2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE SRS AIRBAG SYSTEM. *LD *TR

VSC, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL ERROR LIGHT. MY MECHANIC IDENTIFIED THIS AS A FAILER ACCUMULATOR (ABS MODULE), HE SAID THERE IS A TSB FROM TOYOTA. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE ON THIS VEHICLE THROUGH YEAR 2007. CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBILITY OF TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE.

WE WERE DRIVING THE CAR NORMALLY ON CITY STREETS, NOT EVEN BRAKING AT THE TIME WHEN SUDDENLY THE ABS LIGHT AND A COUPLE OTHERS LIT UP ON THE DASHBOARD ALONG WITH A WARNING MESSAGE ON THE SCREEN ABOUT THE ABS AND VCS SYSTEMS. BRAKING STILL WORKED AS DID EVERYTHING ELSE (LESS THE ABS I ASSUME). *JB

ABS SYSTEM HAS FAILED JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE. PUMP KEEPS COMING ON EVERY 5 SECONDS OR SO. SCREEN TELLS YOU TO STOP THE CAR AND CONTACT THE DEALER. TOYOTA NEEDS TO COVER THIS EXPENSIVE REPAIR OR AT LEAST SOME PORTION OF IT.

THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. TOYOTA SAYS ITS THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND IT WILL COST ME $4700 TO REPLACE THE PART. THEY RECALLED TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 06-07, PRIUS 04-09 AND LEXUS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE RESULT CAN BE TOTAL BRAKE FAILURE. SINCE TOYOTA KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THE DEFECTIVE PARTS , ALL AUTOS WITH THAT PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED/REPAIRED WITH TOYOTA'S ASSISTANCE.

THE BRAKES STARTED MAKING A WEIRD "BURPING / BARKING" NOISE AND THEN THE DREADED C1391 CODE POPPED UP. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE ABS ACTUATORS ON THE 2005-7 YEARS BUT YET HERE WE ARE WITH PEOPLE REPORTING THIS FAILURE ON THE 2008-11 YEARS IN DROVES. CLEARLY THERE IS THE SAME MANUFACTURING ISSUE. IRONICALLY I HAD MY HIGHLANDER INTO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR WEIRD BRAKE NOISES A YEAR PREVIOUSLY AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE NORMAL.

2008 HIGHLANDER CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED TO A COMPLETE LOSS. NONE OF THE NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS WORKED CORRECTLY TO ALERT MY WIFE. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION MOVING APPX 20 MILES PER HOUR AND THE CABIN FILLED WITH SMOKE AND WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. OIL SPRAY WAS NOTED AND PICTURES TAKEN ON THE ROADWAY BEHIND THE VEHICLE TO THE BURN SITE. THERE WAS A RECALL ON AN OIL LINE FOR THIS VEHICLE IN THE PAST.

EVERY TIME YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT BUT IT GETS WORST IN THE RIGHT IT WILL MAKE A THUD SOUND AND YOU CAN FEEL IT IN THE STEERING WHEEL , I NOTICED THAT 4 YEARS AGO AND IT'S GOES NOTICED ON AND OFF BUT NOWADAYS IT IS MORE FREQUENT AND A FRIEND OF MINE HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINT COZ WE HAD BOTH THE SAME CAR CAR BUT MINE IS 2 YEARS OLDER AND ASSEMBLED IN JAPAN ... PROBABLY THE STEERING COLUMN THAT THEY USED.

I RECENTLY HAD A NUMBER OF SERVICE LIGHTS APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID, INCLUDING THE BRAKE,VSC, AND ABS. THERE WAS A MESSAGE STATING THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO A DEALER FOR SERVICE IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY DETERMINED IT WAS AN OPEN CIRCUIT IN THE BRAKE ACTUATOR (ABS). TO MY SURPRISE THIS IS A $3,000 PLUS FIX AND WHEN I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ONLINE O FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PART FOR THE 2008 TOYOTA CAMERY HYBRID AND MANY COMPLAINT POSTERS SUGGESTING THAT I VOICE MY CONCERN HERE.

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SPORT AWD 2008 MAKES CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING. RESEARCHED ISSUE ONLINE AFTER TAKING TO MULTIPLE SHOPS THINKING IT WAS TRANSMISSION ISSUES AND LEARNED ABOUT FAULTY INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. I HAVE TO PAY $536 THROUGH LOCAL MECHANIC FOR FIX BECAUSE TOYOTA WONT ISSUE RECALL OF KNOW DEFECTIVE PART DESIGN.