2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

ON SATURDAY APRIL 27 AT 2 PM I PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND WAS GETTING OUT. THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS AND AS I WENT TO REACT WAS KNOCKED DOWN AND PINNED UNDER THE FRONT LEFT TIRE OF THE CAR. MY THREE CHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK WATCHING THEIR MOTHER LYING ON THE GROUND HELPLESS AND SCREAMING FOR HELP. THANK GOD TO GOOD SAMARITAN'S THEY LIFTED THE CAR OFF OF ME WHILE I WAITED FOR THE EMS TO ARRIVE. SEVERAL WITNESSES SAID THE CAR WAS IN FACT IN PARK AND THIS SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED. I AM SEVERELY SORE AND INJURED AND THIS SHOULD NOT EVER HAPPEN. THIS HAPPENED ON HYLAN BLVD. PARTY CITY IN STATEN ISLAND NEW YORK.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE COFFEE CUP ICON DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HUDSON TOYOTA (599 ROUTES 440 SOUTH, JERSEY CITY, NJ, 07305, (201) 201-5483). THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE, REPLACED THE ENGINE OIL, REPLACED THE FILTERS, AND ROTATED THE TIRES. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT A METAL FRAGMENT WAS LOCATED IN THE MOTOR AREA; HOWEVER, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE METAL OBJECT THAT WAS LOCATED IN THE MOTOR. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THAT THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,966.

SINCE IT HAS BECOME COLDER IN THE MIDWEST AROUND NOVEMBER 2018, I CAN HEAR A CLUNK OR A 'THUNK' KIND OF SOUND WHEN I MAKE A COMPLETE STOP OR PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE. THE SOUND IS COMING FROM THE BACK, THE AREA WHERE THE BRAKES ARE, BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE. THIS IS IN MY 2017 HIGHLANDER AWD XLE. I HAVE ADDRESSED IT WITH AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA SERVICE DEALER MANY TIMES BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN 'FOUND' BY THEM. THEY ADJUSTED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SHOES AND LUBRICATED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PARTS, BUT NOTHING HAS FIXED IT. THE SOUND KEEPS COMING BACK. I HAVE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. THE CASE IS NOW CLOSED DUE TO THE SERVICE DEALER STATING THE SOUND IS NOT A 'DEFECT' AND THEY HAVE TO BASICALLY WAIT FOR MORE COMPLAINTS TO TAKE ANY ACTION. I CAN HEAR THIS SOUND ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 30+ TIMES A DAY WHEN I DRIVE AROUND IN A CITY AND SUBURBAN SETTING, WHERE I AM STOPPING AT MANY STOP SIGNS AND RED LIGHTS. IT IS LOUD ENOUGH TO HEAR OVER SOME LOW TO MEDIUM LOUD MUSIC PLAYING. IT ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGING. I AM WORRIED THE BRAKES WILL FAIL OR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WILL ENGAGE WITHOUT ME SETTING IT. I HAVE SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH ME MOST OF THE TIME. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

I STOPPED AT MY NEIGHBORS HOUSE TO GIVE HER SOMETHING,I LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING WHEN I WENT IN TO HER HOUSE AS SOON AS I WENT INTO HER HOUSE I HEARD A NOISE LOOKED OUT AND COULDN'T SEE THE CAR,I WENT OUT SIDE AND THE CAR HAD JUMPED IN TO GEAR AND WENT INTO HER GARAGE ( THE DOOR WAS OPEN) THE CAR HIT HER BIKE,GOLF CLUBS THERE WAS A 2X4 ON A CHAIR THE CAR HIT THE 2X4 AND THEN THE OTHER END OF THE 2X4 HIT HER WASHING MACHINE WITCH STOPPED THE CAR.THE DOOR WAS LOCKED SO I WENT HOME (3 HOUSES FROM HER HOUSE) TO GET THE OTHER SET OF KEYS THE CAR STILL WOULDN'T UNLOCK SO I USED THE THE KEY THAT IS IN THE REMOTE CONTROL TO UNLOCK IT AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF.I CAN'T BELIEVE THE CAR LOCKED BECAUSE THE KEYS WERE IN MY PURSE THAT WAS IN THE CAR.THE 2X4 WENT INTO THE ENGINE AND A TOW TRUCK HAD TO TAKE IT TO THE GARAGE.I CAN'T BELIEVE THE CAR JUMPED INTO GEAR AND MOVED ON ITS OWN. AT ONE TIME WHEN WE HAD AND OIL CHANGE MY HUSBAND TOLD THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT WHEN WE PUT THE CAR IN GEAR THE CAR WOULD MAKE A CLUNK NOISE AND HE SAID THEY ALL DO THAT. MAYBE THEY DO BUT I WOULDN'T THINK SO AFTER WHAT HAPPENED.

I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE WITH DYNAMIC SPEED CONTROL ON. THE CAR SLOWED APPROPRIATELY TO MATCH THE SPEED OF THE THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. SUDDENLY SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES APPEARED: MASTER WARNING LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE, CHECK AWD, GO TO TOYOTA DEALER, ENGINE POWER LOSS.THE CAR SLOWED TO ABOUT 35 MILES AN HOUR (IN A 65 MPH AREA) WHILE TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME WAS AT (OR ABOVE) THE SPEED LIMIT. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO THE SHOULDER AND TURN THE CAR OFF. I TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO USE MY SMARTPHONE TO FIND THE NEAREST DEALER AND PLANNED TO GO OFF THE EXIT (WHICH WAS JUST A FEW YARD AHEAD) AND TRY TO MAKE IT TO THE DEALER ON SIDE ROADS. WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR ALL LIGHTS AND WARNINGS WERE OFF AND THE CAR DROVE WITHOUT INCIDENT UNTIL I REACHED THE DEALER NEAR MY RESIDENCE, ABOUT 100 MILES AWAY. THE SERVICE REP AT THE DEALER ADVISED I HAD TRAVELED TOO FAR SINCE THE INCIDENT FOR THEIR COMPUTER ANALYSIS TO WORK AND HE HAD NO ADVICE EXCEPT TO GO TO THE NEAREST DEALER IF IT EVER HAPPENED AGAIN. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME INFO ON HOW TO AVOID SUCH AN INCIDENT AGAIN.

SEVERAL INSTANCES WITH VEHICLE MOVING ON A CITY STREET LESS THAN 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO A SIDE STREET THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL ENGINE POWER AT THE GAS PEDAL. ATTEMPTS TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL HAS NO AFFECT, THEN AFTER ABOUT 5-8 SECONDS THE VEHICLE RESPONDS TO THE GAS PEDAL AND STARTS MOVING. I HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WHEN MOVING SLOWLY ON A CITY STREET AND ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE LANES, WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE CHANGE THE VEHICLE LOSES ALL POWER FOR 5-8 SECONDS AND THEN WILL START TO RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. THEN RESPONDS TO THE GAS PEDAL. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AS I'M UNSURE IF THE CAR WILL GO OR NOT WHEN THIS OCCURS. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE BACK TO TOYOTA'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT TWO TIMES FOR THIS PROB LEM AND THEY REPEATEDLY TELL ME THAT THEY CAN NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THAT THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING NORMALLY.

SITTING IN THE CAR WITH THE TRANSMISSION IN THE PARK POSITION, MOTOR AND ACCESSORIES OFF, THE TAILGATE OPENED ON ITS OWN SIX TIMES IN A 45 MINUTE PERIOD. EACH TIME WE CLOSED THE HATCH WITH THE BUTTON ON THE DASH. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME AND PARKED IN THE GARAGE, THE DOOR OPENED AGAIN BY ITSELF WITHIN A TWO HOUR PERIOD. ALL KEYFOBS WERE IN THE HOUSE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AT NIGHT, A CRACKING NOISE WAS HEARD ON THE ROOF FOLLOWED BY A LOUD EXPLOSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN ROOF WAS SHATTERED, BUT DID NOT COLLAPSE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF PHARR (956-815-2285, LOCATED AT 1625 W EXPY 83, PHARR, TX 78577) WHERE THE DEALER INSISTED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FALLING OBJECT. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR INSURANCE PURPOSES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,800. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED/QUIT WORKING AT A STOP LIGHT IN CHEYENNE, WYOMING 28 DECEMBER 2018 WITH ONLY 25,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS.

WHILE COMING TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE STARTED JOLTING LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHUT OFF. ONCE AT A FULL STOP, THE CAR DID NOT SHUT OFF. INSTEAD, ONCE I LIFTED MY FOOT OFF THE BREAK, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. I SHIFTED INTO PARK, BACK TO DRIVE, REVERSE, AND EVEN MANUAL BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. I WAS STUCK ON A ROAD WHERE CARS DRIVE 60-70 MPH IF THE LIGHT IS GREEN I WAS AFRAID THAT I WOULD BE READ-ENDED. I WAS HELPED BY A GOOD SAMARITAN OFF THE ROAD AND WAS FORCED TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE. NEXT MORNING, THE CAR STILL WOULD NOT MOVE AND WAS FORCED TO TOW IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. OUTSIDE OF SOME IRREGULAR DOWN-SHIFTING, THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ULTIMATELY, THE SYSTEM WAS REBOOTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO ME AFTER I TEST DROVE IT WITH THE SHOP FOREMAN. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DIAGNOSED, I FEEL UNSAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND AFRAID THAT PROBLEM MAY REOCCUR, LEAVING ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE DEALERSHIP ITSELF WAS VERY HELPFUL BUT THEY RELIED ON CORPORATE TOYOTA TO GUIDE THEM WITH DIAGNOSING AND FIXING THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS THEY CAME UP SHORT.