10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
43,670 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #11

Aug 212021

Highlander

  • miles
While driving at highway speed of about 60 MPH, the moonroof burst and shattered in to thousands of pieces. There was no warning, no indication of stress or wear before the incident. Hundreds of others have had similar occurrences as discussed on internet forums.

- Severn, MD, USA

problem #10

Jan 212021

Highlander

  • miles
Repeated cracking of the windshield from even trivial impact from highway rocks/stones. Windshield replaced once by the Dealer service station with OEM glass at a cost of 1600 dollars out of pocket expense by the owner. Cracked again with another small rock hitting the windshield, directly in the line of sight. Inspected by the same dealer service center, advised to replace again at owners expense as Toyota does not cover glass damage. Multiple Toyota Highlanders and Sienna minivans all across the USA have had this issue of windshield cracking in the last few years. Suspect there is a design/manufacturing/ Quality control issue. NHTSA needs to look into this as it affects the safe operation of the vehicle.

- Oak Park, IL, USA

problem #9

Aug 242019

Highlander

  • 75,000 miles
Rear window exploded inward while driving. Very loud bang sound. Nothing hit it. Temp was 66 degrees, clear skies. I had the front driver's window partially opened when this happened.

- Roscoe, IL, USA

problem #8

May 042018

Highlander

  • 300,000 miles
Both diver and passenger visors do not stay set. They move up when not expected and the sun is in your eyes especially in the mornings and evenings when the sun rises and sets!! extremely dangerous!!! dealer said it was normal. I highly disagree.

- North Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #7

May 202018

Highlander

  • 36,000 miles
The visor will not stay up and drops down obstructing the drivers view of the road completely(if taller than 5'9'). when swung to the side it obstructs the view out the left window, and distracts the driver by swinging into the left side of their face while turning/changing lanes while driving. This is a common problem with Toyota vehicles due to a poor design friction mechanism that should hold the visor at any angle out of the drivers way. Replacement is $300 discouraging proper replacement and causing drivers to endure the safety hazard. Toyota has previously repaired visors under a technical bulletin on older vehicles. Due to the cost there are dozens of repair procedures and removal processes recorded on youtube to illustrate how widespread 'Toyota visor won't stay up' just search on youtube. Removed the visor does not block the drivers view but removes safety warnings for the airbag and safe operation rollover warning. Toyota should issue another technical bulletin for this supposedly improved visor mechanism and repair for owners.

- East Hampton, CT, USA

problem #6

Jul 262017

Highlander

  • 50,400 miles
I was driving down a feeder road of the interstate ~50mph. There were no other cars around me and the sunroof exploded. I pulled over and the remaining glass was clearly pushed outward, not inward.

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #5

Mar 162015

Highlander

  • 4,000 miles
Bought this 2015 Highlander brand-new in January 2015 from the dealer. It had 476 miles on the odometer. Within a few thousand miles, a stone chipped the windshield and within days the windshield was a spider's nest of spreading cracks all across up and down the windshield. I had this same issue with a brand new 2017 Highlander purchased from the same dealer. I believe Toyota slanted the hood of the vehicle down for better airflow and resulting mpg increase and in so doing, all road debris such as stones, are propelled up right onto the windshield and the stones smash the windshield. What are the random odds that a brand-new, dealer-bought 2015 and 2017 Highlander would both get a stone chip that destroys the windshield within the first few thousand miles of driving? these windshield aren't cheap to replace- about $1400. The date of occurrence and mileage I have stated for this complaint are to the best of my recollection as this issue occurred in 2015 and I did not file this complaint until 6-9-2017 when I had the exact same issue occur on the brand new purchased 2017 Highlander, which I filed complaint # 10994221 on. These two complaints should be cross-referenced. I believe the 2015+ model year Highlanders will demonstrate a statistically significant higher rate of occurrence of windshield failures owing to their slanting the hood angle down towards the pavement to achieve a lower wind profile and higher mpg. The effect of this is that all rocks and debris from the road are thrown up onto the windshield violently resulting in windscreen damage. I had a 2009 Highlander, also purchased brand new, that had no such issues as the hood angle was higher and more truck like.

- Golden, CO, USA

problem #4

May 302016

Highlander

  • 10,823 miles
Improper application of rear view mirror mounting plate to windshield incomplete (partial coverage) of epoxy adhesive application to the windshield mounting plate. The black plastic cover and mirror holder expands in high intensity sun. The expansion increases concentrated tensile forces between the mounting plate and windshield, causing the mounting plate to tear from the windshield. The result is a significant removal of glass from the passenger cabin side of the windshield, and loss of the structural integrity of the windshield. Mirrors with integrated electronics then swing from the electrical wired, the mirror obstructing visibility, and becoming a detached hazard within the passenger cabin. The event occurred in a grocery store parking lot, the vehicle having been stationary and parked in the sun (99.1 degrees at the time) for approximately one hour. Time of day: About 13:00 hrs. Location: Https://www.google.com/maps/place/1733+E+palm+canyon+dr, +palm+springs, +ca+92264/@33.7999482, -116.5284111,17Z/data=!3M1!4B1!4M5!3M4!1S0X80db1B6804F844bb:0X2C7726C52C54599D!8M2!3D33.7999482!4D-116.5262224

- Palm Springs, CA, USA

problem #3

Mar 222015

Highlander

  • 4,000 miles
The vehicle's side mirrors are placed so that they block visibility for a short person. I am just under 5'4" and when at a four way intersection, the mirrors directly block the view of where a car would be stopped to the left and to the right. I actually was involved in a minor collision where I did not see the other car stopped at the stop sign to my left although they claimed to be. Now I always need to move my head to get a clear view of the road area next to the the stop signs to the left and to the right.

- San Carlos, CA, USA

problem #2

Aug 052015

Highlander

  • 150 miles
I purchased this car 7-31-2015, by 8-3-2015 I noticed the windshield and passenger side windows looked badly pitted. I called the dealership and on 8-7-2015 took it in. They said it was pitch from a tree and agreed to detail it to remove the sap. I picked it up the same day. That was not the problem as the windows are still showing prisms when light comes through. When I came back about it again 8-28-25015 they said they couldn't see it at all but did pull another Highlander out that was just taken off the truck, it too had the same issues with the pitting, the dealer has agreed to replace the windshield but not the passenger windows. I'm not happy that I was sold a car with defective windows. It is a safety hazard for night driving or when the sun is low. What can I do about this?

- Sparks, NV, USA

problem #1

Feb 222010

Highlander

  • miles
April 24, 2015 [xxx] to an appropriate representative of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: In November 2014, I purchased a Toyota Highlander limited model id# [xxx]:. during freezing weather this winter I discovered a dangerous design fault relating to the vehicle. Much of the windshield wipers can be entrapped and embedded in ice, and the defroster does not melt ice in that area. The wipers are incapacitated. The defroster clears the windshield but does nothing to free the wipers from ice. That was the case for me during four days of freezing weather. There is an auxiliary function in the vehicle that addresses the windshield wipers. But that only "bumps" the ice, it does nothing to melt the ice. Appreciative of your appropriately addressing this issue. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Manchester, TN, USA