2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH ON A CITY STREET, THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED ENTIRELY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT. THERE WAS NO PREVIOUS WARNING THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONING. IN THE MOMENT OF FAILURE, THE ABS WARNING SYSTEM ALERT SHOWED ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY. EVENTUALLY, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN, AND I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR INDICATORS SHOWED AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, AND THE BRAKING SYSTEM APPEARED TO BE SOMEWHAT FUNCTIONAL AGAIN. THE MECHANIC WE BROUGHT IT TO WAS ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM IN THE SAME CONDITIONS, BUT IS AS YET UNCLEAR ON WHAT IS CAUSING THE FAILURE.

THE STEERING SHAFT MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE DURING LOW SPEED TURNS. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS OVER THE YEARS, BUT NO RECALL. MEANWHILE, TOYOTA IS CHARGING AROUND $800 TO MAKE THE REPAIR.

ABS AND VSC SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON SUDDENLY FOR THE FIRST TIME WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I PARKED THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. I WAS STRANDED AND SUDDENLY HAD A CRITICAL BRAKE FAILURE WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. MY VEHICLE HAS LOW MILEAGE AT APPROX. 70,000. THIS IS A DANGEROUS FAILURE WHICH HAS BEEN COVERED BY WARRANTY IN PREVIOUS MODELS AND IS STILL A PROBLEM.

ON THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MILES/HOUR (WITH MY 3 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACKSEAT), LOSS OF ENGINE OIL PRESSURE. DIAGNOSED AS THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPE, OIL WAS EVERYWHERE WITHOUT ANY IN THE ENGINE. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON MANY ENGINES WHICH WAS COVERED BY TOYOTA FOR A LIMITED TIME/MILEAGE WITH A LIMITED EXTENDED WARRANTY UNDER A "CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM (ZE2)." WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE, AS WE WOULD HAVE ELECTED TO FIX THIS PRIOR TO AN OIL BLOWOUT, TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT WITH LOSS OF THE ENGINE WHILE DRIVING, PARTICULARLY WITH OUR CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE.

GOODYEAR FORTERA HL TIRES PURCHASED AT SAMS CLUB IN WV IN NOVEMBER 2018. TIRES ARE 245/65/R17 WITH DOT CODE M71TJA2R1918. TIRES APPEARED TO HAVE SOME CRACKING ON THE SIDES OF TREADS SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION BY SAMS CLUB. BY APPROXIMATELY 20K MILES WITH EVEN TREADWEAR AND PROPER MAINTENANCE TIRES BECAME MORE CRACKED ON THE SIDES OF THE TREADS AND SMALL CUTS BEGAN APPEARING ON SURFACES AND IN TREAD GROOVES. TIRE WOULD GET SMALL AIR LEAKS THROUGH SOME OF THESE CUTS. SAMS WOULD OFFER TO PATCH THE TIRES UNDER ROAD HAZARD AND CLAIMED GLASS ON ROADWAYS WOULD CAUSE THIS. SOME PATCHES WOULD TEAR LARGER AND LEAK AROUND THE PATCHES PUT IN PLACE. ATTEMPTING STANDARD BLACK PLUG PATCHES WOULD RESULT IN HOLE TEARING LARGER THAN IT BEGAN. SAMS APPLIED A FLAT SEAL/PLUG FROM INSIDE THE TIRE THAT ALSO HAD TEARS FORM ON THE EDGE AND HAD FURTHER LEAKS FROM SAME HOLE. TWO TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED BY DIFFERENT SUPPLIER 9/15/19 AND ANOTHER TIRE OF THE TWO REMAINING HAVE BEGAN LEAKING AROUND PLUGS 9/19/19.

AT TOYOTA, WE ARE DEDICATED TO PROVIDING VEHICLES OF OUTSTANDING QUALITY AND VALUE. AS PART OF OUR CONTINUAL EFFORTS TO ENSURE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, TOYOTA WOULD LIKE TO ADVISE YOU OF A VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN INITIATED FOR YOUR VEHICLE. TOYOTA HAS RECEIVED REPORTS REGARDING CERTAIN INTERNAL MALFUNCTIONS OF THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY IN CERTAIN 2008-2010 MODEL YEAR HIGHLANDER HYBRID VEHICLES. IN THESE REPORTS, CUSTOMERS HAVE NOTED VARIOUS BRAKE SYSTEM RELATED WARNING LAMPS ARE ILLUMINATED. THIS CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM PROVIDES COVERAGE AS IT APPLIES TO THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY. THE SPECIFIC CONDITION COVERED BY THIS PROGRAM IS FOR CERTAIN INTERNAL MALFUNCTIONS OF THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. IF THE CONDITION IS VERIFIED, THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED WITH NEW BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY UNDER THE TERMS OF THIS CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. IF THE FOLLOWING WARNING LAMPS ARE ILLUMINATED, THE VEHICLE MAY BE EXPERIENCING A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY THAT IS COVERED BY THIS CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM. THE PART IS BACK ORDERED AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE. I JUST PICKED THE VEHICLE FOR THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY WILL NOTIFY ME WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE. I'M STILL DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I FIRST FILED 7 MONTHS AGO. IT'S FUNNY HAS THE PART IS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE, BUT IT'S ON BACK ORDER FOR MY VEHICLE. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. LOOKS LIKE I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT AGAIN. THANKS FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER.

2008 HIGHLANDER, ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPE FAILED, DROPPED 4 QTS OF OIL ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH LED TO A SLIPPERY SITUATION, I PULLED OVER BUT A CAR BEHIND ME SKIDDED THROUGH THE OIL AND REAR ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF THEM DUE TO THE OIL LEFT ON THE ROAD IMPACTING THEIR SAFE STOPPING DISTANCE. THIS FAILED PART WAS A RUBBER HOSE HOLDING HOT MOTOR OIL NEXT TO THE CATATLYTIC CONVERTER, TERRIBLE DESIGN, TOYOTA REPLACED THIS ORIGINAL RUBBER HOSE WITH PART 04004-29131 THAT WAS METAL PIPES NOT HOSES. THIS PART WAS ELIGIBLE FOR A TOYOTA EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERAGE (TOYOTA WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT ZE2) TILL 2016 OR SO, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED VIA MAIL OF THE ISSUE, THEREFORE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL AFTER MY CAR BROKE DOWN. THERE ARE MANY DOCUMENTED ISSUES OF THIS PART FAILING, AND ALSO MANY DOCUMENTED ISSUES OF TOYOTA FAILING TO NOTIFY CUSTOMERS DUE TO THEIR INABILITY TO LINK VIN TO MAILING ADDRESS PRIOR TO 2014. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA DIDN'T NOTIFY ME PROPERLY, WHICH CAUSED AN UNSAFE SITUATION FOR ME AND OTHER MOTORISTS. HAD THIS BEEN A RECALL, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN OBLIGATED TO MORE FORMALLY NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND DEALERSHIPS ABOUT THIS HAZARD, AND WOULD HAVE TO FIX THEM ALL, VS. THE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER THAT THEY DID FIX. I CALLED TOYOTA MOTOR CORP CUST SERVICE, AND THEY TOLD ME THEY NO LONGER HAD ANY FINANCIAL OR NOTIFICATION OBLIGATION FOR THIS DESIGN & SAFETY DEFECT AS THE 'WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT' HAD EXPIRED. PLEASE REQUIRE A RECALL! THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CARS ON THE ROAD TODAY WITH THIS UNSAFE CONDITION READY TO CAUSE PROBLEMS!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V396000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM: INVERTER). WHILE IN A PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO FAIL SAFE LIMP HOME MODE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NEWARK TOYOTA WORLD (230 E CLEVELAND AVE, NEWARK, DE 19711, (302) 368-6262) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. ADDITIONALLY, DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WOULD COST $600. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000.

WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BREAKS THERE IS A CHIRPING SOUND. TOYOTA HAS DEEMED THIS AN ABS ACTUATOR FAILING ISSUE; WHICH IS AN ISSUE I HAVE SEEN REPEATEDLY ONLINE POSTED BY OTHER HY HI DRIVERS. I AM ALSO SEEING 2 YEARS PREVIOUS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS VERY ISSUE. WHY IS THE RECALL NOT EXTENDED AND IS THERE ANY WAY FOR IT TO BE? THE COST OF THE VEHICLE TO THE COST OF REPAIR IS SO GREAT AND UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS NOT A NORMAL FAILURE THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED. ITS TO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT A COMPLETE FAILURE CAN CAUSE A VERY UNAVOIDABLE FATAL CRASH AS THE BREAKING SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD LOCK UP ALL BREAK FUNCTION. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN THE PAST TOO WITH VEHICLES UNDER FURTHER DETERIORATION OF THE ABS ACTUATOR. WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE HEAVY THOUGHT TO AN EXTENSION OF THE WARRANTY TO COVER THIS ISSUE FOR THE 2008 MODELS? ITS A GREAT RISK TO HIGHLANDER DRIVERS AND THOSE AROUND US.

THE ENGINE IS EMITTING SMOKE, CREATES RATTLING SOUND. AT START TIMING CHAIN SOUNDS SCARED KIDS. WHILE DRIVING YOU CAN HEAR KNOCKING SOUND AND IF SOMETHING CAN BREAK WHILE DRIVING.