2008 Toyota Highlander Seat Belts Problems

Your car's cooling fans for the hybrid battery system may not spin fast enough to keep the battery cool, which can cause the regenerative braking to shut off unexpectedly during or around braking. The engine control unit (ECU) may need to be reprogrammed or replaced to fix this issue. Additionally, the third-row seat belts may have damaged attachment points where they connect to the vehicle body. The fixes would involve having a Toyota dealer reflash or replace the ECU software and inspect or replace the third-row seat belt assemblies.

Unable to buckle 3rd row passenger side seat belt buckle. Safety of my children were put at risk as I didn’t realize this until recently since our family grew. No warning indicating lights are on.

THE SEAT BELT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AS YOU KNOW AND ANNOUNCED BY TOYOTA THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS CABLE. HOWEVER TOYOTA IS, I FEEL DRAGGING THERE FEET DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. CAN YOU CONTACT TOYOTA AND FIND OUT WHAT IS BEING DONE. ALL I GET IS THE STANDARD ANSWER----WORKING ON IT. NO FIX YET. *TR

I BELIEVE THERE IS A MANUFACTURING FLAW IN THE 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SEAT BELTS. WHEN I INITIALLY PURCHASED MY HIGHLANDER (NEW), THERE WAS A CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN THE REAR PASSENGER-SIDE SEAT, WHICH USED THE LATCH SYSTEM FOR INSTALLATION (DID NOT REQUIRE USE OF SEAT BELT). WHEN I FIRST WENT TO INSTALL A BOOSTER SEAT IN THAT POSITION, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE THE SEAT BELT TO BE USED, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT WORK (COULD NOT EXTEND BELT, WOULD NOT RETRACT, ETC.). THE BELT HAD NEVER BEEN USED AND DOES NOT WORK. I HAVE FILED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH TOYOTA, BUT THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE REPLACEMENT OF MY SEAT BELT, BECAUSE I WAS OUTSIDE OF MY WARRANTY TIME (# OF MILES). FIRST, THE BELT HAD NEVER BEEN USED (BECAUSE A CHILD SAFETY SEAT HAD ALWAYS BEEN IN THAT POSITION SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE). SECOND, THE # OF MILES DRIVEN HAS NO DIRECT CORRELATION TO HOW OFTEN A REAR SEAT BELT IS USED. IT MAY HAVE A DIRECT CORRELATION TO HOW OFTEN THE DRIVER'S BELT IS USED, BUT NONE OF THE OTHER POSITIONS. NOW, THE OTHER SIDE REAR SEAT BELT IS STARTING TO HAVE PROBLEMS...OFTENTIMES IT DOES NOT RETRACT PROPERLY/GETS LOCKED WHEN IT SHOULDN'T, ETC. THE FRONT BELTS ALSO LOCK-UP VERY EASILY AND ARE HARD TO GET UNLOCKED ONCE LOCKED. I BELIEVE THERE TO BE A FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURING/COMPONENTS OF THESE BELTS AND FEEL TOYOTA SHOULD COVER REPLACING THEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE!!! *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. ATTORNEY REPRESENTING CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SEAT BELT MALFUNCTION AND REQUESTS AN INVESTIGATION AND REIMBURSEMENT. *SMD AS THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, HER SON WAS SECURED IN HIS CAR SEAT, PLAYING QUIETLY WITH THE ATTACHED SEAT BELT. AT THE POINT, THE SEAT BELT WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK. THE CONSUMER PULLED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO FREE HER SON FROM CHOKING, SHE WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, ALTHOUGH LOOSENING THE BELT SUFFICIENTLY ALLOWED HIM TO BREATH. FIRST RESPONDERS HAD DIFFICULTY REMOVING THE BELT, FINALLY THEY HAD TO CUT THE SEAT BELT TO PERMIT HER SON TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE SEAT.

DURING A RECENT ROAD TRIP VISITING FAMILY, MY SON WAS RIDING IN THE THIRD ROW SEAT IN OUR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. SHORTLY BEFORE ARRIVING AT HIS GRANDPARENTS, HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD BECOME TWISTED IN HIS SEATBELT. AS WE WERE WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF OUR DESTINATION, I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD HANDLE THE SITUATION WHEN WE ARRIVED. A FEW MINUTES LATER HE SAID THAT THE BELT WAS GETTING TIGHTER AND I ASKED HIM IF I NEEDED TO STOP AND HE SAID THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. BEFORE I COULD GET STOPPED (LESS THAT A BLOCK), HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING. WHEN I LOOKED BACK, I WAS STARTLED TO FIND THAT THE SEAT BELT HAD BECOME WRAPPED AROUND HIS NECK AND HAD RATCHETED BACK IN, PINNING HIS NECK BACK AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE CAR. EVEN AFTER STOPPING, I WAS UNABLE TO PULLED THE SEAT BELT OUT TO GET IT OUT FROM AROUND MY SON'S NECK -- HE WAS STRANGLING IN FRONT OF MY EYES. FORTUNATELY, I WAS IN A CITY WITH RESIDENTS CLOSE BY, ONE OF WHICH HEARD ME SCREAMING AND RUNNING DOOR TO DOOR, WHO BROUGHT OUT A KITCHEN KNIFE TO CUT THE BELT AND RELEASE MY SON. I REALIZE THAT THESE RATCHET-TYPE SEAT BELTS ARE DESIGNED AS A SAFETY FEATURE IN THE THIRD ROW SEAT OF MANY MAKES AND MODELS, HOWEVER, FEEL THAT THIS DESIGN ALSO PRESENTS A STRANGULATION CONCERN. IN CASES SUCH AS MINE, THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET THE SEAT BELT RELEASED AND IF THIS HAD OCCUR WHILE ON RURAL ROADS OR THE INTERSTATE, THE AVAILABILITY OF A KNIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIFFICULT TO COME BY. I FEEL THAT EITHER AN EMERGENCY RELEASE BUTTON SHOULD BE DESIGNED FOR THE RATCHET SEAT BELTS OR CONSUMERS NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR STRANGULATION AND ADVISED TO CARRY SCISSORS FOR THIS POSSIBILITY. I HAVE VOICED MY CONCERNS TO TOYOTA AND THEY ARE REPLACING THE SEAT BELT FREE OF CHARGE, HOWEVER, I FEEL THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT INDIVIDUALS BE AWARE OF THIS POSSIBILITY AND BE PREPARED. *TR