2002 Toyota Highlander Electrical Problems

Your car is experiencing multiple electrical system failures including windshield wipers operating erratically, a burning smell when charging, the engine stalling and restarting unexpectedly while driving, speed control malfunctions, and door locks cycling on and off. You've also noticed difficulty steering the car and a burning smell from the electrical system, with warning lights appearing and disappearing. These issues suggest a serious electrical system problem that may require professional diagnosis to identify whether the problem is in the battery, alternator, wiring, or main electrical control modules.

Your passenger side brake light flickers on and off instead of staying lit, even though you've replaced the bulb multiple times and cleaned the electrical contacts. The driver side brake light works fine. This has caused a safety issue — another vehicle rear-ended you because your brake light wasn't visible. The problem may involve a faulty wiring connection, corroded socket, or a defective brake light switch on the passenger side that needs inspection and repair.

Your air conditioning blows hot air when set to max AC and the coldest temperature setting. The temperature control knob becomes loose, which causes the AC to malfunction and blow hot air instead of cold. This happens whether your car is parked or driving. The fix will likely involve tightening or replacing the temperature control knob and possibly adjusting the internal AC blend door mechanism.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECURITY SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED ALL OF THE DOORS TO LOCK. THE DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO BE TRAPPED IN THE VEHICLE DURING EXTREME HEAT. THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BROKE THE REAR WINDOW TO RELEASE THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT FELT CONSTANT WEAKNESS IN THE HEAD DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT EXPOSURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,050 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,106.

THE HEATER WOULD NOT PROVIDE HOT AIR. I PUSHED IN ON THE SWITCH AND THE HEAT WOULD WORK AS LONG AS I HELD THE SWITCH PUSHED IN (NOT DESIGNED TO BE PUSHED - ROTARY SELECTOR). EVENTUALLY, EVEN PRESSING THE SWITCH IN WOULD NOT WORK. I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND A DISCUSSION BLOG THAT DISCUSSED MY EXACT ISSUE. I FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDATION AND PULLED THE FACE COVER OFF, REMOVED THE CONTROL PANEL AND DISCOVERED EXACTLY WHAT HAD BEEN DESCRIBED - A BROKEN SINGLE STRAND WIRE THAT RAN TO THE BACK OF THE SWITCH. I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE REPAIR USING A MULTI-STRAND WIRE AS RECOMMENDED BECAUSE THE DEALER REPAIR OPTION WAS $1,000. THE HEATER APPEARS TO WORK -SLIGHTLY, BUT NOW I HAVE NO AC. I THINK THE CIRCUIT BOARD WAS DAMAGED BY THE SOLDERING IRON HEAT. BECAUSE WE LIVE IN THE SEATTLE AREA, THIS CAUSES ISSUES WITH THE WINDOW DEFOGGER AS WELL AS HAVING NO AC. *TR

AIR CONDITIONER THERMOSTAT DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. IT SWINGS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN COLD AND HOT WITHOUT TOUCHING DIAL. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS DURING WINTER WHERE YOU COULD DIE IF NOT ABLE TO GET HEAT.

MY 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAD APPROXIMATELY 110,000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME WHEN I STARTED HEARING A NOISE AROUND THE DISTRIBUTOR. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC (NOT TOYOTA FOR OTHER REASONS) AND HE SAID THE BEARINGS IN THE DISTRIBUTOR WERE GOING OUT. I CALLED TOYOTA (TOYOTA OF TEXAS - GRAPEVINE) TO ORDER THE PART. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY IN STOCK, SO HAD TO ORDER FROM THE DC. THEY SAID IT WOULD BE IN 4 DAYS AND TO CALL BACK. CALLED BACK IN 5 DAYS AND THEY SAID THEY HAD TO ORDER FROM HQ IN CALIFORNIA AND IT WOULD BE IN NEXT WEEK (HA!). CALLED NEXT WEEK. STILL NO DISTRIBUTOR!! HAD TO ORDER IT FROM JAPAN!! AT THAT POINT, THE REGIONAL PARTS MANAGER CALLED ME AND SAID THAT A HIGHLANDER DISTRIBUTOR HAS NEVER GONE OUT. I DISCUSSED MY DISGUST WITH THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO DISTRIBUTORS FOR A 6 YEAR OLD HIGHLANDER IN THE UNITED STATES!! MY MECHANIC WAS ABLE TO GET WITH A LOCAL DISTRIBUTOR REBUILDER TO TRY TO FIX IT EVEN WITHOUT HAVING THE MANUAL ON THE TOYOTA DISTRIBUTOR. HE WAS ABLE TO REBUILD IT BEFORE THE DISTRIBUTOR I ORDERED CAME IN 3 WEEKS AFTER THE INITIAL ORDER. IN THE END, MY HIGHLANDER SAT AT MY MECHANIC'S SHOP FOR 3 WEEKS AND I WAS STUCK RENTING A THE WHOLE TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN THE CONTACT OPENED THE DOOR TO HER VEHICLE, SHE DISCOVERED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT FILLED WITH SMOKE. THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS BURNED. THERE WERE NO OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE. THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE INVESTIGATOR INFORMED HER THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE UNDERNEATH THE PASSENGER SEAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT WAS A MANUAL SEAT, NOT ELECTRIC. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. UPDATED 1/6/09 *CN UPDATED 01/14/09. *JB

THE INTERIOR HEATING/AC SYSTEM AND FAN REPEATEDLY FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY. IN THE SPRING SUMMER WHEN THE AC WOULD FAIL TO BLOW COLD AND BLOW HEAT THAT WASN'T SO BAD. I GOT THE CONTROL KNOB FIXED AND ALL SEEMED TO WORK FINE. HOWEVER THE KNOB HAS FAILED AGAIN AND WHEN I NEEDED THE HEAT/DEFROST FAN TO WORK AT NIGHT THE FROST GOT WORSE BECAUSE THE KNOB FAILED AND THE HEATER/FAN WOULD ONLY BLOW COLD AIR. DEPENDING ON THE SEASON AND THE POSITION OF THE KNOB WHEN IT FAILS THIS SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS A SAFETY ISSUE WHEN IT AFFECTS THE VISUAL CLARITY OF THE WINDSHIELD . *TR

THE HEATING SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER REPLACED SOME WIRES. UPON LEAVING THE DEALER, THE DRIVER TURNED ON THE REAR DEFROSTER AND THE WIRING HARNESS BURNED UP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. SMOKE WAS COMING INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THOUGH THE DASHBOARD. VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE PARKED, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE DASH BOARD PANEL. *JB