NHTSA Complaint #10307555 — 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

MY 2003 HIGHLANDER HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE DRIVER SIDE SUNVISOR. DURING MOVEMENT OF THE CAR IT'S CONSTANTLY FALLING DOWN INTO MY LINE OF VISION DURING DRIVING. IT STARTED FALLING DOWN ONLY OCASSIONALLY OVER SPEED BUMPS AND NOW IT JUST FALLS DOWN ALMOST EVER FEW MINUTES WHILE DRIVING. I TRIED TO GET THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO REPACE THE VISOR UNDER MY EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED BY IT. AFTER READING MANY POSTINGS ON THE WEB IT SEEMS THAT MANY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM. MY VISOR HAS BUILT IN ELECTRICAL PARTS ON IT THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO CONTROL A GARAGE DOOR, HOUSE LIGHTS, ETC. IN WHICH TOYOTA SAY IS A "HOME CENTER CONTROL" - I HAVE NOT PUT ANYTHING ON THE VISOR TO MAKE IT ANY HEAVIER THAN HOW THE FACTORY PRODUCED IT. THE VISOR IS TOO HEAVY AND IT CAN NOT BE SUPPORTED BY THE METAL PART THAT CONNECTS IT TO THE ROOF OF THE CAR. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP GAVE NO SOLUTION OTHER THAN TO REPLACE THE VISOR AT MY COST BUT I HAVE READ OTHER PEOPLES POSTS SAYING THAT THE ISSUE WILL ONLY HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY INFORMED ME THE PART ALONE IS $800 WITHOUT INSTALLATION. I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE VELCRO WOULD WORK SO I TRIED TO VELCRO THE VISOR TO THE ROOF OF MY CAR BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE VELCOR IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE VISOR TO THE ROOF AND DURING THE SUMMER THE GLUE MELTS AND DOESN'T ALLOW THE VELCRO TO STICK TO THE ROOF THUS I CAN NOT KEEP THE VISOR UP. THIS ISSUE STARTED ABOUT 2007 AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND NOW THE VISOR WILL NOT STAY UP MORE THAN A COUPLE OF MINUTES - ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER. FIRSTLY THE VISOR ITSELF IS DISTRACTION, SECONDLY ONCE IT'S DOWN IT BLOCKS A PORTION OF THE DRIVER'S VIEW, AND THIRDLY IT'S A DISTRACTION TO HAVE TO USE ONE HAND TO PUT THE VISOR BACK UP. YOU CAN NOT EVEN TRY TO MOVE IT TO THE SIDE AS IT'S STILL TOO LOW TO SEE OUT THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND ALSO THER ARE NO ACCESSIBLE SCREWS TO REMOVE THE VISOR MYSELF. ALL IN ALL THIS ISSUE IS A HUGE HAZARD AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY TOYOTA.