2013 TOYOTA Highlander

Owned 8 toyotas… none ever moved off the top of the stick between oil changes… this one from day 1 started burning oil one quart every 2000 miles… told normal to burn one quart in 1200 by Toyota… then fixed multiple oil leaks from the engine… did not matter as it still burns 1 qt. to 1.5 qts every 2500 miles.

Toyota will not do anything about fixing the problem after many oil consumption checks for the past four plus years.

My wife was maneuvering the SUV into small parking lot onto a corner parking space, on the first forward and back motion to maneuver the brake was ok, then on the second maneuver the brake didn’t work and the tire went over the concrete parking block stopper then hitting the structure of the doctors office. Early on that day, I went to the Toyota dealership to purchase a hitch and when I am about to leave the dealership the parking brake didn’t release completely, I told the service guy and said to get a clip that holds the left plastic panel that blocking the release of the foot brake. The SUV was purchase brand new in January of 2013 with around 5 miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander, the contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph and swerved to avoid a cat, it resulted in crashing into a metal telephone pole. the air bags did not deploy. additionally, the seat belt failed to retract. the vehicle was taken to larry h. miller lexus spokane1030 w 3rd ave, spokane, wa 99201: (509) 293-6074 but was not diagnosed or repaired. the driver struck the steering wheel with her chest and medical attention was provided. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. there was no reported fire. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure.the failure mileage was 148,000.

- the car was purchased in 2015 used and the steering wheel has made a clunking sound when turning a hard sharp left or right since the day of purchase -while on a road trip of approximately 3,000 miles round trip in june 2021 the steering wheel was adjusted to accommodate my husband's height. it became very loose, with it finally dropping into my husband's lap on the last day of our trip-it was difficult to steer the car -we brought the car in to our dealership the following day where they confirmed we needed a new steering column-the car has not been involved in any accidents nor have the air bags employed -other than the "clunking" sound there has never been any previous warning that the steering wheel would disengage while driving.

My car will stall with no warning. i have taken my car multiple times to the dealership and the problem has not been able to be repaired. there have been other years of toyota recalled for this exact same problem however, mine has not been. this is a serious safety concern!

The contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander the contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. the contact was concerned that due to the excessive oil consumption, that the vehicle could catch on fire. the contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer but was not repaired. the manufacturer was informed of the failure and was unable to assist. the failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Michelin defender ltx m/s tire 245/55r19 while driving on the freeway at 70 mph, the tire below and tread separated causing significant damage to vehicle. the tread appears to have separated from the tire, which caused the tire to hit the sidewall and rear of vehicle, which tore off the rear bumper and damaged rear quarter panel. it appears that both steel belts and polyester carcass piles failed the tire separation occurred, unprovoked as there was no impact from debris and the vehicle had been in operation/ driving for over 30 minutes. incident was witnessed by highway patrol, who appeared very surprised to see such an event occur. costco tire, flagged the issue as it appeared out of the ordinary and shipped the tire for review to michelin.

When i turn the steering faster than a certain speed, it will lock up for a moment, either turning right or left. sometimes a light indicating a steering fault lights up on the dash cluster, sometimes not. when the turning of the wheel stops and locks up i cannot turn any more in that direction. i can turn the other way. this has been a problem for sometime and is becoming now worse. aside from the locking up, justing turning slowly, there is a bit of a whine or low level grind sound in the sound of the steering column. this is a mechanical noise, not the typical whine of the steering pump.

The contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated while his wife was driving 60 mph, she heard an abnormally loud sound coming from the vehicle. the driver veered to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle but found no issue with the vehicle. she re-entered the vehicle and opened the sunroof and shards of broken glass fell inside the vehicle from the sunroof. the driver stated that no object had struck the sunroof glass to cause the sunroof glass to shatter. the vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 186,000.

The contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, there was an abnormal boom and wind detected on top of the vehicle. upon opening the sunroof, the contact noticed that the sunroof had shattered. the sunroof was bubbling upwards. there were no reported injuries. there was no warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was unknown.

Unable to align vehicle correct due to driver's side rear camber. caused uneven tire wear and costly replacement for tires for 6 years.

Oil consumption/oil pressure issue. started suddenly maybe in 2020. my oil pressure light would come on “turn off car immediately”. took it to dealer, told me i have no oil. then it kept happening. no notice of low oil, and well within 3 months/3000 miles. toyota did an oil consumption test at 1500miles, no issue. then, took my car in shortly after because oil pressure light came on. they told me to get a new engine. possible see the pvc valve, but once in there likely a new engine is needed. no wear/tear, or obvious age of use. engine just started consuming oil. i googled it. it seems to be an issue with highlanders. but i’ve never seen a recall on it. pretty much living on oil changes every 2 months to keep my engine running. and this whole time, my engine light has never turned on.

All abs brake lights on indicating a brake malfunction. toyota has a customer support program to change out parts for free if vehicle is in usa. this should be a recall as it is a major safety concern and affects vehicles that may also be outside of the usa. if vehicle is outside of usa one can not even buy the updated parts (brake actuator and brake booster) to repair the vehicle because toyota will not sell the parts to a dealer if the vehicle is not at a u.s.a. dealer so i am rendered with an unusable unreliable unfixable toyota vehicle.

The contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated while attempting to close the liftgate, the contact was unable to close the liftgate. the contact had not activated the power assist liftgate motor. the contact used force to close the liftgate. the contact stated that the failure had first been intermittent; however, the failure had become more frequent. the contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with an on/off switch for the liftgate power assist however, he had turned the assist feature off. the contact had previously had the liftgate motor replaced by a dealer under a manufacturer’s extended warranty program. the contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer to have the failure addressed. the dealer diagnosed the failure and determined that the liftgate motor needed to be replaced. the vehicle not been repaired. the manufacturer had been informed of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I am known by toyota experts and my local mechanics as someone who takes excellent care of my vehicle, but unfortunately i am completely blown away when i was driving my car and suddenly it stopped and couldn’t start, after i tolled it to my mechanic, he told me the engine seized and it needs replacement. the cost is about $4000. i don’t have that kind of money and it has been seating in my driveway. i don’t understand how a very well maintained engine will just give out without any warning signs.

Engine is burning/consuming oil excessively; no leaks or any other unusual symptoms found. i was on an interstate highway and all of a sudden engine sound changed and excessive knocking started. no oil low level or check engine light turned on. yes the problem is persistent now and was verified by an independent (ase certified) service provider. no waning lamps or messages displayed.

The issue started when the car was over 84,000 miles. the engine burns excessive oil. i have to add oil every 2200 miles. when i press on the gas pedal to rev the car, oil come out of the tail pipe. when i went to the dealer that they are aware of the issue but they did not make any recommendations. online several owner of this model have changed the engine or replaced pistons. i have never gotten the check light on even when no oil is on the dip stick. i have to check the oil every time i fill up my gas tank as a precaution. my concern is that i could be stranded or the car overheat and cause a fire.

I purchased the car in 2020 with 73k miles on it. it has sporadically had incidents of unintended acceleration. i happens when i slow for a stop sign, red light, or crosswalk. my foot is on the brake when this occurs, the engine then goes into high gear and no amount of pressure on the brake will stop it. i put the car in park and turn the key off. there are no warning lights. it has happened more frequently in 2024. on [xxx], i tried to come to a stop at a crosswalk in plymouth ma. the ua occurred, putting the folks in the crosswalk and myself in danger. the next day i contacted the dealer and toyota. the upshot - they said the car is fine, it must be my mats or shoes or something that is not their fault. i've been driving toyotas for 40 years, i've never had a mat or shoe problem. there is something faulty with the acceleration/braking system. the last occurrence was [xxx] in plympton ma. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Steering column cracks, no help from dealer. many complaints on internet. remedy requires expensive new steering column. defective spindle type bearing defective. the noise is ongoing. it feels like its going to break. very scary...ongoing doesn't stop. dealer says wont break just replace if you want to... toyota service bulletin #t-sb-0034-13 details steering column replacement fix issued on this. i have it. dealer denies simple joint grease kit maintenance option.

Multiple abs related(abs, traction, brakes) warning lights/messages making driving my highlander dangerous to me and others. warning lights appeared 9/30/2024. no symptoms or warning lights appeared prior. vehicle was then inspected by toyota of plano. code 1391indicating an internal leak in the abs. confirmed by service dept of toyota of plano, tx indicating the need for replacement of abs module assembly. this as an acknowledged toyota problem that was with a service bulletin that expired last year. plano toyota advised me to ask toyota brand engagement for help but they declined. toyota brand engagement declined to extend the prior bulletin or assist in any way.. the toyota case file is under my name and #241008000770. any assistance from nhtsa would be appreciated.

The contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the paint on the top of the vehicle was peeling. the contact did research and was made aware of the customer support program: zkg however, the vin was not included. no warning light was illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

The contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving in negative 10-degree weather at 75 mph, the driver's and passenger’s side curtain air bags deployed without warning or impact. the local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 124,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander, the contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph and swerved to avoid a cat, it resulted in crashing into a metal telephone pole. the air bags did not deploy. additionally, the seat belt failed to retract. the vehicle was taken to larry h. miller lexus spokane1030 w 3rd ave, spokane, wa 99201: (509) 293-6074 but was not diagnosed or repaired. the driver struck the steering wheel with her chest and medical attention was provided. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. there was no reported fire. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure.the failure mileage was 148,000.

The power hatch back does not work. it is so frequent problem and so many complaints but no solution offered by the toyota company. *tr

The right middle seat does not lock in place when it is at the furthest front position,

There are sounds when sometimes when turning, including poping or sometimes like a whirling sound. the steering is a bit stiff sometimes and not easy to turn the wheels, this does not happen at any specific speed. i do not have any picture or other document i can upload as this is not physical damage that can be photographed.

The steering column is making a thunking-type of noise when turning, usually at low speeds, around corners (not slight turns, such as when the road changes on the freeway). it's been documented in my records at least since 30,000 miles, just out of toyota's warranty period. the car dealer reported that they were unable to duplicate the issue at the 30,000 service, as documented. it wasn't happening as frequently then, but now at 60,000 miles, it's constant. it seems to be related to the steering shaft/intermediate steering shaft. there appears to be a service bulletin from the manufacturer, but no further investigation/research presented. since i am aware of what part is failing, i want to get it fixed, as i've read that this part, if it fails, could cause the car to fail, but don't want to pay money for a part that is considered defective.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that the pretensioner on the seat belt was excessively tight. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure was not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 50,000.

When i turn the signal left both flashers blinks. when i turn the signal right both flashers blinks. i checked hazards light button and it is not pressed. both signals flashers are blinking at same time.

Liftgate power back door does not close completely. before it closes, it beeps and opens again. problem was repaired under warranty, and now it is happening again. you may think that the liftgate has been closed, but it is not.

I have a 2013 toyota highlander limited. the actuator on the front passenger and driver side have stopped working. the symptom is that when you approach the driver’s side door with the key fob, the driver’s door will not open. the door only opens using the bypass key. when inside the car, pressing the lock / unlock button does not lock or unlock front passenger or driver's side doors only the rear passenger doors. front passenger and driver side door can only be opened by manually pulling the door handle. toyota got a bunch of bad actuators and they are refusing to classify this problem as a recall.

I have had to replace every automatic opener door locks on every door and some twice (early 2014 to present). they can't tell me why the keep failing. now that the car is out of warranty i now have 2 more automatic door locks that have failed. i have another friend who owns a highlander and he is having the automatic door openers fail. this must be a defect in the design of these locks.

The side mirror on the drivers side creates a terrible blind spot when making left hand turns. myself and husband have both nearly been in accidents had the person in passenger seat not yelled at the driver. a car is easily hidden behind the mirror.

Steering makes nocking sound (and steering wheel vibrates) when turning right while in motion

Knocking sound and vibration felt on steering wheel when turning right. it only occurs in motion.

Steering tsb by toyota: while driving vehicle and turning corners, i felt poping clunking noise in steering wheel. sometimes made steering wheel vibrate. instead of just a service bulletin, this should be a recall since toyota has re-designed the failing component. took vehicle into dealer to have fixed. would have paid full repair price but was able to negotiate a discounted price for vehicle with only 52,000 miles. component should have easily lasted over 125,000 miles. may be the same as your 10075792 record.

Vehicle hesitates when accelerating, usually when making a turn from a stop or moving slowly. it is especially hazardous when trying to make a left turn in front of oncoming traffic. has happened multiple times, not just the date below. the dealer can not duplicate the problem. we bought the car in early 2014 new, and noticed this problem before 5,000 miles. the car now has 22,000 miles and it still does this intermittently.

Our 2013 highlander developed a light clunking noise in the steering column after a accident in october of 2013. we thought nothing of it until december 2017 when the clunking increased in loudness and frequency. we have the problem checked out by gullo toyota of conroe, texas. they found the mid steering column shaft that was failing and causing the clunking noise and recommended replacing this part for safety reasons. we concurred and had the work completed. i discussed this situation with the service rep at gullo to see if they could determine the cause of this part failure. they could not suggest any cause so i suggested that the accident the vehicle was involved in in october of 2013 might be the culprit. gullo would not confirm the possibility by would work with my insurance company, usaa. usaa has rejected this theory and will not pay for the repair of the steering column's mid shaft. this part should not be failing.

The door locks are failing one by one. it seems to be bad actuators. first, one door wasn't locking automatically when pressing lock on the key fob. now, i have 2 doors not locking automatically when i hit lock on the key fob. i feel this poses a safety hazard for myself and my belongings because if i ever needed to enter my car quickly with my 2 kids, i cannot. this occurs while vehicle is parked.

At 37,500 miles while moving the check engine an tractor off warning light came on. the dealer charged $125.00 to replace the gas cap. if this is a systemic problem with toyota i believe it should be recalled. thank you *tr

Tl-the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the vehicle wheels hydoplanned causing the contact to loss control and crash into a center concrete wall. no airbag deployed. the contact sustained injuries to the chest. the contact did go to the hospital couple of hours later to treat injuries to the ribs which were fractured. the contact did not stay overnight. no police report was made. no medical attention was contacted. the vehicle was still driveable the contact managed to drive the vehicle to an independent mechanic lot where at this time the vehicle is sitting. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. no insurance company was contacted. no dealer was contacted. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 35,000.ck

As i begin driving and come to stop it tends to rev up and then drops back to normal. it feels like vehicle revs up a little while you are trying to stop it by pressing the brake pedal.it feels like vehicle does not want to stop and you have the feelings to press the brake even harder.

Checked oil last week also dealer supposedly changed oil couple days ago yellow triangle light came on it was just bought so unfamiliar with the warning lights tried to look up told me nothing. today i left a friends house (3miles ) she called and said i left massive oil leak left on her driveway. sure enough i looked on my driveway and i also had huge oil leak lucky she called me i could have blown the engine or it could have caught fire if i had driven it any farther or she didn’t tell me proceeded to look up common toyota highlander problems. and there it was saying massive oil leaks from the line exploding also said that the repair toyota gives to fix the problem has problems too i’m assuming this is what the problem is i’m lucky i was not out on highway having it towed tommorow the picture is at her house she sent after i left. my driveway oil leak is twice that size

Upon entering into car after it had been parked i smelled gasoline. wife said she had just filled up before coming home and perhaps spilled some. i got out of vehicle and checked and saw small puddle of gasoline where car had been parked. moved car away from house and raised hood to vent engine compartment. i removed front skid plate/panel to find leak and allow further air circulation. i power cycled key and saw fuel leak again. after further investigation found were main fuel line was misting onto engine and surrounding parts. leaks were coming from middle portion of hose and not at connections. next day i had my car towed to the dealer. they suspected rodent damage. upon inspection there was no evidence of "chewing" or other type of external damage. a replacement line was ordered and installed. i was charged for the repairs. i have kept the original fuel line for further investigation. dealer had no explanation of the cause of the failure. i feel blessed that we did stop when we did otherwise it would of resulted in an gasoline fed engine fire because of the gas spraying onto the exhaust and other hot engine parts in a confined area.

My problem is with the low tire warning system. my issue is that you cannot manually reset this warning light as with other cars. i have had to take my car to the dealer twice in the last 12 months for them to properly inflate/reset the system. all my tires were properly inflated except for the spare. myself and firestone auto care could not get the warning light to go away. finally, after months of having the warning light on, i was able to take the car to the dealer and they properly reset all the tires including the spare and the warning light finally went off. seems like a ploy to get you to go to the dealer. the dealer indicated that they have had a lot of those issues due to the changes in the temperature. if all the tires are properly inflated, the warning light can still go off if because your spare tire may be low. this is a safety issue to me as you may not know that you really have a low tire that could affect driving. if the light is already on due to a low spare tire, and a regular tire goes low, one would have no way of knowing as the light is already on. *tr

My passenger airbag keeps turning off due to a sensor. i have had it fixed, and a couple hundred miles later, it was back on!

Was hit in the rear end on the highway, i was moving probably 8-10 mph through a debris field from an accident. the car did not slow and hit me probably around 35-40 mph. my airbags did not fire since in a rear end impact they should not trigger. i did not impact the car in front of me. my head hit the headrest in my first motion then it hit the steering wheel leaving me with a concussion. my issue shouldn't the seat belt have locked and restrained me in that secondary impact motion?

Back seat is stuck in folding position. rail is stuck

A few years ago one of the 3rd row seats got stuck in the upright position after putting it from down to up. i have never had it fixed as it hasn't been a huge inconvenience. i saw today that there was a recall on the middle row seat for something (which i do not believe affects my car) and thought i would document my issue in case there are others that have the same issue. thank you.

Power sunroof drains into floorboards. from my research this is a well known issue with highlanders and toyota needs to address. i just bought this car a week ago. the toyota dealership said the lines were clogged and blew them out. a week later the floorbards are full of water again.

The front passenger door and driver door lock/actuator does not work. the passenger door first happened 1 to 1.5 years ago. i have not fixed it because of the outrageous cost. now, the driver door actuator/door lock is exhibiting the same symptoms and will soon cease to work. toyota has no warranty program or recall on this even though it is a known issue with this year and model. i think having your door locks not work is a safety issue and request that this be found to be an issue toyota must cover as soon as possible.

The power hatch back does not work. it is so frequent problem and so many complaints but no solution offered by the toyota company.

Front passenger side door lock actuator does not work, making lock ineffective and not workable. toyota claims this is not a safety issue. unsure how ineffective locks are not a safety issue, especially on a car that is not that old. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated while driving into a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed however, the brakes failed to engage. due to the failure, the vehicle went over the parking space, traveling down a hill about 40 feet down landing on the front grille of the vehicle. the contact stated that no air bags deployed. the contact stated no warning light was illuminated. no police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to an unknown toyota dealership where they were unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the dealership. the manufacturer had been informed of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

Head gasket cracked, leaking coolant into 5th cylinder. the reason for a po305 misfire code on reader. auto shop removed head gasket and saw that the finish on the engine block was horrible. they called toyota themselves to file a complaint and have them replace that side of the block. auto shop doesn't feel comfortable replacing head gasket without toyota fixing the finish. if the finish is as is, head gasket will eventually crack again. highlander was bought brand new and only has 73k miles.

Intermediate steering shaft - noise began around 60k miles and has continued to get worse, now at 104k. if toyota knowingly made a design change and issued a new replacement part, recall should be issued.

The vehicle was parked in our driveway and has twice had rats chewing on the coolant temperature censor wiring. these are the only wires they’ve chewed on so far. i feel the soy based wiring that toyota uses is to blame since my neighbors are not having problems with their vehicles that are parked outdoors. a claim with usaa has been filed.

“thunk”/popping noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. was told to replace the intermediate steering shaft, and learned that a new one was developed to fix this problem in 2013 but no recall or safety notice was sent to owners.

Driver door started popping after 100,000 miles when opening and closing. researched and it's the door check. internet research shows this is a familiar problem that no one is recalling.

The door locks stopped working and i was forced to pay to repair them after owning car for less than 6 months. the power windows fail to operate at random times. there was a similar problem with the 2010 toyota yaris window panel. the car jumps or skips while accelerating.

Maintenance light is on at all times for the forward passenger seat, making airbags useless. read it can potentially be a wire. it has been reported on other vehicles. please investigate and recall as passengers will be unsafe and could have great bodily harm with this defect.

My steering makes a clunking sound, which you can actually feel in the steering wheel when it occurs, when turning either left or right. it is increasing in occurrence and intensity. it occurs at any speed. this has been going on for several months. i took it to the dealership and they lubricated something, saying there was no danger. should it become worse bring it back. it's going back!

I had a front end accident about 2 years ago and my airbags did not deploy. i caused rear end damage to two other vehicles. on sept. 2, i had another front end collision. i ran into a concrete barrier that holds light posts in parking lots. the accident caused me chest, back, and neck pain. the seat belt tightened but the air bags never deployed. i am still in pain due to this accident.the frame was bent in from this collision.

I am the first owner of this vehicle and bought it new from a toyota dealer. my 2013 highlander has 54,700 miles. for almost one year (starting may, 2018), i am experiencing a clunk and knocking noise from the steering column when making a right or left turn. now more recently, i am experiencing it more often, and worried about the safe operation of the vehicle. i have found after a research that this steering column issue is widespread and toyota has changed the design of the steering intermediate shaft, and recommending to change with this revised part to rectify the issue. the old part# was 45220-48170, which has been re-designed by toyota as new part# 45220-48171. if this is a safety issue and required to change the design, then toyota must change this part and rectify the issue free of cost.

Our 2013 toyota highlander has had 3 of the 4 door actuators fail in a 26 month period. the first actuator failed in in march 2017 (car was only 3 years, 8 months old), the second actuator failed in february 2018 (car was 4 years, 7 months old) and the third actuator failed in may 2019 (car was only 5 years 10 months old). because the door actuator failed, the door did not lock when placing the car in drive which increased the chances the door would open in the event of a crash; thereby, reducing the structural integrity of the vehicle in a crash. since the actuators also failed to automatically unlock when the car was placed in park, the actuators would not automatically unlock the doors in the event of an airbag deployment; thereby, possibly impeding the ability to enter/exit the car in an emergency situation. a complaint was lodged with toyota and a case number was established. however, toyota indicated that there is not a recall related to door actuators at this time and there is nothing the could do about the problem.

Car has only 53k miles and i am being told i need to replace my intermediate shaft. due to knocking sounds. i am worried if it will result in the steering wheel falling off or worse

Back door locks and passenger front door locks quit working with unlock/lock switch and remote. i had the front locks replaced before warranty was up. the back passenger door died right after warranty was up. however the front passenger door lock is dead again. the front driver side door lock is on the fritz too. using the remote or using remoteless(touching the handle on passenger front side) entry doesn't lock or unlock the 3 doors, the lock/unlock button on the 3 doors don't work. from what i had read toyota has known about these locks since 2004 but continue to use them. the only way to unlock the doors is pushing the lock switch inside the door or using the key that comes with remote entry.** the front doors happened before toyota warranty was up and were replace. the back passenger door happened right after warranty was up. then the back driver side happened april 2018. if the doors aren't lock and you push the lock button, it doesn't beep to say it is secured. you have to go lock all the doors manual then set the remote for securing the car.

Rain water is funneled into 'gutters' which are internal to the body of the car. if dirt, leaves or other debris get into the gutter system, it can block the flow of water which then comes into the car via the roof and sunroof system. any movement of the car, once the gutters were flooded, cause water to come from the roof onto the the driver's lap. this water then caused a flooding of the floor of the driver and passenger's side front foot areas. the flooding risk was not shared with me while purchasing the car and the potential resolutions shared once it did happen are unacceptable. the resolution my toyota dealer shared was (1) park in a garage and (2) bring the car in once a year to have the gutter system flushed.

I have heard a knocking noise when turning my vehicle either wayfor the last several months. while in for regular service today, i asked dealer to check the noise. this is a 2013 with 60k miles on it; purchased certified used a couple of years ago. service tech tells me it is related to the steering column, which will cost over $2000 to repair. he can't/ won't tell me the significance of this issue, saying maybe it is "just a noise". when i question that this seems like an unusually expensive repair at 60k miles, he does not really respond. a quick google search reveals that this is an extensive issue impacting many 2008-2013 highlanders. toyota has gone so far as to have put out a technical service bulletin regarding this issue. it also appears this issue is being "investigated" by safety board. steering is a critical safety component of a vehicle (obviously). not only has this not been made an official recall by toyota, i was not informed at time of purchasing this certified vehicle of this issue, nor was i told today by service that this is an ongoing issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. while driving, a clunking noise was heard coming from the steering wheel. in addition, while making left or right turns or while the vehicle was stopped, the noise grew louder. the contact also stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn when the vehicle had not been driven for a couple of days. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but a failure code could not be found. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 29,493.

Similar to other complaints i have read via this site, water has collected beneath my floormats from the drainage tubes running from sunroof. the dealership has stated that they have been clogged with dirt and they have "unclogged" them 3 times in 10 months. following the third visit, they are now saying there's nothing more they can do, this is a flaw in the design of the drainage system. my car now smells of mold to which i am allergic, and toyota refuses to correct this issue. i was first told to wash my car and blow the drainage holes clear in the sunroof, but i have done so regularly and have had the problem twice in 6 weeks. i was then told that dirt is entering through the underbelly of the car and that no one else seems to be having this issue. there are at least three other complaints about this here and a hundred others online. i have no idea what other issues could be caused as a result of this water (rust, electrical issues, damage to airbags, etc.) or where the tubing begins leaking and water redirects to the floorboard reservoir. i seem to get a different answer each time it is serviced. 3 separate toyota servicemen have agreed that this is a design flaw but retract that any time i attempt to make my case that this needs to be corrected.

Clunking noise from front end when turning wheels, appeared at approximately 60,000 miles. took to shop for repairs, and was diagnosed as intermediate steering shaft. mechanic said it was so loose he could manipulate it with his hand and was close to catastrophic failure.

Re: investigation ea18006. my car has been making a clunking sound in the steering column during slow turns to the right so i did an internet search and found numerous discussions and articles talking about a 'known' issue with the steering column. one article led me to your investigation. while at the dealer yesterday, i explained the issue and asked them to investigate. they said for $70 they can look into it. given i consider steering a critical system, i protested the service charge and their only response was they could do a 'visual' inspection for free but it should be looked at deeply to diagnose properly. i had them proceed and they came back with a suggestion that the steering column be replaced. i asked if it was a safety concern and was told 'yes it will be at some point'. obviously, i had them replace it but feel that if there is a safety issue here, they should be proactive and replace these steering columns on all affected products before someone gets hurt. i sent a concern to toyota as well but wanted to add this to your active investigation record.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact heard an abnormal clunking noise inside the vehicle. the noise was a constant distraction, which made driving difficult. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the contact planned on taking the vehicle to conicelli toyota (550 ridge pike, conshocken, pa 19428, 877-485-3193) to be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,188.

Clunking noise from steering wheel. internet search revealed possibility of steering wheel coming off resulting in accident. this could be a severe problem and needs a recall.

My 2013 toyota highlander was purchased used in 2015 with about 40,000 miles on it. in 2016 the car started to make a "thumping" noise when i make a left turn over a bump but it didn't happen often and i thought it was related to my garage entry of a 1.5" bump in the pavement. most noticeable at low speeds but that may be a result of the lower interior noise. the care has had these noises become more prevalent since i first noticed it. the car has approximately 80,000 miles on it now and it is getting more pronounced. it occurs when you hit any type of bump and more often when turning the vehicle. i have seen many reports of this and expect toyota to offer their owners a repair for this issue. this is not the type of quality i expect from toyota having owned a camry (1987), rav-4 (2006) and now my second highlander (2002 & 2013).

Vehicle started making a clunking noise 3 days ago. brought it into the dealership to have it repaired. was informed it was not covered under warranty and it would cost $507 in repairs. after reading many complaints about the same issue it actually is making me a little concerned.i have always owned toyota’s and never have had any issues. my mileage is 65,887 i truly believe that this issue needs to be recalled and replaced. i noticed a loud clunking noise when i made left hand turns or if there was a speed bump or a dip. the steering wheel also didn’t feel the same either almost like it’s loose. i’ve owned this vehicle for approx 1 year ourcahsed certified pre owned. the dealership really frustrated me today and now i question even keeping this vehicle. if this shaft plans on going out every 30-60k miles id rather dump it and get a different vehicle.

Door actuators have gone out for both doors. i contacted toyota several times and they refused to fixed them.

There is a clucking noise in the steering when turning. it seems like the steering wheel mechanism is falling appart.

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

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.

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

Driver side window keeps popping off track, will not operate properly

My intermediate steering shaft makes clunk nosies turning left at low speeds and now progress when turning right at times. i have 50k miles and started this issue at 38k miles. it gets louder seems like. concerned it will effect the safety of the vehicle.

I got hit by a drunk driver while i was at an intersection stationary. i was waiting to make a left turn and an oncoming car going 35 mph crossed lanes and crashed into me. it was a bad accident, both cars involved totalled.i had 4 other passengers in the car, and no airbags went off. i received head injuries (a lot of dizziness), neck and back injuries. *dt*jb

Abs system issue. when applying brakes the abs makes very loud noises like knocking very loud. local mechanic found that the round drum attached to the abs was very hot. vehicle had been driven to mechanic and was stationary when he checked it. brake fluid level good. abs will keep running after vehicle is turned off. trying to keep correct pressure in system, i was told. checked for recall, but no recall on this vin

The passenger side front airbag sensor has failed on 4 occasions. the dealership has claimed that the airbag system is fine, but it needs to be recalibrated each time. none of the other airbags are affected.

Drivers seat does not lock into place properly.

2013 toyota highlander. consumer writes concerning safety issue regarding to bottom seat frame/ adjuster assembly not holding its position that it was adjusted to. *as *tr

My steering wheel on vin#(xxxx) feels clunky when i turn corners. it scares me, like it feels like a ghost is jacking it abruptly into the turn it does not happen all the time. i went to this site to check up on problems, and recalls. put my vin # in and lo and behold, people have experienced this same thing and found that the whole steering column became loose and had to be changed out! this ought to be a recall. i'm scared. to check up on the site i used go here: https://driving-tests.org/vin-decoder/ put my vin in and you'll see 1/3 way down the page "most recent complaints" there you will read what is happening to my suv. i bought the car used from a toyota dealership and the warranty is not going to be used on this because they don't know of any recall. do i wait until my steering column becomes loosened? this has been happening intermittently from summer til present time. parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

I started feeling a clicking/clunking feeling in the steering column a month ago, especially when i made turns. i was also able to feel that the steering wheel has started to get looser. on 2/8/19 toyota recommended that the intermediate steering shaft be replaced. i had this part replaced for $428. there's 58,254 miles on the vehicle. this is my 3rd toyota vehicle in 30 years and i have never had any major problems in the past. i understand the new shaft may have an improved design i hope so it does not occur again. i am very disappointed that there has not been a recall to replace this part. does there need to be a serious accident or even someone getting killed in a car accident because of this faulty intermediate steering shaft??

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.

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.

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.

While turning the steering i feel a klunk this is happens always when turn the wheel. frustrated really need your help. regards..

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.

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.

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.

Around a year ago, at approximately 58000 miles, i began to notice a knocking sound and steering vibration when i turned in either direction at low speed in city driving. i took the vehicle in for evaluation at rice toyota. the technicians could not hear anything. i took it back at 61,118 in february 2018 as the steering had gotten worse, now loose and sloppy feeling at any speed. they could hear/feel it this time and i was told it was the electric power steering motor and to just "turn the radio up". i was ready to trade the vehicle in, as i felt unsafe driving it anymore, but knew i couldn't in it's current condition.i did some research and found that others were having the same problems. there was even a tsb (bulletin t-sb-0034-13) issued on 4/26/17 regarding the steering pinion shaft. after i felt that i couldn't drive this car it anymore, i returned to rice toyota once again on 11/24/18 at 67,770 miles and the repaired the vehicle. "immediate steering shaft needs to be replaced" for a total of $588.23. the vehicle now drives better, however, i have lost faith in it , as well as toyota. this is a very serious safety issue that needs to to be addressed for the safety of anyone driving a 2008-2013 highlander.

My complaint is about steering column noises, play, looseness and feedback through the steering wheel. it is described in a service bulletin: tsb-0034-13 i have 97,000 miles on the vehicle and the play is becoming more noticeable as mileage increases. it is very disappointing that toyota knew about this issue and issued the tsb before i purchased it new. how are owners supposed to be notified about these things while under warranty?

Steering makes a popping/clicking sound when making turns. seems to be getting worse as it started with just turning left and now does it right as well

Knock in the steering wheel when turning.

Clunking noise within the steering when i turn, especially at lower speeds. took it to a repair shop and they indicated it was the intermediate steering shaft. 48,000 miles at the time.

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.

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.

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.

Head gasket leaked car less than 100k miles and less than 5 years. google search showed similar problems with other highlanders.

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.

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.

Power train failed while driving along a city street at 30mph- car had no power- check hybrid components and check brake system lights appeared on the center console- i believe it failed due to the hybrid electrical system and is identical to descriptions of earlier hybrid inverter failures in 2006-2010 models of highlander and lexus that were recalled by toyota-

Takata recalls

When turning right the steering was making a clicking/knocking sound. i only have 30000 miles on the car, which i have had 100000 plus miles on cars and never had this issue. apparently toyota has diagnosed this with a bad u-joint in the steering intermediate shaft with a hefty price tag to fix. this seems like a complaint from multiple people and on multiple sites. i think this should be looked into by toyota and considered a recall item. very disappointed in my toyota right now.

On multiple occasions since purchasing my 2014 toyota highlander limited the car lurches forward while my foot is firmly pressed on the brake. on two occasions i could not stop the lurching of the vehicle without standing up with both feet on the brake pedal having hit the car in front of me while my car continued to push them again while applying both feet on the brake pedal. i was not in control of the vehicle as if something was pressing the gas pedal while i was stopped. in both of these accidents situations i had progressed forward stopping and starting. once in a drive thru and the second time in line leaving a shopping center. it is as if the car wants to keep going forward after multiple stops and starts.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. while the vehicle was being reversed, the hatchback open warning light illuminated. the contact stated that the gear shift lever was placed in park before exiting the vehicle. while attempting to close the hatch, the vehicle started to roll backwards and knocked the contact to the ground. the vehicle rolled down an embankment and crashed into a tree. the contact sustained injuries to the hip and arms, which did not require medical attention. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was not towed from the crash site. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 39,000. updated 09/01/16*lj

After pressing the ignition button to turn off the engin when in park, i came back to the car to find it running. this happened several times. i reported it to the dealer who said thay had no information nor were there any builtins fro totota. parked the car at the phl airport for 5 days, came back to find no gas. car had been running wile i was gone until it ran out of gas. saw in the news that a us senator from pa was investigating these events. october 2016

When the lift gate of my toyota highlander was closing i heard a clunk and saw the lift arm detach from the body of the vehicle. i took it to the dealer and was told no warranty or extended warranty would cover the damage. i have 41,000 miles on the vehicle and the platinum extended warranty. i searched the internet and was shocked to see so many lawsuits and complaints against toyota for this design flaw. i have spoken to the regional toyota office and the most they are willing to do is 50% of the bill which would leave me to pay $1700.00. considering it looks to me that a $2 bolt is the culprit, i believe this is something that the manufacturer should have recalled not just done a silent service bulletin. if you could contact toyota and tell them they should do the right thing and replace the defective lift gate because of a terrible design, i would appreciate it. thank you. *tr

Car hesitates upon accelerating from a stop as if it was coasting. it doesn't happen every time but it has occurred from the day i bought it. the hesitation can be from 2-4 seconds. it also happens when turning from a stop. playing with the gas pedal doesn't seem to help but ,curiously, shifting into neutral and then back to drive seem to stop the hesitation. i haven't explored this rigorously; just tried it a couple of times. i complained to the dealer and they have denied it is a problem: obviously they don't know what to do with it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle began to lose power without warning. the failure was persistent. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the failure could not be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 10.....updated 07/05/16 *bf *cn

The car has burned 1 qt of oil every 1500 milles or so since day1... toyota will do nothing to repair the internal engine problem as they say it is acceptable per them to burn 1 qt every 1200??

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 75 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the transmission. in addition, the failure occurred when driving 40 mph or higher. the contact mentioned that the vehicle was serviced under a manufacturer warranty for the transmission in november of 2015. the contact stated that the transmission utilized was rebuilt. the dealer diagnosed that the transmission utilized for the repair met the manufacturer standards. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200.

Letter from constituent regarding the issue of unintended acceleration in toyota and lexus vehicles. *smd 2013 toyota highlander. the consumer stated as she was about to put the vehicle in reverse to reposition the vehicle, it suddenly lurched forward with the engine racing . it was if the accelerator was floored. within a couple of seconds the vehicle jumped over the cement parking block and into a pole. the vehicle had significant damage between $13,000 and $15,000. the consumer was informed the carpet floor mat was found to be unattached. *jb

Toyota 2013 highlander with 31237 miles had to replace the steering shaft due to thud-thud noise when turning right or left. i bought car new from dealership. car still under warranty but was told it will probably happen again. parts and labor estimated to be $500+ each time in the future. according to information on internet this is not a random issue with highlanders and has been going on for some time. this appears to be a design flaw that is being ignored with the owner being required to foot the bill. never had a steering shaft issue in the cars i have previously owned some for over 100,000 miles, u.s. made or non-u.s. made models. the new part is guaranteed for one year...that is not acceptable for a known reoccurring issue of which toyota is aware . i called toyota national customer relations in torrance, ca and spoke with representative who was very polite but offered no recourse for this issue. very disappointed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that the vehicle experienced unintended acceleration while starting the vehicle. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the failure occurred approximately three times. the failure mileage was approximately 33,000. the vin was not provided.

Periodically hesitates when accelerating - doesn't move, doesn't accelerate - nothing - almost like car not running. does it from stopped position or while moving. happened twice yesterday, after being stopped at red light and when turning across lane of traffic (city street). has done it when passing on interstate - never know when it will happen. it's scary and by the time it kicks in, traffic is fast approaching. worry that one day it will not engage and i will get hit. doesn't matter if hot or cold, wet or dry, driving short time or long time. definitely an accident (and death) waiting to happen. dealership said they have not heard complaint before and can't fix it unless code appears. find that hard to believe since owner's wife drove it. sent complaint to toyota with copies of similar complaints found posted online. wonder if it is related to transmission because i can sometimes feel brief changes in rpm (outside of hesitation issue). please help!

The complaint has to do with computer systems on this vehicle. some of the complaint is convenience, but worrisome because other systems seem to be involved as well. the computer screen has always been slow/hesitent, with various "glitches". vehicle has gps mapping screen which occassionally "disconnects" and resets to blank screen. the bluetooth and other systems have also "disconnected" and couldn't be reset until the vehicle was stopped and turned off. the headlights sometimes do not shut off, day/night doesn't work properly. have had occassional problems with door locks not working as they should. never know when and which systems will be affected. i have also filed a complaint about intermitent non-acceleration issues, which maybe related.

From stop (at traffic light, merging, etc), press on gas pedal for acceleration and vehicle does not go, hesitates, then does accelerate. this has happened multiple times, intermittently, and has been reported to titus will toyota dealership. since they have not duplicated it, problem continues intermittently. never know when this will occur. it is very disconcerting and dangerous. this vehicle has a lot of "computer" glitches with gps mapping, bluetooth, auto lights, etc. maybe related?

While driving uphill, the brakes malfunctioned and brakes (and the gas) wouldn't work. my car slid backwards down the hill into a street with an oncoming car. brake function did not return the entire slide down the hill (approx. 65 feet), and the screen on the dashboard said "brake malfunction, contact dealer immediately" it was towed to the dealership over a week ago with no resolution to date from toyota.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. while driving approximately 65 mph, the cruise control was engaged and the rpms increased rapidly to 5,000 for a brief moment and then resumed normally. the failure occurred when driving up an incline and also without the cruise control activated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 8,000. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated when accelerating from a stop or a break without warning. the failure recurred several times and, each time, the contact had to pump the accelerator pedal up to three times in order to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who diagnosed that one of the computer modules that regulated acceleration was faulty. the dealer could not determine which of the modules was faulty; therefore, the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and issued a case number to take to the dealer. the failure mileage was 17,000.

Vehicle was proceeding through an intersection under a green light. a vehicle traveling the cross road proceeded through their red light and impacted my vehicle at full speed. the result was a "t-bone" accident into the driver's side door. the force of the collision was such that my vehicle was turned 90 degrees. the driver's head impacted the driver's side window shattering that window. the side curtain air bag did not deploy. air bags in the other vehicle did deploy. had the air bag operated properly it would have protected the driver's head from impacting and shattering the window. since the side curtain airbag did not deploy in what appears to be an obvious situation, i am now concerned that none of the airbags in that vehicle will deploy upon impact and i am driving an unsafe vehicle.

Starting this summer our 2013 toyota highlander was having a terrible odor coming from the ac. went to dealer and was told they would clean out the ac/ evaporator box with ammonia and then put a mint spray to reduce ammonia smell. paid $65 for this service. on way home i smell nothing but a stale odor. the next day the moldy smell was back. didn't even have to start car. the second i opened door it hit me. i went on google and saw a number of people were having same problem with toyota cars. not just a highlander!! the avalon,camry and others are having this same issue. the problem appears to be mold in the evaporator box and vents. have had many vehicles and never a problem like this one. bought the car new and for toyota not to admit to a bad design is disappointing.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. while driving at approximately 45 mph, the power steering failed and the instrument panel displayed that the power steering needed assistance. the vehicle was driven to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the electronic computer that managed the steering needed to be replaced. the manufacture was notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 48,500.....updated 10-27-15 *bf *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 16,000. ma 10/25/15

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. while at a stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer, who was unable to diagnose or repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 10,000. updated 1/12/16 *cn

Upon acceleration the vehicle hesitates for 3-5 seconds, it has happened numerous times. went to the dealer and they say nothing wrong. very dangerous pulling into a highway.

About a week ago my right rear passenger door lock started to fail. the door would not unlock. this is the door my 5 year old daughter uses. i took it too a dealer and was charged $638 total to replace the actuator. the service tech actually misquoted me, i would never pay this much to fix this part. upon reading now i see that many, many people have this problem. my car is still under 3 years old. the actuators should not fail. i have never had this problem in any other car. this is a severe safety issue if the car is in an accident. these cars need to be recalled. i will be contacting toyota too.

While attempting to turn from a side road onto a main road, i needed to accelerate to blend into the faster moving traffic. while attempting to accelerate the engine acted like the gas pedal had not been pressed but maintained the previous slow engine speed despite the gas pedal being finally pressed to the floor. while maintaining the full gas pedal position the engine finally revved up and the suv lurched forward. i have not been placed yet into a hazardous situation, but that is becoming a reality. this hesitation has recurred more than twenty times since then. no, i have not taken this to toyota since they appear to have no concern for the many fine folks reporting similar engine stalling.

I purchased the 2013 highlander new from a dealer in vienna, va in july 2013. the auto started a string of engine hesitancy to accelerate problems at around 5,000 miles which was reported to the dealer at the 5,000 mile check-up and again at the 7,500 mile checkup. the service department could not duplicate the problem and gave the engine a clean bill of health. we moved to mn in may 2014 and the hesitancy of the car to move (accelerate) from a stopped position for several seconds after engaging the gas petal continues and is increasing in frequency. the car has been taken in to the local toyota dealer on three occasions with the same answer that there is no problem with the car. i have been in two near accidents while pulling out in traffic on to a high speed divided highway and consider this a very serious safety issue. it happens randomly, (three times this past week), but a pattern has developed - most incidents occur while idling at intersections for some time waiting for traffic to clear, traffic lights, etc, and then making a left hand turn onto the roadway. the car has exhibited this behavior only a couple times while making a right hand turn from a idling start. the sensation is that the engine stalled and no matter what is done with the gas petal nothing happens for anywhere up to 4-5 seconds. with traffic moving at 60 miles an hour and one is attempting to merge into traffic, a five second delay brings the on-coming traffic almost 450 feet closer to one before the car starts to move requiring more distance in traffic gaps to overcome a potential stall in the roadway. i have come across another local owner with the same problem and note at least 15 other complaints on the web of almost the exact circumstances. what does it take for toyota to recognize this as a safety issue? updated 12/12/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. while the vehicle was parked, the contact discovered that the carpet was soaked with water. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the air conditioning drain was clogged and needed to be flushed. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the contact stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 13v442000 (air bags, electrical system, equipment). the approximate failure mileage was 23,000.

Black shredded material blew out of the air vents upon starting the car. if i had not had the a/c on and, rather, chose to turn it on while driving, i might have been blinded by the large amount of shredded material that flew into my face and eyes. - that is a liability as far as i am concerned. had i been driving, i can see that i would have had a very difficult time being able control something i could not see. i was told by the dealership that i may have a rodent issue - i have done some research on line and have learned that toyota, among other car manufacturers, is constructing vehicle parts out of biodegradable products, including soy, cane husks, etc., making my car a tasty treat for nasty animals. furthermore, there is nothing that prevents something from crawling from the outside into the cabin through the engine and i believe that to be a manufacturing defect. i am looking for toyota to cover the cost of fixing this issue.

On april , 2015, my vehicle was parked in my driveway. the leather panel on the door on the drivers' side melted with the sun reflecting on it. i have been living in this house for 33 years and have parked many cars in the same location. it also it not very hot in my area in april. this is clearly a defect in the material. the leather gets so hot with the sun and can easily burn you if touched with your bare skin. i contacted my local dealership, greentree toyota, brookfield, ct. the manager there was baffled "never saw anything like that before." about 2 weeks later, i contacted him since i heard nothing back. he advised that the district service and parts manager will not replace the leather since it's not a defect in workmanship. of course no - it's a defect in material! i was told that since there are no other claims of this type, it is not a defect. i then contacted toyota corporate offices. they advised that they cannot overrule the district service and parts manager in this particular area?????? i'm hoping your company can offer some help in this matter.

Every time i switch from brake to gas pedal quickly, the car looses power as if to stall. then it regains power and accelerates. it also happens if i am on the highway and touch the brake pedal before attempting to pass and then i can't get power to pass for a couple seconds. very scary and dangerous i think. the dealer explained to me that toyota had made a change to make the computer in charge of deciding if one could accelerate or not rather than a direct link from the gas pedal to the carburetor. the condition is unnerving and i believe potentially dangerous as i have almost been in accidents when i try to accelerate and the car won't respond until it is ready to allow it. *tr

This vehicle has been returned to toyota service department 4 times for message "check srs air bag system". this message deactivates the side airbags from deploying. toyota service has been unable to resolve this issue. toyota service has done the following to correct this issue. 1) rest the message "check srs airbag system" 2) checked sensor and wiring under passenger seat 3) consulted toyota engineers. this problem always occurs under the same condition. this problem is intermittent. this problem is a safety issue for the front seat passenger. when front seat passenger is seated and the car is started the message "check srs airbag system" appears. the message remains until the car is returned to toyota. this problem is not related to the weight of the front seat passenger. this problem occurs with both 120 and 300 lbs front passenger. thank you! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Water is leaking into the vehicle soaking carpet and electronics. can be a damaged windshield. worried about safety on roads. *tr

I turned on my car, put it on drive when i tried to press the gas and turn the wheel to get out of the parking lot the steering wheel locked so hard i could not turn it. i pressed on the brakes but the brakes were not functioning at all as i was pressing on the brake pad the check engine light came on and so did the brake light on the dash board, on the big screen where it shows my info and other fancy gadgets showed "brake malfunction park car in safe zone" as the car drove forward by itself and the brakes were not working the car hit an empty parking space to come to a complete stop. i was at a school parking lot with kids everywhere around me! *tr

2013 toyota highlander hesitates/stalls occasionally when driving. primarily occurs when turning left after stopping at a sign/light. the hesitation last for 5-10 seconds. have asked dealership to look at it 5 times since i purchased the car in july 2013 but they have not been able to duplicate the problem during their test drives. they conclude the "vehicle is operating as designed." *tr

On 2/20/2015 my parked toyota was hit in the front bumper causing damage. the party that hit me carried state farm insurance. they admitted fault and sent me to one of their preferred shops. the shop informed me that stae farm would not allow them to install a new bumper since my vehicle has 10,753 miles on it. state farm forced them to source a used bumper, even though this is part of the toyota safety system. i would not allow the used part to be installed. senator richard blumenthal last week ask the attorney general and doj to investigate this practice over safety concerns. these used parts have not been tested or certified as safe by the original manufacturer.

On sunday, january 18, 2015 at approximately 7:50am mst, after filling up the gas tank at the holiday gas station on pleasant grove boulevard in pleasant grove, ut, i began to pull away from the gas pumps. before exiting the gas station, and after moving about 20 feet at about 5 mph, the engine suddenly revved up to around 4000 rpm. i immediately took my foot entirely off of the gas pedal and slammed my foot down on the brake, holding the brake down firmly. despite nothing pressing on the gas pedal, and despite the brake pedal being very firmly and continuously pressed, the engine continued to cycle at exactly the same high rpm and the vehicle continue to move forward, straining against the brake. i then switched the gear from drive into neutral. the vehicle stopped moving, but the engine continued to rev at exactly the same rpm. at this time, the engine was continuously revving at approximately 4000 rpm, the car was not moving, the gear was set to neutral, nothing was pressing on the gas/accelerator pedal, and i was firmly pressing on the brake pedal. i then examined the driver footwell to make sure that nothing could possibly be pressing on the gas pedal and indeed there were no obstructions in the driver footwell. i then took my foot off of the brake and pumped the gas pedal several times but the engine did not respond in any way to this action ? rather it continued to simply rev at the constant high rpm. i then turned off the ignition, at which time the engine stopped and the vehicle was entirely off. i then switched the gear into park, and then started the ignition and the vehicle started normally. i proceeded to switch the gear into drive, and pressed on the accelerator and the vehicle moved forward as expected without any unexpected acceleration. since then, the vehicle has behaved normally. *tr

I rear ended a car in front of me. damage minimal to his car. my highlander sustained over 10 thousand dollar front damage. my air bags did not deploy. *tr

The door open alert and alert beeping came on as well as all of the interior lighting as i was driving. it shows glass door on the display. i checked all doors and none of the doors are open. it was very distracting and dangerous to be driving at night on the highway with all interior lights on. they keep going on and off and the alert keeps beeping. as far as i can find out, there is no way to turn off the interior lights. my car is out of warranty by 300 miles. i just had it in for the 35,000 mile service. i find numerous accounts of this known issue on several websites/discussion forums. i called toyota and was informed there is no recall however i found there was a tsb? sent out on the back latches. i called jim norton toyota in tulsa, ok and was informed they want a $110 diagnostic fee to see what the issue is. seems like with all of the same issues that toyota would look into this issue and resolve. toyota said they could not waive the diagnostic fee. hoping i can find a quick fix or someone willing to resolve this issue inexpensively or better yet, toyota could step up and resolve the issue themselves as a customer service stand. *tr

My vehicle t-boned another vehicle, striking directly into the driver's door of the other vehicle . the front end of my vehicle sustained approximately $8000 worth of front end damage, however the air bags never deployed. (fortunately there were no injuries). in light of current well-publicized air bag issues, i asked my dealership if they would inspect my vehicle to ensure that the air bags were not defective. they refused, and referred me to toyota corporate. i called toyota corporate, explained my concern, and requested that my air bags be checked out. toyota corporate refused, and suggested i send a letter to their claims department. i sent the claims department a letter on november 10, 2014, and have never received a response. *tr

I was cutoff by another driver in heavy traffic and hit my brakes to avoid hitting the driver in front me. i heard the seatbelt and my sons car seat come loose. i turned around and saw my 2 year old sons car seat had been ejected and his face had slammed into the passenger seat in front him. i was pushing the car seat back, so he could breath, with one arm and pulled over to the shoulder as quickly as possible. the traffic around was too fast for me to get off the vehicle to reinstall the car seat so i adjusted it as best i could without taking him out of the seat and proceeded to take him to school. i called the dealer i normally go to ([xxx] ) and took the vehicle on my lunch break so they could change the seat belt. i was then informed that both the shop foreman and service manager refused to change the seatbelt because it was working properly there and said i had installed the car seat incorrectly! they refuse to take responsibility and i refuse to put my kids back in that car, what can i do? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The ac unit does not function properly, it is not draining, resulting in a foul moldy mildew smell due to the built up condensation. toyota offered to change the air filter as a solution to the issue, unfortunately it did not solve the problem. within days, the odor was still very apparent. we have been told that there is nothing more that can be done. the vehicle is a 2013, with 10k miles, and still covered under warranty. the response from the dealership and manufacturer has been unacceptable. *tr

The 2013 highlander was serviced in florida monday 10/27 for 15000 miles service, today my sister was driving since service, the traction light came on ,the engine light was flashing , the highlander was not stable driving straight on the road and seemed like it needs a tune up.i called the dealer and it was taken their ,first response was gas put in, yes . was told possible the cap was not put on right and with newer cars it could be a malfunction the computer.. turned out that the ignition coil switch was bad on this 2013 highlander. which is why i'm reporting this due to recent issue with another car manufacture knowing the ignition switch was bad on their automobiles. *tr

I purchased a 2013 toyota highlander from cabe toyota, a toyota dealer in long beach, california, on march, 2013. i always use cabe toyota for the maintenance of this vehicle. i brought this vehicle to cabe toyota on july 5th, 2014 for 20,000 miles service and replaced the cabin filter as per their recommendation. i realized the acceleration of the vehicle were slower when entering the freeways after the service. the performance was even worse when the vehicle going uphill and the top speed stays on 40 mph even when the acceleration paddle was fully engage. when i was vacuumed the vehicle yesterday, sept 26th, 2014. i noticed some electric wires were unplugged, and one set of them was cut off completely. i am not sure this is the result of manufacture failure or maintenance problem. therefore, i would like to obtain information for independent inspection center in my area from you, so that i can bring my car to have complete diagnoses. thank you. *tr

I pulled into my parking spot art home. i pressed the brakes but the car did not stop, it actually accelerated slightly. i know i pressed the brake and not the gas because i looked down and saw the brake fully depressed and my leg was fully extended. also if i would have accidentally hit the accelerator, it would have been much worse. *tr

On september 12 2014 my wife was pulling into a parking space at her doctor's office. the space include a stop curb and it faced a four lane street. as she pulled into the space, she braked to avoid contacting the curb and was about to shift into park when the car suddenly accelerated. the car jumped the parking curb and then another curb and entered a grassy area (approximately 10 ft wide. the car continued to accelerate and jumped another curb and landed in a 4 lane street. she continued to apply the brakes while the car continued to accelerate across the street. she was headed toward another curb and grassy area and a downhill slope followed by a meineke repair business. not wanting to go down the hill and into the building, she turned the car to the right but not in time to avoid entering the second grassy area. she was now traveling parallel to the meineke building and side swiped two small trees, and was headed toward a very busy rush hour street. to avoid accelerating into this street, she decided to try shifting the car into neutral. she looked down to find the neutral gear, and just as she looked up, she crashed head-on into another tree. the air bags did not deploy but the seat belts saved her. the car was significantly damaged to the drivers side front where she hit the tree and to the side of the car where she side swiped the two trees. the meineke employees called 911 and a detective took her to her doctor's office for treatment. she injured her ribs and back and continues to receive treatment. i'm convinced this is a software problem and i am attempting to resolve this with toyota but hold out little hope. it needs to be fixed before there are additional injuries or loss of life. my wife could have died if the car had made it to the very busy street.

Burnt smell coming from the ac vents, which happens most of the time the after the noted first time of incident, especially when i take major freeways, last time noted this afternoon 8/31/2014 while taking i-75 in florida. when i accelerate to 70-80mph, me and my wife/ passenger always smell burnt odor coming from the ac vents which is really annoying and scary because i do not know if something is burning into the engine compartment or elsewhere in the vehicle. so i need to slow down after that, open the windows to let the odor out. i have let the toyota check it but cannot duplicate it may be because during the place of testing is not the right place in my opinion, the dealership is located near a freeway where speed limit is only at 60mph, the tech acclerated it once at 70mph but i told him he cannot duplicate it with not consistenly hitting at 70 or higher.may be next time of service i will choose a dealership near the freeway i drive and drive it myself.

Purchased 2013 toyota highlander 11/24/12; transmission has malfunctioned approximately 16 times since date of purchase. when reducing speed to approximately 30 to10 m.p.h. and then try to accelerate, the transmission appears to go into neutral; the drive stick remains in drive! when this happens, i shift drive stick to neutral and then back to drive and then transmission continues to work fine. i don't think you have to extend your imagination too far to realize the possibility of serious injury or death when making a turn or trying to pass someone! dealer will not acknowledge there is a problem with transmission. the initial response from dealer was the transmission has to adjust to my driving habits? if you check carcomplaints.com or edmonds.com, you will see i am not the only one with this problem. it appears this problem has existed since 2004. it would be interesting to review past head on collisions and turn accidents to consider if it was "driver error" vs "transmission failure" i would like to be contacted to have further discussion on this problem. thank you *tr updated 02/20/2015 *js

I purchased a new 2013 toyota highlander limited in november 2013. a few days later, upon accelerating from a stop into a left turn, the engine cut off for a few seconds while entering traffic. this happened a couple more times before the first checkup, at which time i informed the service technician, problem was noted on service sheet, but when service was completed, they said they could find no problem. the hesitation continued, quite randomly, and seemed to happen in left turn, accelerating situations. at next service and checkup (different dealer) i told them about the problem and it was written up again with same result, no problem could be found. this has been reported to dealer at least three times, no results, no action taken, no problem found. i consider this a dangerous situation, especially when merging into traffic. based on information i have seen, it appears that toyota should address this problem asap. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that numeros attempts were made to have her vehicle serviced under nhtsa campaign number: 14v148000 and nhtsa campaign number: 13v014000 (air bags , seats) however, both dealer and manufacturer have not return the contact's phone calls. the vehicle had not exhibited the failure. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v148000 (seats); however, the part for the repair was unavailable. the manufacturer was notified. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Dear sir, i purchased a new 2013 toyota highlander. the spare tire is mounted under the vehicle & held in place by a cable. the spare tire becomes loose and it drops down when driving. i just recently had riverhead toyota (where i purchased the highlander) repair the mechanical crank, it was in the shop for 8 days. the service manager mike hammer told me he personally repaired it. i had it 2 days and about 300 miles and the spare tire dropped down again. it is currently back at riverhead toyota. i asked for the regional manager to inspect the vehicle. this has been going on since nov 2013. i called toyota to complain, about 15 times. i have a case worker but my vehicle is not fixed. my spare tire gets damaged when it drops down, toyota has replaced 2 mag wheels and is refusing to replace 2 more damaged mag wheels. they are unable to fix the problem. this is a safety issue with the spare tire hanging by a cable from the bottom of the vehicle (it has dropped down as much 8in off the road) and it swings. my vehicle was purchased with a trailer hitch which contains the swinging of tire. when the tire drops below the trailer hitch it makes a lot of noise. can you please check if this is issue with other owners & what is was done to repair this problem. i'm afraid one day the tire will become separated from my vehicle and cause an accident. i'm not sure toyota wants to fix the defect and i feel my vehicle is being held hostage. *tr

Dear sir, i purchased a new 2013 toyota highlander. the spare tire is mounted under the vehicle & held in place by a cable. the spare tire becomes loose and it drops down when driving. i just recently had riverhead toyota (where i purchased the highlander) repair the mechanical crank, it was in the shop for 8 days. the service manager mike hammer told me he personally repaired it. i had it 2 days and about 300 miles and the spare tire dropped down again. it is currently back at riverhead toyota. i asked for the regional manager to inspect the vehicle. this has been going on since nov 2013. i called toyota to complain, about 15 times. i have a case worker but my vehicle is not fixed. my spare tire gets damaged when it drops down, toyota has replaced 2 mag wheels and is refusing to replace 2 more damaged mag wheels. they are unable to fix the problem. this is a safety issue with the spare tire hanging by a cable from the bottom of the vehicle (it has dropped down as much 8in off the road) and it swings. my vehicle was purchased with a trailer hitch which contains the swinging of tire. when the tire drops below the trailer hitch it makes a lot of noise. can you please check if this is issue with other owners & what is was done to repair this problem. i'm afraid one day the tire will become separated from my vehicle and cause an accident. *tr

I have a new 2013 toyota highlander. during a heavy rain or car wash water enters the cabin around from the center post where the seatbelt retracts. the dealer determined that there is bad weld at one of the roof seams and the water is leaking down through the center post. the vehicle is currently at the dealer while they try and figure out how to make the repair. my concern is that this defect may also affect the structural integrity of the vehicle during a crash. i am also concerned that even after the repair it may be possible that small traces of water are still entering the vehicle but aren't visible as it may be hidden by interior trim. over time this may cause rust. should i be concerned about this defect? *tr

Driving uphill,suddenly lost speed,had no gas pedal,had to pull to side of road and then it came back.has happened dozens of times at different speeds. the last time it happened i was driving 70 mph in the center lane of i 95 in pa, have not driven the car since i got home. toyota has told me it is everything from slight hesitation to my imagination. *tr

The rear window of the vehicle shattered while it was parked for no apparent reason. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving in reverse less than 5 mph, the vehicle suddenly and inadvertently accelerated causing her to lunge backward 20 feet and crashing into a parked vehicle. the vehicle only came to a complete stop after it crashed into a fence and garden. the contact was not injured. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was towed to an auto body facility. the dealer was notified of the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 3000.

As i was pulling into a parking space (maybe 5 miles per hour) and put my foot on the brake to stop, my 2013 toyota highlander lunged forward so hard that it went over the concrete spacer, a grass median, the curb and into the street beyond the parking lot. i was able to brake and stop the acceleration, but it was so sudden, fast and unexpected that i scraped the passenger side on the vehicle next to me. a by-stander commented "i don't know what happened! all of a sudden your car just raced away!" i have driven for over 45 years without an accident. i have been a loyal toyota customer, buying one for my son and daughter as well as this vehicle and i thought whatever problems toyota had were taken care of but now i am afraid to drive my vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. also, the contact mentioned that the headlights and instrument panel light intermittently failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 16,000.

My wife was driving the car near the dulles toll road entrance ramp at approximately 10 mph. she suddenly lost control of the vehicle and hit the car ahead of her. no bodily injury to either party. the police officer who came to the scene said that it was not my wife's fault and hence, he did not issue a ticket to my wife. the extent of the damage is $10,000. the air bag did not deploy. the loss of control of the vehicle and the air bags malfunction was told to koons toyota. they did not notify the nhtsb, nor the toyota headquarters. after the body shop work was done, koons toyota did not even inspect the vehicle to check all the necessary repairs have been done properly. no safety inspection was done. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle exhibited unintended acceleration. additionally, the vehicle would vibrate excessively when stationary with the engine on. the vibrations would cause ear pain to the contact. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 11,000.

Tl the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated while driving 55 mph the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the contact was able to engage the brake pedal and the vehicle resumed normal function. the contact also stated that the door hatch motor emitted a loud clicking sound when it was opened and closed. the dealer replaced the motor; however, the failure was not corrected. the failure mileage was 88. the current mileage was 2,500. rk

On thursday, april 3, 2013. i stopped at an intersection and when i tried to accelerate there was no response. i thought the engine had died. there were no lights on instrument panel. i pressed accelerator again and it jerked and took off. i have experienced hesitations several times (10-12). i bought the highlander 2013 in july 2013. *tr

I bought a 2013 toyota highlander in october 2012 and never noticed any problem until early in 2014. when i try to accelerate on a small incline, the accelerator would not respond. it acted as if i am not pressing the gas pedal. i am not talking about going to the mountains but just a small incline when i drive home from work everyday. i took it into the dealer in march 2014 and they responded same as other people on this website, no errors on the diagnostic machine and no posting from toyota. they advised me to put in premium fuel and i did but that did not make a difference. very disappointing from a toyota with a v6 engine. the dealer also tries to say it is due to cvt transmission. however, i have a subaru with cvt as well and that car can accelerate uphill when needed. i have had a toyota celica, tercel, and a toyota truck in my life and none had this type of problems. *tr

The vehicle did not alert to any engine and/or vehicle problem (no caution light, no engine light, etc.) the driver happened to look down at the fuel tank and noticed that the temperature gauge exceed the measuring mark (over the red zone) and was still running. the driver immediately went to a safe place. towed to the dealership. dealership informs that a "small rock or road debris" traveled through the front grill and punctured the radiator. after researching why the radiator is not covered under the warranty on brand new vehicle under this road debris, i read over 30 reported cases in not only the toyota highlander, toyota tundra, and toyota corolla as their is no protection to the front portion of the radiator and/or condenser. would have caused engine fire, do not understand why there were no safety lights and or indicators something was wrong with vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that the vehicle erroneously accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 5,600. the vin was unavailable.

Recently purchased a new 2013 toyota highlander from a toyota dealership on 03/15/14. while driving the vehicle the following day, i subsequently noticed that the front windshield impairs / blurred vision of the driver as well as any other occupants in the vehicle while looking out of the front windshield. it actually makes you dizzy and is a major safety hazard to all on the road. searched for recall/defects with toyota and did find another complaint of the same incident/vehicle/part/symptoms with a vehicle owner. his complaint was confirmed by a toyota service manager and was set up for a windshield replacement. unfortunately, the owner was later contacted and told that toyota will not replace the windshield due to the fact that it is the windshield that all toyota highlander's are assembled with. personal opinion: defect may be due to the integration of the "front windshield heater system." *tr

July 20, 2013 i pushed the ignition button to turn off the engine. i exited the vehicle and immediately realized it was still moving. i attempted to get back in the vehicle to stop it. i fell and the back tire ran over my foot/leg. a man came and jumped in the car to stop it after it crossed the street and hit a parked car. i have both a fractured tibia and fibula. the tibia required a screw to stabilize however, my foot was so injured (torn flesh) that i had to wait 5 weeks for the flesh to heal to avoid infection. i have been off of work since july 22 to date (september 5,2013). i realize how fortunate i am in that it appears i have not sustained a permanent disability. i shudder to think how much more tragic this could have been for multiple innocent people. i am unsure of how to give notice to others to prevent further injuries. it was recommended that i report this to nhtsa.

Vehicle failed to accelerate from a stop. it just rolled along, accelerator depressed till about halfway, then it accelerated rapidly spinning the tires, this has occured 3 times. it has also hesitated badly while accelerating with no response to pedal position then sudden and unexpected rapid acceleration, this has occured 5 times. this condition has become dramatically worse since it was serviced for unexpected acceleration problems where the dealer claimed they could not reproduce the problem. headlights are also aimed way too high illuminating the trees instead of the road and blinding oncoming drivers. the dealer claims they cannot duplicate this either and that there is no problem. the vehicle was serviced for these hazards at 6006 miles. we have stopped using the car since we feel it is unsafe.

I was driving down the street and came upon a red light, there were two cars ahead of me, a lincoln and a chrysler. i started to slow down at a distance, when i applied the brake, my vehicle accelerated, i looked down to make sure that my foot was on the brake, and it sure was, so i hammered down on the brake and my vehicle did not slow down and continued to run at the same speed of approximately 15 mph. the faulty brake caused a without the deployment of airbags. i knew that i did not accidentally step on the gas pedal because if i had done so, the results would have been more fatal. i would have pushed the cars in front of me onto the on coming traffic. after the incident, i tested out the brakes, and it was as if everything was alright. even though i had seen the cars in front of me, and the red traffic light, my vehicle did not react to my brakes. the lincoln and the chrysler in front of me also didn't have their airbags deployed. *tr

Vehicle accelerated slightly when brake was applied, cruise on, speed 60mph, 1 time. hesitated on acceleration after deceleration, speed 60 mph, cruise off, 1 time; speed 40 mph, cruise off, 2 times; speed 35 mph, cruise off, 3 times. hesitated on acceleration after coasting, speed 40 mph, cruise off, 4 times; speed 43 mph, cruise off, 1 time, speed 45 mph, cruise off, 2 times; speed 35, cruise off, 3 times. accelerated by itself including downshift one gear, rpm 1725 changed to 2225 and accelerated from 60 to 65 then returned to 60 mph after a few seconds, flat level roadway, cruise on, 1 time. i have been a mechanic over 45 years and a fleet owner, once i experienced the initial speed up i have been keeping a log of all abnormal behavior related to this issue. first issue at about 3500 miles, present mileage about 6000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, she depressed the brakes and the second row seats moved forward abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the seat needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the contact also stated that the windshield wiper fluid would not dispense when she applied the switch. the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the fluid had frozen. the contact added de-icer to the vehicle and it began to work briefly. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100.

I bought a new 2013 highlander december 28, 2013 from tom wood toyota dealership. when i was driving home december 28-31, 2013 click, click, squeaking noise, brakes slipping, dragging, vibrating and a tremendous pulsating against my foot when i stop. when i tried to stop the highlander the vehicle jumped forward. january 2, 2014 a burnt odor coming through the heater vents, rattling in the right front door, gush sound coming from the brakes, there is also another sound coming from the brakes that i can not identify. i am wondering if a fire is trying to start, because of the burnt odor. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2013 toyota highlander. the contact was driving 5 mph and attempted to engage the brakes when the vehicle violently lunged forward and crashed into a support beam, then down an embankment before finally crashing into a tree. a police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 14,000.

When driving the vehicle at 35mph when you step on the gas pedal theres a delay on acceleration especially when the vehicle is going uphill.it started when the vehicle milage was at 1250 miles its on and off.

I bought my 2013 brand new 9/27/12. shortly after i received it i noticed songs would skip or start over on the ipod as well as the cd. a few months later the radio station would changed channels for no reason. these things happened if i was backing out of a parking space, going over a slight bump or just driving normally on a regular road or a freeway. i've gone to two to yota dealership who can't find any problem and because the problems are intermittent they say they can't diagnose it. i've had two caseworkers at toyota of america and they say there is nothing they can do. in the past month when i pulled in the garage the headlight "sometimes" turn off when i turn off the ignition. other times they stay on the normal 30 seconds. i've also had a couple of issues that other highlander owners mentioned on your website mainly when i'm at a stop and the light turns green a couple of times when i step on the gas the car engine revs a few seconds then lurches forward. also recently the dashboard lights dim or brighten for no reason at all. my concern is that it seems problems are increasing and i just don't know exactly what steps to take next.

I started my vehicle, in my garage, to warm it up for its first scheduled maintenance at the dealership. the parking brake was engaged from my last use of the vehicle the night prior (i always apply the parking brake before exiting my car). as my highlander warmed up, i began removing a few personal items so that they would be out of the vehicle during my service at the dealership. i placed my personal items at the end of my garage, adjacent to the front-end of the vehicle. as i turned for my 3rd trip back to get the last of my personal items out, i see my highlander starting to roll backwards. i was at the front-end of my vehicle when it started moving in reverse. i was unable to safely enter the vehicle while it was in reverse motion. my vehicle backed up over a curb and made impact with bushes and a building structure. i question if faulty construction of the parking brake allowed it to disengage and independently initiate movement in reverse. *ln *tr

Occasional throttle no response when trying to accelerate moderately from a stop, or from a very low speed (i.e.-coasting around a 90 degree turn with the engine at idle speed.) i then push heavily on the accelerator pedal, and it revs up, downshifts, and races ahead. it is dangerous, in traffic. i have brought it to the dealer twice, and they cannot reproduce the problem. two so called factory reps rode around with me the second time, with a computer connected. diagnostics shows no error codes. *tr

At totally random times, after a few miles of driving or from a slow speed, vehicle hesitates when accelerating. most annoying and dangerous is the way it doesn't respond to the accelerator for a few seconds after stopping at a stop sign or stop light or when going slowly as in entering the freeway. took vehicle to toyota dealership and of course vehicle ran fine for the time they drove it. tech checked for any trouble codes and none were found. this problem seems like an accident waiting to happen. have gotten nothing but the run-around and denial from the national toyota "case manager". (at first i thought this hesitation occurred because the vehicle was new, but after 5,000 miles, i am still experiencing the same issue at random times.) *tr

When the headlights are on dim, visibility is not adequate. a distinct black line appears across the horizon above which the driver cannot see. *tr

I purchased the toyota highlander in december of 2012. immediately we knew something was wrong with the headlights. they are focused down toward the road and have a line of "shade" above. the highlander lights are so dim, we don't know if they are working. we are "overdriving" our visibility at night and we cannot see any road signs because the lights are focused to far down they do not illuminate signs on the side of the road. in addition, in hilly areas, they only illuminate the bottom of the hill (and the shaded part is above) so you cannot see where you are headed.the tops of the hills are completely blocked by the "shaded" part. this is a very dangerous situation! also, they do not get warm, so the snow and ice accumulates on these lights and obscures visibility even further! i have owned many many cars, including several toyota's and have never had a headlight problem. i do not know what to do with this car as i cannot drive it at night. *tr

Pulling into parking space - brakes applied - car lurched forward (unintended acceleration) - brakes did not engage - car jumped the curb, crossed the sidewalk and hit a tree - airbag did not deploy. *tr

While driving to michigan from illinois while using vehicle build in jbl navigation unit on a newly purchased 2013 toyota highlander limited with only 300 miles at the time, in the middle of the trip navigation unit rebooted/crashed after coming back up the programmed directions were lost, since this navigation unit has a programmed safety feature the destination cannot be re-programmed while driving, we have to exit the highway and stop to reprogram the destination again, also the same issue happened on the way back. toyota customer service has been contacted and the case was open (#1308280087) they advise me to take the vehicle to a dealer, so the dealer can contact toyota technician and try to isolate an issue. service manager contacted the technician who stated the problem has to be reproduced; otherwise there is nothing they can do. looks like this issue only happens on long trips, which is impossible for the dealer to reproduce using my vehicle. toyota customer service has been contacted again about the issue; toyota is ignoring the problem that has been reported on multiple forum sides and unwilling to work out a resolution by duplicating the issue in-house. also the navigation unit does have an outdated maps (half of the addresses that i have entered could not be located) and update is not been offered after the complaint. jbl navigation software version: 2.2.0 nav id: nqna2011q4. *tr

When turning left out of my neighborhood i slowed down and then tried to return to speed but the vehicle hesitated then suddenly jerked up to the desired speed. one other time on an interstate i had to slow down behind a truck and then when i tried to accelerate back to speed in the passing lane the car hesitated for several seconds and again accelerated rapidly (cars in the passing lane had to brake quickly. i could describe other times but the same thing (the hesitation and then the extremely rapid acceleration) i have taken it do the dealer but they said that they could not find anything.

The vehicle has a hesitation or lack of acceleration problem. it occurs from a stopped position or a moving state. i have had it to the local toyota dealer 5 times and they have not been able to find the problem. they were able to duplicate the problem. they have been in touch with toyota but they say no problems exist, which is what i have come to expect from toyota corporate. my wife was almost in an accident on the interstate yesterday, 08/28/2013. i would estimate that the problem has occurred at least 10 times since we purchased the vehicle in july. this is a safety issue. thank you in advance for your help on this concern. also, the dealership is going to give us a loaner today and possibly just let us return the vehicle. they have been great, palmierro toyota.

At totally random times, after a few miles of driving or 100 miles, vehicle hesitates when accelerating. most annoying and dangerous is the way it doesn't respond to the accelerator for a few seconds after stopping at a stop sign or stop light. took vehicle to toyota dealership and of course vehicle ran fine for the 4 miles they drove it. tech checked for any trouble codes and none were found. this seems like a rear-end accident waiting to happen. for ten days we have gotten nothing but the run-around from the national toyota "case manager". (at first we thought this hesitation occurred because the vehicle was new, but after 8,000 miles, we are still experiencing the same issue.) *tr

Vehicle hesitates when accelerating. does not happen all the time, when trying to get vehicle up to highway speed will depress gas pedal and nothing will happen for 3-4 seconds, then all of a sudden vehicle will speed up. this only started to happen after 1300 miles . took vehicle to toyota dealership and of course vehicle ran fine, tech. checked for any trouble codes and none were found. also since this started to happen my gas mileage has dropped from 18 miles a gallon to 15 miles a gallon. *tr

I took delivery of a brand new toyota highlander limited, with a defective windshield. there was a distortion in the glass which caused great eye strain to the driver. toyota corporate claimed not to know anything about this. the service manager at my dealership told me that this was his 3rd on a highlander. it created an effect similar to wearing the wrong prescription eyeglasses. *tr

While driving on the highway, my son opened the rear passenger window, when he opened the window the noise and pressure on our ears was unbearable, it was like an extremely loud helicopter noise. we even tried opening other windows in the car to reduce the pressure and noise, while the noise and pressure were reduced it was still very loud and distracting. i called the toyota dealer where we bought the car and he said all cars do that and to just open another window to relieve pressure. when i told him we tried that and it did not work he did not have any other answers. the dealer gave me a phone number to toyota service, i called them and the rep said she had checked and they have never heard of anything like that. after checking on the internet i have found multiple instances where other people have had this issue, the noise is so loud it actually hurts your ears drums. if we were told about this issue when we were purchasing the car i doubt that we would have bought it. the noise and pressure start at approx. 35 mph and gets worse the faster you go and only when 1 or both of the rear windows are down. toyota gave me a case number and told me to take the car back to dealer so they can duplicate the issue but the dealer was/is already aware of the issue. we feel that toyota needs to identify the cause and offer a repair option, other than not using the back windows as that is our only option at this time. *tr

My wife was maneuvering the suv into small area parking lot onto a corner space, on the first forward and back motion to maneuver the brake was ok, then on the second maneuver the brake didn't work and the tire went over the concrete parking block then hitting the structure of the doctors office. early on in the day i went to the toyota dealership to purchase a hitch and when about to leave the parking brake didn't release completely, told service guy and said to get a clip and he also commented that the dealership where i bought might install wiring on the left panel pushing the plastic panel which block the release of the parking brake. ordered the clip to hold the plastic. by the way the truck was purchase in january 2013 at a toyota dealership in sacramento. *tr

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.

When i turn my steering wheel going very slow or stationary my steering wheel makes a popping sounds and my mechanic says it's the intermediate shaft. its getting worse as i'm putting miles on it. since it's a steering component, it's a very serious issue since if it fails i will loose complete control of my car.

On may 4, 2018, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for model year (my) 2008 through 2013 toyota highlander vehicles. two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by odi in april 2018 and occurred while the vehicle was in motion. as part of pe18-005, odi analyzed additional incidents reported through the vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) process and examined the field data, warranty data, and relevant technical information submitted by toyota in response to the pe18-005 information request letter. during pe18-005, odi confirmed that the steering columns in the subject vehicles are equipped with breakaway capsules that are designed to collapse/shear during certain types of vehicle collisions. this design feature aims to reduce driver injury severity from impact with the steering wheel in frontal vehicle collisions. there is no direct method for detecting when the capsules in the subject vehicles have sheared. if the driver operates the tilt/telescoping feature after the breakaway capsules have separated, the steering column may drop out of position and could subsequently detach entirely from the rest of the steering assembly. loss of steering while driving may cause a loss of vehicle control, which could lead to a vehicle crash. to date, odi has identified 14 incidents involving complete steering column separation, 6 of which occurred while driving. one of these incidents involved a minor crash. additionally, there have been 16 events where the steering column dropped from the dashboard mounting brackets, but column separation did not occur. four of these incidents happened while driving. of these 30 total separation/drop incidents, 5 of the vehicles have evidence of minor collision repairs months or years prior to the steering column failure.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis in order to 1) conduct a more detailed analysis of the conditions that may cause the steering column breakaway capsules to separate and 2) assess factors that may contribute to the problem of failing to detect and repairbreakaway capsules after they have separated. toyota has recently revised their repair manual and issued a collision repair information bulletin to help address the second concern.the voqs associated with the opening of this investigation can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following odi complaint numbers: 11141761, 11083623, 11083280, 10888043.

On may 4, 2018, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for model year (my) 2008 through 2013 toyota highlander vehicles. two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by odi in april 2018 and occurred while the vehicle was in motion. as part of pe18-005, odi analyzed additional incidents reported through the vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) process and examined the field data, warranty data, and relevant technical information submitted by toyota in response to the pe18-005 information request letter. during pe18-005, odi confirmed that the steering columns in the subject vehicles are equipped with breakaway capsules that are designed to collapse/shear during certain types of vehicle collisions. this design feature aims to reduce driver injury severity from impact with the steering wheel in frontal vehicle collisions. there is no direct method for detecting when the capsules in the subject vehicles have sheared. if the driver operates the tilt/telescoping feature after the breakaway capsules have separated, the steering column may drop out of position and could subsequently detach entirely from the rest of the steering assembly. loss of steering while driving may cause a loss of vehicle control, which could lead to a vehicle crash. to date, odi has identified 14 incidents involving complete steering column separation, 6 of which occurred while driving. one of these incidents involved a minor crash. additionally, there have been 16 events where the steering column dropped from the dashboard mounting brackets, but column separation did not occur. four of these incidents happened while driving. of these 30 total separation/drop incidents, 5 of the vehicles have evidence of minor collision repairs months or years prior to the steering column failure.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis in order to 1) conduct a more detailed analysis of the conditions that may cause the steering column breakaway capsules to separate and 2) assess factors that may contribute to the problem of failing to detect and repairbreakaway capsules after they have separated. toyota has recently revised their repair manual and issued a collision repair information bulletin to help address the second concern.the voqs associated with the opening of this investigation can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following odi complaint numbers: 11141761, 11083623, 11083280, 10888043.

On may 4, 2018, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for model year (my) 2008 through 2013 toyota highlander vehicles. two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by odi in april 2018 and occurred while the vehicle was in motion. since opening pe18-005, one (1) additional voq involving steering column separation has been received. this incident occurred while the vehicle was stationary.as part of pe18-005, odi examined the field data, warranty data, and relevant technical information submitted by toyota in response to the pe18-005 information request letter. ten (10) additional incidents of steering column separation were identified. four (4) of these instances occurred while driving. during pe18-005, odi confirmed that the steering columns in the subject vehicles are equipped with breakaway capsules that are designed to collapse/shear during certain types of vehicle collisions. this design feature aims to reduce driver injury severity from impact with the steering wheel in frontal vehicle collisions. there is no direct method for detecting when the capsules in the subject vehicles have sheared. if the driver operates the tilt/telescoping feature after the breakaway capsules have separated, the steering column may drop out of position and could subsequently detach entirely from the rest of the steering assembly. loss of steering while driving may cause a loss of vehicle control, which could lead to a vehicle crash.to date, odi has identified 14 incidents involving complete steering column separation, 6 of which occurred while driving. one of these incidents involved a minor crash. additionally, there have been 16 events where the steering column dropped from the dashboard mounting brackets, but column separation did not occur. four of these incidents happened while driving. of these 30 total separation/drop incidents, 5 of the vehicles have evidence of minor collision repairs months or years prior to the steering column failure.this investigation has been upgraded an to engineering analysis (ea18-006) in order to 1) conduct a more detailed analysis of the conditions that may cause the steering column breakaway capsules to separate and 2) assess factors that may contribute to the problem of failing to detect and repair breakaway capsules after they have separated. toyota has recently revised their repair manual and issued a collision repair information bulletin to help address the second concern.the voqs associated with this investigation can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following odi complaint numbers: 11141761, 11083623, 11083280, 10888043.

On may 4, 2018, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for model year (my) 2008 through 2013 toyota highlander vehicles. two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by odi in april 2018 and occurred while the vehicle was in motion. since opening pe18-005, one (1) additional voq involving steering column separation has been received. this incident occurred while the vehicle was stationary.as part of pe18-005, odi examined the field data, warranty data, and relevant technical information submitted by toyota in response to the pe18-005 information request letter. ten (10) additional incidents of steering column separation were identified. four (4) of these instances occurred while driving. during pe18-005, odi confirmed that the steering columns in the subject vehicles are equipped with breakaway capsules that are designed to collapse/shear during certain types of vehicle collisions. this design feature aims to reduce driver injury severity from impact with the steering wheel in frontal vehicle collisions. there is no direct method for detecting when the capsules in the subject vehicles have sheared. if the driver operates the tilt/telescoping feature after the breakaway capsules have separated, the steering column may drop out of position and could subsequently detach entirely from the rest of the steering assembly. loss of steering while driving may cause a loss of vehicle control, which could lead to a vehicle crash.to date, odi has identified 14 incidents involving complete steering column separation, 6 of which occurred while driving. one of these incidents involved a minor crash. additionally, there have been 16 events where the steering column dropped from the dashboard mounting brackets, but column separation did not occur. four of these incidents happened while driving. of these 30 total separation/drop incidents, 5 of the vehicles have evidence of minor collision repairs months or years prior to the steering column failure.this investigation has been upgraded an to engineering analysis (ea18-006) in order to 1) conduct a more detailed analysis of the conditions that may cause the steering column breakaway capsules to separate and 2) assess factors that may contribute to the problem of failing to detect and repair breakaway capsules after they have separated. toyota has recently revised their repair manual and issued a collision repair information bulletin to help address the second concern.the voqs associated with this investigation can be viewed at www.nhtsa.gov under the following odi complaint numbers: 11141761, 11083623, 11083280, 10888043.