Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Toyota Highlander submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
SUNROOF GLASS BLEW OFF OF THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY YESTERDAY. I SEE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THIS ON THE INTERNET. WAS THERE EVER A TSB OR RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE FROM TOYOTA? DANGEROUS AND SCARY, HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC.
I AM SOLE OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE SINCE BOUGHT IT NEW AND WELL MAINTAIN IT. DASHBOARD AND STEERING WHEEL ARE PEELING AND GOOEY. TOYOTA SERVICE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT IT AND ASKED ME TO CALL TOYOTA. I CALLED AND FILED A COMPLAINT NO. 1709121290 WITH TOYOTA. THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD RECALLS ON OTHER MODELS BUT NOT THIS ONE SO IT SEEMS THIS IS NOT A NEW ISSUE FOR THEM. THEY DON'T WANT TO FIX IT.
ON 11/17/2015 I HIT A PARKING ISLAND IN AN UNLIT PARKING LOT. WHEN I TRIED TO STOP, MY BRAKES FAILED. THIS CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND IT HIT 2 PARKED CARS AND A TREE. I HAVE LOST WAGES AND LIVE IN PAIN EVERY DAY DUE TO INJURIES FROM THIS ACCIDENT.
FAULTY STOP LIGHTS, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR THE STOP LIGHTS. THE PROBLEM REMAINS UNSOLVED AND KEEPS COMING BACK ON BOTH TAIL LIGHTS. WHAT'S WRONG TOYOTA?
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR SUDDENLY DROPPED DOWN INTO MY FIELD OF VIEW WHEN I HIT A BUMP ON A THREE LANE 40 MPH PAVED ROAD AT RUSH HOUR. I NEARLY REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME DURING THE SHORT TIME (MAYBE TWO SECONDS) REQUIRED TO REACT AND RAISE THE VISOR. AN ONLINE SEARCH REVEALED THAT A REPLACEMENT VISOR COSTS A SHOCKING $791.00, AND THAT MANY DOZENS OF OTHERS WERE REPORTING THIS PROBLEM IN 2001 - 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS. SOLUTIONS RANGED FROM JURY-RIGGING THE VISOR IN THE UP POSITION TO SIMPLY REMOVING THE VISOR AND USING ONE'S HAND TO BLOCK THE SUN WHEN NEEDED. SOME OF THESE "SOLUTIONS" ARE OBVIOUSLY UNSAFE, AND COULD EASILY BE AVOIDED IF TOYOTA CHARGED A MORE REASONABLE PRICE FOR THE REPLACEMENT VISOR. REPLACEMENT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ALMOST ANYONE WITH A SCREWDRIVER IN ABOUT 12 MINUTES. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *TR
GASKET BEHIND REAR HATCH LOGO/KEYHOLE GARNISH IS PROTRUDING. DEALER REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK
FRONT MUD GUARDS TORN AT MOUNTING BOLTS. NOTHING WAS DONE TO DAMAGE THE ITEMS. DEALER STATES THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 28000 MILES. NOTE: DEALER WENT AHEAD AND REPLACED MUDGUARD AT THEIR EXPENSE.*AK
FREQUENTLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES NOT TO STOP IMMEDIATELY IN A PANIC OR EMERGENCY SITUATION. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM FOR THIS VEHICLE. THREE DIFFERENT MECHANICS INSPECTED THE BRAKE SYSTEM, AND DETERMINED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. THE MASTER CYLINDER NEEDED TO BE CONSTANTLY REPLENISHED WITH BRAKE FLUID. ALSO, THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE BLED BECAUSE AIR GOT IN IT. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE BRAKE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED FOR A PASSENGER VEHICLE AND NOT AN SUV. *AK REPAIRS WERE ALSO PERFORMED ON VEHICLE DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR ON PADS AND ROTORS, AND ON VEHICLE'S FRONT DOOR WEATHER STRIPPING DUE TO PREMATURE WEAR. *LA RECALL#01V228000. THE BRAKE PROBLEM HAD BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE PURCHASE. *SC
THE FRONT MUDFLAPS ARE BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES. I DID NOTHIT ANYTHING TO CAUSE THEM TO FAIL. AS I DRIVE AROUND, I NOTICE THAT ALMOST ALL HL'S HAVE BROKEN FRONT MUDFLAPS.*AK THIS IS A DESIGN DEFECT AND THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST, EVEN IF OUT OF WARRANTY.
THE CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN DRIVING AT 35 MPH OR HIGHER, AND THE REAR WINDOWS ARE ROLLED DOWN ABOUT 3-4 INCHES, ITS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE IT MAKES A LOUD AIR NOISE. IT FEELS LIKE YOUR EARS ARE GOING TO BLOW UP. THE CONSUMER HAS THREE KIDS AND IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *NLM *SCC
THE CENTER CUPHOLDERS ARE POORLY DESIGNED AND ARE A SAFETY HAZARD. WHEN YOU ARE REMOVING A DRINK FROM THE CUPHOLDER, IT HITS THE GEARSHIFT LEVER KNOCKING THE DRINK OUT OF YOUR HAND AND CAUSING IT AND ITS CONTENTS TO GO ALL OVER THE PLACE. ON OCCASION, IT KNOCKS THE GEARSHIFT LEVER OUT OF GEAR CAUSING A RAPID DEACCELERATION OF THE VEHICLE.E
AIR NOISE (COKE BOTTLE EFFECT) AT HIGH SPEED AND CROSS WIND. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS TO TOYOTA IGNORED. TOYOTA CONSIDERS THIS DEFECT ACCEPTABLE. *AK
WHEN OPENING THE BACK WINDOW THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE WILDLY AND THERE WAS TERRIBLE PRESSURE IN THE DRIVERS EARS ALONG WITH A LOUD NOISE, THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND AFTER SOME TRIAL AND ERROR THE DRIVER DISCOVERED THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE ALLEVIATED BY OPENING THE FRONT WINDOWS FIRST, THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT ALL HIGHLANDERS EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM DUE TO THE AERODYNAMICS. NLM *SLC
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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