2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

WHILE IN THE MOUNTAINS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE ALL THE VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON AND THE VEHICLE SHUTDOWN. WHILE NEGOTIATING THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I BARELY AVOIDED AN AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND IT RESTARTED AND DROVE IT TO A MECHANIC WHO DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND ALL OF THE VEHICLE WARNING LIGHTS DISAPPEARED AND IT DROVE FINE. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE INCLUDING TODAY (JULY 7, 2015). WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT IT WAS LIKELY AN INVERTER THAT WOULD COST ABOUT $10,000. WHILE CHECKING THE TOYOTA RECALL WEBSITE, I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF OTHER RECALLS INVOLVING INVERTERS AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS IN 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS BUT WAS TOLD THAT THESE DID NOT IMPACT THIS VIN #.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH THE STEERING SEIZED AND MADE STEERING THE VEHICLE VERY DIFFICULT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING; HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MECHANIC CLEANED THE POWER STEERING PUMP, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR BEGAN TO FAIL ON JUNE 13, 2015 WHERE IT WOULD NOT STAY IN ITS INTENDED POSITIONS, SNUG AGAINST THE ROOF OR WINDSHIELD, BUT COULD BE KEPT OUT OF THE WAY. ON JUNE 22, IT NOT LONGER STAYED IN EITHER FIXED POSITION BUT REMAINED DOWN, IMPAIRING MY VISION SIGNIFICANTLY. IT HAD TO BE HELD UP BY HAND UNTIL I COULD GET HOME TO REMOVE IT.

MY WIFE AND I WERE TRAVELLING ON I-95 (SOUTHBOUND) TOWARDS RICHMOND, VA. MY WIFE WAS THE DRIVER. WE WERE STEADILY TRAVELLING AT A SPEED... BETWEEN 65 AND 70 IN THE LEFT LANE (REQUIRED SPEED LIMIT). ALL OF A SUDDEN, WITH NO WARNING, THE PANEL LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING AND THE POWER TO THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF. MY WIFE WAS SCREAMING BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL OR EFFECTIVELY APPLY BRAKES. SHE TRIED AND PULLED CAR OFF THE ROAD BARELY AND WE PUSHED IT OFF TO A SAFE SIDE. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF WE WERE TRAVELLING IN THE MIDDLE LANE. THE CAR WAS LEFT OVERNIGHT AND TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER. THE DEALER CALLED BACK AND GAVE A QUOTE OF $10000 BECAUSE THE HYBRID INVERTER HAVE TO REPLACED. I MENTIONED THE RECALL ON THE INVERTER. THE DEALER SAID THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER MY ISSUE. THERE IS A RECALL ON YOUR WEBSITE -WHAT ACTION OR RECOURSE DO I HAVE. THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE CAR REPLACED THE INVERTER AT 16200 MILES. EVIDENTLY ALL THE 2006 INVERTERS ARE DEFECTIVE. MY QUESTION IS THIS ---WHY YOUR DEPARTMENT IS TOYOTA TO GET AWAY WITH SUCH A SERIOUS DEFECT?

I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID NORTH ON US 41 AND A DODGE CARAVAN MADE A LEFT TURN AT WEST COUNTY LINE ROAD IN FRONT OF MY TRAVEL POSITION. I COULD NOT AVOID HIM AND I HIT HIM IN HIS RIGHT REAR NEAR THE WHEEL WITH THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE CAUSING THE AIR BAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL TO DEPLOY. WHEN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED THERE WERE SPARKS AND POSSIBLE FRAGMENTS THAT HIT MY LEFT ARM AND WRIST CAUSING FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE BURNS...UPDATED 09/15/15 *BF UPDATED 10/26/2017*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYBRID INVERTER MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

ENGINE MECHANICAL ~|~CHECK AND REPORT...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT ON DASH, .FOUND INVERTER PUMP NOT WORKING PROPERLY ~|~REPLACED INVERTER WATER PUMP

ENGINE MECHANICAL ~|~CHECK AND REPORT...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT ON DASH, ,,CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING, HAD TO PULL OVER AND GET THE VEHICLE TOWED IN TO THE DEALERSHIP... ~|~TECH PULLED CODE P0A05,P0A08,P0A93, ...FOUND INVERTER PUMP NOT WORKING PROPERLY ~|~REPLACED INVERTER WATER PUMP

I WAS DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY BETWEEN 45 -50 MPH. SUDDEN A BUNCH OF LIGHTS AND WARNINGS CAME UP IN THE DASHBOARD. I LOST POWER STEERING AND MOTOR PROPULSION TOO. I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENED. ALTHOUGH I HAD THE ABILITY TO BRAKE, IT SEEMED THAT THE BRAKING WAS ALSO IMPAIRED. HOWEVER BECAUSE I WAS GOING UP AN INCLINE I DID NOT NEED STRONG BRAKING. I MANAGED TO COAST OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. LUCKILY THERE WERE ONLY A COUPLE OTHER CARS NEAR ME SO IT WASN'T TOO DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER BY THEM AND COAST TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE BREAKDOWN LANE WAS. ONCE I WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED I SHUT THE CAR DOWN COMPLETELY AND RESTARTED IN THE NORMAL HYBRID STARTUP MANNER. THE CAR PROPULSION AND STEERING CAME BACK BUT NOW THE MESSAGE WAS ALTERNATING BETWEEN "MAINTENANCE NEEDED" AND "CHECK VSC SYSTEM", AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND SYMBOL WAS ON. I SHUT OFF EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL TO MINIMIZE ELECTRICAL DRAIN. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR ANOTHER 8-10 MILES TO GET HOME BUT I WAS CONSTANTLY LOOKING TO SEE WHERE I COULD PULL OVER IF THE CAR STOPPED AGAIN. I MADE IT HOME. TOMORROW BRING IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. SIGNIFICANTLY, I RECENTLY HAD THE BRAKE ACTUATOR REPLACED AT A COST OF AROUND $2700, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY WARNED ME THAT I COULD LOSE BRAKING AND OTHER ELECTRONIC FACILITIES UNPREDICTABLY. I THOUGHT THAT EXPENSIVE REPAIR WOULD AVOID THIS. UNFORTUNATELY IT APPEARS THAT WHAT THEY WERE PREDICTING COULD HAPPEN DID HAPPEN, BUT AFTER THE REPAIR! I WAS ON A HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR DIED BUT WITH NOT MUCH TRAFFIC AND AN EASY ACCESS BREAKDOWN LANE. HAD IT BEEN 10 MINUTES LATER I MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON A MUCH BUSIER HIGHWAY IN A PLACE WHERE A BREAKDOWN LANE IS MUCH HARDER TO REACH. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD IT BEEN DAYTIME AND IN A SAFER AREA I WOULD HAVE STOPPED AND CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK. *TR

DRIVING FROM AUSTIN TO SAN ANTONIO MOSTLY AT 70MPH. NOTICED BRAKE, ABS, SLIP INDICATOR AND LOW PRESSURE TIRE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. STOPPED TO CHECK UNDER HOOD, BRAKING WAS NORMAL. BRAKE FLUID LEVELS WERE NORMAL BUT ABS ACTUATOR SEEM TO BE CYCLING EVEN WHILE MOTIONLESS. TESTED BRAKING AND EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEM. DROVE BACK TO AUSTIN. TOOK CAR TO DEALER THE NEXT DAY, WAS TOLD IT WAS A LEAK IN THE ACTUATOR BODY AND IT HAD TO BE REPLACED. COST $3580.00. HAVE DEFERRED REPAIRS.