2016 Toyota Highlander

INTERIOR LIGHTS ON AND OFF; WARNINGS E.G .HOOD OPEN WHEN NOT; DID NOT (LIGHT) ALERT CARS ALONG SIDE OR PASSING; MODULE CRACKED BY TAPPING TO DELETE PHONE #S PUT INTO SYSTEM BY TOYOTA TECH, NAVIGATION STARTED ON ITS OWN AND IT WAS INCORRECT!; MAPS INCORRECT TO LOCATION; MAP SHOWING NORTH AS SOUTH AND EAST AS WEST ALL WHEN CAR IN MOTION

HEADED TO WORK AT 5:35 AM ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020, AT 55 MPH ON MY DAILY COMMUTE IN MY 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, WESTBOUND ON I-70 BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PARK AND 270 EXITS, AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. 22 DEGREES, CLEAR DAY, MODERATE TRAFFIC WITH STEADY FLOW, NO TURNS OR FREQUENT BRAKING, NO OBJECTS THAT COULD HAVE PLAYED A ROLE IN SITE, AND NO WARNING SIGNS OF WHAT WAS TO COME. SOUND REMINISCENT OF A GUNSHOT OCCURRED, AND AS I LOOKED AROUND I REALIZED THAT SHARDS OF GLASS WERE FALLING ONTO ME FROM MY PANORAMIC SUNROOF. THE FRONT PANEL OF MY SUNROOF IS BLOWN OUTWARD. 67,784 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WITH NO AFTERMARKET PARTS ASIDE FROM THE LED HEADLIGHTS. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO CAR OR MYSELF. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH VARIOUS MANUFACTURERS, INCLUDING TOYOTA. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO TOYOTA AND AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE.

I'VE HAD TWO SERIOUS INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE CAR'S AUTO BRAKING SYSTEM WE BOUGHT AS PART OF A SAFETY PACKAGE. BOTH WERE IDENTICAL. EACH TIME I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND THE CAR DETECTED A POTENTIAL SIDE IMPACT CRASH. BOTH TIMES, I SAW THE HAZARD IN TIME AND GIVEN THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF TRAFFIC BEHIND BE AND THE HIGH RATE OF TRAFFIC FLOW SPEED I DETERMINED MY BEST CHANCE AT AVOIDING THE CRASH WAS TO ACCELERATE PAST THE SIDE IMPACT HAZARD. THE CAR DISAGREED AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THIS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR BECAUSE MY SPEED BOTH TIMES WAS >70 MPH. AND IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS MULTI-CAR COLLISION FROM BEHIND. THE FIRST TIME IT OCCURRED I WENT STRAIGHT TO A TOYOTA DEALER AND ASKED HOW TO 'TURN OFF' THE SYSTEM. THEY SAID THEY CAN'T WITHOUT DISMANTLING EVERY ASPECT OF THE CAR'S SAFETY FEATURES. AFTER WATCHING ANOTHER TOYOTA GO THROUGH WHAT I BELIEVE WAS A SIMILAR INCIDENT WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A TUNNEL RECENTLY, I AGAIN VISITED A TOYOTA. THEY SEEMED INTERESTED IN THE COMPLAINT BUT HAD NO IDEAS FOR ME AS TO WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT. SAID THEY'D RECEIVED NO OTHER COMPLAINTS, WHICH I FIND DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE.

WHEN DRIVING, PERIODICALLY, UNDER NO PARTICULAR ROAD OR WEATHER CONDITION, THE "CHECK AWD SYSTEM," "ABS," "BRAKE" AND "STABILITY CONTROL" WARNING LIGHTS LIGHT UP. WHEN WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON, ONLY THE FRONT WHEELS WILL DRIVE AND STABILITY CONTROL IS INACTIVE. REAL WHEELS ARE NOT ACTIVE. THIS CONDITION MAY LAST FIVE TO TEN MINUTES, THEN RETURN TO NORMAL. THIS HAS OCCURRED 10 TO 15 TIMES IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.

TWO SEPARATE ISSUES: 1. RAIN SENSING WIPERS ACTIVATE RANDOMLY ON CLEAR DAYS, SUN SHINING. WIPERS WILL WIPE ON TIME WHILE DRIVING RANDOMLY. A SEVERE DISTRACTION. 2. CRUISE CONTROL DISPLAY ACTIVATING RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING WITH NO VEHICLES NEARBY IN FRONT (ACTIVE CRUISE CONTROL VEHICLE). DISPLAY WILL BE NORMAL AND THEN GO BACK AND FORTH THE THE SET DISPLAY SCREEN. DISTRACTING WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY.