2005 Toyota Highlander Electrical System

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2005 Toyota Highlander. The contact discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy after the purchase of the vehicle. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 123,000. It was later discovered upon checking Carfax that the mileage was 254,000.

SHORT IN MASTER WINDOW SWITCH

WHEN I STARTED MY CAR I NOTICED THE ABS,BRAKE,TIRE,TRAC OFF&VSC LITES WERE ALL LIT. I COULDN'T GET A DIAGNOSIS FROM MECHANIC.THESE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO STAY LIT. I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS SAFE. I HAVE READ AT LEAST A HUNDRED OF THE SAME COMPLAINT ON BLOGS.

AIR CONDITIONER, CAN BE ON THE COLDEST SEATING AND THEN TURN EXTREMELY HOT. SEEMS LIKE WHEN A BUMP IS HIT, IT EFFECTS WHEN THIS HAPPENS.

CAR LOSS CONTROL DUE TO ELECTRICAL POWER IS GONE. CAR LOSS SPEED AT 45MPH AND HAS TO PULL OVER AND STOP. DIAGNOSIS LATTER FOUND BATTERY IS GOOD, BUT ALTERNATOR IS BAD. IN MY CASE, BATTERY WAS REPLACED 2 YEARS AGO. *TR

HEATER/AC FUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY THEN FAILS COMPLETELY. WELL KNOW PROBLEM WHERE PLACEMENT OF RIBBON CABLE TO POTENTIOMETER BREAKS LOOSE, PARTIALLY (INTERMITTENT FAILURE), THEN COMPLETELY (TOTAL FAILURE). QUOTED COST AT ANY DEALERSHIP $900-$1,000. I DID REPAIR MYSELF IN ONE HOUR FOR A COST OF $10. QUICK SEARCH ON THE WEB UNCOVERED MANY MANY OF SAME INCIDENT AND, FORTUNATELY, DETAILED REPAIR INSTRUCTIONS.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE INVERTER STALLED. ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INVERTER HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I WISH TO REPORT A SAFETY DEFECT ON MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS ABOVE ABOUT 35 MPH I CANNOT HEAR THE TURN SIGNAL CLICKER. I AM 69 YEARS OLD, BUT DO NOT HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANT HEARING LOSS. NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR THE CLICKER SOMETIMES CAUSES ME TO LEAVE THE TURN SIGNAL ON WHEN IT SHOULD BE OFF. ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, IT COULD CAUSE OTHER DRIVERS TO MAKE HAZARDOUS DECISIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF I HAD MY RIGHT TURN SIGNAL ON BY MISTAKE SOMEONE WAITING TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN ONTO THE ROADWAY COULD BE THINKING I WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN OFF THE ROAD. I'VE CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT CHANGING TO A LOUDER FLASHER, BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE ONE. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO HELP ME AT ALL. YES, THE TURN SIGNAL INDICATOR LIGHTS WORK ON THE DASH, BUT THEY ARE NOT IN MY FIELD OF VIEW WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE ROAD AND LOOKING AT THEM IS AN UNNECESSARY DISTRACTION. I THINK AUDIBLE TURN SIGNAL INDICATORS SHOULD BE ON ALL CARS AND THE SOUND LEVEL SHOULD BE ADEQUATE FOR ALL DRIVERS WHO CAN HEAR. PREFERABLY THE SOUND LEVEL WOULD BE MANUALLY ADJUSTABLE OR AUTOMATICALLY ADJUSTABLE ACCORDING TO THE CAR SPEED. *TR

IMPOSSIBLE TO READ INSTRUMENT PANEL ON SUNNY DAYS, SET TO FAR BACK WITH NO STRONG BACK LIGHT, CAN'T SEE ODOMETER, GAS, OIL AND HOW YOU ARE GOING, PLUS CAN'T READ MILEAGE NEVER-NO STRONG LIGHT BEHIND ANYTHING TO MAKE IT STAND OUT ON BRIGHT DAYS. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER TOYOTA HIGHLANDER OWNERS AND THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING. IN 20005 WHEN II FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR I BOUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA DISTRICT MANAGER AND TO THE PRESIDENT WITH NO REPLY TO ANY OF MY LETTERS. *TR

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2005 4CYL. THE HEATER CONTROL WILL ONLY BLOW EXTREMELY HOT AIR THAT MAKES THE VENTS ALMOST TO HOT TO EVEN TOUCH. NO EVENTS LED UP TO THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH IN RESEARCHING ONLINE FORUMS, OTHER TOYOTA HIGHLANDER OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME DEFECT. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THE SERVICE ASSOCIATE ACKNOWLEDGED THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THE COST TO REPAIR IS $899.00. THIS IS EXCESSIVE FOR A HEATER ON A VEHICLE A LITTLE OVER THREE YEARS OLD AND A LITTLE OVER 30,000 MILES. IT APPEARS THIS IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND THE WIRES ARE NOT WELDED PROPERLY. THE CENTER NUT BELOW THE HEATER CONTROL KNOB LOOSENS OVER TIME AND THE WIRES THEN BREAK FREE FROM THE CONTACTS. *TR

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, 2005 YR, DEFECTIVE RIBBON ELECTRICAL CABLE BETWEEN HEAT/AIR CONTROL ON DASH AND COMPUTER IN CAR. HEAT ON, HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD AND AIR CONDITIONING COMES ON FULL BLAST OR THE REVERSE IN THE SUMMER. OTHER REPORTS ON INTERNET INDICATE SAME PROBLEM WITH 2001 & 2002 YEAR VEHICLES. COMMENTS ARE THE ELECTRICAL CABLE BECOME HARD AND BRITTLE WITH AGE AND BREAKS OR CROSS CONNECTS CAUSING PROBLEM. DEALER COST IS $600 - $900 TO CORRECT -- REPLACE WHOLE UNIT -- ALTHOUGH ONE COMMENT IS THAT NEW WIRE CAN BE SOLDERED. IT IS MY OPINION THAT CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BEAR THE COST OF A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

AFTER PLACING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION THE KEY WILL NOT TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED. *AK