2015 Toyota Highlander

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. A POLICE OFFICER HELPED THE CONTACT COAST THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER IT WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DARCARS TOYOTA FREDERICK (5293 BUCKEYSTOWN PIKE, FREDERICK, MD 21704, (301) 696-6300), BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

THE SEAT BELT COILED AROUND MY 8 YEAR OLD SON'S NECK AND THE SEAT BELT LOCK WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. WE TRIED GENTLY ROCKING THE SEAT BELTS BUT IT THERE WAS NO GIVE IN IT. MOVING IT HARDER WOULD HAVE CHOKED MY SON. WE HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT TO RELEASE MY SON. THIS HAPPENED AFTER A 10 MIN RIDE COMING BACK FROM THE SCHOOL. HE WAS SEATED IN THE REAR RIGHT SIDE SEAT. HE WANTED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR WHEN WE REACHED HOME. SINCE HE IS EIGHT YEARS NOW, HE ENGAGES AND DISENGAGES THE SEAT BELT HIMSELF. PLEASE LOOK AT THE PICTURE.

ON 10/30/16 I TOOK MY 2015 HIGHLANDER TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER FOR WARPED ROTORS. THEY AGREED THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND SINCE IT WAS AT 35,000 MILES THEY REPLACED ALL 4 ROTORS UNDER WARRANTY PLUS 2 NEW BRAKE PADS WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR. I NOTICED THE SAME ISSUE IN LATE MAY OF 2017 AND CALLED TO ASK ABOUT THIS. THEY SAID "WE DON'T WARRANTY WARRANTY WORK" AND SUGGESTED I CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS. ON JUNE 21, 2017 I CALLED TOYOTA AND FILED A COMPLAINT. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE THE CAR TO A DIFFERENT LOCAL DEALER, CLOSER TO MY HOME, AND THEY WOULD INSPECT THE ROTORS FOR A CHARGE. ON JULY 11, 2017 I DID THIS AND THE SERVICE REP TOLD ME SHE NOTICED THAT THE ROTORS WERE "BLUE" AND SHE NOTED THAT THEY SHOULD BE CHANGED. THE SERVICE MANAGER CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS WITH THIS INFO BUT THEY REFUSED TO COVER THIS, STATING THAT THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. LATER THAT DAY I HEARD FROM THE TOYOTA HQ REP WHO REPEATED THAT TOYOTA COULD NOT COVER THIS. ON 8/7/2017 I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH VERMONT ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE. AS OF 10/10/17 THIS COMPLAINT IS STILL NOT RESOLVED AS THEY WON'T COVER THE REPAIR. THE CAR IS NOW AT 63,000. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. NOTE: ACCORDING TO TOYOTA NATION WEBSITE MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD THESE SAME ISSUES. BELOW IS THE RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER ON AUGUST 24, 2017. I DISCUSSED THIS SITUATION WITH OUR ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER. SHE DID CONTACT TOYOTA TO ASK THEM TO COVER THIS REPAIR AND THEY DECLINED. THEIR REASONING FOR THIS IS THAT THE CONDITION OF THE BRAKE ROTORS, I.E. THEY ARE BLUE, INDICATES A HEAT EVENT. THIS USUALLY RESULTS FROM HEAVY BRAKING, BRAKING WHILE GOING DOWNHILL OFTEN OR SOMETIMES IF THE BRAKES GOT HOT AND THEN WENT THROUGH COOL WATER. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THIS WITH TOYOTA FURTHER, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AT 800-331-4331 OR VIA EMAIL USING THIS FORM. . .

THE POWER LIFTGATE CLOSED ON MY HEAD WHEN I WAS PUTTING STUFF IN THE TRUNK. IT WAS OPEN LIKE NORMAL, BUT THEN IT SUDDENLY DROPPED WITHOUT WARNING. BEFORE THIS HAPPENED IT WAS HAVING PROBLEMS CLOSING COMPLETELY. IT IS STILL HAVING THESE PROBLEMS. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET FIXED AND THEY "RESET" THE SYSTEM BUT THAT DIDNT FIX ANYTHING. IT IS STILL NOT CLOSING COMPLETELY SOMETIMES. IT WILL SEEMINGLY OPEN FINE (ALTHOUGH IM AFRAID IT WILL FALL ON MY HEAD) BUT WHEN I HAVE TO CLOSE IT WILL SOMETIMES CLOSE AND IT WILL SOMETIMES CLOSE ALMOST ALL THE WAY AND THEN IT WILL BEEP TWICE AND OPEN A BIT AGAIN AND SIT THERE. I WILL HAVE TO HIT IT TO OPEN AND CLOSE AGAIN AND HOPE THAT IT WORKS. SOMETIMES I GET IT IN 2 TRIES AND SOMETIMES IT TAKES 4 OR 5 TIMES TO GET IT TO CLOSE.

ON SEPT. 14, 2014, WE PURCHASED A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER XLE, WHICH CAME WITH BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRES. ON AUG. 20, 2015, WHEN THERE WERE 10,235 MILES ON THE CAR, WE REPLACED 1 OF THE TIRES WITH A NEW BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRE. ON SEPT. 26, 2016, WHEN THERE WERE 23,324 MILES ON THE CAR, WE REPLACED ANOTHER OF THE TIRES WITH ANOTHER NEW BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRE. ON AUG. 17, 2017, WHEN THERE WERE 31,228 MILES ON THE CAR, WE BROUGHT THE CAR TO TOYOTA OF HACKENSACK FOR ITS 35,000-MILE FACTORY MAINTENANCE, BEFORE WE WOULD DEPART FOR A FAMILY VACATION WHERE WE EXPECT TO DRIVE APPROXIMATELY 2,500 TO 3,000 MILES. DURING THE MULTIPOINT INSPECTION OF THE CAR, THE TECHNICIAN NOTED THAT ALL 4 TIRES WERE WORN. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS MATTER FURTHER, THE TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER RECOMMENDED THAT WE SHOULD REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES. TOYOTA AND THEIR WHOLESALE TIRE DEALER BOTH CONTACTED THE BRIDGESTONE TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF COURTESY CREDIT THAT BRIDGESTONE WOULD PROVIDE TO US TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF NEW TIRES, AS ONE OF THE ALREADY-REPLACED TIRES WAS ONLY USED FOR 7,904 MILES (I.E, 31,228 23,324 = 7,904), ANOTHER OF THE ALREADY-REPLACED TIRES WAS ONLY USED FOR 20,993 MILES (I.E., 31, 228 10,235 = 20,993), AND THE 2 REMAINING ORIGINAL TIRES WERE ONLY USED FOR 31,228 MILES, AND THE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L 422 ECOPIA TIRES HAVE AN EXPECTED TREAD WEAR LIFE OF 65,000 MILES. TOYOTA ALSO ADVISED BRIDGESTONE THAT THE TIRES WERE ROTATED EVERY 5,000 MILES AND WERE PROPERLY ALIGNED. NONETHELESS, BRIDGESTONE TOOK THE POSITION THAT SINCE THE TREAD WEAR ON THE 4 TIRES WAS 6-4-4-2, IT INDICATED THAT THE TIRES WERE NOT PROPERLY ALIGNED AND A WARRANTY CLAIM WAS IN APPROPRIATE. TOYOTA TRIED EXPLAINING TO BRIDGESTONE THAT BY REPLACING TWO OF THE TIRES IN 2015 AND 2016 AND HAVING USED TWO OF THE TIRES OR ONLY 7,904 MILES AND 20,993 MILES, DESPITE ROTATING THE TIRES PROPERLY, THE TREAD WEAR HAD TO BE SLIGHTLY UNEVEN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WORKED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARTFORD TOYOTA SUPERSTORE IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN EVALUATOR TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING TO MANUFACTURER STANDARDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 16001120892. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

ON JULY 15, 2015, MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT A NEW 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER XLE FWD FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. WE SPECIAL-ORDERED THE EXACT CAR WE WANTED. WE HAVE NOW OWNED THE CAR FOR 2 YEARS AND PUT ABOUT 12,000 MILES ON IT. BEFORE BUYING, WE TEST DROVE A HONDA ODYSSEY, A HONDA PILOT, A TOYOTA SIENNA, A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, A NISSAN PATHFINDER AND A JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. AFTER TEST DRIVING EACH OF THE CARS NOTED ABOVE FOR LESS THAN AN HOUR I HAD A VERY STRONG HEADACHE. AS A RULE, I DON'T GET HEADACHES, SO THESE WERE OBVIOUSLY THE RESULT OF MY BREATHING THE AIR IN THESE NEW CARS. CAR INTERIORS ARE MADE USING PLASTICS, ADHESIVES, FIRE-RETARDANTS AND A LONG LIST OF OTHER MATERIALS, MANY OF WHICH OFF-GAS HIGHLY TOXIC CHEMICALS. SO WE FIRST TRIED TO FIND A USED HIGHLANDER, BUT COULD NOT FIND A RECENT MODEL YEAR THAT WAS EQUIPPED THE WAY WE WANTED. SO WE ORDERED A NEW ONE. AFTER WE TOOK POSSESSION OF THE CAR, I DROVE IT HOME, WITH ALL THE WINDOWS DOWN, THE MOON ROOF OPEN AND THE VENTILATION FAN RUNNING AT FULL SPEED. I THEN PARKED THE CAR IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND LEFT IT IN THE SUN ALL DAY, EVERYDAY FOR A MONTH. I HAD THE WINDOWS DOWN JUST SLIGHTLY AND A SMALL FAN IN THE CAR WHICH STIRRED THE AIR. I ALSO PUT A LARGE TRAY OF ACTIVATED CARBON IN THE CAR, CHANGING THAT MATERIAL EVERY FEW DAYS. AT NIGHT, I MOVED THE CAR INTO OUR GARAGE, ROLLED DOWN ALL THE WINDOWS AND HAD AN EXHAUST FAN RUNNING, WHICH CHANGED THE AIR IN THE GARAGE SEVERAL TIMES AN HOUR. AFTER A MONTH OF THAT ROUTINE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR WITHOUT GETTING A HEADACHE, THOUGH AFTER TWO YEARS, I CAN STILL FEEL THE EFFECT OF THAT POLLUTED INTERIOR AIR. OUR GRANDDAUGHTERS ARE VISITING US THIS SUMMER AND, THOUGH I NEVER MENTIONED MY EXPERIENCE TO THEM, THEY BOTH HOLD THEIR NOSES WHEN THEY GET IN THE CAR, UNTIL THEY CAN ROLL DOWN A WINDOW. PLEASE ADD INTERIOR AIR QUALITY TO YOUR SAFETY RATINGS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOORS FAILED TO UNLOCK. THE FAILURE RECURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (ATLANTA TOYOTA LOCATED AT 2345 PLEASANT HILL RD, DULUTH, GA 30096; (770) 872-0087) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 9,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE REAR HATCH MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT LIFT UP WHEN PROMPTED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT HEARD A CONSTANT BEEPING NOISE COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE PANEL. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.