2008 Toyota Highlander Air Bags Problems
- 51
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 51 stored complaint records:
- 10 indicate a crash
- 7 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- spiral cable · 30 records
- warning light · 15 records
- airbag light · 8 records
- light came · 8 records
- failure mileage · 7 records
- airbag warning · 6 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 27 |
| 100–150k mi | 10 |
| 30–60k mi | 4 |
| 1–30k mi | 1 |
| 150–400k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Air Bags · Electrical System · Vehicle Speed Control
The spiral cable in the steering wheel has caused the airbag light to come on, which means the airbags will not operate in the event of a crash. Also the horn and cruise control will not operate. These items are all associated with the spiral cable. Toyota customer service said they know of the spiral cable problem but do not have a fix for it now. *tr
ODI 10639429
Air Bags
Spiral cable failed at about 107,406 miles on my 2008 toyota highlander, causing airbag warning light to illuminate steady and was advised by the dealer that the airbag system wouldn't be functioning. This should have been covered by manufacturer or there should have been a recall on this. The car hasn't been in any accidents. The cost of replacement (part and labors) is $544. Toyota needs to reimburse customers for…
ODI 10555167
Air Bags
Air bag warning light lit, took to dealer and found out spiral cable was the issue and need replaced. This is a huge safety issue which i believe should be recalled by toyota as they already did on other models. As a loyal toyota customer along with the rest, i would like to call upon toyota to step up to the plate and do the right thing--recall this air bag issue. Thank you!! *tr
ODI 10573365
Air Bags
Spiral cable failed at about 72, 400 miles on my 2008 toy highlander base model causing airbag warning light to illuminate steady and failure of airbag system creating increased risk of injury in a crash. As no driver actions, etc. Caused the failure it appears to be a manufacturing and/or design defect as also seen in other toyota vehicles that have been recalled for similar spiral cable failure. *tr
ODI 10549590
Air Bags
Air bag indicator light just came on at 110,000 miles, no accident, in the garage..took it to dealer and they are asking to replace spiral cable assembly in driver airbag at a cost of $663 and explained there was no recall on my vehicle. I called toyota and discussed the issue...i also found out that tacoma's had the same issue as well, interesting though, that my 08 highlander had same problem. Toyota confirmed my…
ODI 10545121
Air Bags
Spiral cable failed at about 72, 000 miles on my 2008 toy highlander base model causing airbag warning light to illuminate steady and was told of failure of airbag system creating increased risk of injury in the event of a crash. Cause the failure appears to be a manufacturing and/or design defect as also seen in other toyota vehicles that have been recalled for similar spiral cable failure. Sensor appears to reset…
ODI 10562850
Air Bags · Electrical System
Airbag sensor light deployed, and remained lit for approximately three days. Toyota dealership at pullman, wa diagnosed the problem as a faulty spiral cable; the spiral cable assembly was replaced at a cost of $491.69. I wonder why there was a recall done on ~450,000 tacomas, but not on the highlander. It sounds like a similar problem: poor engineering leads to friction, causing a short in the cable. Warning light…
ODI 10541688
Air Bags
Spiral cable failed at about 78 000 miles on my 2008 toyota highlander base model causing airbag warning light to illuminate. I took it in to be looked at and i was told of failure of airbag system creating increased risk of injury in the event of a crash. The light randomly came on and was not caused by an accident. I am suspicious that the failure is a manufacturing and/or design defect which has also been seen in…
ODI 10573574
Air Bags
Air bag indicator light just came on at 73,000 miles, no accident. Took it to dealer and they replaced the spiral cable assembly in driver airbag at a cost of $500 and explained there was no recall on my vehicle. I called toyota and they told me this only affected tacoma's, interesting though, that my 08 highlander had same problem. *tr
ODI 10532337
Air Bags
Air bags the spiral cable went bad causing the air bag light to come on making the airbags inoperable. Took to dealership and cost was $560 to repair with parts and labor. View details. *tr
ODI 10523330
Air Bags
In june of 2013 i went to mccarthy toyota in sedalia, mo for an unrelated recall. Some work was done, but i was told to return in a week or so because an additional part had to be ordered. During this week, the red air bag warning light appeared. I had never observed this warning light before. When i returned to the dealer to complete the original recall work, i inquired about the warning light. The service manager…
ODI 10546162
Air Bags
Air bag light illuminated, and continued to stay on over several days. Took the car to the dealer, and the spiral cable was determined to be malfunctioning. Cost of repair was about $500. *tr
ODI 10519852
Air Bags
While driving, the air bag light came on and stayed on. After taking it to a toyota dealer, it was diagnosed as a spiral cable assembly malfunction. This issue has been the subject of recall for 2008 tacomas, camrys and venzas, but not the highlander. It is a $450 expense. It seems to me if toyota has recalled the part on other models in the same year, it should consider recalling it for the highlander. Looking at…
ODI 10519645
Air Bags
The airbag light came on. I took it into a dealer, and was told the spiral cable needed to be replaced (at a cost of $419 parts and labor) and that it is not covered under any recalls. Upon research, i learned that there is a recall for tacomas, camrys, and venzas for this exact same problem with the spiral cable. Further, i found numerous claims of the same problem for the 2008 highlander. I contacted the toyota…
ODI 10515688
Air Bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the air bag warning indicator illuminated continuously. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and an authorized dealer, who both stated that the air bag spiral cable would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was…
ODI 10512562
Air Bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated intermediately. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was advised that the spiral cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000. *tr
ODI 10512869
Air Bags
The airbag light came on approximately in april 2013. The light stays on all the time. I brought it to elk grove toyota. The inspected the light for $120. This was for inspection only. They said the car needs a airbag spiral cable. They estimated $460 total to replace this wire. The car has not been in an accident. The light came on at 65000-67000 miles. Will toyota recall this part or reimburse customers. There is…
ODI 10520207
Air Bags · Electrical System
I was driving my 2008 highlander on november 11, 2012 and the airbag light came on. The following day i went online to see if there was a recall on the toyota website. There was a recall for the airbag light for the side curtain air bag system. I took my vehicle to my toyota dealer to have the recall work done on november 14. The airbag light was still on after the recall work. I left them the vehicle so they could…
ODI 10484825
Air Bags · Electrical System
The spiral cable went bad causing the air bag light to come on making the airbags inoperable. *tr
ODI 10476707
Air Bags · Service Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph and applying the brakes to avoid hitting a deer, the brakes seized and the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The contact mentioned that none of the air bags deployed. As a result, the driver and a passenger sustained minor injuries. A police report was filed. The…
Crash reported · 2 injuries
ODI 10470586
Air Bags · Body
I was driving north on a divided one way street. A 2006 minivan was traveling south on the other side of the divided street. He made a left hand turn, ran through the yield sign and broadsided me on the driver side. I saw he was not going to stop and turned the wheel to the right, not in time. Took out the left side of the highlander from the front wheel to the rear panel. His front airbag did deploy. My side airbag…
Crash reported
ODI 10598789
Air Bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 11v245000 (air bags) and contacted the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised that the parts were available and to schedule an appointment with the dealer. After contacting the dealer, they informed him that the part was not available and to keep trying back. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure…
ODI 10428765
Air Bags
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the vehicle was stopped when another vehicle crashed into the vehicle while driving approximately 50 mph. None of the air bags deployed during the failure. A police report was filed and the driver was taken to the hospital to treat minor injuries. The vehicle was towed to an insurance lot where the failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 10412401
Air Bags
2008 toyota highlander: there is a faulty wiring harness for the airbag deployment. It has been fixed but it occurs again and then have to get it fix again. Due to faulty a wiring harness that could fail and prevent airbag deployment, it is dangerous for me, my kids, or anyone that owns or drives a 2008 toyota highlander. *tr
ODI 10400619
Air Bags
I was involved in an accident in my 2008 toyota highlander on friday 3/4/11. I hit another vehicle while traveling 35mph. My highlander has significant front end damage but not one of the air bags deployed. I suffered a knee injury, a neck injury, a shoulder injury, and a concussion. I am very upset and concerned that none of the air bags deployed as they should have according to the owner's manual. I am hesitant to…
Crash reported · 1 injury
ODI 10386697