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2008 Toyota Highlander

2952 messages,  Last post on Feb 03, 2013 at 1:20 PM

You are in the Toyota Highlander Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Highlander, Toyota, SUV

Messages Page 273 of 296

#2718 of 2952 Accidentally Opening Locked Doors From Inside? by 4wheelinit

Oct 12, 2008 (5:38 pm)

I just bought a new 2008 Highlander Sport. While I have seen many posts and discussions about the automatic locking features and how to change them or modify them, I have a question I haven't seen covered.
 
I noticed that no matter how the doors lock (automatically, manually) and whether the vehicle is moving or not, I can still pull on the door handle and open the door. Other cars I've owned haven't had this feature (none were Toyotas, though I've rented many Camrys and a 2006 Highlander and never noticed it). Is this feature intentional, and if so why? Is there a way to override it?
 
I don't mind the automatic locking whether it occurs when you start the car or at a certain speed, but I don't understand why a locked car can be opened from the inside. While I don't expect to accidentally open the door and I always wear my seat belt, I'm not quite as confident with my generally responsible 10 year old son or others in the passenger seat. This strikes me as a safety feature that should be configurable.
 
Is there any way to change this so that locked doors can not be opened simply by pulling the inside door handle?
 
Thanks in advance,
 
Mark

#2719 of 2952 Re: Accidentally Opening Locked Doors From Inside? [4wheelinit] by 1headlight

Oct 12, 2008 (7:55 pm)

Replying to: 4wheelinit (Oct 12, 2008 5:38 pm)
I assume you are refering to the rear passenger doors. When the rear passenger door is open, look along the surface on underneath the door latch on the door that physically opens. There is a child safety switch that will have the option to allow the door to either open or remain locked when attempted to be opened from the inside.
 
If it is the front doors, they should open at the lever from the inside on command at all times.
 
Let us know what it is.
 
Thanks

#2720 of 2952 Re: Accidentally Opening Locked Doors From Inside? [1headlight] by 4wheelinit

Oct 12, 2008 (8:00 pm)

Replying to: 1headlight (Oct 12, 2008 7:55 pm)
Thanks for the quick response. I was actually referring to the front doors.
 
This is the first car I've had where the door handle seems to override the locked status.
 
I do see that the rear doors don't have this setting.
 
Was this always that way for the Highlander? And what is the logic behind it? I admit it escapes me.
 
Mark

#2721 of 2952 Re: Accidentally Opening Locked Doors From Inside? [4wheelinit] by bdyment

Oct 13, 2008 (5:21 am)

Replying to: 4wheelinit (Oct 12, 2008 8:00 pm)
This is an interesting observation. I just checked our 2009 Ford Escape Limited and the doors open the same as your Highlander. However, I don't think our 2007 Ford Escape opened this way, nor our 2004 Highlander. The door handles in the 04 Highlander and the 07 Escape would not over ride a locked door button. Strange. The dealers will probably tell us that this is a safety feature, so you can get out the vehicle in a hurry if there is an accident. Of course they will tell us anything.

#2722 of 2952 Re: Accidentally Opening Locked Doors From Inside? [bdyment] by wwest

Oct 13, 2008 (10:15 am)

Replying to: bdyment (Oct 13, 2008 5:21 am)
In an acccident the battery might fail, get disconnected, or get crushed. With the doors locked you would have no easy escape route. I never wish to own a vehicle without this "feature".

#2723 of 2952 Re: Accidentally Opening Locked Doors From Inside? [4wheelinit] by lucky_777

Oct 13, 2008 (11:14 am)

Replying to: 4wheelinit (Oct 12, 2008 5:38 pm)
I looked at it on my 08 HL and only front doors unlock automatically. Rear doors where kids normally seat require lock to be explicitly unlocked in order to open the door.

#2724 of 2952 Re: Accidentally Opening Locked Doors From Inside? [wwest] by 4wheelinit

Oct 14, 2008 (8:09 pm)

Replying to: wwest (Oct 13, 2008 10:15 am)
Thanks to all of you for your replies. Even if the battery were to fail, aren't the locks controlled by your hand or the electric locking system which would make the argument for this "feature" unnecessary? I really don't know the answer, but having unlocked many "electric" locks by hand it seems like the mechanism is actually mechanical but power assisted.
 
Trust me... I'm no engineer or car expert, so please bdyment or anyone else please correct me... or confirm if you agree.
 
Thanks again,
 
Mark

#2725 of 2952 Re: Toyota Navigation systems suck [nimrod99] by gdkoger

Oct 17, 2008 (7:55 am)

Replying to: nimrod99 (Apr 18, 2008 8:54 pm)
I hate to back track.. But that is the way this forum works. You are exactly right about the NAV. And most people who argue this are lying and don't have a NAV or at least this version. Because this is the most annoying thing. If there reasoning is safety, then add more voice features. The voice features are useless and the NAV is useless unless you type in where you are going when you start. Or going home.. What did you do to fix this lockout.
 
Thanks in advance...

#2726 of 2952 Re: Toyota Navigation systems suck [gdkoger] by kdhspyder

Oct 17, 2008 (8:17 am)

Replying to: gdkoger (Oct 17, 2008 7:55 am)
How is it that you find the voice recognition feature useless? In the deliveries I do on the Navi systems I make certain that every new owner understands when and how to use it before they drive off.
You can control the audio
You can give it POI groups, on the fly
You can have it send you home, on the fly
You can change the destination, on the fly
What specifically is it that you want it to do that it won't do?

#2727 of 2952 Re: Toyota Navigation systems suck [kdhspyder] by gdkoger

Oct 17, 2008 (10:43 am)

Replying to: kdhspyder (Oct 17, 2008 8:17 am)
Yes you can turn POI on or OFF, but it doesn't show where to go. It doesn't take you anywhere. Meaning I want to go to BK. I can only turn on restaurants. I can't find the closest BK to me right now. How good is that? 65 voice commands.. WOW great Radio features. ahhh AM, FM1 or FM2, SAT or CD Changer. What about stations? Change the destination?? What to Home? What tell it an address.. Good Luck! I have no accent, no draw, no lisp, nothing.. And it gets 2 out 10 thing correct that I say. But yet I can use a current Honda NAV, and all those features work by my voice, including setting the temp to 72 degrees for the driver side. I can also try and fake a voice and it works. I can also have a passenger type an address while in motion. So don't even try and sell this NAV as acceptable. You may sell them, but I don't believe you own one.

Messages Page 273 of 296

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