2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

BRAKE MALFUNCTION WARNING STOP THE VEHICLE AND CONTACT A DEALER, CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM, CHECK VSC (VEHICLE STABILITY SYSTEM)

CHECK BRAKE SYSTEMS, CHECK VSC LIGHTS, BRAKE MALFUNCTION ETC LIGHTS HAVE COME ON. THIS SAME PART WAS ALREADY COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE CAMRY HYBRID, AND THEY WERE BUILT FROM THE SAME PLATFORM!!!!

THE CAR BLEW THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPE LEAKING PROFUSELY I DROVE IT AT NIGHT CAME HOME AND THERE WAS A 12 X 12 OIL LEAK IN MY GARAGE. I PULLED IT OUT OF THE GARAGE WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING AND THERE WAS ANOTHER 12 X 12 OIL SPILL ON MY DRIVE WAY. I HAVE A LINE ALL THE WAY DOWN MY STREET OF THE OIL SPEWING OUT OF THE ENGINE . I HAD TO GET THE CAR TOWED THE FOLLOWING DAY TO TOYOTA WHO KNEW ABOUT THE PART AND OFFERED AN EXTENDED 10 YEAR WARRANTY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS ONLY 2 QUARTS OF OIL LEFT IN THE CRANK CASE. NO LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I WOULD HAVE BLOWN MY MOTOR FOR SURE IF I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE IS A VIDEO FROM TOYOTA ABOUT THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPE LEAKING AND THAT THEY CHANGED THE PART FROM RUBBER HOSES TO METAL. WHY WAS THERE NOT A RECALL ON THIS PART. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF IF IT WILL FAIL BUT WHEN. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS SITUATION!

WHEN DRIVING IN ROUTINE CITY DRIVING AT LOW SPEED, BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS LIT UP DASH. "CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM, CHECK VSC SYSTEM, CHECK ABS SYSTEM, PULL TO SIDE AND GO TO DEALER" DEALER DIAGNOSED PROBLEM AS BRAKE ACCUMULATOR PUMP ASSEMBLY. PART ALONE COST ABOUT 2,000.00 PLUS LABOR. PART IS NOT COVERED UNDER ANY WARRANTY AND UNLESS YOU FIX IT, IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THIS PART HAS FAILED IN OTHER TOYOTA MODELS THAT HAS RESULTED IN A RECALL. ,

WHILE OPERATING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, WE HAD THE ABRUPT ONSET OF A HIGH-PITCHED, CONSTANT SOUND. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DECELERATE TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY, WE FOUND THAT THE BRAKES WERE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING AND HAD TO APPLY THE PARKING/EMERGENCY BRAKE TO GET OFF OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. WE WERE TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO REPORTED FAILURE OF THE ABS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND THE BRAKE PUMP RESULTING IN COMPLETE LOSS OF BRAKE FUNCTION. REPAIR QUOTED AT ~$3000. THIS IS A REPEAT FAILURE OF THESE PARTS IN THIS VEHICLE, WHICH THE DEALER DOES NOT BELIEVE IS DUE TO THE FIRST REPLACEMENT PARTS BEING FAULTY.

MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAS BEEN MAKING NOISE EVERY 5 SECONDS AND THE NOISE LAST FOR 3 SECONDS. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY WHETHER THE ENGINE IS ON OR OFF. IT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED WHEN IT IS RUNNING (AS MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED ONLINE) BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF IT WHEN THE CAR IS ON THE MOVE. I WAS CONCERNED AND CHECKED ONLINE TO FIND OUT THAT IT IS THE ABS ACCUMULATOR PUMP AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF HIGHLANDER OWNERS THAT HAVE OR ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS RECENTLY ISSUED AN EXTENSION OF WARRANTY ON ITS 2006/2007 MODEL BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ON 2008. I HAVE ALSO READ FROM A FORUM THAT THE SAME PART ON CAMRY HYBRID HAS BEEN RECALLED. IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PART AND CRITICAL TO THE LIVES OF HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNERS. TOYOTA SHOULD ACT ON IT BY ISSUING A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID MODEL.

TURNING MY CAR RIGHT OR LEFT THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE AND I CAN'T GET A GOOD TURN. IT SEEMS THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRICAL POWERING STEERING. I HAVE RESEARCHED TO FIND OUT IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS AND THE ONLY THING I HAVE FOUND IS OTHER COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING. I BOUGHT MY CAR BASED ON RESEARCH AND THE DURABILITY OF TOYOTA, ALSO I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF THE CAR. I HAVE GONE IN FOR ALL THE RECALLS. BUT THE ISSUE WITH EPS HAS ME VERY CONCERNED.

DRIVING ON A RURAL 2 LANE ROAD THE CAR STARTED KNOCKING AND THE LIGHT FOR THE VSC CAME ON. IT SAID TO BRING TO THE DEALER. GOT HOME AND CHECKED THE OIL AND THERE WAS NOT ONE DROP ON THE DIP STICK. (MY OIL WAS CHANGED AT THE DEALER TWO WEEKS PRIOR). THE OIL WAS HOWEVER SPRAYED UNDER THE ENTIRE UNDERCARRIAGE. THE PART THAT IS THE PROBLEM IS THE OIL COOLER LINE.

BRAKE MALFUNCTION/ ABS MALFUNCTION/ NEEDS NEW BRAKE ACTUATOR/ 3600.00 TO REPAIR THIS. HAPPENED WHEN WE HAD TO APPLY BRAKES REPETITIVELY IN STALLED TRAFFIC.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 11V245000 (AIR BAGS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000.