2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

MY VEHICLE IS HAVING AN ISSUE WHERE THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL AND ABS ARE BEING DISABLED. THIS IS THE DEFAULT MODE WHENEVER THERE IS AN ISSUE. IT IS NOW OCCURRING EVERY TIME I START MY CAR. *TR

THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE NOBODY WAS EVEN IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHILE TRAVELING ON A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY. A CHECK OF THE TOYOTA OWNER'S MANUAL STATED THAT THE ENTIRE AIRBAG SYSTEM WOULD NOT FUNCTION IF THIS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON FOR NO REASON AT ALL. SINCE WE LIVE NO WHERE NEAR A DEALER, NEAREST DEALER IS 100 MILES AWAY, I LET IT STAY THAT WAY FOR AWHILE. THERE WAS ALSO A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS MODEL, WHERE THE ALWAYS ON DAYLAMPS MELT THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS AND LEAVE A VISIBLE MELTED BUBBLE, THAT THE DEALER REFUSES TO FIX BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MANUFACTURE THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE VEHICLE YEAR AND MILEAGE IS OUT OF WARRANTY- BUT, WE STILL HAVE THE VEHICLE- THEY SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THEN, MOST RECENTLY, A SHUFFLING SOUND FROM BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL/ BEZEL CLUSTER OCCURRED AND MAKES THE WEIRD SOUND FOR 3 OR SO MINUTES SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME, ABOUT EVERY 2 TIMES NOW. THE SOUND USED TO MAKE A CLICKING SOUND FOR ONLY 1 MINUTE- SO, IT'S GETTING LOUDER, AND LONGER. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE SUSPENSION/RODS/SHOCKS ARE BAD AND WILL NEED REPLACED- THAT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX. *TR

BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR VERY SLOWLY AND VEHICLE SLOWLY CREEPS FORWARD. MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED WITH NEW. (HISTORY: AT 79000 MILES THE TOYOTA FACTORY RECALL TO REPLACE THE MASTER CYLINDER CUP KIT WAS PERFORMED BY TOYOTA DEALER ). *TR

DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE IN THE UP POSITION AND DROPS DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. *TR

I NOTICED THAT MY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT/MANUFACTURER PASSENGER-SIDE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT LENS HAD A BURNT SPOT ON THE INSIDE OF THE LENS (CLEARLY MELTED LENS MATERIAL). I CHECKED THE HEADLIGHT BULB, WHICH IS A FACTORY-INSTALLED KAITO MODEL HB3 LOW-BEAM BULB. THE BULB WAS DISCOLORED BLACK AND SMOKY LOOKING WITH AN OBVIOUS BULGE OF MELTED GLASS IN ONE SIDE OF THE BULB. THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS STILL WORK, BUT THE BULB SEEMINGLY HAS OVERHEATED, MELTING BOTH THE BULB GLASS AND THE INSIDE OF THE LENS ASSEMBLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT ALSO RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V112000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EQUIPPED WITH HANKOOK DYNAPRO HT TIRE, SIZE: P225-70-16T, AND DOT NUMBER: 7ADHUH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE DEFLATED. THE CONTACT ADDED AIR TO THE TIRE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE TIRE BELT WAS SEPARATED AND BUBBLING. THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,995.

VEHICLE HAD LOST SOME WATER/COOLANT AND BEGAN TO GET HOT. REPLACED FLUID AND DROVE HOME. KEPT LOOSING FLUID, SO I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP. THEY THOUGHT IT HAD A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP WHICH DISCOVERED THAT 3-4 OF THE HEAD BOLTS ARE STRIPPED; THEY ARE STEEL AND THE BLOCK IS ALUMINUM. REPAIR KIT EXISTS AND HAS BEEN ORDERED. SO, TOYOTA MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND COULD HAVE ISSUED AN ADVISORY TO ALL OWNERS. EXPECTED THIS MOTOR TO LAST 150-250 THOU MILES, BUT THIS IS A BUILT IN PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. TOYOTA SHOULD COVER THE REPAIR COSTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT OR UNLATCH INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE MOONROOF. WHEN I OPENED UP THE MOONROOF SHADE THE MOONROOF WAS GONE. THE MOONROOF HAD BEEN RIPPED AWAY FROM THE GLUE AND FLEW UP INTO THE AIR. *TR