2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AND THE TRANSMISSION HAS SLIPPED FROM ABOUT 45,000 MILES WHEN IT SHIFT FROM 3RD TO 4TH. TAKEN IT TO DEALER FOR UPGRADE ON ECM AND THIS DID NOT FIX PROBLEM AND IT IS GETTING WORSE. *TR

WHILE COMING TO A RED LIGHT I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR DID NOT STOP. TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND APPLIED THE BRAKES AGAIN AND THE SECOND TIME THE BRAKES WOKED. THIS HAS HAPPENED ONCE TO MY WIFE AND ONCE TO ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAD TO BE PUSHED TO THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE SPEED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,500.

2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. CONSUMER STATES UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAUSED A CRASH. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED AS SHE WAS ABOUT TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE, SHE HEARD A SURGING SOUND AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE QUICKLY ACCELERATED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A BRICK COLUMN IN FRONT OF THE STORE AND THEN IT WENT BACKWARDS AND STOPPED. *JB

AN AFTERNOON DURING AUGUST OR EARLY SEPTEMBER 2009 I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 HIGHLANDER IN A HIGH TRAFFIC ROUTE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK DOWN, LEADING TO AN INITIAL HIGH SPEED AND STEADILY HIGH RPMS (6-7000). I WAS ABLE TO CONTROL THE SPEED BY STEPPING DOWN THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET WHILE KEEPING EXCEEDINGLY HIGH RPMS ON HEAVY TRAFFIC. IN THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL STRESS OF THE MOMENT, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A BUILDING ENTRANCE. WITH THE CAR ON "PARKING" POSITION, THE RPMS KEPT HIGH AND DID NOT DECREASE DESPITE STEPPING FURTHER ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TRYING TO "UNSTUCK" IT, WHICH WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. FINALLY I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AFTER TURNING THE CAR BACK ON, THE PROBLEM DID NOT RECURRED. I TOOK THE CAR TO ITS REGULAR MAINTENANCE SERVICE IN HARR TOYOTA (100 GOLD STAR BLVD., WORCESTER, MA) IN SEPT. 19, 2009, EXPLAINED THE EVENT, THEY DOCUMENTED IT, AND APPLIED THE 60F CARPET CLIP RECALL. THERE HAS BEEN NO SIMILAR INCIDENT SINCE THEN. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO TOYOTA COMPANY WITH DOCUMENTATION # 1002135597. TOYOTA CLAIMS THEY WILL NOT APPLY THE CURRENT RECALL ACCELERATOR FIX TO MY CAR BECAUSE IT IS NOT ON THE OFFICIAL RECALL AND THE CAR WAS BUILT IN JAPAN (BASED ON VIN), WITH A DIFFERENT ACCELERATOR PEDAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION. *TR

2005 HIGHLANDER V6 AWD. HAS A SURGING EFFECT SINCE DAY ONE. ALSO SURGES SLIGHTLY WHEN APPLYING BRAKES. IN TRAFFIC STOP AND GO SITUATION, VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN LUNGES FORWARD. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN TRYING TO CHANGE LANES. DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE. TOYOTA SAID AT TIME TO CONTACT DEALER.

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. *TR

ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN CHARLOTTESVILLE VA. SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE CAR WAS IN REVERSE. RIGHT CAR SIDE DAMAGED ALONG WITH 2 OTHER CARS. MODEL OF CAR IS 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER VS AWD LIMITED. TOTAL COST TO REPAIR THE TOYOTA WAS $6,900. *TR

IMPOSSIBLE TO READ INSTRUMENT PANEL ON SUNNY DAYS, SET TO FAR BACK WITH NO STRONG BACK LIGHT, CAN'T SEE ODOMETER, GAS, OIL AND HOW YOU ARE GOING, PLUS CAN'T READ MILEAGE NEVER-NO STRONG LIGHT BEHIND ANYTHING TO MAKE IT STAND OUT ON BRIGHT DAYS. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER TOYOTA HIGHLANDER OWNERS AND THEY ALL SAY THE SAME THING. IN 20005 WHEN II FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR I BOUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION OF TOYOTA DISTRICT MANAGER AND TO THE PRESIDENT WITH NO REPLY TO ANY OF MY LETTERS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE CONTACT HEARD A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN INCLUDING THE SOUND OF METAL RUBBING TOGETHER. THE CONTACT SAID THAT THERE WAS A FLAW IN THE MANUFACTURERS DESIGN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO ADVISED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 59,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.