2014 Toyota Highlander

A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS PURCHASED IN 2/2014.THE CUSTOMER NOTICED WATER COMING INSIDE THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE SEAT BELT A-FRAME PANEL CAUSING THE INTERIOR FLOOR TO BECOME WET WITH STANDING WATER.UPON DEALERSHIP INSPECTION IN 2/2015, BLACK MOLD WAS FOUND FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE EXTENDING TO THE TRUNK.THE BLACK MOLD FOUND WAS EXTENSIVE PENTRATING THE CARPETS, THE SOUND BARRIER FOAM INTO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE.DUE TO THE EXTENT OF THE MOLD FOUND, THE DEALERSHIP NOTIFIED THE CUSTOMER THAT CORPORATE WOULD NEED TO BE INVOLVED, AS THIS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DEALT WITH AT THEIR LEVEL. WHEN THE CUSTOMER MET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF TOYOTA CORPORATE,THE CUSTOMER WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS THE 3RD VEHICLE THAT THE REP HAD IN THEIR TERRITORY. THE CUSTOMER LEARNED OF AN INTERNAL TOYOTA DOCUMENT THAT SPECIFIES THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURER?S DEFECT THAT OCCURRED DURING THE BUILD PROCESS (T-TT-0322-15). THE DOCUMENT DESCRIBES THE KNOWN ISSUE WITH A KINKED SUNROOF DRAIN THAT LEADS TO WATER INTRUSION AND MOLD.WHEN ASKED WHY THIS WAS NOT RECALLED DUE TO THE HEALTH EXPOSURE OF BLACK MOLD, THE REP RESPONDED THAT THIS WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE LIKE A BRAKE FAILURE.THE REMEDIATION PROCESS OUTLINED BY THE CORPORATE REP WAS INADEQUATE AS IT DID NOT REMEDY THE SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE OF THE ENTIRE VEHICLE. TOYOTA COULD NOT PRODUCE ANY DOCUMENTATION THAT SUGGESTS A THOROUGH EVALUATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS OR CERTIFIED THAT THEIR PROCESS WILL RECTIFY THE MOLD EXPOSURE. THE CUSTOMER HAS PHOTOS OF THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, THE INTERNAL TOYOTA DOCUMENT SPECIFYING THIS DEFECT AND EMAILS WITH TOYOTA THAT DEMONSTRATE A LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO ADDRESS THIS FROM A HEALTH AND SAFETY PERSPECTIVE BUT RATHER FROM A CORPORATE LOSS STANDPOINT. TOYOTA?S ACTIONS SEEM UNWILLING TO HELP DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION REGARDING A KNOWN TECHNICAL ISSUE LEADING TO THE WATER INTRUSION AND BLACK MOLD. *TR

PURCHASED NEW 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN MAY 2014, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30 DAYS OF OWNERSHIP A FOUL ODOR BEGAN TO EMIT FROM A/C UNIT WHENEVER VEHICLE WAS STARTED. AFTER 3 TRIPS TO SELLING DEALER TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM I WAS GIVEN TOYOTA T-SB-0142-13 WHICH INFORMS ME THAT THERE ARE 23 TOYOTA VEHICLES WHICH MAY EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP ATTEMPTED TO PLACE BLAME ON VARIOUS ITEMS BUT, SINCE TOYOYA PUBLISHED A TSB IT LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM BUT IS NOT WANTING IT TO BECOME KNOWN AS IT MIGHT IMPACT THEIR SELLING VEHICLES. MY A/C EXPERIENCE LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY AN IMPROPERRLY DESIGNED A/C SYSTEM WHICH IS FAILING TO DRAIN ALL THE MOISTURE FROM THE A/C SYSTEM THEREBY ALLOWING MOLD, MILDEW, ALGAE TO GROWN IN THE UNDRAINED LEFT OVER WATER IN A/C SYSTEM.

THIS COMPLAINT RELATES TO TRANSMISSION SHIFT SEQUENCES. WHEN STARTING OUT, THE TRANSMISSION IS IN FOURTH GEAR. IF YOU ARE AT SAY A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ARE MAKING A LEFT TURN, AND THEN NEED TO MAKE A RAPID ACCELERATION, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS DOWN TO A LOWER GEAR, PROBABLY 1ST GEAR. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT TORQUE STEER THAT AN INEXPERIENCED DRIVER WOULD FIND VERY DISTURBING. ALSO, WHEN TRAVELING 60 - 70 MILES PER HOUR AND YOU SHIFT FROM "DRIVE" TO "S" POSITION, THE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO FOURTH GEAR WITH A RESULTANT SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN RPM'S. IT WOULD SEEM LOGICAL THAT WHEN YOU SHIFT FROM "DRIVE" TO "S", YOU SHOULD REFLECT THE SAME GEAR THAT "DRIVE" WAS IN. WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR A 5,000 MILE CHECK UP, MY DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO RELATED TO TRANSMISSION PROGRAMMING. SECOND ISSUE, SAME VEHICLE, REFERS TO THE INSTALLATION OF MUFFLER AND TAILPIPE, WHICH CAUSES TAILPIPE TO BE THE LOWEST ITEM UNDER VEHICLE RESULTING IN IT DRAGGING THE GROUND IN CERTAIN INSTANCES; I.E., GOING UP A STEEP DRIVEWAY. DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING TO RAISE MUFFLER/TAILPIPE. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER CONSISTENTLY INDICATED THAT I AM TRAVELING 2 TO 3 MPH MORE THAN MY ACTUAL SPEED. THE HIGHLANDER IS FACTORY ORIGINAL WITH NO AFTERMARKET PARTS INSTALLED. THIS ISSUE WAS OBSERVED WHILE TRAVELING CROSS COUNTRY AND OBSERVING THE PLETHORA OF RADAR SPEED INDICATORS ALONG I-80 AND COMPARING TO THE INDICATOR IN THE HIGHLANDER ALONG WITH DIGITAL INDICATION ON BOTH GPS AND IPHONE APPS. I MENTIONED THIS THE TOYOTA WHILE PERFORMING THE FIRST SERVICE ON THE VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT THE SUPPOSED ISSUE. ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUES AS FAR AS I KNOW, BUT IT IS AN IRRITATION. *JS

I PURCHASED THE ABOVE IN JULY 12, 2014. THIS VEHICLE HAS MICHELIN LATITUDE TOUR TIRES. THIS VEHICLE HYDROPLANES VERY BAD. I AM TELLING YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART IF THIS IS NOT CORRECTED, LIVES WILL BE LOST. YOU COULD FEEL THE VEHICLE FLOATING. IT SCARED ME TO DEATH, EVERYTHING WAS OUT OF MY CONTROL, AND I WAS GOING SLOW. I HAD A PASSENGER WITH ME. MY VEHICLE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO, MY FRIEND PURCHASED A 2015 HIGHLANDER LIMITED, NOT MUCH RAIN AT ALL AND HYDROPLANED. HER VEHICLE HAD DIFFERENT TIRES. IT HAS HAPPENED OTHER TIMES. I THINK IT IS IN ALL HIGHLANDER 2014 AND UP AND XLE AND UP. I AM GOING TO THE DEALER, HOWEVER, I DO NOT EXPECT MUCH. I WANT TO VOICE MY CONCERNS BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT ANYONE HURT. *TR

2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED HAS BEGUN MAKING NOISE WHEN TRAVELING RELATIVELY SLOW (<30MPH) ON A NORMAL ROAD. WHEN THERE'S A VERY MINOR BUMP, A SQUEAKY SOUND WILL COME FROM THE REAR. IT'S NOT SO NOTICEABLE ON THE FREEWAY (PERHAPS FEWER VIBRATIONS AND/OR THE THE WIND NOISE OVERPOWERS IT). UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION (RIDING IN THE BACK AND LISTENING FOR THE SOURCE), IT'S COMING FROM THE REAR-HATCH DOOR/CAR GAP NEAR THE BOTTOM CORNERS. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE THE POWERED HATCH ISN'T FULLY TIGHT AND THE WEATHERSTRIP IS RUBBING. HOWEVER, THE DOOR DOESN'T FEEL OR APPEAR LOOSE AT ALL. *TR

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AND THE VEHICLE JERK. THEN A WARNING SIGN APPEAR ON THE DASH THAT SAID EPS FAILURE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN. I BEGAN TO STRUGGLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AT THAT POINT IT WAS LOCK. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS; I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO AN EMPTY PARKING SPACE, PARKED THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO DICK DYER IN COLUMBIA SC. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHAT WAS ACTUALLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. AT THIS TIME, THEY THINK THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN STATED HE HAS NEVER SEEN SUCH A PROBLEM BEFORE AND WAS NOT SURE HOW TO FIX IT. I DID NOT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM DICK DYER INSTEAD I PURCHASED IT FROM SPARKS TOYOTA IN MYRTLE BEACH SC. THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE CENTRAL OFFICE. I WAS TOLD BY THE CENTRAL OFFICE TO COMPLETE THE ARBITRATION PROCESS. I AM IN PROCESS OF DOING THIS NOW. AT THIS TIME, I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND INSTEAD WOULD LIKE A DIFFERENT VEHICLE. AT DICK DYER NO ONE WANTED TO SIGN OFF ON THE SERVICE INVOICE STATING THE CAR IS FIX. I FEEL NO ONE WANTS TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY FUTURE ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE IF THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

FACTORY INSTALLED GPS SYSTEM WHEN SET TO A DESTINATION WILL TAKE YOU OFF THE MAIN ROAD JUST PRIOR TO YOUR DESTINATION AND DIRECT YOU IN CIRCLES THEN TELL YOU TO GET BACK ON THE MAIN ROAD THAT YOU JUST GOT OFF OF. THIS CREATES AN ISSUE AS ONE TIME IT TOOK US IN A UNDESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOOD; BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WILL TAKE YOU CRUISING IN UNKNOWN NEIGHBORHOOD'S BEFORE IT TELLS YOU TO GET BACK ON THE MAIN ROAD YOU WERE JUST ON. ON OTHER OCCASIONS IT WILL TELL YOU TO TAKE SAY A RIGHT TURN THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER TELL YOU TO TAKE A LEFT TURN CAUSING YOU TO ERRATICALLY CHANGE LANES AND MAKE TURNS. *TR