2004 Toyota Highlander Electrical Problems

Your power windows on the passenger side aren't working — both the rear window and front passenger window won't move up or down. This is the second time the power window components have failed in two years. The repair will likely involve replacing the window motor, regulator, or electrical switches for the affected windows.

WHEN DRIVING THE HEATER OR THE AIR WILL JUST COME ON, USUALLY WHEN YOU WOULD DRIVE OVER A ROUGH SPOT IN THE STREET.USUALLY THE AIR WILL COME ON IN THE WINTER AND THE HEATER WILL COME ON IN SUMMER.CALL TOYOTA THEY SAID COST ABOUT 800.00. I HAD IT FIX BY AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE.IT STILL COST ME 370.00. THEN I GO ON LINE AND OUT THERE'S HUNDREDS IF NOT LOTS MORE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.I THINK SINCE THERE IS SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA SHOULD REIMBURSE US AT LEAST PARTLY. *TR

I NOTICED THAT MY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT/MANUFACTURER PASSENGER-SIDE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT LENS HAD A BURNT SPOT ON THE INSIDE OF THE LENS (CLEARLY MELTED LENS MATERIAL). I CHECKED THE HEADLIGHT BULB, WHICH IS A FACTORY-INSTALLED KAITO MODEL HB3 LOW-BEAM BULB. THE BULB WAS DISCOLORED BLACK AND SMOKY LOOKING WITH AN OBVIOUS BULGE OF MELTED GLASS IN ONE SIDE OF THE BULB. THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS STILL WORK, BUT THE BULB SEEMINGLY HAS OVERHEATED, MELTING BOTH THE BULB GLASS AND THE INSIDE OF THE LENS ASSEMBLY. *TR

RIGHT PASSENGER FRONT ROW WINDOW MOTOR STOPPED WORKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THIS WINDOW WAS RARELY USED SO IT WAS VERY SURPRISING. NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.COST $345.36 TO FIX. WAS FIXED BECAUSE OF FEAR OF NOT BEING ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE IN CASE OF A CRASH. TOYOTA SAYS 2004 IS NOT PART OF CURRENT RECALL FOR WINDOW MOTORS BUT DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE THE RECALL SHOULD BE EXPANDED BECAUSE HAD SAME PROBLEM HAPPEN AGAIN ON THE 2ND ROW PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW MOTOR ON JULY 09. SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND AGAIN THIS WINDOW BARELY USED. COULD NOT AFFORD TO FIX SO IT IS STUCK IN UP POSITION. HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND HOPING THEY WILL EXPAND RECALL TO 2004 HIGHLANDERS. I HOPE ALL TOYOTA OWNERS WILL REPORT WINDOW MOTOR PROBLEMS AND ANY OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS TO BOTH THE NHTSA AND TOYOTA. *TR

THE CABIN TEMPERATURE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE TEMPERATURE WILL CHANGE DRASTICALLY WITHOUT ANY ADJUSTMENT TO THE CONTROLS. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE CONTROL ASSEMBLY AT A COST OF CLOSE TO $900. *KB

INTERMITTENT LOSS OF A/C AND/OR HEAT AND FINALLY TOTAL LOSS OF A/C ON MY 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. INITIAL FIX WAS TO TIGHTEN THE NUT ON THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL. I FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS INHERENT AFTER GOING TO THE WEB AND LEARNING OF THE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE ASSEMBLY AND THE QUICK FIX. ESSENTIALLY THE A/C STOPPED WORKING ENTIRELY. I BROUGHT IT TO MY PRIVATE MECHANIC AND HE FOUND THAT THE CABLE FROM THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL TO THE MOTHER BOARD WAS BROKEN. I INQUIRED HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN AND WAS ADVISED THAT WHEN THE NUT ON THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL CAME LOOSE, THE WHOLE UNIT WAS TURNING WHEN I WAS ADJUSTING THE TEMPERATURE, WHICH CAUSED THE CABLE TO BREAK. THE LACK OF A LOCK WASHER OVER THE FLAT WASHER WAS THE CULPRIT THAT ALLOWED THE NUT TO COME LOOSE. BECAUSE THE CABLE FROM THE MOTHERBOARD TO THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL IS HARD WIRED, THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROXITMATELY $950.00. NOTE: I HAVE THE ENTIRE FAULTY ASSEMBLY AT HOME, IN THE EVENT YOU REQUIRE TO SEE IT. *KB

A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SIGNAL LIGHT (SAFETY ITEM) IS MALFUNCTIONING AND WHEN I TOOK IT TO TOYOTA DEALER (DARCARS), I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO CHANGE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM (LUXURY ITEM) WHICH CURRENTLY IS WORKING. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THEY HAD TO INTEGRATE THESE TWO FUNCTIONS WHEN ONE IS A SAFETY AND THE OTHER ONE IS LUXURY ITEMS. BESIDES, IT COSTS $6000 + LABOR + TAX TO CHANGE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM. AFTER INTENSIVE SEARCH ON THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT THAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM EXCEPT THEY ONLY COVER THE PROBLEM UNDER THE 36,000MILE/3 YEAR WARRANTY. IF THIS WAS A MILEAGE RELATED PROBLEM, I CAN UNDERSTAND EVEN IF TWO NONE RELATED FUNCTIONS ARE INTERLOCKED, BUT THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MILEAGE AND WE CANNOT DRIVE WITHOUT A SIGNAL LIGHT BUT WE CAN WITHOUT A NAVIGATION SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM STARTED A MONTH AGO AND I HAVE TRIED TO GET A RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA AND THEY ARE NOT GIVING ME ANY RESPONSE REGARDING THIS MATER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT TURN SIGNALS FAILED. THE SIGNAL LIGHTS ALSO INCLUDE THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE WHICH COINCIDES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE NON-FUNCTIONAL TURN SIGNALS, AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED VIA EMAIL BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

LENS PLATE COVERS OVER FOG LIGHTS ARE MELTING. THIS COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. *TR

THE HEAT WOULD NOT ALWAYS WORK. IT WOULD BLOW COLD AIR. SOMETIMES I COULD MOVE THE KNOB AROUND AND IT WOULD COME BACK ON BUT IT DIDN'T ALWAYS WORK LIKE THAT. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND CAME UP WITH MORE THAN A DOZEN PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY DEALER SAID THE PART WAS OVER $600 TO REPLACE, THEN ON TOP OF THAT, THE DECAL WAS GOING TO COST ANOTHER $30. ONE OF THE GOOGLE SEARCHES HAD A FIX FOR IT. IT INVOLVED REMOVING THE GLOVEBOX AND PULLING THE CIRCUIT BOARD OUT. THEY SAID THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE A WIRE THAT WAS BROKEN OFF AND SURE ENOUGH THERE WAS. MY HUSBAND SOLDERED IT BACK ON, PUT THE BOAR BACK IN, AND IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM NOW. *TR

SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2004, I WOULD HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE CLOCK - SOMETIMES IT WOULD SHOW OTHER TIMES NOT. I HAVE A NAVIGATION SYSTEM IN THE CAR AND THE TIME IS TIED INTO IT. THIS YEAR, THE GPS STOPPED WORKING, AND WOULD KNOCK OUT THE RADIO, HEAT AND DEFROSTER. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO TOYOTA, THEY SAID IS WAS A GPS FAILURE AND SINCE I WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE, IT WOULD COST ME ABOUT $1600.00 TO REPLACE IT. I WOULD THINK THAT SOMETHING I COMPLAINED ABOUT FROM THE BEGINNING WOULD BE LOOKED NOT AND THAT A RECALL SHOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF THE DEFROSTING SYSTEM DIDN'T WORK. THAT IS A DRIVING DANGER. I HAD TO PAY FOR IT FOR THE WINTER BUT AM NOW LOOKING FOR A NEW CAR AND WILL SURELY NOT BE LOOKING AT A TOYOTA EVER AGAIN. SINCE I GOT THE REFURBISHED GPS, MY TIME IS ALWAYS THERE. *TR

NAVIGATION SYSTEMS SAYS EXTERNAL SYSTEM IS DISCONNECTED CAUSING THE HEAT/ AIR CONDITIONER & DEFROSTER TO BE DISABLED NEW SYSTEM WILL COST 5795.00 USED PART WILL COST 1500-1700.00 CAR ONLY HAS 41,864 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. *TR

THE AIR/HEAT KEEP GOING IN AN OUT. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN YOU TRY TO SWITCH IT OVER THE AC IT STAYS HOT AND SAME W/ HOT. STOPPED BY TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT ON THIS YEAR MODEL HIGHLANDERS THE CIRCUIT BOARD FOR THE HEAT AND AIR ARE GOING BAD. BUT THEY WON'T DO A RECALL. IT EVEN MESSED 1 OF THE ACCUATORS UP AND WE HAD TO REPLACE IT LAST TIME AND NOW IT HAS DONE IT AGAIN. *NM