2002 Highlander Sun Visor Issue

[Rob SJ]

Hello Everyone,
I have had the same drooping driver's side sun visor problem for a while now, and I call my local dealer here is San Jose and with the Homelink/lighted mirror, the price has gone up since the last posts I have seen on this problem, $$702.00 plus CA tax!
I just got off the phone with both the "Toyota Extra Care" people, "Earl", but I'm not covered with my lowly "Gold" extended service agreement. But Earl did say that if I had the "Platinum" plan, then the sun visors would be covered. He gave me the number of the Toyota Customer Relations, they were unable to help but gave me a case number and I told the woman to start a tally of how many calls she gets like mine, just for her own education.
So I am going to try and come up with a fix on my own and also using the posted fixes.
Any new thoughts from any one else?

Thanks for listening.

By the way it is a great vehicle.

[columbusyota]

rob sj.. i have the same thing on my 02

it will stay up for a while but will drop when you hit a bump

Did I read this right tat toyota want $702 for parts and labor ??? for a sun visor ???

please post if you come up with something... i will do the same

[Rob SJ]

Thanks for the reply, the $702 is JUST for the sunvisor, the labor is simple,
snap off the small cover over the two mounting screws and remove said screws and one electrical connector.
I pushed a number of pieces of wide plastic tie wraps into the area around the rod and the visor, it sort of helped, but with a big bump, it still moves on it's own.
We need to find wrecked 2002's with low miles in a junk yard.

[Samdoll]

I have a 2002 Highlander that I bought 3 weeks ago. It has the sun visor problem too. I spoke with the local Toyota dealer and the cost here in Wisconsin for the Homelink/lighted mirror model is a whopping $850.00 just for the part. Labor to install is $15 to $20. I know how to install it, but I am opting for the new visor without the Homelink (I have a handy garage door opener already) for $75.00. This way I will have a new visor, not one that someone else has already screwed up by using a CD wallet which the visor was not designed to carry.

I did check around but there were no used visors available and after reading other posts where people had gotten them used on ebay and they came with the same trouble, I have no desire to go that route.

[mikedogs]

Hi,

I'm on my third visor. The first one had the free swing problem, it kept hitting me in the head around left turns. The replacement had the same problem, gone in a day. The third has lasted 30K miles but now has the drop down problem. I would like the part number for the non-homelink visor for $75. It's got to be better.

Thanks, Mike

[Rob SJ]

Mike,
I have not been to a dealer to find the $75 visor part number, but I might get some time tomorrow 1/26/2007.
I'll post what I find out.

[LifeTech]

The only thoughts I could say for sure is that on the 2004+ H/L's equipped with Home Link conrols i.e. on the Limited Option.....The controls are now located in the overhead console in front of the Sunglass holder, not on my drivers side Sun Visor.

Yu might be able to transplant the Visor Homelink buttons to a plain one. I should be easy. At least to do it right.

I imagine

Lt

[Samdoll]

I received the non-homelink driver's side sun visor this week from the dealer. Total cost was $80.22 with tax. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to see that the visor does not contain a lighted mirror but only a small, maybe 3" X 4" mirror with a magnetic flap cover. I had thought that this visor would be at least similar to the passenger visor. It does match perfectly in color, size and material, though.

Upon installing it, I captured the supply wiring for the old unit that was up in the hood lining assy. and secured it visibly to the frame before I screwed the new wireless visor on, just in case I should ever need it. If I had not secured it I would have had to drop the head lining to find it. (Like in this lifetime I would drop $850 for a sun visor on a vehicle that has more than 70K miles.)

At least I now have both passenger and driver visors that serve their purpose. By the way the part # for Visor Assy LH is 74320-48110-AO.

As I said I was dissappointed that I didn't at least get the lighted mirror, but with the Limited you apparently get all or nothing. I guess my logical side says if you are driving what are you doing looking into the mirror? If you are stopped you can used the rear view mirror and turn on the overhead light, hey?

I did take some serious looking at the failed visor. Short of cutting it open to find the clamp that needs to be tightened, I don't think there is a fix for this. Someone on another area of posting said you could carefully slide the rod out and reach in with a pair of small needlenose pliers crimp a clamp tighter (hopefully not too tight) and this should do the trick. Unfortunately there is only a small length of wiring leading from the end of the rod to attach to the supply wiring. I don't think you could pull this trick off without screwing up the wiring. Also it looks to me like whoever owned this vehicle before me did their best to figure out a fix as the rod covering was actually cracked and the surface vinyl of the area where it entered the visor was visibly torn and worn.

After reading posts of others whose visors have failed repeatedly I am just glad to have a working visor for under $100.

Hope this helps some.

Samdoll

[milesprower]

Yes, I had to fully remove the mounting assembly rod from the visor (firm steady pull out). Then I was able to use a long nose pliers to tighten the metal clamp inside the visor.

We did not have the lighted mirror so I did not have the issue with the wiring.

It has been about 18 months and I can start to feel that I will have to tighten it up again. But short of spending $80 and possibly getting a visor with the same problem, I think it is worth it.

[kcidmil]

Here's a slight shining hope... though I would probably still have a heart attack.

Hoy Fox - Toyota and Lexus Parts

This is the same place I ordered my bumper and tail light through. A LOT cheaper than the dealer will ever want. The best part these are REAL Toyota parts.

~$500+ shipping compared to $702 + Tax?

[EJL99]

Mine happened at 11,000 miles back in 2002 dealer wanted 800 just b/c home link, luckily covered under warranty and no problems since, i'm at 67,500 miles running strong