2015 Toyota Highlander

I RECEIVED MY RECALL LETTER FOR THE EPS ECU UNIT 5/13. INSPECTION WOULD TAKE 1.5 HOURS, REPLACEMENT 2.5 HOURS OR LONGER DEPENDING ON THE DEALER'S WORK SCHEDULE. THE FIRST AVAILABLE APPT AT THE DEALERSHIP WAS 5/20. ON 5/20 I DROVE TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR A MORNING APPOINTMENT AND IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT MY VEHICLE HAD THE PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PART, WOULD KEEP MY VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD PROVIDE A LOANER. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ON 5/27 FOR AN UPDATE. WAS TOLD THE PART DID NOT ARRIVE BUT IT WAS EXPECTED THE NEXT DAY. THEY WOULD CALL WITH AN UPDATE ON 5/28. NO CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON 5/28 SO I CALLED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER (CEC) AND WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER. ON 6/1, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE PART STILL HAD NOT ARRIVED BUT HAD BEEN SHIPPED. I CALLED MY CEC REP AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DELAY. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE REPAIR PARTS HAVE BEEN ON BACK ORDER SINCE LAST MONTH AND THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ARRIVING SOMETIME DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE. I ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION OF THE INFORMATION DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE LETTER, TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THE DEALERSHIP ON THE PART AVAILABILITY FOR THIS RECALL . I ALSO ASKED WHAT TOYOTA'S DEFINITION OF A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WAS FOR ADDRESSING THIS RECALL AND MY REP WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN ANSWER SUGGESTING THAT THE TIME VARIED BY STATE. DAY 13 HAS PASSED AND NEITHER MY DEALERSHIP NOR TOYOTA SEEM HAVE A CLUE WHEN THIS WILL BE RESOLVED. IN ADDITION, BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND TOYOTA WERE INFORMED DURING OUR INITAL CONVERSATIONS THAT I HAVE A CROSS-COUNTRY RELOCATION SCHEDULED FOR 6/8. MY REP SAID SHE WOULD CALL ME ON JUNE 4 TO SEE HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING. WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE IN THE RECALL LETTER THIS WAS LESS THAN A ONE DAY PROJECT WHEN INDEED THERE IS AND HAS BEEN A SERIOUS SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEM. HONESTY FROM TOYOTA ON DAY ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE.

I TOOK MY 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER TO FRED ANDERSON TOYOTA IN RALEIGH FOR A RECALL ON THE CIRUIT BOARD FOR THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. THEY FOUND THAT MY CAR CONTAINED THE DEFECCTIVE PART AND WERE UNABLE TO PROVIDE ME AN ETA ON THE REPLACEMENT PART. THE DEALERSHIIP PROVIDED A CAMRY RENTAL CAR, NOT A COMPARABLE VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE REASON I PURCHASED THE HIGHLANDER WAS BECUASE MY FAMILY NEED A LARGE SUV. I TRADED IN A CAR FOR AN SUV AND HAVE RECEIVED A CAR BACK FROM THEM. I HAVE LEFT MESSAGES FOR THE RENTAL CAR MANAGER AND HE HAS NOT RETURNED MY CALLS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATES THATT SEVERAL HIGHLANDERS HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS PART FOR OVER A MONTH NOW, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. IT COULD BE OVER A MONTH BEFORE I GET MY BRAND NEW VEHICLE BACK (NO ONE CAN TELL ME), AND I'M STUCK WITH A VEHICLE THAT DOES NOT MEET MY FAMILIES DAILY NEEDS. I CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE AND THEY HAVE OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V144000(STEERING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.

I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL ON MAY 12 ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING. I TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER ON MAY 13, AND WAS TOLD LATER THAT DAY THAT MY CAR DID INDEED HAVE ONE OF THE UNITS DEEMED DEFECTIVE. I WAS GIVEN A LOANER CAR AT NO CHARGE. EVERYTHING SEEMED OK, BUT NOW IT IS 10 DAYS LATER, AND NO REPLACEMENT PART HAS ARRIVED. NOT ONLY THAT BUT BOTH THE DEALER AND THE NATIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER ARE COMPLETELY UNABLE TO PREDICT WHEN ANY REPLACEMENT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE. IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE TOYOTA MORE RESPONSIVE? IS THERE ANY WAY TO GET TOYOTA TO PUT MORE PRESSURE ON THE MANUFACTURER OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD IN QUESTION? WHAT CONSTITUTES A "REASONABLE TIME" FOR TOYOTA TO REMEDY THIS DEFECT?

THE DASH READOUT FOR MPH BEGAN SHOWING VERY ERRATIC NMBERS. GOING FROM 24.4 MPG TO 29.7 MPG AND DOWN TO 13.1 MPG ALL IN A SPAN OF ABOUT 4 MILES. THIS MPG OF 24.4 WAS FOR THE PRIOR 3000 MILES. THE DEALER COULD NOT REPLICATE THIS HAPPENING. THEY ALSO SAID THAT TOYOTA HAD NO BULLETINS FOR THIS MATTER EITHER. I CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THAT I MUST HAVE ACCIDENTALLY RESET THE UNIT AND BY DOING SO IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THESE LARGE SWINGS IN MPG. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. I HAD OVER 100 MILES ON SINCE MY LAST FILL UP AND UNTIL THIS HAPPENING THE MPG NUMBER WAS QUITE STEADY. THE ONLY THAT I INDEED MAY HAVE DONE THIS WAS THAT LAST FILL UP BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONLY TIME THAT I EVER DO A RESET AND I DID NOT DO IT AT THAT TIME. PREVIOUSLY I HAD SEEN SOME STRANGE SWINGS IN MPG BUT NOT AS LARGE OF A SWING AND NOT LASTING FOR AS LONG OF TIME AND THOSE INSTANCES THE READING DID SELF CORRECT.

HELLO, I WOULD LIKE TO GET NHTSA'S HELP BECAUSE TOYOTA WON'T PROVIDE ANY REMEDY FOR THIS PROBLEM. ON 4/17/2015, I BOUGHT A TOYOTA 2015 HIGHLANDER LE PLUS FROM TOYOTA NORTH BRUNSWICK (NJ) AND NOTICED BUZZING SOUND AFTER DRIVING ONLY ~30 MINUTES. BUZZING SOUND COMES FROM DASHBOARD AREA CONSTANTLY, ~ONCE EVERY MINUTE (IN THE BEGINNING OF DRIVING) TO ~EVERY SECOND (AFTER DRIVING AN HOUR). THE NOISE IS FROM THE AIR BLEND SERVO (RELATED TO AC) AS ACKNOWLEDGED BY LOCAL TOYOTA SERVICE DPT, BUT TOYOTA KEEPS SAYING THAT THE NOISE IS NORMAL NO MATTER HOW OFTEN IT HAPPENS BECAUSE THE REGIONAL TOYOTA FIELD TECHNICAL SPECIALIST (FTS) [XXX] SAID SO, I.E. TOYOTA CAN'T HELP YOU. (NOTE: HE HASN'T EVEN CHECKED MY VEHICLE IN PERSON.) I THINK THE NOISE ITSELF CAN HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT THE PROBLEM IS FREQUENCY, JUST LIKE SNEEZING EVERY SECOND IS NOT NORMAL EVEN THOUGH SNEEZING ITSELF IS NORMAL TO HUMAN. A TOYOTA TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY THAT REPLACING AIR BLEND SERVO IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE BECAUSE THE WHOLE DASHBOARD NEEDS TO BE TAKEN APART. I SUSPECT TOYOTA WON'T FIX THIS UNDER ITS WARRANTY UNLESS THIS PROBLEM BECOMES LIFE THREATENING, I.E. TOO EXPENSIVE FOR TOYOTA. MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ASK "HOW CAN YOU DRIVE WITH THIS CRAZY NOISE?". THE NOISE IS ALMOST LIKE SLEEPING W/ 100 GNATS IN THE SAME ROOM. I AM A DRIVE WITH OVER 20 YEARS' EXPERIENCE AND HAVE ALWAYS USED NEW VEHICLES, BUT NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH NEW VEHICLES FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS. PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. P.S. I ALSO FOUND MORE PEOPLE WITH SAME PROBLEM AND FRUSTRATION: HTTP://WWW.TOYOTANATION.COM/FORUM/333-3RD-GENERATION-2014/1077937-WEIRD-VIBRATING-BUZZING-NOISE.HTML. *TR

APRIL 24, 2015 [XXX] TO AN APPROPRIATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION: IN NOVEMBER 2014, I PURCHASED A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED MODEL ID# [XXX]:. DURING FREEZING WEATHER THIS WINTER I DISCOVERED A DANGEROUS DESIGN FAULT RELATING TO THE VEHICLE. MUCH OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS CAN BE ENTRAPPED AND EMBEDDED IN ICE, AND THE DEFROSTER DOES NOT MELT ICE IN THAT AREA. THE WIPERS ARE INCAPACITATED. THE DEFROSTER CLEARS THE WINDSHIELD BUT DOES NOTHING TO FREE THE WIPERS FROM ICE. THAT WAS THE CASE FOR ME DURING FOUR DAYS OF FREEZING WEATHER. THERE IS AN AUXILIARY FUNCTION IN THE VEHICLE THAT ADDRESSES THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. BUT THAT ONLY "BUMPS" THE ICE, IT DOES NOTHING TO MELT THE ICE. APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR APPROPRIATELY ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THIS HIGHLANDER HAS A POWER LIFTGATE. IF A CHILD OR ADULT GETS IN THE WAY OF THE LIFTGATE WHEN IT IS LOWERING, THE CHILD OR ADULT CAN BE SERIOUSLY INJURED, CRUSHED OR KILLED BECAUSE THE LIFTGATE HAS NO EASY REVERSING FEATURE. IT DOES REVERSE WHEN IT HITS AN OBJECT BUT THE FORCE REQUIRED TO MAKE IT REVERSE IS TOO GREAT AND WILL HURT OR KILL A HUMAN WHO GETS IN THE WAY. PEOPLE OFTEN REACH IN THE TRUNK TO FETCH SOMETHING AFTER THE OPERATOR DECIDES TO CLOSE THE TRUNK. IF THIS HAPPENS WITH THE POWER CLOSER, THE OPERATOR MUST KNOW THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE STOP CONTROL EITHER BY FEEL OR BY SIGHT TO STOP THE OPERATION OF THE LIFTGATE IN ORDER TO PREVENT INJURY. THIS IS ASKING TOO MUCH OF THE OPERATOR. THE LIFT GATE SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO REVERSE OR STOP IMMEDIATELY JUST LIKE THE SAFETY FEATURES ON AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR CLOSERS. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOME GETS HURT OR KILLED. I HAVE ALREADY POINTED THIS OUT TO TOYOTA AND THE FILE NUMBER IS #[XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER, WATER LEAKED INSIDE THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE MOLDING ON THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MOLDING WAS NOT SEALED PROPERLY TO PREVENT WATER FROM LEAKING IN. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING UP TO SPECIFICATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 700. ....UPDATED 07/22/15 *BF UPDATED 9/21/2015 *JS