2002 Toyota Highlander

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED ALL OF THE DOORS TO LOCK. THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO BE TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE DURING EXTREME HEAT. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BROKE THE REAR WINDOW TO RELEASE THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT FELT CONSTANT WEAKNESS IN THE HEAD DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT EXPOSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,050 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,106.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISORS WOULD RELEASE DOWNWARDLY WITHOUT INTENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. THE SUN VISORS WOULD BE PLACED IN THE UPWARD POSITION UPON RELEASING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND TEMPORARILY DISTORTED THE VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO BOTH STATED THAT THE ENTIRE SUN VISOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

THE HEATER WOULD NOT PROVIDE HOT AIR. I PUSHED IN ON THE SWITCH AND THE HEAT WOULD WORK AS LONG AS I HELD THE SWITCH PUSHED IN (NOT DESIGNED TO BE PUSHED - ROTARY SELECTOR). EVENTUALLY, EVEN PRESSING THE SWITCH IN WOULD NOT WORK. I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND A DISCUSSION BLOG THAT DISCUSSED MY EXACT ISSUE. I FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDATION AND PULLED THE FACE COVER OFF, REMOVED THE CONTROL PANEL AND DISCOVERED EXACTLY WHAT HAD BEEN DESCRIBED - A BROKEN SINGLE STRAND WIRE THAT RAN TO THE BACK OF THE SWITCH. I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE REPAIR USING A MULTI-STRAND WIRE AS RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE DEALER REPAIR OPTION WAS $1,000. THE HEATER APPEARS TO WORK -SLIGHTLY, BUT NOW I HAVE NO AC. I THINK THE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS DAMAGED BY THE SOLDERING IRON HEAT. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN THE SEATTLE AREA, THIS CAUSES ISSUES WITH THE WINDOW DEFOGGER AS WELL AS HAVING NO AC. *TR

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SUN VISORS ON MY 2002 HIGHLANDER. THE VISORS SEEM OVERLY HEAVY AND DUE TO THE NORMAL VIBRATIONS IN THE CAR THEY FREQUENTLY FALL DOWN, WHICH IS QUITE DISCONCERTING WHEN DRIVING! I'VE TALKED TO TOYOTA BUT THEY MENTION THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE TENSION AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PAY 700.00 TO GET THEM FIXED. I'M CONCERNED AS IT LOOKS TO BE A DESIGN FAULT (I.E. BOTH VISORS ARE FALLING DOWN, DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE THINGS) AND I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR NEW ONES TO BE IN EXACTLY THE SAME SITUATION IN 18 MONTHS TIME. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AAND MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THIS PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS. *TT

DRIVER/S SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP. WHILE DRIVING, IT SUDDENLY DROPS OBSCURING MY VISION AND PUTTING THE DRIVER AT EXTREME RISK FOR AN ACCIDENT (IMPAIRED VISION OF THE ROAD). THERE IS NO APPARENT WAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SHORT OF REPLACING THE SUN VISOR (ESTIMATED COST OF APPROX. $700 PER BLOGS). THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY MANY OWNERS OF 2002 HIGHLANDERS AS EXEMPLIFIED VIA "COMPLAINT" POSTINGS. *TR

REAR-RIGHT BREAK LIGHT NOT WORKING. REPLACE BULB AND DID NOT WORK. CHECKED SOCKET AND ALL IS FINE BUT BREAK LIGHT STILL NOT WORKING. I HAVE RESEARCH THIS FOR A WHILE AND NO SOLUTION. THESE SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION. DEFINITIVELY A SAFETY ISSUE. I ALREADY GOT A TICKET FROM POLICE FOR NOT HAVING THESE LIGHTS IN WORKING CONDITION.

PASSENGER RIGHT REAR BRAKE INTERMITTENT. TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. BULB, LIGHT SOCKET, WIRING, FUSE ALL CHECKED GOOD. THE ISSUE HAS NOT GONE AWAY. TODAY I WAS STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE OF MY PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHT NOT WORKING. I TOLD THE OFFICER ABOUT WHAT I DID TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND THAT I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT I DID TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, THE POLICE OFFICER EXPLAINED TO ME THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE BRAKE LIGHT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM THIS EVENING AND FOUND 10 WEB SITES ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER RIGHT REAR BRAKE INTERMITTENT OR NOT WORKING. I FOUND ONE COMMON THREAD WAS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMPLAINTS WAS ON THE 2002 MODEL AND A FEW ON 2003. *TR

THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW & POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THE SUN VISORS FAIL & DROP DOWN IN FRONT ON YOU, NO LONGER STAYING AT A PROPER ANGLE OR STAYING UP. I CUT ONE OPEN & FOUND THAT THE PIVOTING PIN IS COATED IN PLASTIC & HELD IN PLACE BY A METAL CLIP. OVER TIME THE PLASTIC CRACKS & FALLS OFF THE METAL PIN CAUSING THE LOSS OF THE REQUIRED FRICTION TO HOLD THE VISOR SECURELY IN PLACE. MY 1ST REPAIR WAS TO REFORM THE PIN WITH EPOXY, BUT THE FORCE FROM THE METAL CLIP WAS TOO MUCH AND IT FAILED IN A FEW MONTHS. THE NEXT FIX WAS TO CUT THE VISOR OPEN AGAIN & FORCE THE PART OF THE PIN STILL COVERED IN THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC COATING DEEPER INTO THE METAL CLIP. THAT REPAIR LASTED UNTIL NOW. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE, BUT NOW I CAN NOT REPAIR IT AND NOT DOING SO WOULD BE A DRIVING HAZARD. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ONLINE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING BY NOW. *JS

2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. CONSUMER STATES AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING A COLLISION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED A VAN PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF HUSBAND WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH. THE IMPACT WAS AT 45-50 MPH. THE CONSUMER'S HUSBAND HIT HIS HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND SUFFERED AMNESIA AND THE CONSUMER SUFFERED A NECK INJURY. *JB