2009 Toyota Highlander Structure

THERE HAS BEEN A LATCHING ISSUE WITH THE REAR POWER HATCH SINCE WE HAVE OWNED THE CAR. TOYOTA ISSUED A REPAIR RECALL IN 2017 TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT IT IS BROKEN ONCE AGAIN. EITHER THEY ARE USING DEFECTIVE PARTS OR A DESIGN FLAW, BUT IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AS WE HAVE HAD THE REAR DOOR OPEN WHILE DRIVING SEVERAL TIMES. THEY DO NOT WANT TO REPAIR BECAUSE THEY DO NOT THINK IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.

THE POWER BACK DOOR/LIFTGATE DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. THE READ DOOR OF THE HIGHLANDER WOULD COME WITHIN AN INCH OF CLOSING WHEN YOU OPERATED THE POWERED CLOSE FUNCTION AND STOP, REQUIRING A PHYSICAL NUDGE TO COMPLETELY ENGAGE THE LOCK AND CLOSE. THIS WENT ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR UNTIL ONE DAY THERE WAS A LOUD CRUNCHING NOISE WHEN IT WAS CLOSED AND WOULD NOT OPEN. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET FOR SOLUTIONS AND FINDING THIS IS AN EXTREMELY COMMON PROBLEM (EVEN SEVERAL WEBSITES DEDICATED TO FORMING CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS) INCLUDING TOYOTA ISSUING T-SB-0091-12, I CALLED TOYOTA'S HELP LINE WHERE I WAS VERY RUDELY TOLD THAT SINCE THE WARRANTEE WAS OVER, THEY WOULD NOT COVER ANY OF IT. WE HAVE A 1 YEAR OLD BABY AND WE GOT THIS CAR WITH THAT IN MIND. WE CURRENTLY HAVE NO ACCESS TO THE TRUNK AND CANNOT FIT HER STROLLER IN THROUGH THE WINDOW. WE ARE NOW FACED WITH A SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLAR REPAIR! I DISASSEMBLED THE PART MYSELF TO FIND OUT THAT THE METAL GEAR ABOUT 1/2 AN INCH THICK HAD SHEARED OFF AND BROKEN - EXACTLY AS SHOWN IN FIGURE 2 OF THEIR OFFICIAL BULLETIN. TOYOTA TRIED TO BLAME US FOR THE FAILURE SAYING WE PROBABLY TRIED TO CLOSE THE DOOR ON CARGO (WE DID NOT) AND THAT THIS IS NOT A KNOWN ISSUE (WHY WOULD THEY ISSUE A TSB IF THIS WAS NOT A FREQUENT ISSUE?). FROM RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET, THERE APPEARS TO BE MANY MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND UNFORTUNATELY FOR US, OUR OCCURRED OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTEE PERIOD SO WE ARE LEFT WITH LITTLE RECOURSE. I THINK IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR TOYOTA TO EXTEND COVERAGE FOR THIS COMMON ISSUE SINCE ITS FAILURE MAKES THE TRUNK UNUSABLE AND BECAUSE IT HAS SUCH A COMMON OCCURRENCE. TSB: HTTP://MEDIA.FIXED-OPS.COM/TOY_SERVICEBULLETINS/SB0091T12.PDF

REAR DOOR HATCH MADE A LOUD POPPING NOISE WHEN DOOR WAS LOWERED. DOOR NO LONGER OPENS OR CLOSES. DEALER STATES COST TO REPAIR $4,700 TO $5,400. TOYOTA HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN COVERING THIS PROBLEM BUT DENIES RESPONSIBILITY IF VEHICLE IS BEYOND 36/36,000 WARRANTY. UPDATED 9/15/15*CW

THE REAR HATCH IN MY 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER STOPPED WORKING - WITHOUT MISUSE OR HANDLING ON MY PART. AFTER PUSHING THE AUTOMATIC CLOSE BUTTON, THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK SOUND. THERE WAS NOTHING OBSTRUCTING THE BACK AREA. THE BACK DOOR/HATCH WOULD NOT OPEN, NOR COULD I CLOSE IT. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP - ON A SATURDAY. I WAS AFRAID MY BACK DOOR WAS GOING TO FLY OPEN. THEY WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE HATCH BUT IT CANNOT BE OPENED. THE TECHNICIAN CONFIRMED THAT THEY HAD SEEN A LOT OF THESE AND SAID TOYOTA WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. HE SAID THE PROBLEM IS THE HINGES WERE BENDING AND THEREFORE CAUSING THE DOOR NOT TO SHUT. I WAS ASKED TO RETURN ON MONDAY. AFTER A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, THE SERVICE MANAGER CONFIRMED THAT THE HINGES WERE BENT AND I WOULD NEED A WHOLE NEW DOOR. THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROBLEM COULD BE CLOSE TO $3,000 (DEPENDS ON WHETHER THE MOTOR CAN BE SALVAGED). I WAS ALSO TOLD THIS IS MY RESPONSIBILITY SINCE I AM OUT OF THE 3YR/36K MILE WARRANTY (59K MILES). THERE HAS BEEN A TSB ISSUED FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM, BUT AS HE POINTED OUT, IT IS FOR MALFUNCTION WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME. I HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH TOYOTA USA, BUT WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS. THIS IS A KNOW DEFECT AND SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE OR AT THE VERY LEAST, AN EXTENSION ON THE TIME ASSOCIATED WITH THE TSB. TOYOTA IS REPLACING THE SUBPAR HINGES WITH BETTER ONES. AN ISSUE IS AN ISSUE - EVEN IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHIN A TIMEFRAME. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CAUSE THIS ISSUE. AND NOW BECAUSE TOYOTA USED SUBPAR HINGES, I HAVE TO PAY $3K! *TR

THE VEHICLE IS A 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE POWER ARM BROKE OFF OF THE REAR POWER LIFTGATE WHEN CLOSING. THE DRIVER SIDE HINGE ON THE REAR POWER LIFTGATE BOWED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO CLOSE THE DOOR. THIS HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE SUPPORT DEVICE ISSUE OCCURRED MARCH 2013. WE FILED A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA WHO WOULD NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY BUT WITH JUST A GOOGLE SEARCH YOU WILL FIND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. THE SAFETY ISSUE HERE IS THAT DOOR CAN CLOSE ON A SMALL CHILD AND NOT BE ABLE TO RELEASE BECAUSE THE PART THAT BECOMES BOWED MAKES IT STICK IN POSITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFT GATE FAILED TO OPEN OR CLOSE AUTOMATICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE HATCH PANEL WAS DEFORMED CAUSING THE POWER DOOR MOTOR TO WORK HARDER THAN DESIGNED. AS A RESULT THE POWER HATCH MOTOR, HATCH DOOR, LID HINGES, LID HINGE STAYS, AND REAR BUMPER ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

THE POWER ARM BROKE OFF OF THE REAR POWER LIFT GATE WHEN CLOSING. THE DRIVER SIDE HINGE ON THE REAR POWER LIFTGATE IS BOWED. *TR