2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Visibility Problems

SUNVISOR DROPS DOWN ABOUT 30 DEGREES FROM THE UP POSITION OR JUST DON'T STAY ALL THE WAY DOWN. *TR

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR SUDDENLY DROPPED DOWN INTO MY FIELD OF VIEW WHEN I HIT A BUMP ON A THREE LANE 40 MPH PAVED ROAD AT RUSH HOUR. I NEARLY REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME DURING THE SHORT TIME (MAYBE TWO SECONDS) REQUIRED TO REACT AND RAISE THE VISOR. AN ONLINE SEARCH REVEALED THAT A REPLACEMENT VISOR COSTS A SHOCKING $791.00, AND THAT MANY DOZENS OF OTHERS WERE REPORTING THIS PROBLEM IN 2001 - 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS. SOLUTIONS RANGED FROM JURY-RIGGING THE VISOR IN THE UP POSITION TO SIMPLY REMOVING THE VISOR AND USING ONE'S HAND TO BLOCK THE SUN WHEN NEEDED. SOME OF THESE "SOLUTIONS" ARE OBVIOUSLY UNSAFE, AND COULD EASILY BE AVOIDED IF TOYOTA CHARGED A MORE REASONABLE PRICE FOR THE REPLACEMENT VISOR. REPLACEMENT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY ALMOST ANYONE WITH A SCREWDRIVER IN ABOUT 12 MINUTES. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FILE A...

THIS VISIBILITY ISSUE IS CAUSED BY THE SUNVISOR ON THE DRIVER SIDE, DROPPING DOWN FROM THE STOWED POSITION UNEXPECTEDLY AND REPEATEDLY BLOCKING THE DRIVER'S VISION. DEALER INDICATED NOT A TOYOTA PROBLEM AND PRICING IT AT $700 + DOLLARS TO REPLACE. WHEN DRIVING, THE SUNVISOR HAD TO BE MOVED TO THE SIDE AT ALL TIMES AND BACK TO FORWARD POSITION JUST TO GET IT OUT OF WAY TO EXIT VEHICLE. ENDED UP BUYING FROM THE DEALER A REGULAR VISOR (NOT THE LIMITED MODEL VISOR). THE NEW VISOR COST $80 + DOLLARS. VEHICLE SOLD AS A LIMITED MODEL, SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY HAZARDOUS/DANGEROUS PROBLEMS SUCH AS THIS, NOT ADDRESSED WITHOUT A NATIONAL RECALL. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE TOYOTA CORP. FOR NOT ACCEPTING THESE COMPLAINTS AND DENYING THAT PROBLEM EVEN EXISTS. NHTSA PLEASE TAKE NOTE, AND ADD UP ALL THESE SAME VISIBILITY ISSUES AS SHOWING ON YOUR SITE. NOT JUST THIS MODEL I...

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR FLOPS DOWNWARD WHEN IN USE, INSTEAD OF REMAINING TILTED FORWARD (TOWARD WINDSHIELD), THUS PARTIALLY BLOCKING VISION. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON A NUMBER OF TOYOTA VEHICLES. *TR

NOTED RECENT COMPLAINT RE:SUN VISORS ON 2001 HIGHLANDER- I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM HOWEVER JUST PASSENGER SIDE VISOR INVOLVED SO FAR. PART COST IS $214.00 ! I THINK IT IS A RIDICULOUS ITEM TO FAIL. *TR

2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR DOES NOT STAY IN PLACE, AND FALLS DOWN INTO DRIVERS FIELD OF VISION UNEXPECTEDLY PASSENGER SIDE VISOR DOES THE SAME THING, BUT TO A LESSER DEGREE. THIS BEGAN AFTER WE OWNED THE CAR FOR FIVE YEARS(OUT OF WARRANTY) AND IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM, AND I FEEL THE DEALER SHOULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER(S) SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED TO PAY UPWARDS OF $800 TO FIX SUCH A SIMPLE PROBLEM, ONE THAT SHOULD NOT OCCUR IN THE FIRST PLACE. I HAVE OWNED MORE THAN TWELVE VEHICLES, AND EVEN THE CHEAPEST OF THOSE NEVER HAD SUCH A PROBLEM. SEVERAL HIGHLANDER OWNERS HAVE TOLD OF THE SAME COMPLAINT, AND IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE SUNVISOR OF MY 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED WOULD NOT STAY UP SINCE 2006, WHICH HAS BEEN A SAFETY HAZARD. AN ESTIMATION OF REPLACING THE VISOR AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP WAS $700.00 IN MAY 2007, WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS AND SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR FREE REPAIR. *TR

ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO THE REAR PASSENGER WINDOW FELL DOWN INTO THE DOOR AND WAS NO LONGER USABLE. AN $800 REPAIR WAS REQUIRED. FLASH FORWARD 6 MONTHS, NOW THE REAR DRIVER-SIDE WINDOW FELL DOWN INTO THE DOOR AND WE'RE GOING TO BE OUT ANOTHER $800. WE RARELY EVEN USE THE REAR WINDOWS. SO THIS IS FROM LESS-THAN-NORMAL WEAR. AND IT HAPPENED TO BOTH REAR WINDOWS WITHIN A FEW MONTHS OF EACH OTHER. *TR

A DESIGN DEFECT CAN CAUSE THE SUN VISORS TO RANDOMLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY DROP DOWN OBSCURING THE DRIVER'S VISION POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN A CRASH. THIS INCIDENT OCCURS IN A 2001 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. HOWEVER, I HAVE SEEN MANY, MANY INTERNET POSTINGS OF OTHER TOYOTA YEARS AND MODELS WITH THE SAME DESIGN DEFECT AND SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA'S AND THEIR DEALERS RESPONSE HAS BEEN TO TELL THE CUSTOMER TO SPEND APPROXIMATELY $750 TO REPLACE THE VISOR WHICH IS LIKELY TO FAIL LIKE THE FIRST ONE AFTER A GIVEN AMOUNT OF TIME. *TR

SUN VISOR ON MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FALLS DOWN ALL THE TIME. PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP REFUSES TO FIX IT SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. HAVE A SITE TO PROVE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE - SUN VISOR DRIVER SIDE FALLS DOWN WHEN DRIVING - CAUSES A SECURITY ISSUE. *JB

THE SUN VISOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE WILL NOT STAY UP WHEN PLACED IN THE POSITION TO BLOCK THE SUN COMING INTO THE WINDSHIELD. IT DROPS DOWN INTO THE STRAIGHT DOWN POSITION WHICH BLOCKS MOST OF THE VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. WE CAN'T USE THE VISOR TO BLOCK THE SUN, SO WE HAVE TO DRIVE WITH IT SHINING INTO OUR EYES. IT ISN'T SAFE. *JB

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR WON'T STAY UP. DROPS DOWN, BLOCKING VIEW WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. OTHER THAN REGULAR USE, NO OTHER ROOT CAUSE IDENTIFIED FOR FAILURE. *JB REPLACEMENT VISOR IS AVAILABLE FOR $600