RoadVitals

2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Visibility Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Jul 20, 2018
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 370 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming visibility

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Visibility
Filed Jul 20, 2018

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY FLUSH TO INTERIOR CAR ROOF NOR FLUSH TO WINDSHIELD WHEN PLACED IN DOWN POSITION. NO TENSION AT ALL AROUND THE SUPPORT SHAFT. IN "UP" OR CLOSED POSITION, VISOR DROPS TO 45 DEGREES AND DIRECTLY INTO DRIVER LINE OF SIGHT, BLOCKING VISIBILITY SIGNIFICANTLY. IN "DOWN" OR OPEN POSITION, VISOR CANNOT REMAIN FLUSH WITH WINDSHIELD, DROPPING TO 120 DEGREES. WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, VISOR DROPS FURTHER TO ALMOST 90 DEGREES. ISSUE ONGOING FOR ~5 WEEKS.

NHTSA ID
11112610
Incident
Jul 19, 2018
Mileage
102,465 mi
Visibility
Filed Feb 26, 2018

MY VEHICLE IS A HIGHLANDER HYBRID LIMITED. THE LIMITED HAS A TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY TO CONTROL THE ONBOARD GPS, SOUND SYSTEM, MAINTENANCE REMINDERS, AND CLIMATE CONTROL. I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE A FEW MONTHS AGO THE DISPLAY WOULD INTERMITTENTLY GO BLACK. THE ONLY BUTTON THAT WOULD RESPOND WAS THE MAP BUTTON WHICH CAUSED THE SCREEN TO DISPLAY A MESSAGE STATING THAT IT WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE EXTERNAL SYSTEM. INITIALLY, THE SCREEN WOULD GO BLACK ONLY AFTER I STARTED TO MOVE, BUT LATER I REALIZED THAT THE MOVEMENT WASN'T A FACTOR BUT THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION.ONLY A COUPLE OF MINUTES AFTER IGNITION. AS TIME WENT BY THE SCREEN HAS NOW BECOME PERMANENTLY BLACK. MY CONCERN IS THAT I NOW NO LONGER HAVE CONTROL OF THE CLIMATE CONTROL WHICH COULD LEAD TO MAJOR SAFETY ISSUES DUE TO POTENTIAL LACK OF VISIBILITY. THE REAR DEFROSTER HAS ITS OWN INDEPENDENT BUTTON, SEPARATE FROM THE DISPLAY, BUT THAT ALSO DOES NOT RESPOND. I'VE READ THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE AMONG FIRST-GENERATION HIGHLANDER LIMITEDS AND THAT THE COST COULD BE UPWARDS OF $2000 TO REPAIR. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS CAUSED BY USER ERROR OR MISUSE, IT'S SOMETHING RELATED TO THE MANUFACTURE OF THE CAR. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT THE CONSUMER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR OUT OF POCKET. ALSO, ONE OF THE THINGS I READ WAS THAT THIS COULD BE CAUSED BY A TRIPPED FUSE SO I CHECKED EVERYONE (EXCEPT THE ONES THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY BE INVOLVED) AND NOT ONE FUSE WAS BAD.

NHTSA ID
11075083
Incident
Nov 22, 2017
Mileage
155,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Sep 22, 2014

BOTH REAR WINDOWS KEEP COMING OFF TRACK. *TR

NHTSA ID
10638217
Incident
Sep 22, 2014
Visibility
Filed Aug 16, 2013

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR UNEXPECTEDLY DROPPED DOWN. OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, DANGEROUSLY OBSCURING VISIBILITY. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REMEDY, IT JUST HANGS DOWN. EITHER HAVE TO DUCK DOWN WHILE DRIVING TO SEE OR HOLD UP VISOR WITH HAND THAT SHOULD BE ON STEERING WHEEL. HAVE GATHERED A NUMBER OF QUOTES TO REPAIR RANGING FROM $236 TO $425. RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR, AND I BELIEVE, SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM AS I LEARNED THROUGH RESEARCH, IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10535727
Incident
Aug 1, 2013
Mileage
122,000 mi
Visibility
Filed May 1, 2013

SUN VISOR ON DRIVER SIDE WILL NOT STAY UP. - BLOCKS VIEW/VISIBILITY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10510194
Incident
Apr 10, 2013
Mileage
70,000 mi
Visibility
Filed May 11, 2012

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR WILL NO LONGER RELIABLY STAY UP, SO THE VISOR SOMETIMES FALLS DOWN SUDDENLY AND BLOCKS MY VIEW. WHEN IT DOES STAY UP, IT ONLY STAYS UP PART WAY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10458133
Incident
Mar 22, 2012
Mileage
95,608 mi
ElectricalVisibility
Filed Dec 29, 2011

THE FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER AND HEATER CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE. ICE BUILD-UP ON THE FRONT WINDOW IS KNOWN TO IMPAIR A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE NUT ON MY TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER WAS SEVERAL TURNS LOOSE! THE ORIGINAL MULTI-STRANDED WIRES SOLDERED TO THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER WERE RIGID BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO WELL TINNED WITH SOLDER AND BROKE FROM VIBRATION FATIGUE; DUE TO THE LOOSE NUT ON THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER SHAFT. TOYOTA OR SUMITOMO (VENDOR) SHOULD COVER THIS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE LOOSE NUTS (POOR WORKMANSHIP)! THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED WITH PHOTOS AT "HTTP://WWW.DEVALCOURT.COM/2010/03/FIXING-2004-TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER-AC-AND-HEAT-ISSUE/#IDC-COVER". OVER 385 PEOPLE HAVE LEFT COMMENTS THERE; SEVERAL OTHER WEBSITES DOCUMENT THE SAME PROBLEM. *KB

NHTSA ID
10441679
Incident
Dec 1, 2011
Mileage
75,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Aug 24, 2011

DRIVERS SIDE SUNVISOR ON TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WILL NOT STAY UP. SUNVISOR FALLS AND BLOCKS VIEW OF THE ROAD. FORCED TO HOLD SUNVISOR UP WITH LEFT HAND WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ID
10421320
Incident
Mar 8, 2011
Mileage
60,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jul 31, 2011

THE SUN VISOR IN MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID DROOPS DOWN FROM THE CEILING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND YOU HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, YET TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID
10416399
Incident
Jul 4, 2011
Mileage
38,000 mi
Visibility
Filed Jun 19, 2011

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID SUN VISOR DROPS DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY HINDERING DRIVERS VIEW. COULD NOT SEE TRAFFIC LIGHT WHICH CHANGED TO RED. FORTUNATELY NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE INTERSECTION. VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND DESIGN DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10407411
Incident
Jun 19, 2011
Mileage
126,370 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .