NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Exterior Lighting complaints
12 reportsClear category filter100,000 miles · May 16, 2012
Exterior LightingService Brakes
REAR-RIGHT BREAK LIGHT NOT WORKING. REPLACE BULB AND DID NOT WORK. CHECKED SOCKET AND ALL IS FINE BUT BREAK LIGHT STILL NOT WORKING. I HAVE RESEARCH THIS FOR A WHILE AND NO SOLUTION. THESE SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION. DEFINITIVELY A SAFETY ISSUE. I ALREADY GOT A TICKET FROM POLICE FOR NO…
Read full complaint
REAR-RIGHT BREAK LIGHT NOT WORKING. REPLACE BULB AND DID NOT WORK. CHECKED SOCKET AND ALL IS FINE BUT BREAK LIGHT STILL NOT WORKING. I HAVE RESEARCH THIS FOR A WHILE AND NO SOLUTION. THESE SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION. DEFINITIVELY A SAFETY ISSUE. I ALREADY GOT A TICKET FROM POLICE FOR NOT HAVING THESE LIGHTS IN WORKING CONDITION.
NHTSA ODI #10458694
Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 2012
Exterior Lighting
PASSENGER RIGHT REAR BRAKE INTERMITTENT. TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. BULB, LIGHT SOCKET, WIRING, FUSE ALL CHECKED GOOD. THE ISSUE HAS NOT GONE AWAY. TODAY I WAS STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE OF MY PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHT NOT WORKING. I TOLD THE OFFICER ABOUT WHAT I DID TO…
Read full complaint
PASSENGER RIGHT REAR BRAKE INTERMITTENT. TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. BULB, LIGHT SOCKET, WIRING, FUSE ALL CHECKED GOOD. THE ISSUE HAS NOT GONE AWAY. TODAY I WAS STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER BECAUSE OF MY PASSENGER BRAKE LIGHT NOT WORKING. I TOLD THE OFFICER ABOUT WHAT I DID TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE AND THAT I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND OUT THE PROBLEM. AFTER EXPLAINING WHAT I DID TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE, THE POLICE OFFICER EXPLAINED TO ME THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE BRAKE LIGHT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM THIS EVENING AND FOUND 10 WEB SITES ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE PASSENGER RIGHT REAR BRAKE INTERMITTENT OR NOT WORKING. I FOUND ONE COMMON THREAD WAS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMPLAINTS WAS ON THE 2002 MODEL AND A FEW ON 2003. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10456515
150,000 miles · Aug 7, 2011
Exterior Lighting
RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT INOPERATIVE WHEN BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, BULBS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY OWNER AND DEALER. *TT
NHTSA ODI #10417866
100,000 miles · Feb 20, 2011
Exterior Lighting
TOYOTA HIGHLANDER BRAKE LIGHTS. RIGHT SIDE/PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS GO OUT OFTEN AND EVEN WITH NEW BULBS DON'T ALWAYS WORK. FAULTY DESIGN. DUE TO ALL THE POSTS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE I'M ASSUMING THIS IS A COMMON AND UNSAFE PROBLEM WITH HIGHLANDERS. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10383409
100,000 miles · Jan 28, 2011
Exterior LightingService Brakes, Hydraulic
PASSENGER SIDE BREAK LIGHT FAILURE ON 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN OTHER DRIVERS CANNOT SEE YOU BREAK PARTICULARLY FROM THE RIGHT ANGLE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY DRIVERS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR. SEE THE WEB POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER/T7H7LD934GSQLC6BE I …
Read full complaint
PASSENGER SIDE BREAK LIGHT FAILURE ON 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN OTHER DRIVERS CANNOT SEE YOU BREAK PARTICULARLY FROM THE RIGHT ANGLE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS HAPPENED TO MANY DRIVERS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR. SEE THE WEB POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER/T7H7LD934GSQLC6BE I AM CONVINCED IT IS A DEFECT IN THE 2002 MODEL AND AS SUCH SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE BROUGHT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER IN MANCHESTER NH 5 TIMES REPLACING LAMP SOCKETS AND OTHER ATTEMPTS AND IT STILL DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE TO BRING IN AGAIN. THERE SHOULD BE A STANDARD WAY TO FIX IT.
NHTSA ODI #10380328
98,250 miles · Aug 2, 2010
Exterior Lighting
THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE CHANGED ALL BULBS AND CHECKED FUSES. ALL OTHER LIGHT IN THE ASSEMBLY WORK JUST FINE TAIL,BACKUP,RIGHT BLINKER BUT WHEN YOUR PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. DIRECT ACTION IS NEEDED TO FI…
Read full complaint
THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE CHANGED ALL BULBS AND CHECKED FUSES. ALL OTHER LIGHT IN THE ASSEMBLY WORK JUST FINE TAIL,BACKUP,RIGHT BLINKER BUT WHEN YOUR PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS TO THE NHTSA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. DIRECT ACTION IS NEEDED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BEFORE AN ACCIDENT OR SOMEONE IS PULLED OVER FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT FIXABLE ON THE CUSTOMERS END. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10346711
45,000 miles · Apr 11, 2010
Exterior Lighting
THE RIGHT BRAKE LIGHT ON MY 2002 HIGHLANDER KEEPS GOING OUT, DESPITE THE NUMBER OF BULB CHANGES I'VE DONE. THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF HIGHLANDER OWNERS THAT HAVE FILED THIS SAME REPORT ONLINE VIA BULLETIN BOARDS, ETC. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10324962
95,000 miles · Mar 2, 2010
Exterior Lighting
RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT CONNECTION IS BAD. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS AND ALL OTHER LIGHTS ON THAT SIDE WORK. THE TAIL LIGHTS, HAZARDS, REVERSE AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS ALL WORK. THE ONLY LIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO NOT WORK IS THE BRAKE LIGHT LIGHTING UP WHEN THE PEDAL IS PUSHED DOWN. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS HAS BE…
Read full complaint
RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT CONNECTION IS BAD. I HAVE CHANGED THE BULBS AND ALL OTHER LIGHTS ON THAT SIDE WORK. THE TAIL LIGHTS, HAZARDS, REVERSE AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS ALL WORK. THE ONLY LIGHT THAT CONTINUES TO NOT WORK IS THE BRAKE LIGHT LIGHTING UP WHEN THE PEDAL IS PUSHED DOWN. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR A YEAR NOW AND WITH ONLINE SEARCHES, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10315886
106,000 miles · Dec 24, 2009
Exterior Lighting
BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY IN TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS 2001 AND BEYOND FAIL. THEREBY CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. THE LIGHTS AND FUSES ARE NOT BROKEN. THERE ARE 16 POSTINGS MADE SINCE 2007 AT HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER/T7H7LD934GSQLC6BE THAT REPORT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10296892
120,000 miles · Dec 16, 2009
Exterior Lighting
BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY IN TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS 2001 AND BEYOND FAIL. THEREBY CAUSING THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO WORK. THE LIGHTS AND FUSES ARE NOT BROKEN. THERE ARE 16 POSTINGS MADE SINCE 2007 AT HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER/T7H7LD934GSQLC6BE THAT REPORT THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10296079
Official recalls
2Apr 15, 2004
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE A CHILD PROTECTION LOCK (CPL) SYSTEM ON BOTH OF THE REAR SIDE DOORS. WHEN AN OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE CLOSES THE DOOR VERY HARD WITH THE CPL LEVER SET TO THE LOCK POSITION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEVER MAY CONTACT THE BODY PANEL, CAUSING THE CPL LEVER TO MOVE INTO THE UNLOCK POSITION.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPENED WITH THE INSIDE WHILE THE OPERATOR BELIEVES THAT THE CPL WAS ACTIVATED. IF THE DOOR WERE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AN OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT AND BE INJURED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL SHORTEN THE CPL LEVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Jul 30, 2002
ON SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THERE IS A BREATHER HOSE THAT ATTACHES TO THE NOZZLE OF THE ON-BOARD REFUELING VAPOR RECOVERY (ORVR) VALVE, WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE TOPSIDE OF THE FUEL TANK. THE BREATHER HOSE IS ATTACHED WITH A CLAMP, WHOSE "TABS" FACE IN THE UPWARD DIRECTION. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED UNDER THE NEW CAR ASSESSMENT PROGRAM (NCAP) TEST (I.E., 35 MPH FRONTAL BARRIER CRASH), THE CLAMP "TABS" CONTACTED THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BODY DUE TO MOVEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK, CAUSING THE NOZZLE TO BREAK.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN THE WORST CASE, NOZZLE BREAKAGE COULD RESULT IN FUEL LEAKAGE IF THE VEHICLE ROLLS-OVER AFTER A HIGH SPEED FRONTAL CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL ROTATE THE SPECIFIED CLAMP. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 23, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
Illustration