2004 Toyota Highlander Wipers & Visibility Problems

Your heater isn't working, and your air conditioning blows cold or hot intermittently instead of staying consistent. When it rains or gets humid, your windshield and windows fog up, and without heat to defog them, you have to pull over every few minutes to manually wipe them clear. This creates a visibility hazard that forces you off the road repeatedly.

DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE IN THE UP POSITION AND DROPS DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN I HEARD A NOISE FROM THE MOONROOF. WHEN I OPENED UP THE MOONROOF SHADE THE MOONROOF WAS GONE. THE MOONROOF HAD BEEN RIPPED AWAY FROM THE GLUE AND FLEW UP INTO THE AIR. *TR

THE DRIVER SUN VISOR KEEPS DROPPING FROM IT'S KEPT POSITION AND BLOCKS THE DRIVERS VIEW. THIS ALMOST CAUSED 2 ACCIDENTS WITH MYSELF AND THEN MY WIFE. THE SUDDEN DROPPING OF THE VISOR IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE TALKED TO OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS AND THEY HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES. *TR

AS I'M DRIVING THE SUN VISOR FALLS DOWN BLOCKING MY VISION. THIS PROBLEM CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THERE IS A DEFECT IN THIS ITEM AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER THE WEATHER WAS HOT OUTSIDE THE DRIVER SIDE VISOR FELL DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT IT WAS CONSIDERED USAGE AND WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 89,559.

SUN VISOR (DRIVER SIDE) FELL DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WITH A SPEED OF ABOUT 65MPH.. IT BLOCKED MY VIEW. THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO A SAFE PLACE. THE VISOR IS HOLDING IN PLACE BY A RUBBER BAND AND A STICK BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WHEN MY CAR IS PARK THE HEAT INSIDE THE CAR MELTS THE RUBBER BAND AND THE VISOR FALLS OVER AGAIN. I TALKED TO TOYOTA DEALER ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY IS OVER AND THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION WAS TO BUY A NEW VISOR FOR ABOUT $500 (+ INSTALLATION FEES AND EXTRA ELECTRONIC MIRROR CABLE). TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, IT IS A DRIVING HAZARD. IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM. *TR

DRIVER SUN VISOR DEFECT HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS SAFETY ISSUES AND NEAR ACCIDENTS. VISOR WILL NOT REMAIN UP WHILE DRIVING IN 2004 TOYATA HIGHLANDER. *TT

2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER......DRIVER SUN VISOR DOES NOT STAY UP. BLOCKS VISION. TOYOTA WILL NOT FIX AT THEIR EXPENSE. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO STEP UP. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 4 CYL HIGHLANDER, AND I CAN COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE OTHER COMPLAINERS SITUATION AS I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED AT AROUND 60K MILES AND THE DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST ABOUT $600. TO FIX. I DIDN'T. I JUST HAD TO PLAY AROUND WITH THE KNOB WHEN I NEED TO USE IT. *TR

HEATER CONTROL BOARD THAT ADJUSTS HOT AND COLD ON 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS MALFUNCTIONED. ADJUSTMENT FOR HOT AND COLD NO LONGER WORKS. WILL GO FROM HOT TO COLD AND VICE VERSA SIMPLY BY DRIVING THE VEHICLE. WENT ON MANY FORUMS AND IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WILL THE 2004. SAME PROBLEM WITH MANY PEOPLE. TOOK INTO DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE PART IS 749.00 AND WOULD BE ABOUT $1000.00 TO REPAIR WITH LABOR. HAVE HAD NUMEROUS RECALLS WITH TOYOTA AND BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE ANOTHER. DON'T THINK THE CONSUMERS SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR FAULTY EQUIPMENT. INITIALLY THOUGHT THE VEHICLE JUST WARMED UP SLOWLY BUT NOW BELIEVE THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A MORE COMPLEX PROBLEM WITH HEATER BOARD. CANNOT GET HEAT TO WORK PROPERLY ALL THE TIME. HAVE TO TAKE OFF KNOW FOR HOT/COLD AND WIGGLE THE STICK FOR THE KNOB TO GET ANY HEAT AND SELDOM DOES IT STAY HOT FOR LONG. HAVE NOT GOTTEN FIXED YET BUT BELIEVE I WILL HAVE TO SINCE I LIVE IN A COLD WEATHER CLIMATE. *TR

AFTER WE PURCHASED OUR 2004 HIGHLANDER SOME MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD THE BACK WINDOWS WOULD GET JAMMED WHEN ROLLED DOWN. WHEN ROLLED DOWN THEY WOULD NOT ROLL BACK UP SO WE WOULD KNOW NOT TO EVER ROLL THEM DOWN. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE TO ACCOMMODATE THE VEHICLE RATHER THAN VISE VERSA AND NOW THEY SIMPLY WENT DOWN ON THEIR OWN AND WILL NOT ROLL BACK UP. THE MISTAKE WAS PROCRASTINATING YEARS BEFORE WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED AND NOT TAKING IT RIGHT AWAY BUT NOW THAT THEY ARE COMPLETELY DOWN I NEED TO KNOW IF THIS IS A 2004 GENERIC DEFECT OR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH MY TOYOTA. *TR

CONTROL PANEL OF 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. NUT SECURING THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL BUTTON IS LOOSE. CAUSES ENGINE AIR TO ENTER THE CABIN. A/C DOES NOT WORK; GETS JUST HOT ENGINE AIR. REFER TO SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS AT: HTTP://WWW.TUNDRASOLUTIONS.COM/FORUMS/HIGHLANDER/100664-HIGHLANDER-HEAT-COOL-CONTROL/ AND HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.EF00024/4224. IT OCCURS DAILY. *TR

DRIVER'S SUN VISOR DROPS UNEXPECTEDLY OR WON'T STAY UP OUT OF RANGE OF VISION REPLACED BEFORE BY TOYOTA UNDER WARRANTY... NOW A $750 REPAIR??? *TR

THE VEHICLE'S HEATING AND AIR SYSTEM CAUSES ME TO HAVE TO "JOGGLE" THE KNOB SEVERAL TIMES PRIOR TO IT BEGINNING TO PERFORM THE SPECIFIED NEED. *TR

VEHICLE BLOWS HOT AIR WHEN VENTILATION SYSTEM IS TURNED ON, EVEN WHILE A/C IS ON. *TR

THE PASSENGER WINDOWS ON MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAVE COME OFF THE TRACKS FOR THE SECOND TIME IN TWO YEARS. *TR

THE HEATER INSIDE MY CAR WON'T TURN OFF. I HAVE HOT AIR BLOWING CONTINUOUSLY, EVEN WHEN THE AIR SYSTEM IS TURNED OFF! THIS MAKES THE CAR DANGEROUS TO DRIVE FOR VERY LONG. (T>100 MOST OF TIME) THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT, IT JUST STARTED. THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED ON VARIOUS CAR FORUMS ONLINE DUE TO WIRE DEFECT. *TR

COMPLETE LOST OF HEAT FROM DEFROSTER AND HEATER. SEEM TO BE A GENERIC PROBLEM WILL ALL TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS OR MANY. *TR

MOON ROOF BEGAN MAKING SLIGHTLY FUNNY SOUND ON OCCASION, THEN WAS FINE AND STOPPED MAKING NOISE, THEN VERY SHORTLY AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP IT STOPPED OPENING AND WON'T SHUT.*JB

2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DESIGN DEFECT IN THE OUTSIDE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS. *MR THE CONSUMER STARTED ADJUSTING THE LEFT DOOR MIRROR AND DISCOVERED A BLIND SPOT WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS RIGHT AT THE HIGHLANDERS REAR BUMPER. WHEN APPROACHING A PASSING LANE, THE VEHICLE ABSOLUTELY DISAPPEARS NO MATTER HOW HIGH THE MIRROR WAS ADJUSTED. *SC

WHILE DRIVING THE NORMAL VIBRATION OF THE VEHICLE CAUSES THE DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR TO FALL DOWN OBSTRUCTING THE VIEW OF THE ROAD. THIS OCCURS FREQUENTLY ESPECIALLY IF THE ROAD IS UNEVEN AND ON THE FREEWAY. THE VISOR CONTAINS A FACTORY GARAGE DOOR OPENER BUILT IN. I AM 6'1" TALL; THUS, THE VIEW OF THE ROAD IS MOSTLY OBSTRUCTED. THIS FIRST OCCURRED AS I WAS DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, FORTUNANTLY I WAS NOT INVOLED IN AN ACCIDENT. IF I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE OF THIS CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA REQUESTING INFORMATION ON A QUICK FIX, IF APPLICABLE, AND ASKED IF THEY ARE WILLING TO COVER THE COST OF REPAIRING THE DEFECT AS THE WARRANTY OF THE VEHICLE HAS EXPIRED.

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER REAR WINDOWS. SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE JERKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE ALMOST LOOSES CONTROL DUE TO THE NOISE. THE NOISE FROM THE WINDOW NOT ONLY CHANGES THE AIR PRESSURE WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH OR FASTER IT HURTS BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGERS EARS. THE CONSUMER IS UNABLE TO HEAR EMERGENCY VEHICLES AS THEY APPROACH. *TC