2014 Toyota Highlander

BLUETOOTH STOPPED WORKING. WHEN MY PHONE WOULD BE PLUGGED IN, THE CAR WILL RANDOMLY DISCONNECT FROM ITSELF FROM THE PHONE. TOUCHSCREEN WOULD ZAP IN AND OUT UNTIL IT WOULD FINALLY SHUT OFF. GOT SUSPENDED FROM WORK FOR TWO WEEKS BECAUSE MY CAR WOULD NOT START (I HAD NO OTHER TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO WORK). TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH BATTERY. IT HAS TO BE SOMETHING WITH THE SOFTWARE.

THE POWER LIFT GATE ACTUATORS ONLY WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AND CAUSED US TO CLOSE/OPEN BY HAND. THIS OCCURRED WHILE PARKED. THIS EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A LEAK IN THE DRIVER SIDE ACTUATOR. A REVIEW OF THE NHTSA WEBSITE SHOWED THAT OF THE 54 COMPLAINTS LISTED 14 CONCERNED THE POWER LIFT GATES. THAT IS ABOUT 25%. I HAD TO HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE BOTH AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOT A RECALL. THEY SUGGESTED I CALL TOYOTA DIRECTLY. TOYOTA REP SAID THEY COULD NOT REIMBURSE ME AFTER THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETE. NO SUGGESTION AS TO REPLACING MY CAR WHILE IT WAITED IN SHOP FOR ACTION FROM TOYOTA. HOWEVER TOYOTA DID PAY FOR HALF OF THE REPAIR ($1000) AND STATED THAT IF A RECALL OCCURRED AT A LATER DATE WE COULD REVISIT THE COST OF THE OTHER ACTUATOR. SINCE THERE ARE SO MANY COMPLAINTS RE THIS PROBLEM I HOPE THIS NOTIFICATION MIGHT LEAD TO OTHER DOCUMENTATION OF SIMILAR ISSUES AND MAYBE A RECALL. AT THIS TIME I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD MY COMPLAINT RE THE RADIO/ENTUNE SYSTEM GOING BLACK AND THEN TURNING BACK ON, THIS SEEMS TO BE THE MOST FREQUENT COMPLAINT.

MY HIGHLANDER HAS HAD A TOTAL OF 14 (INCLUDING THE 4 ORIGINAL) DOOR ACTUATORS IN THE 4 PASSENGER DOORS. THE 1ST FAILED AT ABOUT 13K MILES. I HAVE ABOUT 75K MILES NOW. AS SOON AS (OR SHORTLY AFTER) A FAILED ONE HAS BEEN REPLACED, THE ISSUE TRAVELS TO ANOTHER DOOR. THAT PATTERN HAS CONTINUED TO REACH THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ACTUATORS SO FAR. THE 15TH ACTUATOR WILL SOON BE INSTALLED. TOYOTA WOULD NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ISSUE ONCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, EVEN THOUGH IT ORIGINATED LONG BEFORE WARRANTY EXPIRATION. I DON'T BELIEVE THE ACTUATORS ARE ACTUALLY THE PROBLEM, BUT POSSIBLY WHATEVER COMPUTER OR DEVICE IS SENDING THE SIGNAL TO THE DOORS TO LOCK/UNLOCK. IT HAPPENS WITH EITHER THE REMOTE OR THE LOCKING CONTROLS ON THE DOORS ITSELF. I CONSIDER IT A SAFETY AND INCONVENIENCE ISSUE WHEN YOU CANNOT RELY ON THE DOORS TO LOCK OR UNLOCK UPON COMMAND. UPON LEAVING THE CAR, YOU'RE NEVER QUITE SURE IF THE CAR IS SAFELY SECURED. BEING THE PRIMARY DRIVER, I'M NOT CERTAIN IF THE AFFECTED DOOR DU JOUR IS LOCKING UPON PUTTING THE CAR IN DRIVE, WHICH COULD BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THE "BAD ACTUATOR" WILL ALSO NOT OPEN FREQUENTLY, WHICH IS A HUGE INCONVENIENCE IF RAIN IS POURING AND YOU HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE RIGHT ONLY LANE AND SEE THE RED LIGHT ON THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL. IT IS NOT A BUSY STREET. AND THERE IS A CAR IN FRONT OF MINE. I APPLIED BRAKES AND THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE CAR DID NOT STOP AND TRIED BY PUSHING THE BRAKES IN FULL THROTTLE. IT DID NOT WORK AND MY CAR BUMPED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I TOWED MY CAR AND HAD MY CAR INSPECTED AT DEALERSHIP. THE REPORT WAS GREEN AND SO NO ISSUES. AND FILED A CASE WITH TOYOTA TO HAVE THE BLACK BOX REVIEWED. TOYOTA REPORTED NO ISSUES. AT THIS TIME I AM HELPLESS AND HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERN OF RUNNING INTO THE SAME ISSUE PUTTING MY AND OTHERS LIFE AT RISK.

ONE DAY I FIND A WATER UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT AND UNDER THE PASSENGER SEATTLE AND THE BACK SEAT TOO SO I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT DRAIN CLOGGED DUE TO A LOT OF RAIN AND DEBRIS AND THEY ASK ME TO CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE A LOT OF CARS PARK THERE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND I TOLD THEM I HAVE A WARRANTY ON THE CAR AND THEY SAID IT DOESN'T MATTER AND THEY DON'T WANT TO FIX IT WITH THE FACTORY WARRANTY AND THAT FLOOD CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT OR FIRE BECOUSE ALL THE WIRE THERE

THE REAR TRUNK DOOR OF MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IS NOT FUNCTIONING AS EXPECTED. THE MOTORS THAT POWER THE ACTUATORS OF THE TRUNK DOOR ARE NOT WORKING AND WE HAVE TO MANUALLY OPEN AND CLOSE THE TRUNK DOOR. SOMETIMES WE DO NOT REALIZE IF THE TRUNK IS CLOSED OR NOT WHICH CREATES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN. TOYOTA WAS HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS IN THE 2008 TO 2013 HIGHLANDER MODELS BUT THE SAME ISSUE STILL PERSISTS IN THE 2014 MODELS ALSO. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AT IRVING, TX AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE MOTOR POWERING THE ACTUATORS WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED AND TOYOTA COVERS IT AS PART OF WARRANTY. SINCE THE VEHICLE'S FACTORY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN THIS YEAR THEY ADVISED ME THAT I WILL HAVE TO BEAR THE COST OF REPAIR AND PARTS.