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Toyota Highlander

10987 messages,  Last post on Mar 03, 2013 at 9:13 AM

You are in the Toyota Highlander Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Highlander, SUV

Messages Page 1018 of 1099

#10170 of 10987 2001 Highlander blew up ...bought another 2005 Highlander by ceciliad

Jul 30, 2005 (2:40 am)

On July 4, 2005, we were in a restaurant about 10 minutes when somebody came in screaming "Anybody with a green SUV with a camper hitched to it, your car is on fire!".
The insurance appraiser told us later that he suspects it was an electrical fire, but his job description did not include investigating why it happened. So we called Toyota Canada. They have yet to return our call.
Meanwhile, we bought another 2005 Highlander. Call us optimists, more like blind loyalists. Everyone in our family drives Toyota. Both our cars are Toyotas.
Anybody heard of a Toyota Highlander going up in flames? The insurance appraiser told us that he has seen many trucks burn, mostly Fords. This is the first time he has seen a Toyota burn.

#10171 of 10987 Re: Just got my 2005HL Limited [warl] by kenm1

Jul 30, 2005 (9:31 am)

Replying to: warl (Jul 28, 2005 5:13 pm)
I have an 04 Highlander Ltd. Fist, the AC voltage outlet only comes with the DVD player. I don't know of a way to keep the text on longer on the JBL radio. I too have had Fords for a long time where the radio conintually shows the text. Let me know if you have an hesitation while stepping on the gas. Big problem in the 04s.
Kenm1

#10172 of 10987 decisions by brian211

Jul 30, 2005 (3:26 pm)

Looked at the highlander, jeep cherokee and a few other suv types with awl or 4x4. Please discuss reason you chose highlander over others. Would you do it again? Had poor experience with local new york toyota dealer. After deciding not to buy a larger vehicle, 4runner or pathfinder as gas is 280 here in new york, btw does highlander run on regular, sales man said he would charge 1200 over invoice which I felt was insulting. The model had everything, not a ltd, but with leather and heated seats. Msrp was 34300. Was told 32500. Something wrong. Went back to jeep dealer while employee pricing is on till tomorrow. Was quoted a 34500 vehicle for 28800. So my question, what's your opinion? Is a highlander worth the hassle with the dealers?

#10173 of 10987 I think it is the Highlander for us. by jim70

Jul 30, 2005 (5:31 pm)

We have been studying which car to buy for a long time and reading what people say here has helped too. Obviously what might bother one person may not apply to another but it definitly gave us things to look for. We went with an open mind however and were initially liking the Pilot because you can get a little more for your money. But after many test drives of both the Highlander and the Pilot we have decided on the V6 AWD Highlander Limited with leather seats. It is a bit more expensive than a similar Pilot but worth it to us for 3 reasons (and this is just our opinion, some may agree and some may not)
  
1) More comfortable front seats.
2) Quieter ride.
3) Seems easier to manuver
  
We also like the open feeling of the cockpit and in the limited version it comes across quite luxurious.
 
Th MSRP is 35828 (no dealer add ons, everthing but NAV and DVD) and the very best price I can seem to get here in Utah is $31500. Is that reasonable? I think that is close to invoice price but it seems that in some parts of the country (or maybe better negotiators) you can get it for below invoice?

#10174 of 10987 Re: 2001 Highlander blew up ...bought another 2005 Highlander [ceciliad] by pilot130

Jul 31, 2005 (4:50 am)

Replying to: ceciliad (Jul 30, 2005 2:40 am)
Never heard of a Highlander fire for any reason.
There were a few reports a couple of years ago of fires in one or two Siennas but after investigation, the cause was determined to be unrelated to mechanical or electrical deficiencies.
Be cautious in relying on comments by an insurance company official. Insurance adjusters aren't qualified nor mandated to assess causes of fires. Their job is only to determine extent of damage and subsequent action by their company.
Normally in an unusual situation like this one, the fire dept. attending must investigate and determine cause. I'm surprised that you didn't get any feedback from them. In our country (Canada) this would be almost automatic in cases like that.
The fire could have resulted from any number of factors. Spontanious combustion in an on board garbage bag is one. Debris packed around the catalytic converter in the exhaust system is another. Smokers cause many fires when they throw cigarette butts out windows. Debris in the engine compartment is another common cause. Yet another, previous damage to the vehicle may have resulted in an electrical anomaly. Even a ham handed oil change person could have inadvertently dislodged an electrical wire when doing the oil change--it happens.
Don't limit your choices to only one possibility. There are many besides the more common ones I mentioned..
The fact that you were camping at some point when this incident occurred is an indication of where the cause may lie. I would start looking at that.

#10175 of 10987 Prices paid by nathar

Aug 01, 2005 (7:31 pm)

I've had a hard time getting the MSRP's I see at the dealer to match up with the MSRP's on Edmunds.com. I believe Toyota had a midyear price increase of $200, which means that some identical cars on the lot have differing MSRP's.
 
With the $800 cash incentive (which expired August 1st - we'll see if they have another one this month) I think you should be able to get about $500-$600 under invoice.

#10176 of 10987 Re: Prices paid [nathar] by steve_ HOST

Aug 01, 2005 (10:13 pm)

Replying to: nathar (Aug 01, 2005 7:31 pm)
I don't see a Highlander price increase but maybe:
 
Popular Toyota Models Get Price Hike (Inside Line)
 
Or maybe you're in the South?
 
Why does the car I'm looking at have a different invoice price or MSRP than what's listed on Edmunds.com?
 
Steve, Host

#10177 of 10987 CD Player Issues.... by dcms1

Aug 02, 2005 (1:29 pm)

I've been searching to see if I can find other reports of this, but my problem seems to be unique. I have an '01 Highlander Limited with the in-dash 6-CD player. Whenever traveling we rely on books on CD for our entertainment, but last weekend the think started switching tracks randomly. It'll go from 1 to 13 to 15 to 5, etc., in no apparent pattern. That wouldn't matter so much with a music CD, but it doesn't really work with a novel's greater reliance on sequence! Otherwise it continues to function flawlessly. Anybody have any thoughts, or do I need to appeal to the dealer?

#10178 of 10987 Re: CD Player Issues.... [dcms1] by lmacmil

Aug 02, 2005 (4:22 pm)

Replying to: dcms1 (Aug 02, 2005 1:29 pm)
When we first got ours, the CD player would default into random play mode. We got the manual out and figured out how to turn it off and now it's ok. Your problem sounds different but I threw this out anyway.

#10179 of 10987 Re: Prices paid [steve_] by nathar

Aug 02, 2005 (5:17 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Aug 01, 2005 10:13 pm)
Nope, not from the South. But that's the answer I got from some of the dealers. It was kind of a 50-50 split around here. Half the dealers would have the car for one price, and the other would have it for that same price + $200. The options were absolutely identical.

Messages Page 1018 of 1099

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