What 133 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota Highlander

REAR LIFTGATE SQUEALS TERRIBLY WHEN LEFT OPEN FOR A FEW MINUTES, SEEMS 'STICKY.' WORKS FINE WHEN OPENED AND CLOSED QUICKLY. FEELS FAULTY AND THAT STICKY SQUEALING WILL LEAD TO PREMATURE FAILURE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10650319

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AND THE VEHICLE JERK. THEN A WARNING SIGN APPEAR ON THE DASH THAT SAID EPS FAILURE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO TURN. I BEGAN TO STRUGGLE WITH THE STEERING WHEEL AT THAT POINT IT WAS LOCK. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS; I WAS ABLE TO PULL INTO AN EMPTY PARKING SPACE, PARKED THE VEHICLE AND HAD IT TOWED TO DICK DYER IN COLUMBIA SC. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO CONFIRM WHAT WAS ACTUALLY WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. AT THIS TIME, THEY THINK THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN STATED HE HAS NEVER SEEN SUCH A PROBLEM BEFORE AND WAS NOT SURE HOW TO FIX IT. I DID NOT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM DICK DYER INSTEAD I PURCHASED IT FROM SPARKS TOYOTA IN MYRTLE BEACH SC. THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE CENTRAL OFFICE. I WAS TOLD BY THE CENTRAL OFFICE TO COMPLETE THE ARBITRATION PROCESS. I AM IN PROCESS OF DOING THIS NOW. AT THIS TIME, I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND INSTEAD WOULD LIKE A DIFFERENT VEHICLE. AT DICK DYER NO ONE WANTED TO SIGN OFF ON THE SERVICE INVOICE STATING THE CAR IS FIX. I FEEL NO ONE WANTS TO BE LIABLE FOR ANY FUTURE ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE IF THIS DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10632873

FACTORY INSTALLED GPS SYSTEM WHEN SET TO A DESTINATION WILL TAKE YOU OFF THE MAIN ROAD JUST PRIOR TO YOUR DESTINATION AND DIRECT YOU IN CIRCLES THEN TELL YOU TO GET BACK ON THE MAIN ROAD THAT YOU JUST GOT OFF OF. THIS CREATES AN ISSUE AS ONE TIME IT TOOK US IN A UNDESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOOD; BUT MORE OFTEN THAN NOT WILL TAKE YOU CRUISING IN UNKNOWN NEIGHBORHOOD'S BEFORE IT TELLS YOU TO GET BACK ON THE MAIN ROAD YOU WERE JUST ON. ON OTHER OCCASIONS IT WILL TELL YOU TO TAKE SAY A RIGHT TURN THEN A FEW SECONDS LATER TELL YOU TO TAKE A LEFT TURN CAUSING YOU TO ERRATICALLY CHANGE LANES AND MAKE TURNS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10632114

THE SAFETY FILM ON THE WINDSHIELD IS NOT PROPERLY SEALED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10628341

TO SELECT AN OPTION ON THE MAP MODE SCREEN (TURN LIST, FREE-WAY EXIT LIST ,INTER-SECTION SCREEN OR THE TURN-BY-TURN SCREEN) VEHICLE HAS TO IN MOTION. DRIVER HAS TO TAKE EYES OFF ROAD AND FOCUS ON THE SCREEN AND THEN FIND THE OPTION HE WANTS AND THEN SELECT IT. ALL THIS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED. A SOFTWARE UPGRADE CAN FIX THIS SO VEHICLE DOESN'T NEED TO BE IN MOTION. NOTIFIED TOYOTA CASE # [XXX] 8/3/2014. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10618760

THE FLOOR ANCHOR OF THE DRIVER SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE IS LOCATED BEHIND THE SEAT AND CAN BE STEPPED ON BY THE REAR PASSENGERS. STEPPING ON THE FLOOR ANCHOR AND BELT BY THE REAR PASSENGERS, OFTEN CHILDREN, IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF DISTRACTION FOR THE DRIVER. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10593552

I PURCHASED MY 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ON 4/24/14. I NOTICE A FEW DAYS LATER THAT THEIR WAS A CHIRP NOISE IN THE PASSENGER 2ND ROW WHILE DRIVING ( VERY ANNOYING). I TOOK IT TO DEALER AND IT WAS DIAGNOSIS THAT THE RAIL RACK SHOWS SIGN OF FRICTION AND POSSIBLE CAUSING IT CREATE THE CHIRP NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10586699

OUR 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED WAS PURCHASED NEW WITH 18 MILES ON FEBRUARY 25, 2014. ON MARCH 7, 2014 WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS ANOTHER DRIVER FAILED TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT SO I PRESSED THE HORN TO ALERT THE DRIVER WHILE I SWERVED OUT OF HIS PATH. THE HORN DID NOT WORK SO THE DRIVER WAS NOT ALERTED AND CONTINUED IN THEIR DIRECTION OF TRAVEL. MY NEED TO SWERVE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE OTHER DRIVER WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND I WAS ABLE TO ALERT HIM WITH MY HORN. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10568136