2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

AFTER AN SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE AND REAR BRAKE JOB AT FIRESTONE A FEW DAYS EARLIER IN ATLANTA, I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND MY CHECK VSC SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. I THEN TOOK IT BACK TO FIRESTONE AND THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND THERE WERE NO CODES; SUBSEQUENTLY THEY SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DIAGNOSIS AT THE DEALER REVEALED THAT I NEEDED A NEW ABS ACCUMULATOR AND THIS COULD BE REPAIRED FOR $3,118. I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN SPENDING THIS AMOUNT SINCE THE PART HAS A KNOW DESIGN MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON CLEARING THE CHECK VSC SYSTEM LIGHT AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CODE CLEARED FOR ABOUT 9 DAYS AND REAPPEARED ON YESTERDAY FOR SOME REASON. WHAT CAN I DO? *TR

I HAD CLOSED THE WINDOWS TO DISCOVER THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW WAS STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. I HAD WRITTEN TO TOYOTA REGARDING THIS ON 08/29/2012 THEIR RESPONSE -THEY HAD NO DATA TO SHARE ON WHAT COMPLAINTS THEY RECEIVE TO PROVIDE TO THE PUBLIC AS THAT IS PROPRIETARY. TOYOTA SENT IT TO THEIR NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS, GIVING ME A FILE #. THE WINDOW IS NOW STUCK AGAIN. AND HAPPENED ANOTHER TIME SINCE 08/28/2012 I JUST SEARCHED TOYOTA POWER WINDOW CONTROLS, THERE IS A RECALL, DATED ANNOUNCED OCTOBER 10, 2012, THEY ARE SAYING CERTAIN MODELS 2007-2009 HIGHLAND AND MORE. IF TOYOTA DID SEND MY COMPLAINT TO THEIR HEADQUARTERS A MONTH AND A HALF EARLIER, THEY SHOULD HAVE CHECKED THEIR RECORDS, THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER 2006 HIGHLANDERS. *TR

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY, STOPPED WAITED FOR TRAFFIC,BACKED UP, GOT STUCK ON A SMALL PILE OF SNOW, LEFT REAR TIRE STARTED TO SPIN I PULLED FORWARD AND BACK AGAIN THE TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON, HAD NO TRACTION. IT HAPPENED AGAIN, BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. *TR

LIGTHS CAME ON FOR ABS AND BRAKE WHILE TRYING TO STOP VEHICLE. TOYOTA DEALER HERE IN FLORIDA WANTS TO REPLACE ACTUATOR BRAKING SYSTEM AT MY COST $ 2,850 INCLUDING LABOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT LENS AND HIGH BEAM BULB MELTED. AS A RESULT, THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO EXCESSIVE ELECTRICAL POWER TRAVELING TO THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY AND THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,250.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE BRAKES FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED. PER TOYOTA, THE VIN # FOR THE CAR IS NOT IN THE "BATCH" INVOLVED IN A RECALL IN 2010 INVOLVING THE MASTER CYLINDERS FOR HIGHLANDERS, AND THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE RECALL FOR THIS CAR. *TR

WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WHEN AN ALARM SOUNDED AND SEVERAL DASHBOARD LIGHTS LIT UP. CENTER DISPLAY SAID "CHECK VSC SYSTEM". I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST $2,800. OTHER THAN A VIBRATION UNDER THE HOOD WHILE SLOWING DOWN THE CAR APPEARS TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT IS ON WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE ABS MAYBE DISABLED. I WAS ABLE TO RUN A VSC DIAGNOSTIC AND PULLED CODE 45. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF REPORTED INCIDENTS FOR THIS FAILURE IT APPEARS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON A MOUNTAIN HIGHWAY MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER STARTED MAKING AN EXTREMELY LOUD SQUEALING NOISE FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH. ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH CAME ON AND REMAINED ON. I LOST BRAKING POWER AND PEDAL WENT EXTREMELY HARD. VEHICLE BRAKES LOCKED UP WHILE GOING DOWNHILL AND VEHICLE SPUN OUT OF CONTROL. ALMOST HIT AN ONCOMING VEHICLE COMING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. BRAKES HAVE BEEN MALFUNCTIONING SINCE, VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT BEING DRIVEN. *TR

I SWERVED TO AVOID A DEER AND HIT A CONCRETE ABUTMENT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS TOTALED .THE HIGHLANDER AIRBAG DID NOT WORK PROPERLY; I HIT THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN VERY HARD AND RECEIVED A CONCUSSION. ALSO A DAMAGED DISK IN MY NECK, WHIPLASH, CHEST CONTUSIONS, AND FACIAL ABRASIONS. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NORMAL SPEED, I NOTICED THE CAR OVERHEATING. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED. PULLING INTO A 70 YEAR OLD SERVICE CENTER IN CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND, I LEFT THE CAR WITH RELIABLE SERVICE PEOPLE AND THEY CHECKED IT OUT. IT SEEMS THAT THE BOLTS HAD COME LOOSE FROM THE ENGINE AND FLUID WAS GOING INTO THE PISTONS,THEY REPORTED TO ME THAT THE THREADS IN THE ENGINE WERE FAULTY, I THINK THEY SAID ALUMINUM, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN METAL. I AM NOT MECHANICALLY INCLINED SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT THE ENGINE HEAD WAS NOT SECURE AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER TOYOTA ENGINES. ANYWAY, AT 70 YRS OLD, IT TOOK ALL THE MONEY I HAD TO REPAIR IT AND THEY INSISTED THAT I LOOK FOR A RECALL, BECAUSE THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. $1842.00 LATER, THE CAR IS RUNNING LIKE IT SHOULD NOW. IF TOYOTA DOESN'T TAKE CARE OF ME, I WILL SPEND THE REST OF MY LIFE SPREADING THE WORD. I WILL START AT THE RHODE ISLAND DEALERS, GO ON LINE AND CONTACT ALL THE PROPER AREAS. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO MY TOYOTA.THIS IS THE CAR THAT THEY ADVERTISE WILL LAST 265000 MILES IF MAINTAINED PROPERLY. I BOUGHT THE CAR AT EARL STEWART TOYOTA IN LAKE PARK, FLORIDA. [XXX] TOLD ME HE WAS SORRY THAT THIS HAPPENED, TO REPORT IT TO TOYOTA. MY WIFE PASSED AWAY AND IT MOVED BACK TO MY HOME STATE IN RHODE ISLAND. THE CAR WAS MAINTAINED BY TOYOTA ALWAYS THRU MY WARRANTY. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR