11 of the
335 complaints about the 2002 Toyota Highlander are about the
equipment — 3% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
83,000 miles.
F
11
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
Exactly what failed
Equipment
545.5%
AIR Conditioner
436.4%
Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift
19.1%
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
19.1%
What owners said
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
at 136,000 milesNEW York, NY1 injured
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I PUT THE CAR CIGARETTE LIGHTER INTO ITS HOLDER AND INADVERTENTLY PRESSED IT IN ALL THE WAY. AFTER A FEW MINUTES IT FLEW OUT OF ITS SPACE, IT WAS ALL LITE UP AND FELL TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR WHERE IT BEGAN TO BURN THE MAT. I PICKED IT UP AND GOT A 2ND DEGREE BURN ON MY FINGER. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT IT HAPPENED SO WE PUT THE LIGHTER BACK IN THE HOLDER AND PRESSED IT IN. IT FLEW OUT AGAIN.
NHTSA complaint #10487762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 10,000 milesManhattan Beach, CACrash
EQUIPMENT
AFTER ONLY HAVING MY NEW 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FOR APPROX. 8 MONTHS, THE ACCELERATOR IN THE CAR STUCK AND I ENDED UP RUNNING INTO A CAR. I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA AND HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE CAR NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY KEPT TELLING ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. WELL 8 YEARS LATER AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T RECALLED MY CAR, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE OTHER YEARS.
NHTSA complaint #10320349 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 89,374 milesKent, WA
EQUIPMENT
THE INTERIOR HEATING/AC SYSTEM AND FAN REPEATEDLY FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY. IN THE SPRING SUMMER WHEN THE AC WOULD FAIL TO BLOW COLD AND BLOW HEAT THAT WASN'T SO BAD. I GOT THE CONTROL KNOB FIXED AND ALL SEEMED TO WORK FINE. HOWEVER THE KNOB HAS FAILED AGAIN AND WHEN I NEEDED THE HEAT/DEFROST FAN TO WORK AT NIGHT THE FROST GOT WORSE BECAUSE THE KNOB FAILED AND THE HEATER/FAN WOULD ONLY BLOW COLD AIR. DEPENDING ON THE SEASON AND THE POSITION OF THE KNOB WHEN IT FAILS THIS SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT AFFECTS THE VISUAL CLARITY OF THE WINDSHIELD .
NHTSA complaint #10248917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cookeville, TN
EQUIPMENT
2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. BOTH SUNVISORS FAULTY. HIT A BUMP AND THEY WILL FALL DOWN IN FRONT OF VISION. CRASH HAZARD IN CERTAIN DRIVING SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY DRIVING UPHILL OR TRYING TO LOOK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THEY SUDDENLY FALL AND OBSCURE UPWARD VISION.
NHTSA complaint #10230217 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Weston, FL
EQUIPMENT
A/C BLOWS HOT AIR ON DRIVER SIDE WHEN IT SHOULD BLOW COLD AIR AS IT DOES WITH PASSENGER SIDE.
NHTSA complaint #10225770 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 115,000 milesPort Orchard, WA
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
COMPONENT: EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:AIR CONDITIONER SUMMARY: THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING A/C CONTROL UNIT. I'D TALKED TO SEVERAL TOYOTA OWNERS ABOUT THIS, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM , AND EACH HAS TAKEN IT TO A DEALERSHIP NEAR THEM AND GOT THE SAME REPLY. THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT PART. THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WENT TO SAID THEY HAVE SEEN A FEW VEHICLES. THE OWNERS I TALKED TO OWNED HIGHLANDERS,4 RUNNERS, AND MINIVANS. MY WIFE'S HIGHLANDER IS A 200, 2 THE OTHER VEHICLES RANGE FROM 2002 TO 2004, FOR AS I KNOW THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING REPORTED ABOUT THIS. I SENT AN EMAIL TO TOYOTA AND ALL I GOT BACK WAS THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANY RECALLS FOR THAT. THE PROBLEM WITH MY WIFE'S HIGHLANDER WAS THAT THE HEAT STOPPED WORKING DURING THE WINTER. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO WORK WAS TO KEEP TURNING THE KNOB UNTIL IT WOULD START BLOWING WARM AIR, BUT IT WOULD NOT DO IT FOR LONG. THE A/C WORKED FINE ,BUT WHEN WINTER RETURNED, THERE WAS NO HEAT. IF THE WAS A CONTINUING PROBLEM, AND MORE DEALERS FOUND OUT ABOUT, WHY WEREN'T THEY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IF ONE COULD RESEARCH THIS I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. IF ANY BODY HAS ANY INFORMATION ON HOW TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM THANK YOU
NHTSA complaint #10217098 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 69,000 milesRaleigh, NC
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
I HAVE READ OF NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS CONCERNING THE A/C SYSTEM ON 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS. THE COMPLAINTS ARE SIMILAR TO MY OWN IN THAT THE A/C JUST STOPS WORKING ONE DAY. IF I TURN THE HOT/COLD SWITCH KNOB TO THE COLD SECTION WHEN JUST THE VENT IS ON, IT BLOWS HOT AIR. IF I TURN IT TO THE RIGHT FOR HOT AIR- IT GETS EXTREMELY HOT. EVEN IF I TURN THE A/C BUTTON ON, COLD AIR DOES NOT COME OUT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECT IN A SWITCH. I'VE HAD THE PRESSURE TO THE A/C CHECKED AND IT WAS NORMAL AND CHARGED. I AM FEARFUL THERE IS A SHORT IN A SWITCH SOMEWHERE THAT MAY CAUSE MY VEHICLE TO CATCH FIRE. IT SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR COMPLAINT WITH A LOT OF HIGHLANDER OWNERS.
NHTSA complaint #10209701 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 87,900 milesOoltewah, TN1 injured
EQUIPMENT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER REPLACED THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND, WITHOUT WARNING, IT EJECTED AND BURNED HIS HAND. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN THE PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO USE IT TO WARM HIS COFFEE. ON MAY 22, 2007, AN INSPECTOR FROM TOYOTA VIDEOTAPED AND DUPLICATED THE FAILURE, HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO DISCUSS HIS FINDINGS WITH THE CONTACT. ON JUNE 18, 2007, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND THE CASE WAS TRANSFERRED TO TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA. THE CONTACT WAS GIVEN CASE NUMBER 200705071073 AND WAS INFORMED THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA FOR MORE DETAILS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,563.
NHTSA complaint #10204947 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 83,000 milesSimpsonville, SC
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING A/C CONTROL UNIT. I'D TALKED TO SEVERAL TOYOTA OWNERS ABOUT THIS, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM , AND EACH HAS TAKEN IT TO A DEALERSHIP NEAR THEM AND GOT THE SAME REPLY. THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT PART. THE DEALERSHIP THAT I WENT TO SAID THEY HAVE SEEN A FEW VEHICLES. THE OWNERS I TALKED TO OWNED HIGHLANDERS,4 RUNNERS, AND MINIVANS. MY WIFE'S HIGHLANDER IS A 200, 2 THE OTHER VEHICLES RANGE FROM 2002 TO 2004, FOR AS I KNOW THERE HASN'T BEEN ANYTHING REPORTED ABOUT THIS. I SENT AN EMAIL TO TOYOTA AND ALL I GOT BACK WAS THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANY RECALLS FOR THAT. THE PROBLEM WITH MY WIFE'S HIGHLANDER WAS THAT THE HEAT STOPPED WORKING DURING THE WINTER. THE ONLY WAY TO GET IT TO WORK WAS TO KEEP TURNING THE KNOB UNTIL IT WOULD START BLOWING WARM AIR, BUT IT WOULD NOT DO IT FOR LONG. THE A/C WORKED FINE ,BUT WHEN WINTER RETURNED, THERE WAS NO HEAT. IF THE WAS A CONTINUING PROBLEM, AND MORE DEALERS FOUND OUT ABOUT, WHY WEREN'T THEY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IF ONE COULD RESEARCH THIS I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
NHTSA complaint #10193401 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WITH THE JACK PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE JACK BENT FORWARD AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LEAN TOWARDS HIM. HE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO METAL FATIGUE OF THE JACK. AS A RESULT, THE TIRE LANDED ON HIS LEFT FOOT AND TRAPPED IT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY SENT HIM A LETTER STATING THAT THE VEHICLE'S WEIGHT CAUSED THE JACK TO FAIL. NO OTHER OFFERS, EXPLANATIONS, OR REMEDIES HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 55,500 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. *AK UPDATED 06/06/07
NHTSA complaint #10189253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 20,000 milesPittsburgh, PA
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
LARGE AMOUNT WATER IN PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE COMPARTMENT, DEALER STATED DUE TO CLOGGED A/C DRAIN. OUR TODDLER DEVELOPED CONGESTION AND ALLERGY SYMPTOMS FOLLOWED BY MILDEW ODOR IN VEHICLE. DEALER CLEANED OUT DRAINS AND SUBSEQUENTLY HAD TO CHANGE CARPETS AND DISINFECT VEHICLE. DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEODORANT SMELL IN VEHICLE CANNOT TELL IF MILDEW STILL PRESENT, BUT WE ARE AFRAID TO PUT THE TODDLER BACK IN VEHICLE. TOYOTA ALSO TRYING TO SAY NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY.
NHTSA complaint #10081132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.