2005 Toyota Highlander Visibility
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT HEADLIGHT LENSES WERE DETERIORATING. THERE WAS A PRESENCE OF A SPOT THAT WAS SPREADING ACROSS THE PLASTIC, WHICH MAY BE INTERMITTENTLY MELTING. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE SPOT WAS INCREASING ON THE FRONT HEADLIGHT LENSE AND COULD IMPACT THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY UPON THE USE OF THE LOW OR HIGH BEAMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT BOTH HEADLIGHT LENSES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
ON 11/9/2011, WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 80 NEAR AUBURN, CA., THE REAR WINDOW ON MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED/SHATTERED. I TOOK IT TO A TOYOTA DEALER/BODYSHOP WHERE THEY REPLACED THE TEMPERED GLASS AT MY EXPENSE ($468). THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. TWO WEEKS LATER ON 11/28/2011, WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 80 NEAR ROCKLIN, CA., THE RIGHT REAR PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODED/SHATTERED SENDING SHARDS OF GLASS INTO THE VEHICLE AND OUT. THE CAR IS GETTING REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE ($408). TOYOTA CLAIMS THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD WORTHY OF INVESTIGATION. DURING THE SECOND INCIDENT, A PASSENGER WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED HAD THEY BEEN SITTING NEXT TO THE EXPLODING GLASS. IF THE WINDOW HAD BEEN THE DRIVER-SIDE WINDOW, IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS CRASH. AS IT WAS, THE CAR BEHIND ME HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE MEASURES TO AVOID THE FLYING GLASS. THE FACT THAT THERE HAS BEEN 2 INCIDENTS WITHIN TWO WEEKS INVOLVING 2 SEPARATE OEM GLASS SUGGESTS A POSSIBLE DEFECT. *KB
I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AND THE SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE KEEPS FALLING OUT OF ITS PLACE AND OBSTRUCTING VIEWS . I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WANT MORE THAN $400.00 TO FIX IT. THE VISOR FALLING DOWN IS DANGEROUS AND DISTRACTING. IN MY ABLE OPINION TOYOTA HAS TO RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. *TR
DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR KEEPS COMING DOWN CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. *TR
02/28/11, I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AND THE SUN VISOR (WITH LIGHTED MIRROR) ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT STAY UP. WHEN I DRIVE IT CAUSES A VISIBILITY ISSUE. THIS DEFINITELY CREATES A DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION ON THE ROAD BECAUSE PART OF THE VISIBILITY IS BLOCKED. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT MY CAR IS BARELY 6 YEARS AND I AM ALREADY HAVING ISSUES. I HAVE NEVER HAD THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VEHICLES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOWS HAD BEEN FALLING OFF TRACK SINCE MAY 2009. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW HAD BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS WITHIN THE MECHANISM THAT LOWERED AND RAISED THE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 71,000.
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUNVISOR DOES NOT STAY UP IN MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. IT FLIPS DOWN FREQUENTLY BLOCKING DRIVER'S VIEW WHILE DRIVING AND CREATES DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. I WENT ONLINE AND DISCOVERED MANY MANY SAME COMPLAINTS ON MESSAGE BOARDS - ONLY ON DRIVER'S SIDE. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. *TW
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR ON OUR 2005 HIGHLANDER IS FAILING TO HOLD POSITION FOR THE SECOND TIME. THE DEALER REPLACED THE VISOR AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE BUT HAS NOT REPLACED THE SECOND FAILING VISOR. THE VISOR FALLS TO THE FULL DOWN POSITION AND BLOCKS A SIGNIFICANT SHARE OF THE DRIVER'S FIELD OF VISION. *TR
DRIVER SIDE VISOR IS BLOCKING THE VIEW OF DRIVER. THE VISOR OF MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IS MALFUNCTION WHICH IS RESULT OF FLIPPING DOWN ALL THE TIME AND BLOCKING THE VIEW OF DRIVER, SPECIAL DURING THE NIGHT TIME OR RAINING. THIS FAULTY IS CAUSING US OF NEAR ACCIDENT SITUATIONS. *TR
THE WINDOW CONTROL DROPS THE WINDOW INTO THE DOOR AND YOU CANNOT BRING THE WINDOW BACK UP. THIS FIRST OCCURRED ON JANUARY 2008, TO MY REAR RIGHT WINDOW ON MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $ 600.00. THAT WAS RIDICULOUSLY OVERPRICED, SO I FOUND A WAY TO LIFT THE WINDOW, AND THEN I DISCONNECTED THE POWER WINDOW CONTROLS TO THAT WINDOW. WITHOUT FAIL, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE REAR LEFT WINDOW OF OUR CAR IN JANUARY 2009. I HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH HIGHLANDERS AND CAMRYS, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL FROM TOYOTA FOR THIS COMMON PROBLEM. *TR
HEAT CONTROLLER UNIT STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING. WINDOWS BECAME FROSTED WHILE DRIVING BECAUSE OF LOST TEMPERATURE CONTROL. OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY. *TR
THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER HAS A NUT WHICH REPEATEDLY COMES LOOSE. THIS CAUSES THE WINDSHIELD WIPER TO BECOME LOOSE AND CEASE TO FUNCTION. THE DEALER SAYS THAT THE MECHANISM WAS DESIGNED TO COME LOOSE SO AS TO AVOID DAMAGE TO THE UNDERLYING MOTOR. HE SAID TO JUST KEEP TIGHTENING THE NUT! IN THE 27,000 MILE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD TO TIGHTEN IT NOW A TOTAL OF 3 TIMES. THE LAST TIME WAS 6 WEEKS AGO DURING A SNOW STORM. THE INABILITY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM CONSTITUTES A SAFETY HAZARD DUE TO A DESIGN FLAW. *TR
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2005 Toyota Highlander has 12 Visibility complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.