Problems with 2002 Toyota Highlander VISIBILITY

Sun visor keeps coming down as it affects my vision on the road. *tr

Submission from constituent re defective visor/ safety problems 2002 toyota highlander ( full document not imaged). *smd the consumer stated about four months ago, the passenger side visor would not remain in the up position, and approximately two weeks later, the same thing happened on the driver's side.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving various speeds over road bumps, the sun visor would fall, causing the driver's vision of the roadway to become obscured. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages was approximately 166,000. *tr...updated 05/08/13 *bf

Driver/s side sun visor will not stay up. while driving, it suddenly drops obscuring my vision and putting the driver at extreme risk for an accident (impaired vision of the road). there is no apparent way to fix this problem short of replacing the sun visor (estimated cost of approx. $700 per blogs). this problem has been experienced by many owners of 2002 highlanders as exemplified via "complaint" postings. *tr

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

I have a 2002 toyota highlander and both sun visors will not stay up. this is creating a safety hazard when they fall down and blocks my view while i am driving. what's it going to take - someone getting killed before toyota will admit that the visor is too heavy and needs to be corrected. seems with all the negative publicity that they have received lately that they would do what is right and correct the problem on all their vehicles with this problem. i know that it would be costly but it is their product and they should be willing to do the right thing. *kb

Over the past few months the drivers side visor would fall when i press the breaks. blocking my vision. recently, the visor will not stay up at all, and needs to be taped up to prevent it from falling while i am driving. *kb

The driver side visor does not stay propped up in the forward direction. it drops down to a vertical position downwards, where it blocks the driver's view. *tr

Sun visor on my 2002 toyota highlander will frequently fall down without warning. this results in my view of the road being unexpectedly hindered. this could easily result in an accident. this happens frequently - i.e. almost every time i drive more than 3 miles. *tr

My toyota highlander on both the driver and passenger side sun visors drop down while driving. research of this problem indicate others are having the same problem which potentially can cause an accident by blocking vision or disturbing the driver while driving. notified toyota of the problem and got a very prompt standard customer service reply that the warranty has expired and basically it is your problem versus a potential design flaw that may have safety considerations and they at least could of provide assistance to correct the problem other than a replacement at $660. even at that based on the internet that is not a permanent repair since it is a design flaw. apparently this is also a problem with other toyota models.

Sun visor on the driver's side suddenly falls from its normal position during driving blocking the driver's field of vision. that might case an accident. *tr

Driver's side sun visor falling into driver's field of vision when vehicle in operation. 2002 toyota highlander limited. occurs constantly and began about three years after the visor was replaced for the same problem. *tr

2002 toyota highlander driver side sun visor will not stay up. it flops down into your view everytime you hit a bump. toyota dealer wanted $650 to fix/replace here in indianapolis. car only has 60,000 miles, this shouldn't be a problem that is so expensive to fix. *tr

The driver's side visor on my 2002 toyota highlander will not stay in the up position and falls into the driver's view when driving over bumps. *tr

This is clearly a design flaw & potentially dangerous. the sun visors fail & drop down in front on you, no longer staying at a proper angle or staying up. i cut one open & found that the pivoting pin is coated in plastic & held in place by a metal clip. over time the plastic cracks & falls off the metal pin causing the loss of the required friction to hold the visor securely in place. my 1st repair was to reform the pin with epoxy, but the force from the metal clip was too much and it failed in a few months. the next fix was to cut the visor open again & force the part of the pin still covered in the original plastic coating deeper into the metal clip. that repair lasted until now. the replacement parts are ridiculously expensive, but now i can not repair it and not doing so would be a driving hazard. from what i have read online this is a common problem and toyota should have done something by now. *js

I have a 2002 toyota highlander. the sun visors will not stay in the up position. they randomly fall down partially blocking my view and creating a safety hazzard. i originally took it back to the dealer who had it replaced but the same thing kept happening. i went online and discovered that it's not just my 2002 highlander. i've tried velcro but that won't hold it in place. i've had several near accidents on the highway as a result of this issue. it happened again today and i just can't take it anymore. *tr

Driver's side sun visor keeps falling down suddenly while driving. while searching online, i found out that many 2002 highlander owners have the same problem. repair is too costly. it is definitely a safety hazard. *tr

The driver's side sun visor will not stay up and it is impairing my vision. if i can get it to stay up for a few minutes, it falls unexpectedly into my view, cutting off my line of sight and nearly causing an accident. the only remedy i can see is to remove it, but then i am blinded by the sun. i drive with my child in the vehicle with me and find this to be quite disturbing when it happens. i bought the highlander because of its safety rating, but this is very disappointing. this has been happening for some time, and now the visor just swings in front of me without staying up or forward, out of the way. the date reported below is not the first time this has happened. *tr

2002 toyota highlander: both driver's side and passenger side sunvisors will not stay in up position. the visors drop without warning multiple times every day since the problem began to occur. this is a safety hazard as the driver's side sunvisor randomly drops down without warning completely obscuring the driver's vision. reported the defect to my toyota dealer and they informed me that the only option was to pay for replacements at a cost of several hundred dollars each. this assessment was given without any inspection of the vehicle and in a manner which strongly implied that this was a problem which they were very familiar with. after speaking to toyota, i decided to research this for myself on the web and found many similar incidents. this is clearly a dangerous design defect and needs to be remediated by the manufacturer urgently before someone's family is killed because the visor drops and blocks their view of the traffic ahead. *tr

2002 toyota highlander drivers side visor will not stay up. this is the second $850 unit in 2 years. it's annoying, not to mention dangerous when it dropped down unexpectedly and blocked my view through the windshield. between the visor and the hood of the vehicle, i could see about a 2" strip of asphalt about 10 feet in front of the hood. very very dangerous!!!!!! *tr

The driver's side sun visor on my 2002 toyota highlander drops down blocking the driver's vision. when pushed up it simply falls back down. *tr

How many complaints do highlander owners have to submit about sun visors dropping before something done about it. is toyota going to wait until someone gets in an accident due to it. i have a 2002 highlander and have been trying different things to make the visor stay up for years, with little success. were there any deaths or injuries? no not yet why wait until it happens! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The drivers side sun visor, which has the electronics built in, unexpectedly flops down. it started in 2004 and has progressively gotten worse. toyota wants over $750 to replace it. repair is not offered. it occasionally falls unexpectedly and blocks my vision of traffic lights. however, i didn't consider it a real safety hazard until recently. it fell at an inopportune moment, distracted me, and i was almost envolved in an accident. there is no reason this item should have failed after only 1 1/2 years use and there is no reason a replacement should cost $750. this is a design defect and it is a safety hazard.

My 2002 toyota highlander driver's side sunvisor will fall down unexpected blocking my view for a few seconds. for safety reasons, i cannot use my visor as i bungy cord it to stay up. but another safety issue now is there no protection from the bright sun or snow. *tr

The 2002 highlander driver side sun visor drops down and obstructs the driver's view of the roadway. toyota charges +/- $600.00 for the part alone. there is a blog with toyota owners that demonstrates this problem is very common and is definitely a safety issue. the visor drops every time the car is in use, especially in warm weather. *tr

Driver's side sunvisor keeps falling in to my line of vision unexpectedly. it's on my 2002 toyota highlander. it is terrifying when you're on the highway in traffic and it falls! *tr

Sun visor drops unexpectedly on 2002 toyota highlander. *tr

My 2002 limited toyota highlander has a sun visor that wont stay up. it is the driver side and i am very concern especially when hitting mild road bumps it falls down. i am holding it with velcro and i have to change that every other month. this is a safety problem and would appericate if someone can look into it. i looked at the online forums for highlanders and they are reporting the same problem.

I seem to be one of many that is having an issue with the sun visor on a 2002 toyota highlander. the driver side sun visor will no longer stay in place properly. this results in it falling down and blocking the vision of the driver. a recall is needed in order to prevent the potential danger. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 toyota highlander. the contact stated that approximately two years ago he noticed that the drivers side sun visor would fall and obscure his vision while driving. the vehicle was taken to a dealer who advised him that it needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 70,000. updated 09/21/11*lj the consumer also stated the passenger side visor failed as well. updated 09/28/11*jb

2002 toyota highlander. driver's side sun visor does not stay up or down. while trying to make it work properly i am distracted from my primary duty of driving the vehicle. toyota does not recognize this a safety or recall issue. cost to replace $1000.00. if you check the internet this is not an isolated problem and has been ignored by toyota for many years. *tr

Falling visor on toyota highlanders are creating driver visibility issues. a major concern for safety. sent in attachment that listed other driver complaint on the same issue to dot question 090817-000072. *tr

2002 highlander visor does not stay in position, tends to fall down when it should be up. *tr

2002 toyota highlander has issue with driver's side sunvisor that constantly falls obstructing vision. *tr

Was driving in rush hour traffic when the driver's side visor on my '02 toyota highlander suddenly dropped down to obscure my vision. this necessitated me hitting my brakes and ducking down to the right of the steering wheel in order to view traffic. there were no "events" leading to malfunction. the visor will no longer remain in the "up" position and poses an ongoing safety hazard as it must either be held in place while driving (forcing the driver to use one hand on the wheel), taped in place (where it will still drop down if/when the tape gives out); or force the driver to lean to the right in order to see around the visor (thus prohibiting the use of the rearview and sideview mirrors(. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota highlander. since february of 2007, the sun visor in the vehicle does not attach tightly and comes down while driving 35 mph and above. the vehicle has not been inspected, but the repair would cost over $300. the contact feels that this is a safety issue and the defect should be repaired by the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 95,000. updated 07/01/09 *bf updated 07/06/09. *jb

Driver's side visor fails to stay up. visor seems to be too heavy to support itself. visor falls down due to road vibrations and blocks eye sight for taller drivers. tried simple fixes using velcro and super glue - but all failed when summer interior temperatures caused the glue / adhesive to fail and problem continues. complete replacement seems to be only solution. *tr

The sun visor on my toyota highlander 2002 doesn't remain in place. it started last year and no matter what i do it keep on falling. i believe this is a design problem and a safety hazard that needed to be addressed or fixed by toyota corporation. *tr

Sun visor will not stay put - it's in the down position at all times and won't stay up out of the line of sight. *tr

2002 toyota highlander limited - the driver and passenger side sun visors will not stay in upright position. very dangerous when driving. toyota offers no solutions but purchasing another $600 visor. looking online, i am not the only one having this problem. at what point does a manufacture become responsible for what is obviously a design defect and safety issue. *tr

Sun visor on driver's side of 2002 toyota highlander can't be used to protect driver from the bright sunlight as it cannot be ratcheted up or adjusted and just hangs loosely blocking driver's view of window and requiring driver to hold it in place with one hand. problem has existed almost from beginning. others have reported similar problems especially with that model year. *tr

2002 toyota highland flip visor keeps on falling down. after research from the net, apparently, there are many others that experience this issues. this is very dangerous. it will costs $700.00 to replace it. i really think this is a defect. *tr

Failure of 55904-48210 hvac controller on a 2002 toyota highlander. the failure of this part cause the heating and cooling control dial to become inoperative. the vehicle could only blow cold air causing my windshield to fog over. this resulted in my being unable safely operate the vehicle. *tr

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

I have a toyota highlander 2002 limited, v6, both sun visors constantly fall down and won't stay up even with heavy duty velcro strips. it is distracting and blocks the drivers view. *tr

2002 toyota highlander driver side sun visor falls down while driving causing a possible hazard. *tr

2002 toyota highlander sun visor keeps falling down on its own. noticed that this is a common complaint on the internet. this is a safety hazard and the visor should be recalled. *tr

2002 toyota highlander. sun visor with homelink keeps falling down with hitting minor bumps. safety hazard, as vision is blocked and can lead to accidents. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 toyota highlander. while driving approximately 45 mph or less, the sun visor would automatically release at any given time. the failure made visibility difficult and occurred without warning. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they stated that the sun visor needed to be replaced at the cost of $700. the contact detached the sun visor from the vehicle. the vehicle has not been repaired. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 42,000. updated 09/10/08 *bf updated 09/11/08.*jb

2002 toyota highlander driver side sun visor will randomly fall down, completely blocking the view of the road ahead. on a busy highway, if this falls at the wrong moment, it can result in a severe multi-car accident. *tr