2002 Toyota Highlander

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.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OR GREATER, THE SUN VISOR DROPPED TO A VERTICAL POSITION WHEN THE VEHICLE VIBRATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AND MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE CONTACT TO SEE THE ROAD. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SUN VISOR CLIPS WERE DEFECTIVE. AS OF SEPTEMBER 4, 2007, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE SUN VISOR COULD DROP ON ANY VEHICLE MOVEMENT SUCH AS BUMPS IN THE ROAD, OR APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE SUN VISOR IN THE VERTICAL POSITION BLOCKS THE DRIVERS VIEW OF THE ROAD. UPDATED 09/18/07. *JB

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. *AK

SUN VISORS ON 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS DID NOT STAY IN POSITION AND INTERFERED WITH DRIVER VISIBILITY- THE SUN VISORS WILL NOT STAY IN THE UP POSITION AND WILL DROP DOWN INTO THE DRIVER'S EYES WHILE DRIVING. FURTHERMORE, THE SUN VISORS WERE RENDERED USELESS AS THEY WILL NOT STAY IN POSITION WHEN IN USE. THE DRIVER IS FORCED TO EITHER NOT USE THE VISOR, A HAZARD WHEN DRIVING INTO THE SUN, OR MUST SLUMP DOWN IN THE SEAT AND USE THE VISOR IN THE COMPLETELY DOWN POSITION. BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER'S VISORS ARE AFFECTED. THIS WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2002 HIGHLANDERS AS DOCUMENTED ON OWNER'S WEB FORUMS. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR ON THE 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WILL NOT STAY UP. IT FALLS DOWN ON A REGULAR BASIS ,AND SOMETIME FALLS DOWN WHILE DRIVING, MOMENTARILY, OBSTRUCTING MY VIEW OF THE ROAD AHEAD. DEALERSHIPS QUOTED ME A COST UPWARDS OF $600, PARTS ONLY, TO REPLACE IT, AND I DIDN'T AND HAVE NEVER USED THE HOMELINK FEATURE, WHICH APPARENTLY WAS LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RELATIVELY HIGH COST OF REPAIR.*AK