2001 Toyota Highlander Electrical System Problems

WIRING PROBLEM WITH PASSENGER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT. KEPT REPLACING BULB, THEN REPLACING SOCKET, NOW GOING TO PUT A WHOLE KIT. TOYOTA NEGLECTED TO TELL ME THIS IN THE FIRST PLACE, EVEN AFTER SEVERAL TICKETS AND WASTED MONEY ON DIFFERENT THINGS TELLING ME IT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

AFTER PULLING OFF THE ROAD ONTO A SIDE STREET CONSUMER HEARD A STRANGE NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. UPON MERGING BACK ONTO THE ROAD STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD, FOLLOWED BY A LOUD POPPING NOISE AFTER DRIVING FOR LESS THAN A BLOCK. CONSUMER THEN PULLED INTO PARKING LOT. THE SMOKE BECAME WORSE. THE CONSUMER POPPED THE HOOD AND NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. WHEN THEY ARRIVED THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE BODY SHOP. THE SERVICE MAN AND THE FIREMAN INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED.*AK

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2001, USING THE CELL PHONE CHARGER IN THE POWER OUTLET THE DASHBOARD CLOCK RESET A COUPLE TIMES, THE THIRD TIME ALL POWER TO THE CLOCK AND THE A/C DASHBOARD CONTROLS WAS RENDERED INOPERATIVE, DIAGNOSIS REVEALED THAT THE A/C AMPLIFIER WAS AFFECTED AND THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE WAS AFFECTED BOTH RENDERED INOPERATIVE, REPLACED THE A/C AMPLIFIER BUT THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE - ALL NEW PARTS. WAITING FOR THE ECM. *TR

DEFECTIVE COMPUTER AT DATE OF PURCHASE. IT TOOK TOYOTA 2 MONTHS TO FIX IT. I'M NOT SATISFIED WITH TOYOTA SERVICE. ARBITRATION WAS A WASTE OF TIME. *AK

THIS IS A GREAT VEHICLE; BUT TRYING TO READ OR SEE THE GAUGES OR INSTRUMENTS IN THE DASH CLUSTER IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. THESE INCLUDE THE SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER, TEMPERATURE, GAS AND CLOCK GAUGES. IN FACT ALL GAUGES ARE DIFFICULT TO SEE ON A BRIGHT DAY. NOTE: THE D TO INDICATE DRIVE FOR THE SHIFT LEVER IS A BRIGHT GREEN WHICH READS EASY; IF ONLY THE OTHERS WERE THAT GOOD. THE NIGHT VIEWING OF THE DASH CLUSTER IS GREAT. DRIVING REQUIRES FULL ATTENTION TO THE ROAD AND YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE CONCENTRATE ON THE DASH TO GET INFORMATION. TRYING TO READ THIS DASH CAN PLACE THE DRIVER, PASSENGERS ANDOTHER DRIVERS IN JEPRODY. TOYOTA SHOULD HAVE A RECALL TO CORRECT THIS SAFETY DEFECT IN AN OTHERWISE EXCELLENT VEHICLE. IF I CAN PULL THIS FORM OFF THE COMPUTER I WIIL SEND A COPY TO TOYOTA AND ASK FOR THEIR COMMENT. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THE TOYOTA CORPORATION REGARDING THIS MATTER IN THE PAST AND AS LATE AS 12/18/01 WHEN I SPOKE TO JAMES AT 1800 331 4331 WHO SAID THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH COMPLAINTS FROM CUSTOMERS TO WARRANT TOYOTA DOING ANYTHIG ABOUT IT.TEMPERATURE, GAS AND CLOCK GAUGES. *AK