2002 Toyota Highlander Visibility Problems

DRIVER SIDE VISOR HAS 2 POSITIONS ONLY. DOWN OR UP. CANNOT ADJUST FOR TALLER DRIVERS.

NHTSA ID

11012342

Incident

Jan 1, 2008

SUN VISORS FALL DOWN WHILE DRIVING. AT ANY GIVEN TIME WHILE DRIVING BOTH SUNVISORS WILL FALL COMPLETELY DOWN OBSTRUCTING VIEW OF THE ROAD AHEAD. VERY DANGEROUS.TOYOTA WILL NOT RECALL.

NHTSA ID

10896454

Incident

Aug 15, 2016

Mileage

140,000 mi

THE AIR BAG SENSOR STAY ON WHEN COLD. IT WILL NOT TURN OFF UNTIL CAR WORMS UP AND ENGINE IS SHUT DOWN AND RESTART. THE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY ON AND IT IS FALLING DOWN DURING DRIVING. BOTH ISSUES ARE SAFETY HAZARD

NHTSA ID

10865179

Incident

May 16, 2016

Mileage

120,000 mi

THIS IS THE FOURTH SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THIS CAR WHICH WILL NO LONGER STAY UP BLOCKING MY VISION WHILE DRIVING. THE FIRST WAS REPLACED 09/03 AT ABOUT 22,600 MILES UNDER WARRANTY WITH A HOME LINK INCLUDED AS WAS THE ORIGINAL. THE SECOND REPLACEMENT WAS 01/07 AT 65,300 MILES AND THE PASSENGER ONE WAS REPLACED AT THE SAME TIME. THESE DID NOT HAVE THE HOME LINK FEATURE AS IT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE. THE PROBLEM RECURRED IN 3/10 AT 86,000 MILES AND WAS ONCE AGAIN REPLACED. IT IS NOW 3/16 WITH 115,000 MILES AND THE SAME PROBLEM AS BEFORE EXISTS. IT FALLS RIGHT AT EYE LEVEL WHICH IMPAIRS VISIBILITY. WITH THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS TOYOTA HAS RECEIVED ON THIS AND OTHER MODELS, A MANDATORY REPLACEMENT IS WARRANTED.

NHTSA ID

10850925

Incident

Mar 1, 2016

Mileage

115,000 mi

DRIVER AND PASSENGER SUN VISORS FALL DOWN INTO DRIVERS AND PASSENGER VIEW. SAFETY ISSUE WAS NOT RECOGNIZED BY VEHICLE MANUFACTURER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10715059

Incident

Jan 1, 2008

Mileage

78,000 mi

THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR DOES NOT STAY PROPPED UP IN THE FORWARD DIRECTION. IT DROPS DOWN TO A VERTICAL POSITION DOWNWARDS, WHERE IT BLOCKS THE DRIVER'S VIEW. *TR

NHTSA ID

10669529

Incident

May 25, 2011

THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR NO LONGER STAYS FULLY UP. IT STAYS 1/2 DOWN WHICH BLOCKS VISIBILITY. IT SUDDENLY FALLS DOWN FURTHER, BLOCKING MY VIEW EVEN MORE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I BRAKE (EVEN LIGHT BRAKING), CHANGE LANES OR CHANGE VEHICLE SPEEDS. AFTER SEVERAL TIMES OF GETTING SCARED WHEN THE VISOR SUDDENLY FLIPS DOWN, I NOW HAVE TO USE BUNGEE CORDS OR RUBBER BANDS TO HOLD THE VISOR UP SO THAT I CAN SEE. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT MEANS THAT I CANNOT EASILY FLIP IT DOWN TO BLOCK THE SUN, WHICH IS ITS PURPOSE, AND I LIVE IN "SUNNY CALIFORNIA!" I HAVE SEEN DOZENS OF OTHER PEOPLE COMPLAIN ONLINE FALLS ABOUT THIS SAFETY ISSUE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. MY RESEARCH A FEW YEARS AGO SHOWED THAT THE REPLACEMENT FOR THE VISOR WAS RIDICULOUSLY OVER $800 (I THINK BECAUSE IT HAS A LIGHTED MIRROR). MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT IT ONLY NEEDS A SPRING REPLACED AND TOYOTA SHOULD DO THIS TO PROTECT ITS CUSTOMERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10649404

Incident

Oct 1, 2010

Mileage

80,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR WOULD CONTINUE TO FALL. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE SUN VISOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000.

NHTSA ID

10584422

Incident

Mar 25, 2013

Mileage

124,000 mi

SUBMISSION FROM CONSTITUENT RE DEFECTIVE VISOR/ SAFETY PROBLEMS 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ( FULL DOCUMENT NOT IMAGED). *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO, THE PASSENGER SIDE VISOR WOULD NOT REMAIN IN THE UP POSITION, AND APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, THE SAME THING HAPPENED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE.

NHTSA ID

10558864

Incident

Aug 1, 2013

SUN VISOR KEEPS COMING DOWN AS IT AFFECTS MY VISION ON THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10557870

Incident

Sep 10, 2013

Mileage

80,200 mi

WHEN DRIVING THE 2002 HIGHLANDER, THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR DROPPED DOWN AND HIT THE DRIVER ON THE NOSE AND OBSTRUCTED VISION OF THE ROAD. TOYOTA REPLACED THE VISOR ONCE YEARS BEFORE, BUT WILL NOT DO SO AGAIN BECAUSE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. NO REPAIR IS POSSIBLE, SO IT MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF MORE THAN $800.00 FOR THE VISOR (WITH GARAGE DOOR OPENER) PART ONLY. THE VISOR IS NOW FALLING DOWN DUE TO A POOR HINGE, AND IS A CONSTANT HAZARD. MANY OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TOYOTA REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10556635

Incident

Oct 1, 2013

Mileage

129,450 mi

SUN VISOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE UNEXPECTEDLY FALLS DOWN. I HAVE ALMOST REAR ENDED A FEW VEHICLES ON THE HIGHWAY AND SURFACE STREETS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM FOR ME AND IS GETTING MORE AND MORE SERIOUS. I SEE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE FOR THIS YEAR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DOES NHTSA/TOYOTA HAVE TO RECEIVE BEFORE THIS IS CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE? HOW MANY DEATHS? I WAS QUOTED $750 BY A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE VISOR REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10533735

Incident

Feb 1, 2012

Mileage

58,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS OVER ROAD BUMPS, THE SUN VISOR WOULD FALL, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S VISION OF THE ROADWAY TO BECOME OBSCURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS APPROXIMATELY 166,000. *TR...UPDATED 05/08/13 *BF

NHTSA ID

10503623

Incident

Mar 17, 2013

Mileage

166,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR BRACKET FAILED. THE SUN VISOR DETACHED FROM THE BRACKET AND OBSTRUCTED THE CONTACT'S VIEW OF THE ROADWAY. THE DEALER HAD PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE SUN VISOR BRACKET HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

NHTSA ID

10502796

Incident

Jun 1, 2008

Mileage

70,000 mi

DRIVER SIDE VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE, DROPS DOWN DUE TO VIBRATION. APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. VISOR TOO HEAVY FOR ARMITURE, DEALERSHIP COST TO REPLACE APPROXIMATELY 800.00. *TR

NHTSA ID

10502013

Incident

Mar 14, 2010

Mileage

70,000 mi

SUN VISOR DOES NOT STAY IN POSITION. IT ROTATES DOWN TO A VERTICAL POSITION, OBSTRUCTING DRIVER'S VIEW AND WILL NOT STAY IN HORIZONTAL POSITION AGAINST CABIN CEILING. *TR

NHTSA ID

10496167

Incident

Feb 8, 2006

Mileage

45,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING BOTH SUN VISORS FALL UNEXPECTEDLY AND BLOCK VISION. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM THE GET-GO AND WE HAD THESE REPLACED ALREADY AND JUST OVER A YEAR LATER THE PROBLEM IS OCCURRING AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID

10490038

Incident

Feb 21, 2005

Mileage

22,000 mi

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY DOWN WHEN PUSHED INTO PLACE TO BLOCK BRIGHT SUN. INSTEAD, IT MOVES PARTIALLY BACK UP, THEREBY OBSCURING THE DRIVER'S VISION. THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM IN OTHER 2002 AND 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE IS SIMPLY THAT THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND WE ARE WELCOME TO PAY $850 FOR A NEW VISOR (IT IS SO EXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT CONTAINS A GARAGE DOOR OPENER REMOTE CONTROL). THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. HERE IS MORE INFO FROM OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM HTTP://WWW.FIXYA.COM/CARS/T594661-HIGHLANDER_PROBLEM_SUN_VISOR. *TR

NHTSA ID

10476652

Incident

Jun 1, 2012

Mileage

110,000 mi

THE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN THE UP POSITION. TOYOTA REPLACED THE VISORS UNDER WARRANTY AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT STAYING UP ANYMORE. THE DRIVERS SIDE VISOR FALLS DOWN WHEN DRIVING CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. BOTH OF THEM FALL DOWN AT AN ANGLE WHICH COULD CAUSE HEAD INJURIES DURING A CRASH. IN DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH, IT APPEARS THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH MANY OTHER HIGHLANDERS. I WENT BACK TO TOYOTA AND THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

NHTSA ID

10468232

Incident

Jun 1, 2009

Mileage

40,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SUN VISORS WOULD RELEASE DOWNWARDLY WITHOUT INTENT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY OR IN MOTION. THE SUN VISORS WOULD BE PLACED IN THE UPWARD POSITION UPON RELEASING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND TEMPORARILY DISTORTED THE VISIBILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO BOTH STATED THAT THE ENTIRE SUN VISOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

NHTSA ID

10461678

Incident

Jul 1, 2008

Mileage

80,000 mi

THE HEATER WOULD NOT PROVIDE HOT AIR. I PUSHED IN ON THE SWITCH AND THE HEAT WOULD WORK AS LONG AS I HELD THE SWITCH PUSHED IN (NOT DESIGNED TO BE PUSHED - ROTARY SELECTOR). EVENTUALLY, EVEN PRESSING THE SWITCH IN WOULD NOT WORK. I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND A DISCUSSION BLOG THAT DISCUSSED MY EXACT ISSUE. I FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDATION AND PULLED THE FACE COVER OFF, REMOVED THE CONTROL PANEL AND DISCOVERED EXACTLY WHAT HAD BEEN DESCRIBED - A BROKEN SINGLE STRAND WIRE THAT RAN TO THE BACK OF THE SWITCH. I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE REPAIR USING A MULTI-STRAND WIRE AS RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE DEALER REPAIR OPTION WAS $1,000. THE HEATER APPEARS TO WORK -SLIGHTLY, BUT NOW I HAVE NO AC. I THINK THE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS DAMAGED BY THE SOLDERING IRON HEAT. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN THE SEATTLE AREA, THIS CAUSES ISSUES WITH THE WINDOW DEFOGGER AS WELL AS HAVING NO AC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10460733

Incident

Feb 9, 2012

Mileage

118,000 mi

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE SUN VISORS ON MY 2002 HIGHLANDER. THE VISORS SEEM OVERLY HEAVY AND DUE TO THE NORMAL VIBRATIONS IN THE CAR THEY FREQUENTLY FALL DOWN, WHICH IS QUITE DISCONCERTING WHEN DRIVING! I'VE TALKED TO TOYOTA BUT THEY MENTION THERE IS NO WAY TO ADJUST THE TENSION AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PAY 700.00 TO GET THEM FIXED. I'M CONCERNED AS IT LOOKS TO BE A DESIGN FAULT (I.E. BOTH VISORS ARE FALLING DOWN, DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE THINGS) AND I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR NEW ONES TO BE IN EXACTLY THE SAME SITUATION IN 18 MONTHS TIME. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AAND MANY PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THIS PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS. *TT

NHTSA ID

10459230

Incident

Feb 1, 2011

Mileage

125,000 mi

DRIVER/S SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP. WHILE DRIVING, IT SUDDENLY DROPS OBSCURING MY VISION AND PUTTING THE DRIVER AT EXTREME RISK FOR AN ACCIDENT (IMPAIRED VISION OF THE ROAD). THERE IS NO APPARENT WAY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM SHORT OF REPLACING THE SUN VISOR (ESTIMATED COST OF APPROX. $700 PER BLOGS). THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY MANY OWNERS OF 2002 HIGHLANDERS AS EXEMPLIFIED VIA "COMPLAINT" POSTINGS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10459041

Incident

Apr 4, 2012

Mileage

80,000 mi

THIS IS CLEARLY A DESIGN FLAW & POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS. THE SUN VISORS FAIL & DROP DOWN IN FRONT ON YOU, NO LONGER STAYING AT A PROPER ANGLE OR STAYING UP. I CUT ONE OPEN & FOUND THAT THE PIVOTING PIN IS COATED IN PLASTIC & HELD IN PLACE BY A METAL CLIP. OVER TIME THE PLASTIC CRACKS & FALLS OFF THE METAL PIN CAUSING THE LOSS OF THE REQUIRED FRICTION TO HOLD THE VISOR SECURELY IN PLACE. MY 1ST REPAIR WAS TO REFORM THE PIN WITH EPOXY, BUT THE FORCE FROM THE METAL CLIP WAS TOO MUCH AND IT FAILED IN A FEW MONTHS. THE NEXT FIX WAS TO CUT THE VISOR OPEN AGAIN & FORCE THE PART OF THE PIN STILL COVERED IN THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC COATING DEEPER INTO THE METAL CLIP. THAT REPAIR LASTED UNTIL NOW. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE, BUT NOW I CAN NOT REPAIR IT AND NOT DOING SO WOULD BE A DRIVING HAZARD. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ONLINE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING BY NOW. *JS

NHTSA ID

10452309

Incident

Jul 2, 2010

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR KEEPS FALLING DOWN SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING. WHILE SEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND OUT THAT MANY 2002 HIGHLANDER OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. REPAIR IS TOO COSTLY. IT IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10448103

Incident

Jun 10, 2010