Toyota Highlander Complaints (2013)

212 consumer complaints on file.

#11150062November 8, 2018
STEERING
I STARTED HEARING A POPPING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. THE NOISE BECAME LOUDER AS TIME WENT ON ESPECIALLY WHEN I MADE TURNS. ON 11/07/18 TOYOTA RECENTLY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND I MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET IT FIXED AT THE DEALER FOR $584.92. THERE'S 57,665 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I CAN VISIBLY SEE THERE'S SLACK IN THE STEERING SHAFT WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE RACK AND PINION. II AM A 65 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHO BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW AND DROVE IT VERY GENTLY. I UNDERSTAND THE NEW SHAFT MAY HAVE AN IMPROVED DESIGN I HOPE SO IT DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN. IT'S VERY CONCERNING IF I LOST CONTROL WHILE DRIVING. I WOULD THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GET'S HURT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11145364November 5, 2018
STEERING
STARTED HEARING A LOUD POPPING NOISE UNDERNEATH THE STEERING WHEEL OR PEDALS. NOISE BECAME LOUDER AS TIME WENT ON ESPECIALLY WHEN I MADE TURNS. TOYOTA RECENT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS AN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. WAS ORIGINALL TOLD IT MIGHT BE A RACK AND PINION PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY THAT THIS DOESN'T NOW TURN INTO SOMETHING ELSE. THIS IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. VERY UPSET.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11143688October 29, 2018
STEERING
KNOCK IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11142609October 25, 2018
WHEELS, AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE CONTACT T-BONED ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT LEG, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. FURTHERMORE, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES FAILED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION IN OCTOBER OF 2018. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES AND WHEELS SEIZED ON THREE OCCASIONS. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS MADE AWARE OF ALL THE FAILURES, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCES. A DEALER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11142100October 23, 2018
STEERING
VEHICLE HAD A KNOCKING NOISE HEARD AND FELT FROM STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING. SEEMED TO BE MORE PROMINENT AT LOWER SPEEDS, OCCURRED WHEN TURNING RIGHT AND LEFT. TOOK VEHICLE TO TOYOTA DEALER AND DIAGNOSED AS A FAILED INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE WARRANTY AT 54,853 MILES. RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR HIGHLANDER AND TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A TSB, BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO DATE. COST OF REPAIR WAS $463.34.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11139849October 11, 2018
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DOOR ACTUATORS HAVE GONE OUT FOR BOTH DOORS. I CONTACTED TOYOTA SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY REFUSED TO FIXED THEM.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11128289September 8, 2018
STEERING
THERE IS A CLUCKING NOISE IN THE STEERING WHEN TURNING. IT SEEMS LIKE THE STEERING WHEEL MECHANISM IS FALLING APPART.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11119316August 11, 2018
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
HEAD GASKET LEAKED CAR LESS THAN 100K MILES AND LESS THAN 5 YEARS. GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER HIGHLANDERS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11109669July 5, 2018
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
THE POWER BACK DOOR HINGE ON THE LEFT SIDE BROKE. THE HINGE IS NO LONGER ATTACHED TO THE DOOR. THE KEYLESS ENTRY WILL NOT WORK.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11104968July 1, 2018
SERVICE BRAKES
I AM THE ONE AND ONLY,'ORIGINAL NEW CAR OWNER'. AT 25K MILES I NEEDED TO REPLACE BRAKE PADS AS WELL AS ROTORS. REAR PADS WERE LESS THAN HALF WORN, HOWEVER BOTH REAR ROTOR HAD 0.8 CM, PERIPHERAL CIRCULAR UNUSED RUSTY RINGS ON BOTH SURFACES.BOTH, LEFT + RIGHT WHEELS. I KNOW I AM REPEATING TO DOUBLE EMPHASIS MY ANXIETY FOR A CAR MY DAUGHTER USES. I SUSPECT BOTH REAR CALIPERS (BRAKE-CYLINDERS) RECEIVE LESS THAN ADEQUATE PRESSURES + PADS ARE TOUCHING ONLY HALF OF EXPECTED ROTOR AREA. IMMEDIATE & THOROUGH INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE IS REQUESTED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11101098June 11, 2018
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
BOUGHT VEHICLE 'CERTIFIED' ON 04/20/17 AND FIRST OIL CHANGE 06/30/17 CORROSION ON BATTERY TERMINAL NOTATED. NEW BATTERY PURCHASED. 05/25/17, CORROSION IS AGAIN NOTATED. VEHICLE HAS BEEN THROUGH 2 SEPARATE OIL CHANGES AND NO CORROSION NOTATED. NOW DEALER IS STATING VERBALLY $5800 TO FIX TERMINALS AND CABLE DUE TO BATTERY ACID AND CORROSION LEADING TO ELECTRICAL DAMAGE. HARNESS DAMAGE. FLAW OF THIS VEHICLE IS ALL COMPONENTS ARE INTERCONNECTED. REP WILL NOT PUT IN WRITING, BUT IS SAYING MAJOR HAZARD. TOYOTA WILL GIVE ONLY $2500 TOWARDS COST. NOT DRIVING CAR AT THIS TIME.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11100299June 6, 2018
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DOOR LOCKS REPLACED ON PASSENGER FRONT DOOR AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP (YOKEM TOYOTA) LESS THAN 6 MONTHS LATER DOING THE SAME THING . NOW PASSENGER REAR DOOR DOING THE SAME THING. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIRS
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11090274April 26, 2018
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I AM ASKING THAT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE THE 2013 HIGHLANDER LIMITED FOR THE ABILITY TO TURN OFF THE CAR WHILE IN "DRIVE" AFTER PARKING. WE PURCHASED OUR CAR NEW FORM THE DEALER, AND EVER SINCE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF THE VEHICLE AFTER PARKING BUT IN "DRIVE" WHICH HAS LED TO THE CAR UNINTENTIONALLY ROLLING DOWNHILL ON SEVERAL TIMES. ON TWO OCCASIONS IT HAS LED TO THE CAR NOT RESTARTING. WE HAVE ASKED OUR LOCAL DEALER AND SERVICE PEOPLE, AT TOYOTA OF SEATTLE, ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD, ALBEIT WITH INCONSTANT REASONING, THAT THE CAR WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE THIS CAPABILITY. WE HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND TO US THIS SEEM EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AS THE ONLY WAY TO BE ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT YOU'VE LEFT THE CAR IN "DRIVE", OTHER THAN THE VEHICLE ROLLING, IS A BEEP SOUND. HOWEVER, THIS BEEP IS THE EXACT SAME SOUND ALERT YOU GET WHEN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON, OR A DOOR IS OPEN, OR YOU'RE RUNNING OUT OF GAS -- MAKING IT A COMMON SOUND THAT DOES NOT SIGNIFY A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALSO, OFTEN THIS SOUND DOES NOT REGISTER IN THE BRAIN UNTIL YOU ARE OUT OF THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THE SAME SOUND IS USED TO ALERT THAT A DOOR HAS BEEN OPENED BEFORE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. IN WHICH CASE, THE NOISE GOES AWAY AFTER YOU GET OUT AND CLOSE THE DOOR. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE OUR CHILDREN HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF THE PARKED VEHICLE WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE BEEP AND THEN THE CAR WILL START ROLLING. I AM A CAREFUL PERSON, SO GIVEN MY INNUMERABLE CLOSE CALLS WITH THIS ISSUE I ENCOURAGE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THANK YOU OF YOUR TIME. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11083623April 6, 2018
STEERING
WHILE TRAVELLING IN HIGH SPEED LANE ON I80 NEAR SACRAMENTO CA. I ATTEMPTED TO ADJUST TELESCOPIC STEERING WHEEL AND THE STEERING WHEEL CAME OFF IN MY HANDS AND BY GRACE OF GOD WAS ABLE TO SLOW AND GET OFF ROAD ON THE HAND HIGH SPEED BREAKDOWN LANE AND SOMEHOW REMOUNT THE STEERING WHEEL. VEHICLE CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR AND I WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING AND MOUNT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AND WILL COST IN EXCESS OF $2000.00. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA, STARTED A CASE FILE WITH THEM AND WAITING ON THEIR REPLY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11083206April 4, 2018
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
EACH OF THE FOUR DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS HAVE MALFUNCTIONED SUCH THAT THE DOOR CANNOT BE UNLOCKED/OPENED FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED DURING THE PAST 18 MONTHS. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD IN CASE OF A WRECK/FIRE WHERE SOMEONE COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR EMERGENTLY OR SECURITY THREAT IF THE DRIVER/PASSENGER EMERGENTLY NEEDED TO ENTER THE CAR TO AVOID HARM. I HAVE RECEIPTS FOR ALL REPAIRS AT THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD BY A TOYOTA DEALER SHIP REPRESENTATIVE THIS IS A RECOGNIZED ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11079188March 14, 2018
SERVICE BRAKES
I HAVE A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AND RECENTLY WHILE DRIVING TOWARD A STOP SIGN, I WENT TO SLOW MY VEHICLE TO STOP AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WAS STUCK. ALSO, THE BRAKE PEDAL SEEMED TO BE IN A HIGHER THAN NORMAL POSITION BECAUSE I REMEMBER HAVING TO RAISE MY LEG TO REACH THE HEIGHT OF THE PEDAL. NO MATTER HOW HARD I PRESSED I COULDN'T GET THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND I WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR. I WAS FORCED TO GO THROUGH THE STOP SIGN AND INTO WHAT IS OFTEN A VERY BUSY STREET IN MY CITY. THANK GOD NO CARS WERE COMING DURING THE TIME OF MY INCIDENT. AFTER THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT BACK TO PERFORMING NORMALLY AND I GOT THE CAR BACK HOME. LATER I HAD MY VEHICLE FLATBED TO A VERY GOOD GARAGE. MECHANICS DISASSEMBLED THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM AND DROVE MY VEHICLE BUT, THEY DIDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. ROAD CONDITIONS THAT DAY WERE DRY OTHER THAN A SMALL ICE PATCH I HAD TO GO OVER PRIOR TO THE STOP SIGN. IT HAD SNOWED DAYS BEFORE SO THE ROADS WERE PLOWED AND VERY CLEAN EXCEPT THIS SMALL ICE PATCH REMAINED. BUT, BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE ROAD MY SPEED WAS MUCH SLOWER THAN NORMAL. MONTHS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT I HAD A DIFFERENT A ISSUE WITH THESE BRAKES AND BOUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING AND TOLD ME MY EXPERIENCE WAS NORMAL. UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THEIR ANSWER A MONTH LATER I HAD THE BRAKES CHECKED AT A DIFFERENT AUTO SHOP AND AGAIN THE MECHANIC FOUND NOTHING. HOWEVER, THIS LATEST INCIDENT WAS THE MOST SERIOUS ONE. I'M NOT CONVINCED IT'S NOTHING AND HAVE READ ABOUT OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS WHO HAD SIMILAR BRAKE ISSUES WITH THEIR VEHICLE. HOWEVER, I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANY FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS OR RECALLS RELATED TO ANY BRAKE ISSUES REGARDING TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS. EVEN SO I FELT I HAD TO SHARE MY STORY NOT JUST TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF MY SITUATION BUT, TO ALSO ALERT OTHERS OF A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I AM EXPERIENCING WITH MY HIGHLANDER.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11079450March 14, 2018
SEATS, STEERING
WHILE TURNING THE STEERING I FEEL A KLUNK THIS IS HAPPENS ALWAYS WHEN TURN THE WHEEL. FRUSTRATED REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. REGARDS..
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11076279March 5, 2018
STEERING
THIS VEHICLE HAS A KNOCKING OR CLUNKING SOUND WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT ON TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS BUT TOYOTA IS NOT OFFERING TO FIX THESE VEHICLES WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS A DEFECT IN THESE VEHICLES AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY TOYOTA FREE OF CHARGE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11075061February 26, 2018
STEERING
THE VEHICLE HAS AROUND 37K MILES AND STARTED TO GET A BUMP OR THUD SOUND WHEN TURNING TO RIGHT AND TURNING OVER ALL BEGIN TO GET SLUGGISH. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALSHIP FRED HAAS IN HOUSTON AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A DRIVE SHAFT PROBLEM AND REQUIRED A EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND FRONT END ALIGNMENT. I QUESTIONED THE SERVICE REP AS IT SEEMED TO BE VERY LOW MILEAGE FOR A ISSUE WITH THE DRIVE SHAFT. HE ADVISED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED AS MY 36K 3 YEAR STANDARD WARRANTY HAD RUN OUT. AFTER RESEARCHING IT SEEMS THAT THIS IS A HIGHLANDER DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY A RECALL. IF THIS CAR HAD 80K OR MORE MILES I MIGHT BE OF A DIFFERENT OPINION BUT THIS CAR IS WAY TOO NEW TO HAVE AN ISSUE LIKE THIS ESPECIALLY ON SUCH AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT LIKE STEERING. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING PROBLEM AND A REPLACEMENT PART THAT WILL ONLY HAVE A 1 YEAR WARRANTY IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11072265February 12, 2018
STEERING
THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING AT LOW SPEEDS. MY MECHANIC SAYS THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE STEERING SHAFT. HE SAID THIS COMMONLY OCCURS WITH THIS MODEL HIGHLANDER, SOMETHING SUPPORTED BY NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. TOYOTA DENIES RESPONSIBILITY AND WON'T ISSUE A RECALL, THOUGH IT IS A SAFETY RISK.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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