2016 Toyota Highlander

The side view mirrors are positioned in a way that completely blocks visibility on the sides of the car, especially when making a left-hand turn. After owing the vehicle for several weeks, I collided with another car when making a left-hand turn. I couldn't see the car when turning until it was too late. I've been driving for 30+ years and have never had an accident before. I had another close call several weeks ago, and my husband almost didn't see a pedestrian because of the visibility issue. I looked up the problem online and see that many other have had this same problem. Please look into it. I called Toyota but they don't have a recall and said they couldn't help. I plan to change out my side view mirrors but wanted to bring this to your attention so that no one gets hurt by this issue. Thank you.

THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED BY THE DEFROSTER. FROM THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE BREAK IS ON THE INSIDE GOING DOWN TO THE DEFROSTER AND THEN ACROSS THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE WHEN IT WAS STARTED, THE DEFROSTER WAS PUT ON HIGH FAN. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE CRACK APPEARED IN THE CENTER GOING DOWN TOWARDS THE DEFROSTER AND THEN ACROSS THE LOWER PORTION OF THE WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE.

DRIVING SOUTH ON 12/20/2017, ON US-287 NEAR THE OKLAHOMA/TEXAS BORDER WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES VISIBLE IN FRONT OF US OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE FRONT SECTION OF OUR SUNROOF SUDDENLY EXPLODED. LUCKILY THE SHADE WAS DRAWN OR SMALL PIECES OF GLASS WOULD HAVE FALLEN DOWN ON MY FAMILY. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND NEARLY CLOUDLESS BLUE SKY DAY. DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE UNDER WARRANTY THEY SAID IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN A ROCK. THEY OFFERED NO PROOF THAT IT WAS A ROCK AND I FIND IT NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY ANYTHING ELSE. WHILE DRIVING WE DID HAVE A FAIRLY DRASTIC TEMPERATURE CHANGE FROM THE MID 20'S TO THE MID 60'S. WE WERE DRIVING STRAIGHT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

THE BULKY SIDE MIRRORS ON THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER BLOCK THE DRIVER'S VIEW OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. I HAVE ON AT LEAST THREE OCCASIONS BARELY MISSED A COLLISION BECAUSE OF VISIBILITY ISSUES RELATED TO THE BULKY SIDE WINDOW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. MY ELDERLY AUNT DRIVING A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS RECENTLY INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS COLLISION BECAUSE OF VISIBILITY ISSUES RELATED TO THE BULKY SIDE MIRROR, I WILL LET HER FILE HER OWN COMPLAINT

SINCE APRIL WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET OUR WINDSHIELD REPLACED. THE LOCAL AUTO GLASS DEALER BROUGHT OUT 3 SEPARATE WINDSHIELDS THAT DIDN'T FIT BEFORE THE FINALLY DISCLOSED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WE NEEDED HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR SOME TIME. APPARENTLY THERE ARE SEVERAL HUNDRED ON BACK ORDER IN OUR REGION AND THE NUMBER SEEMS TO GROW AT A RATE OF ABOUT 15 A WEEK. WE HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THE DEALER WITH NEITHER ARE OFFERING A SOLUTION. DUE TO THE SLOPE OF THE HOOD, THE SLOPE OF THE WINDSHIELD, OR FAULTY GLASS, THESE CARS SEEM TO BE MORE PRONE TO CRACKS. WITH OUR CAR HAVING 4 CRACKS DEVELOP IN LESS THAN A YEAR WITH MAINLY HIGHWAY AND NO GRAVEL DRIVING, PLUS THE BACK ORDER RATE, THERE SEEMS TO BE A BROADER PROBLEM

WE RELIED ON CONSUMER REPORTS GLOWING REPORTS OF TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS WHEN PURCHASING OUR NEW, 2016 MODEL LE HIGHLANDER. HOWEVER, WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE DRIVER FRONT VISIBILITY TO THE SIDES IS OBSCURED BY THE OVERLARGE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS AND THE WINDOW FRAMES; AND BACKUP VISIBILITY IS EXTREMELY POOR BECAUSE THE REAR WINDOW DESIGN WITH TURNED UP BOTTOM CORNERS, LOW PLACEMENT OF REAR WIPER, AND SMALL WINDOW SIZE SEVERELY REDUCES WHAT THE DRIVER CAN SEE WHEN BACKING UP. THE BACKUP CAMERA DOES NOT CLEARLY SHOW REAR OBSTRUCTIONS WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED IN SHADE OR SHADOWS, OR THE DRIVER IS WEARING SUNGLASSES. THESE ARE MAJOR, CRASH INDUCING PROBLEMS, WHICH WE REPORTED TO TOYOTA TODAY. WE NARROWLY AVOIDED TWO COLLISIONS BECAUSE WE DID NOT SEE VEHICLES APPROACHING US FROM THE SIDE FRONT OF OUR VEHICLE; AND WE NARROWLY AVOIDED BACKING INTO A PARKED CAR (IN SHADE) WHICH DID NOT CLEARLY SHOW UP ON THE BACKUP CAMERA. TWO OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE IN PARKING AREAS; THE THIRD WAS DRIVING INTO A LEFT BEND ON A ROAD AS ANOTHER VEHICLE APPROACHED HEAD ON. ALL THREE OF THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, WITH DRY ROAD CONDITIONS. WE HAVE HAD THIS HIGHLANDER FOR ONLY 7 MONTHS; AND WE ARE BOTH VERY EXPERIENCED ADULT DRIVERS WITH EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORDS, WHICH OUR AAA INSURANCE RECORDS WILL SHOW. WE ARE VERY SURPRISED THAT TOYOTA WOULD MARKET THE HIGHLANDER WITH THESE MAJOR SAFETY DESIGN FLAWS. THEY SEEM TO HAVE PLACED VEHICLE APPEARANCE OVER SAFETY WITH THE 2016 HIGHLANDER LE.