2002 Toyota Highlander

WITH ONLY 106,000 MILES ON MY HIGHLANDER, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AND NEEDS TO COMPLETELY BE REPLACED. A $4600 REPAIR RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I AM IN TEARS. THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T SEEM VERY SURPRISED THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR. IRONIC? BUT THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST I WENT TO FOR A SECOND OPINION SAID THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. HE ADVISED EVEN PROPER MAINTENANCE WOULDN'T HAVE PREVENTED THIS KIND OF FAILURE. IT'S JUST BAD EQUIPMENT. HE REPEATEDLY STATED HOW ABNORMAL THIS WAS AND TOYOTA USED TO HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION ON THE TRANSMISSION AND RELIABILITY. I PURCHASED MY TOYOTA BASED ON THAT REPUTATION. AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. AT 35,000 MILES I WAS A VICTIM OF THE "SLUDGE ENGINE" ISSUE TOO. BEFORE THE RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THAT. THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. BEFORE THEY WERE WILLING TO FIX IT, I HAD TO PROVE THAT I HAD CHANGED THE OIL REGULARLY. THEY ACCUSED ME OF NOT DOING THIS. TOYOTA KNOWS THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE TRANSMISSION AND FROM WHAT I SEE, THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHERS. IT IS HAPPENING IN THE RAV4'S TOO. THEY NEED TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND TAKE CARE OF THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST TOYOTA I WILL EVER OWN. *TR

BOTH SUN VISORS ON MY 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED FALL DOWN BY THEMSELVES. BOTH HAVE THE LIGHTED MIRROR AND THE RIVER SIDE INCLUDES THE HOMELINK CONTROL. THERE ARE NO OTHER ITEMS ATTACHED TO THE VISORS. IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME, WHETHER OR NOT I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. I'VE ADDED VELCRO TAPE TO THE VISORS, BUT THE WEIGHT OF THEM IS TOO MUCH FOR THE TAPE TO STICK TO THE CEILING, SO AFTER A WHILE, THE VISORS FALL DOWN AGAIN. *TR

SUNVISOR ON 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER CONSTANTLY FALLS DOWN INTO DRIVER'S FIELD OF VISION. VISOR WAS REPLACED ONE TIME UNDER WARRANTY BUT PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. COST TO REPAIR PER TOYOTA DEALER IS $650 FOR PARTS PLUS LABOR - THE VISOR CONTAINS A LIGHTED VANITY MIRROR AND A HOMELINK REMOTE CONTROL SO IT IS AN EXPENSIVE PART TO REPAIR. THE VISOR CANNOT BE USED IN A 'PARTIALLY LOWERED' POSITION TO BLOCK SUN OR REFLECTIONS AS IT CONSTANTLY FALLS INTO THE 'FULLY LOWERED' POSITION WHICH OBSTRUCTS THE DRIVER'S FIELD OF VIEW. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THE VISOR FROM SAGGING INTO THE DRIVER'S FIELD OF VIEW IS TO USE TAPE OR VELCRO TO ATTACH IT TO THE CEILING. THIS PREVENTS THE VISOR FROM BEING USED IN THE INTENDED MANNER TO BLOCK SUN OR REFLECTIONS. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER CAN'T PREVENT SUNLIGHT AND GLARE FROM DIMINISHING VISIBILITY. THIS INCREASES THE CHANCE FOR ACCIDENTS OR HITTING OBJECTS OR PEDESTRIANS IN THE ROAD. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR FAILS TO STAY UP. VISOR SEEMS TO BE TOO HEAVY TO SUPPORT ITSELF. VISOR FALLS DOWN DUE TO ROAD VIBRATIONS AND BLOCKS EYE SIGHT FOR TALLER DRIVERS. TRIED SIMPLE FIXES USING VELCRO AND SUPER GLUE - BUT ALL FAILED WHEN SUMMER INTERIOR TEMPERATURES CAUSED THE GLUE / ADHESIVE TO FAIL AND PROBLEM CONTINUES. COMPLETE REPLACEMENT SEEMS TO BE ONLY SOLUTION. *TR