2001 Toyota Highlander

THE SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT STAY UP WHEN PLACED IN THE POSITION TO BLOCK THE SUN COMING INTO THE WINDSHIELD. IT DROPS DOWN INTO THE STRAIGHT DOWN POSITION WHICH BLOCKS MOST OF THE VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. WE CAN'T USE THE VISOR TO BLOCK THE SUN, SO WE HAVE TO DRIVE WITH IT SHINING INTO OUR EYES. IT ISN'T SAFE. *JB

WIFE COMPLAINED OF INTERMITTENT GAS SMELL IN 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER,V-6/AWD, FOR 2-3 WEEKS. I CHECKED IT MORE THAN ONCE FOR LEAKING UNDER HOOD AND UNDER FRONT OF ENGINE; COULD NOT FIND SOURCE. ON 10/27/06 I STARTED CAR FOR 2-3 MINUTES TO POSITION IN FRONT OF GARAGE TO INSTALL FRONT BRAKE PADS. SHUT OFF AND STARTED TO JACK WHEN I NOTICED GAS DRIPS ON CEMENT, COMING FROM ABOVE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND DRIPPING DOWN & OFF STILL FAIRLY COOL EXHAUST PIPE REAR BANK OF V-6 . STARTED ENGINE AGAIN, CHECKED FOR LEAKS; NOTHING DETECTED. TOLD MY WIFE IT WAS INTERMITTENT, I FINALLY SAW LEAK EVIDENCE & FOR HER TO TAKE TO DEALER TO FIND THE LEAK; IT WAS ENOUGH TO BE DANGEROUS. SHE DIDN'T GET IN ON MONDAY 10/30/06 & WAS GOING TO DROP OFF ON WAY HOME 10/31/06 WHEN SMELL GOT VERY BAD AND IT DIDN'T RUN WELL. SHE BARELY GOT IT TO DEALER AND SERVICE WRITER TOLD HER TO TURN IT OFF IMMEDIATELY WHEN HE SMELLED SO MUCH GASOLINE LEAKAGE. DEALER FOUND FUEL "DAMPENER" LEAKING & REPLACED AT 52,980 MILES. I ASKED FOR POSSESSION OF FAILED PART; DAMPER- P/N 233270-62011. IT FITS IN MY CLOSED HAND, COST $97 & THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE A LOT OF WORK TO REPLACE. CHARGE WAS $426.00 BUT WAS LOWERED TO $310 WHEN WIFE REMINDED THEM THAT THEY BETTER HAVE SAVED THE REMOVED PART AS I WANTED THE FAILED PART TO EXAMINE. WITH FAILED PART, I CHECKED WHERE IT WAS LOCATED AND THAT I COULD HAVE REPLACED IT MYSELF, WITHOUT REMOVING ANYTHING TO GET AT DAMPER, WITHIN 10 MINUTES. CHECKED FOR PRICE & AVAILABILITY OF PART WITH ANOTHER LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER; PARTS MAN SAID "AH, THE OLD GASOLINE SMELL IN THE CABIN PROBLEM." SAID HE SELLS THEM FAIRLY REGULARLY. LIST WAS ONLY $80 -$85, I COULD GET OVER-THE-COUNTER FOR $65 (PART PROBABLY ONLY $10 TO MAKE). MAY BE ROOT-CAUSE OF ODI #10089800 REPORT OF ENGINE CATCHING-ON-FIRE WHILE DRIVING. SURPRISED THERE HAVEN'T BEEN REPORTS OF MORE FIRES ON HIGHLANDERS AND CAMRYS WHICH THIS ENGINE/DRIVETRAIN IS COMMON WITH. ACTUAL FAILURE RATE & FIRE RISK SHOULD BE EVALUATED BY TOYOTA. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH ON A STREET WITH AN INFANT SEAT RESTRAINED WITH THE LAP AND SHOULDER BELT IN THE REAR, THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT COMPLETELY FLIPPED OVER WITH THE INFANT INSIDE. ALTHOUGH THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING, NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE INFANT SEAT WAS A GRACO, SNUG RIDE, MODEL # 8643DDH2, DATE OF MANUFACTURE 12-03-2005. UPDATED 11/9/2006 - *NM

I OWN A 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, 85000 MILES. 3 WEEKS AGO THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. I HAD A TRANSMISSION SHOP REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION AND WHEN TAKING IT APART, THEY FOUND 4 PLANETARY GEARS THAT HAD SUSTAINED RANDOM BREAKING AND CHIPPING. THIS APPEARS TO BE A QUALITY ISSUE. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA AT CORPORATE AND DEALERSHIP LEVELS AND REQUESTED I BE INFORMED OF ANY SECRET WARRANTIES THAT EXIST TO COVER THIS EXPENSE. I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH A NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED OFF THE ROAD WHERE IT STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO SLUDGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO THE DEALER ONCE BEFORE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE WAS CLEANED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED.

ON SEPTEMBER 3RD 2005 AT 11:30 PM WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON INTERSTATE 5 -15 MILES SOUTH OF SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA I EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE (SIDEWALL BLOWOUT SEPARATION OF SIDEWALL FROM TREAD) ON ONE OF MY REAR BRIDGESTONE P22570S16 BSDLRAPT30 DUELER AT TIRES. THIS TIRE HAD LESS THAN 13,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS INFLATED TO 32 PSI. THE RODE-WAY SURFACE WAS IN GOOD CONDITION. ON SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 4TH 2005 I WENT TO SEARS WHERE I PURCHASED THE SET OF FOUR TIRES TO HAVE THE DAMAGED ONE REPLACED. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE REMAINING THREE TIRES FOR SIDEWALL DAMAGE AND IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE INSTALLATION TECHNICIAN I DECIDED THAT BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT AND A STATEMENT BY THE TECH THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS TIRE, I REPLACED ALL FOUR WITH ANOTHER BRAND. SEARS OFFERED TO GIVE ME FULL CREDIT FOR TWO FOR THE FOUR TIRES TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF ANOTHER BRAND OF TIRE. *JB