2005 Toyota Highlander Lights Problems

Your rear brake lights keep going out because the 10-amp fuse for that circuit keeps blowing, leaving you with no rear lights at all while driving. You've been replacing the fuse repeatedly but haven't found what's causing it to blow. The underlying cause—likely a short circuit or damaged wiring—needs to be identified and repaired.

WHEN DRIVING ON THE COUNTRY SIDE, WE USED THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS AND NOTICED WHEN WE STOP SMOKE FROM THE HEAD LAMPS. IT WAS SO HOT THAT MELTED THE LENS COVERS. THIS REPRESENT A HAZARD AND LIABILITY. IT CAN CAUSE A SEVERE BURN SKIN DAMAGE TO A PERSON AND PROBABLY IF LEFT MORE TIME A FIRE. TOYOTA HAS A SERVICE TECHNICAL BULLETIN T-SB-0036-08 (NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10024893) THAT ADDRESS A "DISCOLORATION ON THE LENS". MY VIN NUMBER IS INCLUDED ON THE LIST. TOYOTA KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE MATERIAL USED, IT ABSORBS TO MUCH HEAT. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FOR FIRE AND FOR A SEVERE BURN. TOYOTA SHOULD REPLACE THEM. PICTURES ATTACHED AS WELL AS SERVICE TECHNICAL BULLETIN T-SB-0036-08. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS NOT A FIRE, THE PRESENCE OF THE SMOKE INDICATE A POTENTIAL FOR FIRE IF WE HAD USE IT LONGER.

AS NOTED ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES FROM USERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AS I AM, THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE; THE REAR PASSENGER BRAKELIGHT IS FAULTY. IT DOES NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN PRESSED. THERE ARE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS EXPERIENCING THIS EXACT SAME ISSUE. DEALER HAS BEEN NO HELP UNLESS I GIVE THEM EVERY PENNY I HAVE TO MY NAME OF COURSE. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT I AM NOT EXPERIENCING ALONE. PUBLIC OUTCRY FOR ASSISTANCE NEEDED ON PULLING A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. PLEASE AND THANK YOU. *TR

I AM APPROACHING 50,000 MILES ON THE CAR. I JUST RECENTLY NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHT LENS ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS HAS AN OPAQUE SPOT ABOUT ONE INCH IN DIAMETER DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE HIGHBEAM LIGHT BULB. TOYOTA HAS RECOGNIZED THIS PROBLEM SINCE APRIL 15, 2008 AS EVIDENCED BY TOYOTA TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN #T-SB-0036-08 DATED APRIL 15, 2008. WHEN YOU GOOGLE THE BULLETIN IT WILL BECOME APPARENT THAT THIS PROBLEM EXISTS FOR SOME 2004 TO 2007 MODELS, A SPAN OF THREE YEARS. THE BULLETIN WILL ALSO SHOW THAT TOYOTA WILL REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS IF COMPLAINED ABOUT DURING THE 36,000 / 3 YEAR WARRANTY PERIOD. I AM OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD AND IN FEAR THAT IT WILL COST ME SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS TO REPAIR A DESIGN DEFECT THAT TOYOTA HAS BEEN AWARE OF FOR SEVERAL YEARS. FROM WHAT I READ FROM OTHER POSTERS TOYOTA'S ATTITUDE APPEARS TO BE IT IS NOT OUR PROBLEM. *TR

2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WOULD NOT PASS 2010 MASSACHUSETTS STATE INSPECTION DUE TO FAULTY HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. THERE IS FOG IN THE LENS AND NIGHT TIME LIGHT IS IMPAIRED???? TOYOTA WILL NOT COVER THE $900 EXPENSE TO REPLACE BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THE EXTENDED WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER THIS EXPENSE AS WELL. *TR

MY DRIVER SIDE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHT FLASHED BURNED MY LIGHT ENSEMBLE ON MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. SHOWED TECH AT TOYOTA AND CLAIMED DESPITE NEVER SEEN A FIRE CAUSED BY HEADLAMP THAT IT DID INDEED BURN PLASTIC HOUSING FROM FLASH BURN OUT NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY.*JB

DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHT LENSES IN JULY 2006, A 1-INCH DIAMETER OPAQUE "DISCOLORATION " APPEARED IN LEFT FRONT HEADLAMP LENS, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF AREA CLOSEST TO HALOGEN BULB. BESIDES IMPAIRING LIGHT OUTPUT, I WAS FEARFUL THAT DEFECTIVE AREA WOULD EVENTUALLY BREAK OR CRACK, ALLOWING WATER TO CONTACT HALOGEN BULB - CAUSING IT TO EXPLODE WHEN HOT. (2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS 18-MONTHS OLD AT THAT TIME, WITH 25,263 MILES.) TOYOTA REPLACED SAME UNDER WARRANTY. NOW SAME LENS DEFECT / DISCOLORATION IS OCCURRING TO RIGHT FRONT HEADLAMP PLASTIC LENS AT 45,000 MILES, AND AGAIN FEARFUL THAT LENS FAILURE WILL RESULT IN EXPLODING HALOGEN BULB. UNSURE IT TOYOTA WILL COVER THIS SECOND REPAIR. HEADLAMPS AND BULBS ARE ORIGINAL FACTORY EQUIPMENT. *JB