Problems with 2010 Toyota Highlander ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The trunk door sensor constantly goes off and on while driving, so says that the trunk door is ajar when it is not. this tends to happen more when it is warmer, the car turns to the right or the windows are down. it is a distraction while driving.

Every time i accelerate, break, turn, coming to a stop and going over a bump my door ajar chimes on the dash for the back door (hatch). also, the dome lights come on when the chime and picture pops up that my rear gate is ajar. i believe this is a safety issue because i am not the only car with this exact same issue. this needs to be recalled since this potentially is a safety issue. this is a continual and ongoing issue.

When driving and turning or going over a bump the "door ajar" indicator beeps and the dome lights turn on. brought to auto service repair shop and the left rear door and the rear gate sensor/actuator need to be replaced. $1100!!

Back door ajar, interior light and a bing sound come on when i turn left

While driving and making a right turn the red door indicator light on the dashboard lights up,the car chimes and the interior ceiling light goes on and off.

The rear latch on this vehicle failed. it cost $600 to repair

The back door ajar, interior light and a bing sound comes on when i turn left or open any window? searched the internet and found many related complaints. please issue a recall.

Rear hatch sensor ajar whenever the windows are open and car exceeds 30 mph. windows must remain close for the sensor chime and activation to cease. seems to be a problem with the rear hatch sensor. the car has been owned for 8 years and has 77000 miles on the odometer. no accidents.

The door sensor is faulty. its comes on, the warning sound dings and light on control panel lights up saying that a door is ajar. it happens when driving, and none of the doors are open. it is a safety issue because it happens so frequently that if the door is actually opened you would not know since it gives false alarms. after doing some research i have found many others with this complaint, and feel that toyota should issue a recall.

When we open a window or the sunroof the door ajar sign comes on and starts to beep also the interior light comes on. sometimes it happens when we turn a corner or hit a bump just right. i am afraid of something shorting out and starting a fire! also the front head lights keep burning out we have to replace them at least once a month. the highlander runs great but electrical problems scare me. toyota really needs to recall and fix this problem.the problem with the door open always happens when we are driving. the problelm happens every time we drive the car.

In the last few months, my door ajar light and door chime have been intermittently coming on when turning either direction. all doors are closed, and still the lights come on and chime. this is causing me concern as i have a young child and am unaware of whether doors are truly closed properly. please open an investigation as this is not the only complaint regarding this matter.

The rear liftgate door ajar keeps going of every time i turn or hit a bump. when this warning keeps going of i do not know if any other door is open and risk one of my children falling out of the car when driving and risking death or injury. the only reason i know it is the rear liftgate is that i found this issue all over the internet and found youtube videos on the issue

Back door states that it is ajar even when it is completely closed. this seems to be safety issue to me and toyota should check and issue an recall.

While driving (in motion), frequent warning message comes on the display panel that says the back (rear) door is open when it's not. also, interior lights come on, and there is the warning / beep that keeps flashing. sometimes, when the back gate alert comes on, doors get unlocked. this has been going on since september 2017.

Indicator warning for rear back door open when it is secure and locked. interior lights go on as well as warning bell. vehicle brought to toyota service dept. state they cannot duplicate-however it is becoming more frequent each time i drive vehicle.

Faulty rear door ajar sensor reports rear door open intermittently while door is closed causing interior lights, warning lights, and chimes. started with only turns, acceleration, deceleration, but rapidly deteriorated to near constant failure, particularly in warm weather. initially started near 2 years ago (25k miles), but was only mildly irritating. now vehicle cannot be locked with this condition.

While in motion the heads up display indicates that the rear door is open. this comes on periodically when windows are down or when making turns or acceleration. the dome lights come on and the door open chime dings. the computer thinks the rear door is open. i have found this to be an issue while researching on the internet. this is one source with multiple people with the same issue http://www.carcomplaints.com/toyota/highlander/2010/electrical/electrical_system.shtml.

Open door chime and interior light come on intermittently when making sharp turns or bumps

Hydraulics and/or electric on rear lift gate faulty. the automatic lift function does not properly align the back lift door upon closure. the hatch must be closed manually.

Door sensors show door open, door chimes, and interior lights flash when in motion driving over light bump on all roads, highway or city streets. and/or when driving from the street into driveway at 1mph at all times as up over slight curb. happens when i shift the gears into motion. started in sept. 2015 to current date.

Open-door warning keeps popping in the dash when driving, as well as the light inside inside the car (consistent with an open door). the problem started at first as the car would be turning at very low speed. it has gotten worse over the next 2 weeks and now happens almost anytime there is a bump in the road, or when cornering, as well as when hitting the brakes, even gently. i changed all the door sensors but it did not make any difference.

The door ajar indicator on the dash is lit up 100% of the time even though it appears that all doors are closed. this problem started approx. 2 years ago. in addition if the car sits for more than 1 day, it drains the battery and the car has to be jumped. when making a left hand turn or start from a stopped position, the warning sound dings. and the key fob cannot be used to lock the car. my mechanic discovered that it is the rear hatch sensor that is faulty. maybe the sensor is faulty or maybe i think the hatch is closed and latched and it really isn't or it is but at any moment, the latch could release and the hatch fly open. after doing a google search on this problem, i discovered that there are a lot of other people are having the same issue with their highlander....i have attached a file that contains screen shots of others with this issue. i stopped cutting and pasting after 17 pages. this as a safety issue because it compromises the quality of the battery and there really could be a door ajar when you think the warning light on the dash is just from the faulty hatch sensor. (heaven forbid a child should fall out of the back seat when driving down the road). i would like to see toyota take responsibility for this problem and issue a recall.

Back door "open" lights flash non stop in warm weather. it's so annoying. why is their no recall on this? i bought the car used without knowing this annoying issue

When stationary or driving, dashboard door-open light stays on. all dome lights stay on when driving unless turned completely off on dashboard but they will still flicker and warning sound will go on and off when driving, turning a corner, or going over a bump on any road. when locking the car with the door-remote, the warning sound goes on and stays on until car is unlocked. car must be locked by hand to stop warning sound. car was sent to toyota repair center for electrical repairs, but this warning light issue was not repaired. there is a bump in the rear hatch from backing up in a garage. service dept. said rear door needed to be repaired because rear hatch would not close correctly. however, rear hatch has always closed and still closed. toyota could not guarantee a new hatch or repaired body work would fix the problem. warning lights problem started months before rear door issue. toyota offered to turn warning sound off, but i feel it is a safety issue. i routinely checked if any door is open.

Information center is flashing overheadlights, audible warning bell, visual warning lights flash on drivers display, unable to lock vehicle. this is alll due to the tailgate registering as open when in fact it is closed. if you unplug the sensor, it will not allow access into or out of the rear door. it has now started to not allow the vehicle to be locked - saying there is a door open (rear). if you go around and independently slam doors one at a time and then try to lock with the remote after each, it will eventually allow u to lock after slamming pass ft. door. the is a notable problem for this series and is becoming quite prevalent . dealer says don't know what is causing it. independant mechanic say it is door actuator - which is extremely expensive.

I have a back door on all the times because the back door not close completely ,i try to fix , but did not help .finally i had to remove the electrical sw .and i could not open the back door ,but i do have problem when i have a flat tire

We have a 2010 toyota highlander and the dome lights turn on & the door ajar alarm sounds while turning left & sometimes while turning right. this has also happened when rolling up or down the passengers side window. took it to dealer & they could not diagnosed or repair it. *tr

Safety hazard - beginning in mid 2014, my driver side door lock started to give me problems not locking with the remote. i changed the battery several times to no avail. soon, the other door locks stopped working one by one. eventually, none of the locks worked with the remote or by pressing the power lock buttons on the doors. when this problem initially started, i noticed my radio station information would also disappear or be illegible. when i took the vehicle to the dealer, it was over $1,000 to have the actuators repaired, since they had "gone bad". after researching a bit, i noticed several makes, models and years of toyota vehicles are also having these problems. my vehicle only had $50,000 miles at most when all this started, and i maintain the suggested maintenance. i think toyota is well aware of the faulty parts they have installed but don't want to make the necessary repairs due to the cost. this is a major safety issue if someone thinks they have locked their vehicle and could be a victim of a serious crime or other safety hazard.

Received a phone call from street toyota concerning a recall for my 2010 highlander. they said that they needed 5 minutes to do a recall on the computer. i checked the recalls and didn't find anything. i think that they are up to something. i refused the appointment. thanks *tr

Driver door lock quick working. could only unlock with key or by crawling over passenger seat. took to dealer and was told it was actuator. they fixed for almost $600. less than month later passenger door lock did same thing. called dealer and was told i would have to pay to get it fixed. let it stay that way until may 2015. local mechanic fixed for little over $300. about 2 weeks later, driver door lock will not unlock at times when it will not, the key now won't work. have to crawl across passenger seat to unlock i have numerous complaints on internet about this issue. actuators need recalling bb

Door ajar chime goes off and sometimes dome lights flash on when making a turn, stopping, or accelerating from a stop. this primarily happens when the outside temperature is hot (95+). additionally, the radio display will show illegible information occasionally. i've had the radio replaced, but the issue remains. this will go away when the car is turned off and back on and only happens when the external temperature is hot (95+). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota highlander. the contact stated that the door ajar alarm would sound while turning left. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 45,000.

2010 highlander 4wd: system check panel indicating the rear door is open, when it's not. sometimes the indicator only chimes (& overhead light blinks) when we take a left or right turn. sometimes it chimes continuously as soon as we get the car into gear. the back door is most definitely closed each time; the back door indicator is malfunctioning. *tr

In january of 2013, i took my highlander into a dealer's service department to diagnose a problem with my driver's side front automatic lock, which had completely stopped working at around 46,000 miles. this means i had to physically press the lock as not even the key would work. i had to open the passenger side door, crawl across the seat, & unlock the driver's side door in order to get in my car. i was told by the dealer that the problem was the door lock actuator, which went out, & it was no longer under warranty. rather than paying $575 at the dealer, i found a mechanic that ordered the part & replaced the actuator for less than $400. less than three months later, at just over 50,000 miles & only 2.5 years of owning the car, the front passenger side actuator went out. needless to say, i had some words with the dealer, & they agreed to do a one-time "courtesy" fix, replacing it at no cost. over the next few months, both of the rear door actuators went out. not wanting to spend $800+ to replace the actuators, i decided to live with risk & annoyance this caused, hoping there'd soon be a recall. well, here we are in march 2015, & at 87,000 miles, guess what? the front driver's side actuator is going out again. searching the web for this issue, i found hundreds of similar complaints from other toyota owners, over a variety of models & years. this is a huge safety issue & toyota needs to recall all affected vehicles. i can come up with at least a dozen scenarios where this issue could cause serious harm to the car's occupants. if i can't get to my child in the back seat because i've been in a wreck & door is locked; if i am car-jacked b/c the door wouldn't lock; if i have to enter through the passenger's side to unlock my door and x/y/z happens... i've already locked myself out due to this issue (car thinks doors are unlocked & won't warn me my keys are inside)! help! *tr

2010 highlander 4wd: system check panel indicates rear window is open when it's not. this happens when i take a left turn or hit a dip in the road. also if the moon roof is open and closed and when the drivers or passenger window is open and closed the panel will light up, chime and interior lights will all come on. the only time the windows and moon roof seem to effect it is when i am driving on the highway. otherwise the smaller side roads effect if with no rhyme or reason. problem has become increasingly worse over time. mechanic could not find the problem since this does not happen every time the car is running. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 toyota highlander. the contact stated that the battery died prematurely. the dealer made two attempts to duplicate the failure by changing the battery. on the third occasion, the contact notified the manufacturer who advise that the vehicle needed to be driven at least 15 miles per day to prevent the battery from going dead because of the dessert-like climate in which the contact resided. the vehicle was not further repaired. the current mileage was 11,200 and the approximate failure mileage was 8,000. updated 01/05/12*lj the consumer stated toyota finally inspected the vehicle and determined the battery needed to be recharged.

2010 highlander 4wd: system check panel i indicating the rear door is open, when it's not. been to dealer 3 times. car has 6000 miles on it. the rear door open indicator effects door locking ability with key fob as well as continual chime indicating rear door is open in conjunction with turning dome light off and on. dealer thought it was rear door strike plate. adjusted accordingly. this was not the problem. 3rd visit to dealer still trying to pinpoint why this is happening so far no luck. electrical bad door sensor faulty electrical door switch this problem is very annoying and now times consuming 3 visits to the dealer and still no solution. rear door open indicator initially made to stop by rolling down driver side window at highway speed. indicator also made to go off when road turns to the left only. <- ? moisture causing short in rear door electrical switch? maybe. *tr

Several times since we purchased the vehicle, the front driver's window will come off track and not allow to roll up the window. this really is not a safety issue however one time the window did not come off track however the door would not open from the inside. we had to roll down the window to open from the outside. this was very scary since my wife drives the vehicle and transports our children and grandson. i was afraid if she were in an accident and the power window did not work she would have to find another way to exit the vehicle. since the vehicle has been out of warranty, we found another place to fix the issue. we still have issues at times with the window. another issue is that the rear door sensor constantly indicates the door is open when it is not. when this happens, the rear display stops working and says rear door open, the overhead lights flash, and the door chime sounds. i consider this a safety issue since it causes a distraction while driving. with the door chiming, lights flashing, and the rear display showing a message, it takes our attention away from driving. *tr

I was driving my vehicle and it caught fire and completely burned up...it was a total loss. *tr

2010 toyota highlander. s10 appropriate handling- letter from regarding toyota problems *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle was delivered to him and his wife during the sales suspension period of toyota vehicles without the accelerator recall work being completed. also, after owning the vehicle for five days, the vehicle would not start. the dealer stated the battery was defective and needed to be replaced. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2010 toyota highlander. the contact stated that when he turned the headlights on, he could not see objects on the side of the vehicle. while driving approximately 35 mph and various speeds if he hit a dip or curve in the road, the visibility would drop to less than 2 feet in front of him. he noticed the issue difference whenever he had to use the headlights. he took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that there was no solution to the problem. he called the manufacturer and was advised to file a lemon law complaint. the current mileage was approximately 3,500. the failure mileage was approximately 60. updated 03/19/10. *lj the windshield had to be replaced due to hairline cracks forming, the heated seats were not heating properly, the skid control light had illuminated and the dash lights would blink intermittently. updated 07/27/10*jb