2013 Toyota Highlander Body & Structure Problems

Your vehicle's paint on the roof is peeling off while parked. You discovered this issue around 99,000 miles and found that Toyota has a Customer Support Program (ZKG) for this problem, but your vehicle's VIN wasn't included in the coverage. Fixing this will likely involve having the roof repainted or recoated by a professional.

Your liftgate won't close properly, even when you push it with force. The problem started intermittently but is happening more often. You've already had the liftgate motor replaced under warranty once before, and the dealer has diagnosed that it needs to be replaced again at around 100,000 miles.

POWER SUNROOF DRAINS INTO FLOORBOARDS. FROM MY RESEARCH THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE WITH HIGHLANDERS AND TOYOTA NEEDS TO ADDRESS. I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR A WEEK AGO. THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THE LINES WERE CLOGGED AND BLEW THEM OUT. A WEEK LATER THE FLOORBARDS ARE FULL OF WATER AGAIN.

THE POWER HATCH BACK DOES NOT WORK. IT IS SO FREQUENT PROBLEM AND SO MANY COMPLAINTS BUT NO SOLUTION OFFERED BY THE TOYOTA COMPANY. *TR

DRIVER DOOR STARTED POPPING AFTER 100,000 MILES WHEN OPENING AND CLOSING. RESEARCHED AND IT'S THE DOOR CHECK. INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS A FAMILIAR PROBLEM THAT NO ONE IS RECALLING.

WE RECENTLY HAD OUR HIGHLANDER COMPLETELY TOTALED BY OUR INSURANCE AFTER A FAILURE TO HAVE OUR AIR CONDITIONING DRAIN PROPERLY. THE CLOG CAUSED WATER TO BACK UP INTO THE FRAME OF THE CAR AND FLOOD OUR FLOOR CARPETING. THE DRAINAGE ISSUE ALSO CAUSED THE HEADLINERS TO BECOME WET AND DRIP ONTO THE LEATHER UPHOLSTERY. WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALERSHIP ADVANTAGE TOYOTA VALLEY STREAM AND THEY FIRST SUGGESTED CLEARING THE MOON ROOF BUT THAT WASN'T THE ISSUE. WHEN WE BROUGHT IT BACK TO THEM THEY KNEW IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE A/C DRAIN. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM IT'S NOT PART OF THEIR STANDARD MAINTENANCE PROCESS. WE COULD HAVE SAVED OURSELVES A HEADACHE BY HAVING THEM "ADD" THIS TO THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE.

SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ VIA THIS SITE, WATER HAS COLLECTED BENEATH MY FLOORMATS FROM THE DRAINAGE TUBES RUNNING FROM SUNROOF. THE DEALERSHIP HAS STATED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CLOGGED WITH DIRT AND THEY HAVE "UNCLOGGED" THEM 3 TIMES IN 10 MONTHS. FOLLOWING THE THIRD VISIT, THEY ARE NOW SAYING THERE'S NOTHING MORE THEY CAN DO, THIS IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE DRAINAGE SYSTEM. MY CAR NOW SMELLS OF MOLD TO WHICH I AM ALLERGIC, AND TOYOTA REFUSES TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE. I WAS FIRST TOLD TO WASH MY CAR AND BLOW THE DRAINAGE HOLES CLEAR IN THE SUNROOF, BUT I HAVE DONE SO REGULARLY AND HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM TWICE IN 6 WEEKS. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT DIRT IS ENTERING THROUGH THE UNDERBELLY OF THE CAR AND THAT NO ONE ELSE SEEMS TO BE HAVING THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE AT LEAST THREE OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS HERE AND A HUNDRED OTHERS ONLINE. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT OTHER ISSUES COULD BE CAUSED AS A RESULT OF THIS WATER (RUST, ELECTRICAL ISSUES, DAMAGE TO AIRBAGS, ETC.) OR WHERE THE TUBING BEGINS LEAKING AND WATER REDIRECTS TO THE FLOORBOARD RESERVOIR. I SEEM TO GET A DIFFERENT ANSWER EACH TIME IT IS SERVICED. 3 SEPARATE TOYOTA SERVICEMEN HAVE AGREED THAT THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW BUT RETRACT THAT ANY TIME I ATTEMPT TO MAKE MY CASE THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.

THE SIDE MIRROR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE CREATES A TERRIBLE BLIND SPOT WHEN MAKING LEFT HAND TURNS. MYSELF AND HUSBAND HAVE BOTH NEARLY BEEN IN ACCIDENTS HAD THE PERSON IN PASSENGER SEAT NOT YELLED AT THE DRIVER. A CAR IS EASILY HIDDEN BEHIND THE MIRROR.

LIFTGATE POWER BACK DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE COMPLETELY. BEFORE IT CLOSES, IT BEEPS AND OPENS AGAIN. PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY, AND NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. YOU MAY THINK THAT THE LIFTGATE HAS BEEN CLOSED, BUT IT IS NOT.

WHEN THE LIFT GATE OF MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS CLOSING I HEARD A CLUNK AND SAW THE LIFT ARM DETACH FROM THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD NO WARRANTY OR EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD COVER THE DAMAGE. I HAVE 41,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE PLATINUM EXTENDED WARRANTY. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE SO MANY LAWSUITS AND COMPLAINTS AGAINST TOYOTA FOR THIS DESIGN FLAW. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE REGIONAL TOYOTA OFFICE AND THE MOST THEY ARE WILLING TO DO IS 50% OF THE BILL WHICH WOULD LEAVE ME TO PAY $1700.00. CONSIDERING IT LOOKS TO ME THAT A $2 BOLT IS THE CULPRIT, I BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD HAVE RECALLED NOT JUST DONE A SILENT SERVICE BULLETIN. IF YOU COULD CONTACT TOYOTA AND TELL THEM THEY SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE LIFT GATE BECAUSE OF A TERRIBLE DESIGN, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. *TR

ON 2/20/2015 MY PARKED TOYOTA WAS HIT IN THE FRONT BUMPER CAUSING DAMAGE. THE PARTY THAT HIT ME CARRIED STATE FARM INSURANCE. THEY ADMITTED FAULT AND SENT ME TO ONE OF THEIR PREFERRED SHOPS. THE SHOP INFORMED ME THAT STAE FARM WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO INSTALL A NEW BUMPER SINCE MY VEHICLE HAS 10,753 MILES ON IT. STATE FARM FORCED THEM TO SOURCE A USED BUMPER, EVEN THOUGH THIS IS PART OF THE TOYOTA SAFETY SYSTEM. I WOULD NOT ALLOW THE USED PART TO BE INSTALLED. SENATOR RICHARD BLUMENTHAL LAST WEEK ASK THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND DOJ TO INVESTIGATE THIS PRACTICE OVER SAFETY CONCERNS. THESE USED PARTS HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED OR CERTIFIED AS SAFE BY THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER.

I HAVE A NEW 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. DURING A HEAVY RAIN OR CAR WASH WATER ENTERS THE CABIN AROUND FROM THE CENTER POST WHERE THE SEATBELT RETRACTS. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THERE IS BAD WELD AT ONE OF THE ROOF SEAMS AND THE WATER IS LEAKING DOWN THROUGH THE CENTER POST. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER WHILE THEY TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE REPAIR. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS DEFECT MAY ALSO AFFECT THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE VEHICLE DURING A CRASH. I AM ALSO CONCERNED THAT EVEN AFTER THE REPAIR IT MAY BE POSSIBLE THAT SMALL TRACES OF WATER ARE STILL ENTERING THE VEHICLE BUT AREN'T VISIBLE AS IT MAY BE HIDDEN BY INTERIOR TRIM. OVER TIME THIS MAY CAUSE RUST. SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS DEFECT? *TR

TL THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE DOOR HATCH MOTOR EMITTED A LOUD CLICKING SOUND WHEN IT WAS OPENED AND CLOSED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MOTOR; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. RK