2003 Toyota Highlander

DT*: THE CONSUMER HIT A PATCH OF BLACK ICE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN; THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED THROUGH A STOP SIGN STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE PRE-BRAKING WAS MINIMAL DUE TO THE ICY ROAD CONDITIONS. BOTH OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE WERE WEARING SEAT BELTS AND SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. POLICE WERE ON THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE, BUT WAS NOT TOTALED DUE TO ASSESSMENT OF THE INSURANCE ADJUSTOR AND THE LACK OF AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN COLD TEMPERATURES, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A DEALER FOR THIS PROBLEM. *JB PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. UPDATED 03/03/06. *JB UPDATED

I HAVE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT TOYO TRANSPATH-A11 TIRES ON MY 2003 HIGHLANDER. I HAVE 15000 MILES AND THE TIRES ARE WORN OUT. THE MAINTENANCE IS COMPLETE AND THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP INSPECTED ALIGNMENT AND SUSPENSION AND AIR PRESSURE..EVERYTHING WAS GOOD. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL TOYO TIRE DEALERS THAT THE EARLY WEAR IS BECAUSE THE A-11'S SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ON MY TRUCK BECAUSE THEY ARE PASSENGER TIRES, NOT SUV TIRES. TOYO STATES THAT THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IS CLASSIFIED AS A PASSENGER CAR AND NOT A SUV, THEREFORE TOYOTA SPECS A PASSENGER TIRE FOR THE HIGHLANDER. THERE IS A LOOPHOLE HERE THAT IS ALLOWING TOYOTA TO SPEC A TIRE THAT WILL WEAR OUT QUICKLY ON THE HIGHLANDER. *NM

2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, 4 CYL , AUTO TRANS. BETWEEN 25 AND 45 MPH, WHEN YOU APPLY THE BRAKE ON THE AUTO AND THEN PRESS THE GAS TO RESUME YOUR FORWARD TRAVEL, THERE IS A KICK (LIKE A LOOSENESS IN THE TRANSMISSION AND DRIVE SHAFT) FOLLOWED BY THE MOTOR REVVING AS IT SHOULD AND THE TRANSMISSION DOWN SHIFTING. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME YES, THERE IS A LOOSENESS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LOT OF RUBBER CONNECTORS HOLDING THE DIFFERENTIAL AND DRIVE SHAFT ASSEMBLY TO THE VEHICLE FRAME. OVER TIME THEY HAD FATIGUED (31000 MILES). THE DEALER TOOK NO ACTION. I HAVE A REGISTERED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA (200508090110). A FINAL END RESULT WOULD BE THE DIFFERENTIAL AND ATTACHED DRIVE SHAFT FALLING OFF THE AUTO WHILE IT IS IN MOTION CAUSING A SERIOUS INJURY OR FATAL CRASH. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 23,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD HER TO CALL BRIDGESTONE, AND BRIDGESTONE SAID THEY DID NOT WARRANTED TIRES THAT CAME FROM THE DEALERSHIP. SHE HAS TO REPLACE THE TIRES TODAY. SHE REPORTED NOT NOTICING ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE TIRES PRIOR TO THIS. SHE MAINTAINED THE CAR WELL. SHE HAS THE TIRES ROTATED TO THE RECOMMEND ROTATIONS. THE RECOMMENDED PSI ON THE TIRES WAS 35. *AK

THE LOCKING LUG NUTS ON THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WHEELS BREAK AND FRAGMENT WITH SHARP METAL SHARDS WHEN THEY ARE REMOVED WITH THE MATCHING LOCK LUG SOCKET AND 1 FOOT WRENCH WITHOUT ANY ABNORMAL TORSION. THE EQUIPPED LUG WRENCH IS EXACTLY 12 INCHES LONG (LEVER LENGTH). THE LUG NUTS WHEN BROKEN CANNOT BE REMOVED TO CHANGE THE TIRES. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE: ONCE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE SECOND TIME WITH A NEW MATCHING SOCKET AND THE 12" WRENCH. THE ORIGINAL LOCKING LUG NUT HAD TO BE DRILLED OFF BY THE DEALER. THE PERSON APPLYING THE TORQUE WEIGHS 153 LBS. PATRICK VANSCHOYCK, M.D.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT NOTICED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT SHE REACHED OVER TO GET SOMETHING AND HIT THE GEAR SHIFT WITH HER HAND AND WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE SHIFTED FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT PUSHING THE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT. HER CONCERN IS THAT IF THE CAR IS IN LOW DRIVE, SECOND GEAR OR NEUTRAL IT CAN BE SHIFTED, THIS DEFECT CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. CONTACT CALLED TOYOTA, AND THEY SAID THIS WAS A SAFETY FEATURE WHICH WAS MEANT TO DO THAT. CONSUMER WAS NEVER TOLD BY DEALER THAT THIS WAS A FEATURE OF VEHICLE. SHE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AND WAS A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK CONSUMER STATES VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE WITHOUT PRESSING THE BUTTON. *SB

I HAVE AN '03 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. BRAKES FAILED WHILE PARKING CAUSING ME TO CRASH INTO CEMENT RETAINING WALL. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO SLOW AND STOP. THERE IS BODY DAMAGE AND LEAKING FLUIDS AS A RESULT. THE CAR HAS BEEN TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALER. BRAKES HAVE YET TO BE EVALUATED. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE. ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS MOVING SLOWLY I WAS INJURED UPON IMPACT. *JB