| Issue ID | 772656 |
| Internal NHTSA # | 10316177 |
| Manufacurer | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION |
| Brand | TOYOTA |
| Model | HIGHLANDER |
| Model Year | 2005 |
| File date | 05/02/10 |
| Component | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM |
| Product type code | VEHICLE |
| Description of the problem | I wish to report a safety defect on my 2005 toyota highlander. When traveling at speeds above about 35 mph i cannot hear the turn signal clicker. I am 69 years old, but do not have any significant hearing loss. Not being able to hear the clicker sometimes causes me to leave the turn signal on when it should be off. Although i have not had any accidents due to this problem, it could cause other drivers to make hazardous decisions. For example, if i had my right turn signal on by mistake someone waiting to make a right turn onto the roadway could be thinking i was about to make a right turn off the road. I've contacted toyota about changing to a louder flasher, but they do not have one. They were not able to help me at all. Yes, the turn signal indicator lights work on the dash, but they are not in my field of view when i'm looking at the road and looking at them is an unnecessary distraction. I think audible turn signal indicators should be on all cars and the sound level should be adequate for all drivers who can hear. Preferably the sound level would be manually adjustable or automatically adjustable according to the car speed. |
| Vehicle Mileage at Failure | 60000 |
| Number of Occurences | 1 |
| Source of the issue | NHTSA WEB SITE |
| City and State | LOS ALTOS, CA |
| VIN pattern | JTEEP21A350XXXXXX |
| Was vehicle invloved in a crash? | N |
| Was vehicle involved in a fire? | N |
| Was incedent reported to police? | N |
| Was medical attention required? | |
| Was part original equipment? | |
| No. of injured persons | |
| No. of fatalities | |
| Date of purchase | 07/08/26 |
| Was original owner? | N |
| Anti-lock brakes | N |
| Cruise control | N |
| Number of cylinders | |
| Drive train type | 4WD |
| Transmission type | |
| Vehicle speed | 40 |
| DoT tire identifier | |
| Tire size | |
| Location of tire code | |
| Type of tire failure code | |
| Was defective tire repaired? | |
| Date of manufacture | |
| Type of child seat code | |
| Type of restraint | |
| Dealer's name | |
| Dealer's telephone number | |
| Dealer's city | |
| Dealer's state code | |
| Dealer's ZIP code |