Quick News About Toyota Highlander Problems

Short stories about Toyota Highlander recalls, lawsuits, and other interesting bits. Signup to have these stories emailed to you for free from CarComplaints.com.

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  1. A lawsuit wonders how Toyota can keep calling their bluetooth implementation "hands-free" when owners very much need to use their hands to prevent echos on each and every call.

    For years owners have complained about this issue, but Toyota's only suggestion has been to pickup the phone and turn it's volume all the way up after the call has been initiated. Oh, and also make sure the radio volume is below level 45. Sorta defeats the point, don't you think?…

    keep reading article "Illinois Lawsuit Says Toyota's Hands-Free Calling is Unusable"

  2. Toyota has blamed a musty A/C smell on microbes [i.e., mold] growing o the evaporator surface and now a lawsuit wants them to do something about it.

    The plaintiffs claim the vehicles have defective heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that cause smells and health problems from mold that collects on the evaporators. Numerous complaints have allegedly been filed with the government, Toyota and Lexus dealerships nationwide since at least 1999.

    This isn't the first time Toyota has been sued for musty A/C units.

    keep reading article "Air Conditioner Lawsuit Complains About Mold Smell From Toyota HVAC"

  6. When Toyota switched away from using plastic or glass-based inulation in favor of soy, it invited in some very unwelcome Toyota loyalisits.

    According to the plaintiff, she learned the hard way about the soy wiring when her Avalon wouldn't start and a look under the hood showed wires chewed, so she had the car towed to a dealer. Toyota told her rodents had caused the damage and it would be no problem to repair the problems as long as she could cough up $6,000 to cover the bill.

    The soy-based wiring is allegedly attracting in rodents, who love to chew it up and use it for nesting material. The lawsuit, Heidi Browder vs. Toyota Motor Corporation, et al. follows a similar lawsuit filed against Honda earlier this year.

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Toyota’s Use of Soy-Based Wiring is Attracting Rodent Damage"

  7. This just in from the team at Toyota: sensors work much better when they're connected during manufacturing.

    Toyota says federal safety standards require a vehicle to activate a warning light if there is a drop in the brake fluid level. However, the automaker says there is a possibility the wire harness that attaches to the brake fluid reservoir sensor was never connected during manufacturing.

    In other news: the sun is hot, traffic is the worst, and I can't believe this actually went unchecked. There's no word on when the recall will begin.

    keep reading article "Highlander Brake Sensor Needs to be Reconnected"

  8. A minor label issue is about to become a major pain in the butt for 2,500 Toyota and Scion owners.

    Why do automakers bother with recalls about stickers? Because of federal law. Based on federal regulations, a load carrying modification label must be added to a vehicle if weight exceeding the lesser of 1.5 percent of 100 pounds is added to a vehicle between final vehicle certification and the first retail sale of the vehicle. Any corrected values must be accurate to within 1 percent of the actual added weight.…

    keep reading article "Wrong Weight Limit Label Recall"

  9. How hot do you like your seat heater in the winter?

    If you like it really toasty — as in, with an actual flame — you’ll probably love one of 7,700 Toyota vehicles with seat heaters that catch on fire. The vehicles have been recalled because fire and cars don’t get along, what with their tanks of highly flammable liquids and all. All the affected vehicles are equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters that contain copper strand heating elements. The recall is being handled by Southeast Toyota Distributors (SET) which is the world’s largest distributor of Toyota and Scion vehicles.

    The recall is expected to begin on July 14, 2016 and the seat heaters will need to be disconnected. Owners will be reimbursed.

    keep reading article "Toyota Wants to Stop Seat Heaters From Setting Owner's Buns on Fire"

  10. Toyota says the power steering circuit board in 110,000 vehicles might have been damaged on arrival, prompting a recall.

    The circuit board was probably messed up during assembly and can cause a sudden loss of power steering. If you're traveling at slow speeds and your power steering suddenly goes away, pulling over to the side of the road is going to feel like you're steering through a vat of caramel. That sounds delicious, by the way.…

    keep reading article "Power Steering Circuit Recall"

  11. Pop quiz -- name two things that don't mix well because they're highly combustable.

    Go ahead, I'll wait ... if you said flammable liquids and sparks you're absolutely right! Bonus points to anyone that said republicans and democrats which is also 100% correct these days. Toyota recently announced it is recalling 20,000 vehicles that could experience gas leaks. Anytime flammable liquid is somewhere it shouldn't be, there's a chance for fire. Here's a breakdown of what you need to know:…

    keep reading article "Popular Models With Bad Welds Are Leaking Gas"

  12. Toyota has been hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging the Highlander has a rear liftgate that can get stuck open.

    The lead plaintiff, Annita Emerson, says her 2009 Highlander liftgate got stuck after the power lift arm broke, eventually causing the hinge to bow. The repair set her back $4,700 and happened just after her warranty expired. The lawsuit says there's evidence Toyota knows of this defect following a technical service bulletin (TSB) they issued to dealers in 2012. The TSB says the 2008-12 Highlanders have gaps between the power lift arm bolts and the rear gates, causing the liftgates to get stuck. Dealers were told to replace the back door hinges and the panel sub-assembly, but only if the owner complained.…

    keep reading article "Highlander Rear Liftgate Lawsuit"

  13. Toyota says dealers need to reprogram the airbag electronic control unit (ECU) in the 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid for a dangerous misunderstanding.

    The software used to determine the front seat passenger's size and weight is faulty. The system is classifying all passengers as small and light, regardless of their actual size. That kind of flattery will get you nowhere, Toyota. This can cause problems with how much force the seat belt uses, and ultimately can result in injury.…

    keep reading article "Highlander Airbag Occupant Sensor Failure"

  14. Seatbelts are a simple yet effective way to protect you in a crash.

    But in the 2014 Highlander the middle seat belt of the third row might fail when you need it most, prompting a recall. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that particular seat belt might not have been secured properly. If the belt isn't secured properly it's pretty obvious you won't be either. Toyota says the affected vehicles were manufactured November 20, 2013, through January 18, 2014. In total they're recalling 7,000 vehicles.

    You'll need to make a trip to your Toyota dealer so they can make sure the seat belt anchor is secured to the Highlander. Toyota didn't say how long that might take. Expect a recall letter this month or call Toyota at 800-331-4331 if you have any questions.

    keep reading article "Highlander's Useless Seatbelt Could Detatch in a Crash"

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