2013 Toyota Highlander Wipers & Visibility Problems

Your sunroof suddenly shattered while you were driving at 60 MPH, with the glass bubbling upward and creating abnormal wind noise on top of the vehicle. No warning lights appeared before the failure. The dealer was unable to diagnose or repair the issue.

While driving at 60 MPH, you heard a loud noise from your vehicle. When you pulled over to check, you found no obvious damage, but when you opened the sunroof, broken glass shards fell into the cabin. The sunroof glass appears to have shattered on its own without being struck by any object. This could allow water, debris, and wind into your vehicle while driving.

RECENTLY PURCHASED A NEW 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FROM A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ON 03/15/14. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE FOLLOWING DAY, I SUBSEQUENTLY NOTICED THAT THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IMPAIRS / BLURRED VISION OF THE DRIVER AS WELL AS ANY OTHER OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE WHILE LOOKING OUT OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. IT ACTUALLY MAKES YOU DIZZY AND IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD TO ALL ON THE ROAD. SEARCHED FOR RECALL/DEFECTS WITH TOYOTA AND DID FIND ANOTHER COMPLAINT OF THE SAME INCIDENT/VEHICLE/PART/SYMPTOMS WITH A VEHICLE OWNER. HIS COMPLAINT WAS CONFIRMED BY A TOYOTA SERVICE MANAGER AND WAS SET UP FOR A WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE OWNER WAS LATER CONTACTED AND TOLD THAT TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS THE WINDSHIELD THAT ALL TOYOTA HIGHLANDER'S ARE ASSEMBLED WITH. PERSONAL OPINION: DEFECT MAY BE DUE TO THE INTEGRATION OF THE "FRONT WINDSHIELD HEATER SYSTEM." *TR

I TOOK DELIVERY OF A BRAND NEW TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED, WITH A DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS A DISTORTION IN THE GLASS WHICH CAUSED GREAT EYE STRAIN TO THE DRIVER. TOYOTA CORPORATE CLAIMED NOT TO KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS HIS 3RD ON A HIGHLANDER. IT CREATED AN EFFECT SIMILAR TO WEARING THE WRONG PRESCRIPTION EYEGLASSES. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY SON OPENED THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW, WHEN HE OPENED THE WINDOW THE NOISE AND PRESSURE ON OUR EARS WAS UNBEARABLE, IT WAS LIKE AN EXTREMELY LOUD HELICOPTER NOISE. WE EVEN TRIED OPENING OTHER WINDOWS IN THE CAR TO REDUCE THE PRESSURE AND NOISE, WHILE THE NOISE AND PRESSURE WERE REDUCED IT WAS STILL VERY LOUD AND DISTRACTING. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR AND HE SAID ALL CARS DO THAT AND TO JUST OPEN ANOTHER WINDOW TO RELIEVE PRESSURE. WHEN I TOLD HIM WE TRIED THAT AND IT DID NOT WORK HE DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER ANSWERS. THE DEALER GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO TOYOTA SERVICE, I CALLED THEM AND THE REP SAID SHE HAD CHECKED AND THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AFTER CHECKING ON THE INTERNET I HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE INSTANCES WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE, THE NOISE IS SO LOUD IT ACTUALLY HURTS YOUR EARS DRUMS. IF WE WERE TOLD ABOUT THIS ISSUE WHEN WE WERE PURCHASING THE CAR I DOUBT THAT WE WOULD HAVE BOUGHT IT. THE NOISE AND PRESSURE START AT APPROX. 35 MPH AND GETS WORSE THE FASTER YOU GO AND ONLY WHEN 1 OR BOTH OF THE REAR WINDOWS ARE DOWN. TOYOTA GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER AND TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR BACK TO DEALER SO THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE ISSUE BUT THE DEALER WAS/IS ALREADY AWARE OF THE ISSUE. WE FEEL THAT TOYOTA NEEDS TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE AND OFFER A REPAIR OPTION, OTHER THAN NOT USING THE BACK WINDOWS AS THAT IS OUR ONLY OPTION AT THIS TIME. *TR