2018 Toyota Highlander

SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP (07/27/2018, THIS VEHICLE HAS THE VERY PUNGENT ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, DRIVER SIDE.AFTER THE ENGINE REACHES NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF COOLANT LEAKING, EITHER ON THE PAVEMENT OR INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE IS NO ODOR INSIDE THE CAR INDICATING A LEAKING HEATER CORE. THE CAR IS ONLY EIGHT MONTHS OLD AND 4800 MILES.THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES WITH NO SOLUTION YET.

WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION BLIND SPOT MONITORING SYSTEM INTERMITTENTLY DETECTS VEHICLES AND HAS CAUSED ME TO CUTOFF VEHICLES THAT ARE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DUE TO NO DETECTION. DEALER IS UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING SINCE THERE IS NO SYSTEM FAILURE BUT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND WILL CAUSE DRIVERS TO CUTOFF OR TURN INTO VEHICLES THAT ARE IN THERE BLIND SPOTS. THIS HAPPENS ON CITY AND HIGHWAY DRIVING AND CAN FAIL AT ANYTIME WITHOUT NOTICE.

DURING THE WINTER OR WHEN THE ROAD IS WET OR MUDDY, THE RADAR CONTROLLED CRUISE CONTROL , AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES SHUT DOWN. THIS RESULTS IN DANGER TO THE PASSANGERS WHO ARE TOLD ON THE IN DASH SCREEN TO STOP AND CLEAN THE SENSORS. MY BACK UP CAMERA WAS CLOUDED AND DID NOT SHOW A CAR BEHIND ME AND I BACKED INTO IT RESULTING IN COSTLY REPAIRS.

THE INCIDENT INVOLVES A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 AWD THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW ON JUNE 1, 2018. AS MY 12 YEAR OLD SON WAS BUCKLING HIMSELF INTO THE 2ND ROW DRIVER-SIDE SEAT TODAY, THE SEAT BELT RIPPED APART IN HIS HANDS. THE SUDDEN-MOTION LOCKING MECHANISM NEVER ENGAGED, AND NO UNDUE FORCE (EXCEPT FOR WHAT ONE WOULD EXPECT FROM A NORMAL 12 YEAR OLD) WAS APPLIED WHEN PULLING THE SEATBELT FROM ITS STOWED POSITION. WHEN I PERSONALLY INSPECTED THE REMAINING SEVEN (7) SEATBELTS, BOTH THE 3RD ROW DRIVER-SIDE AND PASSENGER-SIDE SEATBELTS FAILED UNDER MINIMAL STRESS (FAR LESS THAN MY FULL BODY WEIGHT OR STRENGTH).

AFTER VEHICLE HAS WARMED UP ENGINE RPM SPEED DROPS TO NEAR 500 WHEN BRAKE ENGAGED AT STOP LIGHTS AND VEHICLE IDLES ROUGH AND ATTEMPTS TO STALL. SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL BRINGS RPM SPEED BACK UP AND IDLES SMOOTH AGAIN. PROBLEM OCCURS DAILY OVER LAST TWO MONTHS. VEHICLE IS NEAR NEW, 1750 MILES. AUTO STOP START FEATURE IS NOT ENGAGED. TAKEN TO DEALER WHO ADVISED NO PROBLEM FOUND. RETURNING TO DEALER AGAIN FOR ANOTHER TRY AND HOPEFULLY BETTER RESULTS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF BOWIE (16700 GOVERNOR BRIDGE RD, BOWIE, MD 20716) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE GASKET WAS NOT SEALED CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,200. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

I PURCHASED A NEW TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FROM MASSEY TOYOTA IN KINSTON, NC IN MAY OF 2018. ON AUGUST 11, 2018, THE REAR HATCH GLASS SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED AND FELL OUT OF THE CAR WHILE IT WAS SITTING UNTOUCHED IN THE DRIVEWAY OF THE OWNERS HOME. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND WARM. TOYOTA INITIALLY REFUSED TO COVER THIS UNDER THE TOYOTA NEW CAR WARRANTY, HOWEVER FINALLY THEY AGREED TO COVER THE WINDOW. A FEW DAYS LATER MY WIFE STARTED NOTICING A SQUEAK AND RUBBING NOISE COMING FROM THE BACK HATCH WHEN THE CAR WAS WAS WARM FROM THE SUN. AFTER TAKING THE CAR BACK NUMEROUS TIMES TO THE DEALER. THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT DISCOVERED THAT THE BACK HATCH/BACK DOOR WAS RUBBING NEAR THE SPOILER AREA OF THE HING, AT SUCH A FORCE TO CAUSE PAINT TO COME OFF THE AREA. THE SERVICE MANAGER AGREED THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND THAT TOYOTA WAS REQUIRED TO COVER THIS NEW CAR DEFECT. HOWEVER, AFTER HAVING THE CAR FOR 2 WEEKS TOYOTA REFUSED TO COVER THE MANUFACTURE DEFECT. IN CONCLUSION, THE 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER MODEL HAS A DEFECT THAT RESULTS IN THE BACK REAR DOOR & SPOILER TO RUB AND RESULTS IN THE BACK HATCH GLASS BREAKING AND EVEN FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE PAINT AND BODY OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA HAS SHOWN A THEY CAN NOT BE TRUSTED TO FULFILL THEIR OBLIGATION TO NEW CAR CUSTOMERS.