2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LOCKS ON THE VEHICLE DID NOT LOCK WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO GEAR. THE ONLY WAY THAT THE DOORS LOCK WAS BY MANUALLY LOCKING THEM OR PUSHING THE POWER LOCK BUTTON. ONCE THE DOORS WERE LOCKED THEY COULD NOT BE OPENED BY THE PULL OF THE DOOR HANDLE ONLY BY THE POWER LOCK SWITCH OR MANUALLY. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS ONLY A PROGRAMMING ISSUE AND THAT THEY WOULD PROGRAM IT FOR HIM, BUT HE LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE A DOOR LOCK PROGRAM FEATURE. *AK UPDATED 2/22/2007 - *NM

I OWN A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6. I'M EXPERIENCING A PAUSE OR HESITATION SHIFTING INTO LOW AT VERY LOW SPEEDS (2 TO 4 MPH). THE HESITATION CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO LUNGE BECAUSE THE GAS PEDDLE IS DEPRESSED BEFORE THE LOW GEAR ENGAGES. I FEEL IT IS AN UNSAFE DESIGN BECAUSE IN SLOW TRAFFIC OR NEAR PEDESTRIANS I NEED TO KEEP MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO PREVENT THE CAR FROM LUNGING. TOYOTA HAS INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE IS "OPERATING AS DESIGNED". *NM

TRANPATH TOYO TIRES ON 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER THE TIRE CAME ON THE HIGHLANDER. THE TIRE SEEMED TO FUNCATION WELL UNTIL ABOUT 15,000 MILES. THE ROAD NOISE IS GETTING TO BE UNBEARABLE AND THE TRACTION IS POOR AND HAZARDED ON WET ROAD. THAT COULD CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. COMPLAINTED TO THE CAR SERVICE DEPARTMENT THEY OFFERED TO SALE US NEW TIRES WITH NO DISCOUNT. VERY DISAPPOINTED TO THE TIRE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH TOWARDS A STOP, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNALS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER WHO PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND TEMPORARILY RECALIBRATED THE ECM ENGINE. ADDITIONALLY, THE SERVICE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. *AK

WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A VERY SLOW SPEED (ALMOST STOP) MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WILL SURGE. I HAVE EXPERIENCE THIS WHEN TRY TO PASS OR WHEN SLOWED TO TAKE A TURN BUT WITH NOT COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT IT. I GET THE FEELING THAT THEY THINK IT IS NORMAL OR OK. *NM

SUMMARY: 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS SIGNIFICATION HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. 1.) EVENTS LEADING TO FAILURE: FAILURE IS CONSTANT SINCE IT IS PRESENT DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE; 2. FAILURE AND ITS CONSEQUENCES: IF I ACCELERATE (STEP ON THE GAS PEDAL), THE VEHICLE HESITATES/LAGS/DIES FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE VEHICLE WILL BEGIN MOVING. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE IS THAT THERE IS CONSTANT DANGER WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN DURING GAPS IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC. ALTHOUGH A MARGIN OF SAFETY IS ALWAYS USED, I AM AFRAID THAT ONE DAY, SOMETHING MAY HAPPEN TO REDUCE THIS MARGIN, E.G. ONCOMING CAR IS ACCELERATING VERY QUICKLY OR THE HESITATION WORSENS FROM A FEW SECONDS TO SEVERAL SECONDS; 3.) WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: NOTHING. CONTACTED TWO TOYOTA DEALERS, DON DAVIS TOYOTA AND FREEMAN TOYOTA, AND WAS TOLD BY JOHN AND TIM, SERVICE DEPT ADVISORS, THAT THIS IS NORMAL FOR TOYOTAS SINCE ADOPTING FLY-BY OR DRIVE-BY WIRE. BOTH AUTHORIZED TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES SAY THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS COMPLAINT BUT THAT THERE IS NOTHING TO BE DONE; THIS IS NORMAL OPERATING PROCEDURE AND FALLS WITHIN THEIR DESIGN PARAMETERS. NO PARTS WILL BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW BY TOYOTA. WHILE THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM, THEY DO NOT FEEL THEY NEED TO RESOLVE AND OFFER NO SOLUTION. *JB

2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. ISSUES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTING PROPERLY. SHIFT LAGS SEVERELY WHEN GAS PEDAL IS ENGAGED CAUSING VEHICLE TO LAG BEHIND AND NOT CATCH UP TO THE PROPER SPEED. VEHICLES BEHIND IT ARE IN A POSITION TO SEVERELY IMPACT THE REAR BUMPER BECAUSE VEHICLE IS NOT MOVING. HAVE HAD CAR TO DEALER AND THEY CLAIM THERE'S NOTHING THEY CAN DO. HAVE ASKED THEM TO CHECK SERVICE BULLETINS AND SEE ABOUT RESETTING THE COMPUTER WHICH TOYOTA CLAIMS IS THE PROBLEM. RESETTING THE COMPUTER DOESN'T WORK. *JB

UNEXPLAINED VEHICLE ACCELERATION WITH INABILITY TO STOP BEFORE HITTING VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. PULLED OFF OF ROAD BEHIND TRUCK TO PARK. LIFTED FOOT FROM GAS PEDAL TO PUT ON BRAKE SO AS TO PUT VEHICLE INTO PARK. THERE WAS THEN AN EXTREME VEHICLE ACCELERATION WHICH WAS UNCONTROLLABLE WITH BRAKE. SLAMMED INTO TRUCK. TOYOTA CORP CLAIMS NO ERRORS LOGGED IN COMPUTER SYSTEM, AND THAT IF FOOT WOULD HAVE BEEN ON BRAKE PEDAL, THE FILAMENT WOULD HAVE BROKEN. I CAN'T BE CERTAIN THE BRAKING HAPPENED BEFORE THE ACCIDENT-IT WAS VERY FAST. I AM CERTAIN FOOT WAS ON BRAKE AND NOT ON GAS!! THERE HAS BEEN A PREVIOUS DENIAL OF A PETITION TO INVESTIGATE NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF THIS IDENTICAL SITUATION WITH OTHER TOYOTA'S-(NHTSA ACTION # DP05002). NHTSA PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS!! THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING-DO SOMETHING BEFORE THERE ARE DEATHS! IS TOYOTA IMMUNE FROM SAFETY RECALLS? I'M SORRY YOU COULDN'T FIND EVIDENCE OF A DEFECT, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG. SEVERE HESITATION, SUDDEN ACCELERATION=POSSIBLE DEATHS. I'VE RECEIVED MY REPAIRED VEHICLE, AND WHEN I WENT TO TRADE IT IN, I WAS OFFERED THOUSANDS LESS THAN TRADE IN IS SUPPOSED TO BE! IF TOYOTA REALLY BELIEVES THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THEIR CAR, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM? AGAIN THEY'RE NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE! *NM

I DROVE UP HILL, SLOWED, TURNED, AND PULLED BEHIND TRUCK TO PARK OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS WAS ALSO UPHILL. THE CAR WAS STOPPED, I WENT TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO SHIFT INTO PARK, AND THE CAR FOR SOME REASON ACCELERATED WILDLY (LOUD ROARING OF ENGINE). IT THEN LURCHED FORWARD VERY FAST AND SLAMMED INTO THE TRUCK THAT WAS IN FRONT OF ME. I HAD NO POWER TO STOP IT. THIS INCIDENT WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF MY CONTROL. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST WITH THIS VEHICLE WITH SEVERE HESITATION. I HAVE ALSO HAD A HESITATION, FOLLOWED BY EXTREME ACCELERATION. I DID FILE A COMPLAINT PREVIOUSLY. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A CHILD I HIT INSTEAD OF A TRUCK!. THE DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. THIS IS A SPORADIC OCCURRENCE, BUT IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AT ALL. *NM

I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FUNCTIONING OF THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. IT BEGAN ONE MONTH AFTER I PURCHASED THE NEW CAR. THE PROBLEMS HAVE PROGRESSIVELY GROWN WORSE AND ARE MORE FREQUENT. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATES THAT THE HESITATION AND JERKING OF THE TRANSMISSION IS NORMAL AND A RESULT OF THE ELECTRONIC CONTROLLING OF THE TRANSMISSION. EVEN AFTER THE DEALERSHIP UPDATED THE SOFTWARE, THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO HAVE PROBLEMS. THE DEALERSHIP NOR TOYOTA HAVE NOT OFFERED ANY SOLUTIONS. *JB