NHTSA Complaint #11219356 — 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

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.