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2002 Toyota Highlander Other / unspecified Problems

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

Data refreshed

Other / unspecified 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.
8
Latest Dec 8, 2012
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 301 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.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
3

What this page shows

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Toyota Highlander submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 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 other

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

Other / unspecified
Filed Dec 8, 2012
1 injury reported

I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I PUT THE CAR CIGARETTE LIGHTER INTO ITS HOLDER AND INADVERTENTLY PRESSED IT IN ALL THE WAY. AFTER A FEW MINUTES IT FLEW OUT OF ITS SPACE, IT WAS ALL LITE UP AND FELL TO THE FLOOR OF THE CAR WHERE IT BEGAN TO BURN THE MAT. I PICKED IT UP AND GOT A 2ND DEGREE BURN ON MY FINGER. WE COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT IT HAPPENED SO WE PUT THE LIGHTER BACK IN THE HOLDER AND PRESSED IT IN. IT FLEW OUT AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10487762
Incident
Dec 1, 2012
Mileage
136,000 mi
Other / unspecifiedSuspension
Filed Sep 21, 2011

THIS STRUT ATTACHES TO THE REAR AXLE AND PREVENTS IT FROM MOVING FORWARD. IT RUSTED OUT AND WAS BOUNCING ON THE ROAD AND HITTING THE CAR AND REAR TIRE. I HAD TO STOP AND GET IT REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY FOR FEAR OF DAMAGING THE TIRE OR CAR. UPON MECHANIC MAKING REPAIR THE OTHER STRUT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CAR FELL OFF IN HIS HAND. IF BOTH STRUT HAD FAILED THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTHING TO STOP THE REAR AXLE FROM MOVING FORWARD AND CAUSING A CASTROPHE ACCIDENT. OR IF THE BOUNCING STRUT LODGE IN THE REAR TIRE THE SAME COULD HAVE BEEN TRUE. THE NEW REPLACEMENT PARTS LOOK INADEQUATE FOR SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT. SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN UNDER 10 YEARS. CAR GET WASHED ONCE EVER TWO WEEKS. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE PART LOOKS THE METAL BRACKET AT THE END OF THE ROD IS WAY TO THIN FOR THIS CRITICAL COMPONENT. PART #48780-4802012398. *TR

NHTSA ID
10426566
Incident
Aug 26, 2011
Mileage
105,000 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Mar 17, 2010
Crash reported

AFTER ONLY HAVING MY NEW 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FOR APPROX. 8 MONTHS, THE ACCELERATOR IN THE CAR STUCK AND I ENDED UP RUNNING INTO A CAR. I COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA AND HAD THE DEALER LOOK AT THE CAR NUMEROUS TIMES, BUT THEY KEPT TELLING ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. WELL 8 YEARS LATER AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T RECALLED MY CAR, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE OTHER YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10320349
Incident
Aug 6, 2003
Mileage
10,000 mi
ElectricalOther / unspecifiedVisibility
Filed Nov 16, 2008

THE INTERIOR HEATING/AC SYSTEM AND FAN REPEATEDLY FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY. IN THE SPRING SUMMER WHEN THE AC WOULD FAIL TO BLOW COLD AND BLOW HEAT THAT WASN'T SO BAD. I GOT THE CONTROL KNOB FIXED AND ALL SEEMED TO WORK FINE. HOWEVER THE KNOB HAS FAILED AGAIN AND WHEN I NEEDED THE HEAT/DEFROST FAN TO WORK AT NIGHT THE FROST GOT WORSE BECAUSE THE KNOB FAILED AND THE HEATER/FAN WOULD ONLY BLOW COLD AIR. DEPENDING ON THE SEASON AND THE POSITION OF THE KNOB WHEN IT FAILS THIS SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT AFFECTS THE VISUAL CLARITY OF THE WINDSHIELD . *TR

NHTSA ID
10248917
Incident
Nov 15, 2008
Mileage
89,374 mi
Body & structureOther / unspecified
Filed Jun 7, 2008

2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. BOTH SUNVISORS FAULTY. HIT A BUMP AND THEY WILL FALL DOWN IN FRONT OF VISION. CRASH HAZARD IN CERTAIN DRIVING SITUATIONS, ESPECIALLY DRIVING UPHILL OR TRYING TO LOOK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THEY SUDDENLY FALL AND OBSCURE UPWARD VISION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10230217
Incident
Jun 4, 2008
Other / unspecified
Filed Apr 26, 2008

A/C BLOWS HOT AIR ON DRIVER SIDE WHEN IT SHOULD BLOW COLD AIR AS IT DOES WITH PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10225770
Incident
Feb 21, 2008
Other / unspecified
Filed Sep 28, 2007
1 injury reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASSENGER REPLACED THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER AND, WITHOUT WARNING, IT EJECTED AND BURNED HIS HAND. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN THE PASSENGER ATTEMPTED TO USE IT TO WARM HIS COFFEE. ON MAY 22, 2007, AN INSPECTOR FROM TOYOTA VIDEOTAPED AND DUPLICATED THE FAILURE, HOWEVER, HE WAS UNABLE TO DISCUSS HIS FINDINGS WITH THE CONTACT. ON JUNE 18, 2007, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND THE CASE WAS TRANSFERRED TO TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA. THE CONTACT WAS GIVEN CASE NUMBER 200705071073 AND WAS INFORMED THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING TOYOTA MOTOR SALES USA FOR MORE DETAILS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 94,563.

NHTSA ID
10204947
Incident
Apr 7, 2007
Mileage
87,900 mi
Other / unspecified
Filed Apr 30, 2007
1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE WITH THE JACK PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE JACK BENT FORWARD AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO LEAN TOWARDS HIM. HE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO METAL FATIGUE OF THE JACK. AS A RESULT, THE TIRE LANDED ON HIS LEFT FOOT AND TRAPPED IT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, THEY SENT HIM A LETTER STATING THAT THE VEHICLE'S WEIGHT CAUSED THE JACK TO FAIL. NO OTHER OFFERS, EXPLANATIONS, OR REMEDIES HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 55,500 , AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000. *AK UPDATED 06/06/07 *TR

NHTSA ID
10189253
Incident
Dec 14, 2006
Mileage
48,000 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 .