOVE THE READ LINE (HOT). BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A PARKING AREA IT CONTINUOUSLY ROSE AND FELL, HOWEVER, IT NEVER DROPPED AS LOW AS THE MIDDLE LINE ON THE GAUGE. AFTER CHECKING THE FLUIDS WE HAD TO ADD WATER. WE TOOK THE HIGHLANDER AND WERE TOLD THAT IT HAD A COOLANT LEAK. FROM THERE WE TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE ENGINE WOULD NEED REPLACING. I CLAIMED THAT THIS HAD TO BE SOME SORT OF FACTORY DEFECT BECAUSE HE EXPLAINED THAT THE THREADS WERE STRIPPED AND THE BOLTS WERE COMING OUT "THE HEAD IS PULLING AWAY FROM THE BLOCK". WE HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GREAT CARE OF OUR VEHICLE AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAPPEN TO ANY WELL MADE VEHICLE. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ONLINE I FOUND THAT MANY OTHERS HAVE SUFFERED WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO HELP WITH THEIR SITUATION. PLEASE SEE THE WEB PAGE BELOW. HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2006/TOYOTA/HIGHLANDER/ENGINE+AND+ENGINE+COOLING+SYSTEM THIS IS ONLY ONE OF SEVERAL THAT I HAVE FOUND. WHILE I AM NOT SURE IF THERE ARE ANY SAFETY ISSUES HERE BUT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED WHEN OBVIOUSLY TOYOTA IS NEGLECTING THIS ISSUE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO BUT ANY ADVICE WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. ADDITIONALLY, THE TRAC OFF AND VSC WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED INTO THE CENTER MEDIAN WHERE THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE. A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF SMOKE EMITTED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AND THE GRASSY AREA UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THERE WAS NO PERSONAL INJURY. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SALVAGE FACILITY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000. UPDATED 05/28/13*LJ UPDATED 06/11/2013 *JS