2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid window and wiper problems

VISIBILITY/WIPER

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY FLUSH TO INTERIOR CAR ROOF NOR FLUSH TO WINDSHIELD WHEN PLACED IN DOWN POSITION. NO TENSION AT ALL AROUND THE SUPPORT SHAFT. IN "UP" OR CLOSED POSITION, VISOR DROPS TO 45 DEGREES AND DIRECTLY INTO DRIVER LINE OF SIGHT, BLOCKING VISIBILITY SIGNIFICANTLY. IN "DOWN" OR OPEN POSITION, VISOR CANNOT REMAIN FLUSH WITH WINDSHIELD, DROPPING TO 120 DEGREES. WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, VISOR DROPS FURTHER TO ALMOST 90 DEGREES. ISSUE ONGOING FOR ~5 WEEKS.

NHTSA complaint #11112610 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

MY VEHICLE IS A HIGHLANDER HYBRID LIMITED. THE LIMITED HAS A TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY TO CONTROL THE ONBOARD GPS, SOUND SYSTEM, MAINTENANCE REMINDERS, AND CLIMATE CONTROL. I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE A FEW MONTHS AGO THE DISPLAY WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO BLACK. THE ONLY BUTTON THAT WOULD RESPOND WAS THE MAP BUTTON WHICH CAUSED THE SCREEN TO DISPLAY A MESSAGE STATING THAT IT WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE EXTERNAL SYSTEM. INITIALLY, THE SCREEN WOULD GO BLACK ONLY AFTER I STARTED TO MOVE, BUT LATER I REALIZED THAT THE MOVEMENT WASN'T A FACTOR BUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION.ONLY A COUPLE OF MINUTES AFTER IGNITION. AS TIME WENT BY THE SCREEN HAS NOW BECOME PERMANENTLY BLACK. MY CONCERN IS THAT I NOW NO LONGER HAVE CONTROL OF THE CLIMATE CONTROL WHICH COULD LEAD TO MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO POTENTIAL LACK OF VISIBILITY. THE REAR DEFROSTER HAS ITS OWN INDEPENDENT BUTTON, SEPARATE FROM THE DISPLAY, BUT THAT ALSO DOES NOT RESPOND. I'VE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AMONG FIRST-GENERATION HIGHLANDER LIMITEDS AND THAT THE COST COULD BE UPWARDS OF $2000 TO REPAIR. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS CAUSED BY USER ERROR OR MISUSE, IT'S SOMETHING RELATED TO THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CAR. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR OUT OF POCKET. ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS I READ WAS THAT THIS COULD BE CAUSED BY A TRIPPED FUSE SO I CHECKED EVERYONE (EXCEPT THE ONES THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE INVOLVED) AND NOT ONE FUSE WAS BAD.

NHTSA complaint #11075083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

BOTH REAR WINDOWS KEEP COMING OFF TRACK.

NHTSA complaint #10638217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

BOTH REAR WINDOWS KEEP COMING OFF TRACK.

NHTSA complaint #10638217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR UNEXPECTEDLY DROPPED DOWN. OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, DANGEROUSLY OBSCURING VISIBILITY. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REMEDY, IT JUST HANGS DOWN. EITHER HAVE TO DUCK DOWN WHILE DRIVING TO SEE OR HOLD UP VISOR WITH HAND THAT SHOULD BE ON STEERING WHEEL. HAVE GATHERED A NUMBER OF QUOTES TO REPAIR RANGING FROM $236 TO $425. RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR, AND I BELIEVE, SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM AS I LEARNED THROUGH RESEARCH, IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10535727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY/WIPER

SUN VISOR ON DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT STAY UP. - BLOCKS VIEW/VISIBILITY.

NHTSA complaint #10510194 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR WILL NO LONGER RELIABLY STAY UP, SO THE VISOR SOMETIMES FALLS DOWN SUDDENLY AND BLOCKS MY VIEW. WHEN IT DOES STAY UP, IT ONLY STAYS UP PART WAY.

NHTSA complaint #10458133 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

THE FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER AND HEATER CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE. ICE BUILD-UP ON THE FRONT WINDOW IS KNOWN TO IMPAIR A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE NUT ON MY TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER WAS SEVERAL TURNS LOOSE! THE ORIGINAL MULTI-STRANDED WIRES SOLDERED TO THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER WERE RIGID BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO WELL TINNED WITH SOLDER AND BROKE FROM VIBRATION FATIGUE; DUE TO THE LOOSE NUT ON THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER SHAFT. TOYOTA OR SUMITOMO (VENDOR) SHOULD COVER THIS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE LOOSE NUTS (POOR WORKMANSHIP)! THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED WITH PHOTOS AT "HTTP://WWW.DEVALCOURT.COM/2010/03/FIXING-2004-TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER-AC-AND-HEAT-ISSUE/#IDC-COVER". OVER 385 PEOPLE HAVE LEFT COMMENTS THERE; SEVERAL OTHER WEBSITES DOCUMENT THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10441679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

THE FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER AND HEATER CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE. ICE BUILD-UP ON THE FRONT WINDOW IS KNOWN TO IMPAIR A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE NUT ON MY TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER WAS SEVERAL TURNS LOOSE! THE ORIGINAL MULTI-STRANDED WIRES SOLDERED TO THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER WERE RIGID BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO WELL TINNED WITH SOLDER AND BROKE FROM VIBRATION FATIGUE; DUE TO THE LOOSE NUT ON THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER SHAFT. TOYOTA OR SUMITOMO (VENDOR) SHOULD COVER THIS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE LOOSE NUTS (POOR WORKMANSHIP)! THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED WITH PHOTOS AT "HTTP://WWW.DEVALCOURT.COM/2010/03/FIXING-2004-TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER-AC-AND-HEAT-ISSUE/#IDC-COVER". OVER 385 PEOPLE HAVE LEFT COMMENTS THERE; SEVERAL OTHER WEBSITES DOCUMENT THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10441679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

DRIVERS SIDE SUNVISOR ON TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WILL NOT STAY UP. SUNVISOR FALLS AND BLOCKS VIEW OF THE ROAD. FORCED TO HOLD SUNVISOR UP WITH LEFT HAND WHILE DRIVING.

NHTSA complaint #10421320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

THE SUN VISOR IN MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID DROOPS DOWN FROM THE CEILING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND YOU HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, YET TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10416399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID SUN VISOR DROPS DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY HINDERING DRIVERS VIEW. COULD NOT SEE TRAFFIC LIGHT WHICH CHANGED TO RED. FORTUNATELY NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE INTERSECTION. VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND DESIGN DEFECT.

NHTSA complaint #10407411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.