2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

DRIVER WAS HIT ON LEFT FRONT SIDE OF VEHICLE BY ONCOMING CAR IN EXCESS OF 40 MPH AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLY.*AK

CHECK ENGINE AND ABS BRAKE LIGHT COME ON AT THE SAME TIME; AFTER A WHILE UPON RESTARTING THE ABS BRAKE GOES OFF AND THE CHECK ENGINE STAYS ON FOR A FEW HOURS THEN GOES OFF UPON RESTARTING.*AK

SUN ROOF LEAKING EVEN WITH SUNROOF COMPLETELY CLOSED. SEEMS TO BE NO DRAIN LINES FROM DRAIN HOLES IN SUNROOF COMPARTMENT. WATER DRAINS INTO CAR WELL ON PASSENGER WELL IN FRONT OF CAR. ALSO HAVE HAD WIND NOISE COMING FROM LEFT AREA OF CAR- THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE ROOF RACK. DEALERSHIP CHECK OUT & COULD NOT FIND NOISE. THEY ALSO REMOVED LEFT PANEL OF CAR AROUND WINDSHIELD AND WHEEL WELL TO LOOK FOR NOISE. *AK

WHILE IN A CAR WASH DRIVER RELEASED PRESSURE FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD, HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT BOUNCED BACK AND SURGED FORWARD AGAIN, HITTING A WALL. ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF BY THE DRIVER. MANUFACTURER WAS SUPPOSED TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM, BUT NEVER INFORMED THE CONSUMER OF THE FINDINGS. *AK

THE FRONT MUDFLAPS ARE BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. I DID NOTHIT ANYTHING TO CAUSE THEM TO FAIL. AS I DRIVE AROUND, I NOTICE THAT ALMOST ALL HL'S HAVE BROKEN FRONT MUDFLAPS.*AK THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST, EVEN IF OUT OF WARRANTY.

ENGINE OIL SLUDGE. THE ESTIMATED COST OF OUR ENGINE PROBLEM WAS $7,200 (CANADIAN) AND IT STARTED AT 38,000 KM (24,000 MILES). THE MATTER WAS RESOLVED WHEN WE DUG UP AN OLD OIL CHANGE SLIP THAT MY WIFE AND I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT ALTOGETHER. BEFORE THE DISCOVERY WE WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE A RECEIPT FOR EACH YEAR THAT WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR SO TOYOTA INSISTED THAT IT WAS CUSTOMER NEGLIGENCE THAT RESULTED IN THE OIL SLUDGE. TOP ENGINE BLOCK WAS REPLACED AND WE GOT OFF SCOTT FREE. WHEN AN OIL LEAK WAS DETECTED AFTER A WEEK OF GETTING THE CAR BACK FROM THE SHOP, WE BROUGHT IT BACK IN AND THEY FIXED IT AGAIN - NO CHARGE. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS A BIT LIKE DAVID KNOCKING OUT GOLIATH.

OIL SLUDGE ISSUE. THE TOYOTA WAS IN THE SHOP FOR 1.5 WEEKS. THE FINAL BILL DID NOT INCLUDE ANY TOTALS, BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED PARTS ALONE WERE CLOSE TO $1600. WE WERE VERY DISTURBED WITH TOYOTA'S POSITION THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE AND THAT THEY WOULD ONLY REPAIR THIS ISSUE ONCE WITHIN THE FIRST EIGHT YEARS. THEY INDICATED THAT WE FOLLOWED THE WRONG MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE OF NORMAL RATHER THAN SEVERE CONDITIONS FOR FLORIDA. CONSIDERING THE OWNERS MANUAL DOES NOT SPECIFY THIS, AND THAT I OWN A LEXUS THAT HAS NO SIGNS OF PROBLEM AFTER FOLLOWING THE SAME SCHEDULE, WE WERE DISAPPOINTED WITH THEIR RESPONSE. SINCE THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALERSHIP COULD GIVE US NO GUARANTEE THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE, EVEN IF THEY CHANGED THE OIL EVERY 5000 MILES AS HE DIRECTED, WE TURNED AROUND AND TRADED THE VEHICLE IN ON A HONDA THE SAME DAY. I DID CONTACT SW TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ACCUSED US OF THE SAME FAULTY MAINTENANCE AS THE SERVICE MANAGER. IT WAS OBVIOUS AFTER SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS THAT TOYOTA NO LONGER STANDS FOR QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. AS I INDICATED TO THEM IN A RECENT EMAIL AND A LETTER THAT I AM CURRENTLY DRAFTING, THEY HAVE LOST A TOYOTA OWNER FOREVER. NOW THAT WE HAVE DIVESTED OURSELVES OF THE HIGHLANDER, I PLAN TO SELL THE LEXUS AS WELL. I KNOW YOU DIDN'T NEED TO HEAR ALL THIS, BUT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. TOYOTA HONORED ITS CSP (ONCE IN EIGHT YEARS), BUT I UNSURE HOW MUCH THE REPAIR COST WERE.

MY HIGHLANDER HAD SLUDGE IN THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE WAS CLEANED OUT. I WAS TOLD THAT IF I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3,000 MILES INSTEAD OF 7,500.00 THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN. THE TOYOTA MANUEL STATES EVERY 7,500. REMEMBER MY CAR ONLY HAS 18,202 MILES ON IT. IT'S NOT EVEN 2 YR OLD YET. THE SERVICE ADVISOR ASSURED ME THAT IF I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 3,000 AND NOT EVERY 7,500 LIKE THE MANUAL SAYS THAT IF THIS HAPPEN AGAIN THEY WOULD COVER THE PROBLEM.

ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING RIGHT AT 25,000. CAR GAVE NO SIGN OF FAILURE OR ANYTIME OF PROBLEM. OIL CHANGES WAS PERFORMED EVERY 5000/MI AND CAR WAS RUNNING FINE UNTIL THE LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH AND WE TOOK CAR TO CONCORD TOYOTA TO CHECK ON THE ENGINE LIHT PROBLEM. CONCORD TOYOTA SAID THE ENGINE WAS BURNED IN AND OUT DUE TO LACK OF OIL AND BLAMED THA CUSTOMER FOR POOR MAINTENANCE TO THE CAR AND REFUSE TO FIX THE CAR UNDER THE WARRANTY. IT'S BEEN 3MONTHS THAT CONCORD TOYOTA STILL HAS POSSESSION OF THE CAR WITH THE ENGINE OPENED APART AND STILL REFUSED TO COVER UNDER THE WARRANTY.

I HAVE A 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER VEHICLE. AT TIMES, WHEN SPEEDS EXCEED 65 MPH THE REARVIEW SIDE MIRRORS CREATE A WHISTLING SOUND. THE DEALER HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE AND TOLD ME HE COULD NOT TEST THE VEHICLE AT THAT SPEED, BUT SEVERAL HIGHWAYS AROUND MEMPHIS, TN PERMIT SPEEDS OF 65 AND 70 MPH. *NLM