Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Things have been fine, no faulty alarms for a few months, until this week we had a few again. Today I opened the hood, and found a couple of those "pop rivets" (my term) loose again. Reseated them, closed the hood -- and no more alarms.
Again, I can't be certain if the pop rivets are the problem. Could still be that somehow opening/closing the hood causes it to re-seat and stop the alarm sensor?
I'm interested to know if anyone else has similar experience.
Thanks
(I monitor this forum, will get the message in my inbox if you reply)
Got a nice Viper unit installed on my wife's 2004 Toyota Rav4 for her birthday. Has a range of about one mile and works good for door unlock - lock - remote start. Cost in my area in Michigan was $189.00 installed - out the door.
I tend leave my headlights in the on position all the time given they shut down when the vehicle is turned off anyway. The only problem is that doing so dims the instrument cluster and during the daytime, it it is more difficult to see the readouts on the cluster, radio etc.
My current Subaru has a button to increase the illumination of the cluster when the headlights are on, but I have to press it each time I start the vehicle. I know Mazda has a switch or button to keep the instrument cluster at "daytime brightness" mode all the time. Does the highlander come with a similar option, and does it maintain the "brightness" setting even after the vehicle is turned off?
Thanks.
And this "feature" has been this way, IDIOTIC way, throughout the industry, for as long as I can remember. I have to assume there is a patent fee they must pay, and refuse, in order to do it CORRECTLY.
The only solution I have found is to tap into the daylight sensor and drive a relay that forces the system into the over-ride, FULL brightness mode, until "darkness" arrives.
Idiots....
I have 2008 Highlander Limited Edition. I leave the lights on all the time. Never had a problem with visibility of the instruments like you asked about -- in fact, the clear contrast/readability of the instruments is one of the first things I noticed when driving it.
I think you're in good shape.
Also - not that you asked, but the Highlander also is intelligent enough to turn on and off the lights (headlights, dome lights, side mirror illumination for the keyhole, etc...) at the appropriate times. They did a good job with this stuff.
My only complaint in this department is that the navigation system screen is very bright, and makes it a little difficult to see out the back window when backing up. But the rear-view camera mitigates this somewhat.
Experiencing same thing with my 08 Limited. Sensor comes on and wheels need about 3-4 psig of air. Spare tire seems to be holding ok. Had the dealership check this out with no suggested resolutions either. Nitrogen will not do any good. I checked with reputable tire dealer in my area and they told me you must find source of leakage because Nitrogen will "leak" out as well. Then, stop at local gas station to fill with "air"? Why spend extra money for Nitrogen. HE believes the rims or TOYO tires are defective because air pressure drop occurs Winter and Summer. Not weather dependent. Good luck and let me know... Michigan Mike.
Michigan Mike.
another question. I test drove a HL Sport today and given its winter, there is sand and salt on roads, and since the dealership is in a bit of a construction area, there seems to be some small pebbles as well.
Thing is, I noticed a great deal of "clings and dings" as debris was flying off the tires and hitting the underside of the HL. Now, I did not notice this in previous test drives. The only thing I can think of is that this model did not have the mudguards and DID have the nerf side step bars. I wonder if it was the debris (small pebbles etc) hitting the alloy nerf bars or if this is common with all HLs. It concerned me because the noise was significant. When I drove out of the lot with my Subaru Outback, I drove the exact same road and did not hear a thing.
Appreciate hearing from others.....is the HL normally this noisy with debris coming off the tires?
I agree its situational, but I must admit that the noise was loud that it immediately caught my attention. Just not used to hearing it sooooo loud. I can barely hear stuff being kicked up in my Outback, and what I do hear is very muffled. This sounded like the debris was hitting bare metal in the wheel well or the underbody, thus why a suggested that perhaps the nerf bars were the culprits. Living in Cda where we live with salt and sand for 4-5 months of the year, I'm worried that it would really start to annoy me.
Does the underside of the HL come with an undercoating for rust and sound deadening?
Think I might have to take another test drive.
Thx.
I am having the same problem(engine clicking noise) with my highlander and am in the process of trying to work it out with the factory rep. It started at about 4000 miles . I am curious as to what was done (if anything to cure this problem).It is getting worse as time goes on and will surely lead to some sort of failure. Any inpute would be appreciated.
Regards
Tom
I'll be standing outside of the car as it's parked and idling. I believe this is a common trait on the 3.5 liter engine. A co-worker of mine has a 2005 RX330 and I've always felt that the 3.3 liter engine is sustantially quieter than the 3.5.
i was going to respond to the tires losing air every week post, but it looks like one of those 1 and done posts. otherwise, i would have suggested having the valves replaced.
Anyway, yesterday I was at another dealer on my way to pick up my son, and took a look at a Sport they had in the show room. I noticed the underside of the HL has a number of plastic panels...not covering the engine but further back....approximately where the driver sits. Tapping on them produced a bit of a rattle (were not on snug)and a hollow sound, and therefore, I could see how they could act as a "drum" when bombarded with dirt and debris. Not sure what purpose they serve but I suspect that a good spray of that black undercoating, which also acts as sound deadener might help solve the problem.
All that aside, Toyota Cda just announced its promo for Jan....and again nothing for the 09 HL. It ticks me off when every other competitor up here is offering cash incentive and/or discounted financing (2.9% for 60 months) for their 2009s (I'm talking about Mazda CX-9, Hyundai Veracruz, Nissan Murano, Subaru Tribeca etc.)
If only we had the rates being offered in the USA!!
I wish Toyota would get off its high-horse and come back to earth.....economy is in the crapper, Toyota is forecast to announce its first ever loss in 70 years, and HLs are hardly flying off the lots given there is no incentive. Luckily, I'm not in an immediate rush to buy, so I can probably wait until Feb, but if there is no incentive then, I may just turn my eye to #2 on my short list.....Hyundai Veracruz.
Cheers.
christy12, "Toyota Highlander: Prices Paid & Buying Experience" #3656, 13 Jan 2009 11:48 am
Have fun shopping!
Steve, Host
However, I can say that after 110,000 miles on a Solara with silver mudguards, they were still almost mint.. in way better shape than the front bumper (from road sand/salt over 8 winters).
1) cannot totally validate
2) cannot totally explain.
I have a 2008 HL Limited. I run it with the headlight selector set to Auto, so when it is dark/light enough the heqdlights turn on/off.
So what I think I have noticed is the dashlights seem to have an intermediate setting that lightens or darkens, depending on the sun rising or setting. It seems to happen only under certain conditions.
Anyway I was wondering if anyone knew if the setting on the Highlander are able to change the intensity of the dash lights without affecting the headlights.
Of course it may just be the gremlns doing this to mess with what is left of my mind....
I read on a different forum (Tacoma) that they are plastic wiring clips that are hitting each other and the dashboard and the only solution is to bring it to the dealership and they will wrap the clips with rubber. I am not sure if Toyota dealership will do the same for Highlander for free and if other owners are experiencing this.
The same condition still exists. The two service departments I've contacted both responded the same way. They claim this is normal cold engine noise caused by the cylinder design. It does get better after the engine warms up after about 5 minutes of driving. It's still driving me crazy because it sounds like the engine is really laboring during these cold New England mornings. It does lessen in the warmer weather. The service advisors seem to want to brush off any complaints with any excuses they can come up with. I was supposed to be reached by the customer service rep at the dealership, however they never called and Toyota National has not followed up either. I now have less than 14,000 miles and am thinking about selling the car. Time will tell. Please keep us posted about your experience and outcome.
I got the letter from TOYOTA MOTOR U.S.A.
It's said I have to call dealer to make appointment to correct the problem of Third Row Seat Belt Buckle Brackets at no charge.
Did anybody get that letter like me?
The problem here is that I haven't been able to find anyone who can duplicate the mechanical key. And I've tried some pretty large local lock/key companies. Even the guys who at first think they can help throw up their hands when they see the teeth cut into the center grooves and the triangular hole at the tip of the key.
So, has anyone had any luck in duplicating the the mechanical key? I don't want an entire SmartKey with its embedded mechanical key, just the mechanical key so I can open the driver's door.
Thanks, ya'll
Toyota/Lexus has a known serious defect with their engine design resulting in oil sluged engines that could possibly cause engines to totally fail in major traffic or just explode. Many Toyota/Lexus owners have horrific stories to tell regarding their treatment by the manufacturer and dealers including Nalley Lexus (Ashbury Automotive Group, CEO Charles Olgesby) Additionally, their treatment of women and minorities is disgraceful. (The dealer and the Lexus corporate accused me of holding a loaner car hostage and threatened to call the police on me. This all happened while I was trying to attend to my dying aunt and subsequent two funeral - one on the west coast and one on the east coast.)
I have been jerked around for two months trying to get Toyoto/Lexus and Nalley Automotive group to resolve this problem. Nalley gave me an estimate of $9,000 on a car that I still owe almost $5,000. I have been unable to look for work because of lack of funds and transportation. I try to do all that I can by phone and over the internet.
+The oil gel problem in my car should have been suspected and diagnosed earlier in the history of the vehicle. I obtained a copy of the service history from the Lexus National Database. I was appalled to discover this car has been on a downhill spiral as early as 30,000 miles, and less than two years of the first use date of May 6, 2000 . I personally feel that a deliberate attempt (by both the Manufacturer and the Nalley Lexus Automotive group) was made to mask or hide the problem during the warranted period ownership and the settlement, or Toyota/Lexus and their dealers are poorly managed and staffed. Unfortunately, based on my research, many unsuspecting female Toyota/Lexus owners were duped by this technique.+
When I purchased the automobile in 2002, I had a fulltime, good paying job and funds from the sell of two older model autos. I was laid off later that year, but chose to keep the car because I was given a good finance rate by my credit card company that significally lowered my monthly payments, and I had been lead to believe the hype about the reliability of Toyota/Lexus brand. I purchased a pre-owned certified vehicle at a significantly higher price in order to have a peace of mind about reliability and longevity.
Until today, I had been more concerned about being stranded due to an unreliable automobile, but after reading about the exploding Lexus, I' m more concerned about my life.
Link to Photos of my engine http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-207515. I was able to provide loads of documentation that my car was properly maintained.
http://www.autosafety.org/toyota-deal-here-comes-the-sludge-judge
The media spotlight and brow beating are currently on the mismanagement and poor quality products of the big three American Automotive Manufacturers, but I sincerely believe that what Toyota/Lexus is doing to their customers right now is criminal. I suspect all of this is being overlooked or suppressed by mainstream media due to inflow of Toyota's huge advertising dollars and misleading spin by high priced Public Relations professionals.
I don't need a bailout. I just need Toyotoa/Lexus and Nalley Automotive to do the right thing.
If you are having a similar problem with Toyoto/Lexus, please respond, particularly if you live in the Atlanta Metro Area.
http://www.oilgelsettlement.com/
Stranded in Atlanta
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper
Update: Device Found in West Memphis Car Explosion (MSNBC)
Explosive Device Found -- Lexus Hybrid SUV Explosion NOT Linked to Car (US News)
I've heard some odd conspiracy theories in my day, but this one may just take the cake.
As for the sludge issue, my 1999 (early May 1998 build) doesn't have the sludge issue and is now at 117K miles and past the warranty period. I've never had the oil light go on while driving it. One of my co-workers had the sludge issue on his 04 highlander. Not all vehicles with this engine have the problem.
The cause is the cable networks being too lazy/inept to broadcast news properly. Their on screen crawlers simply displayed the message "Doctor's Lexus Explodes" and it wasn't until hours later that they bothered to report any detail. The effect was people interpreting that as "Lexus BAAAD!"
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper