2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATION - WHEN NEEDING TO ACCELERATE QUICKLY (AS WHEN ENTERING A FREEWAY) AFTER SLOWING DOWN OR COASTING, THE TRANSMISSION HAS DOWNSHIFTED TO A TOO-LOW GEAR OR NEUTRAL. THE ENGINE SPEEDS UP TO APPROXIMATELY 5000 RPM WITHOUT INCREASING THE CAR SPEED. LETTING UP ON THE GAS AND ACCELERATING MORE EASILY ALLOWS THE VEHICLE SPEED TO INCREASE. SO FAR, THIS HESITATION HAS NOT CAUSED ME TO BE REAR-ENDED. THE DEALER SAYS THIS OPERATION IS "NORMAL." *NM

ON OUR 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE, AND ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP, LETTING OFF ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND IMMEDIATELY PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR RATHER HARD TO ATTEMPT TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE INCREASES RPM'S, BUT NO POWER GOES TO THE WHEELS. IT IS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT GEAR TO SHIFT INTO. YOU HAVE TO LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, AND LET THE RPM'S COME BACK DOWN, AND THEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY DETERMINES WHAT GEAR TO SHIFT INTO, AND YOU CAN THEN PRESS DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR TO REGAIN FORWARD MOMENTUM. WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR IS GOING TO SHIFT INTO THE PROPER GEAR, AND MOVE FORWARD ACCORDINGLY. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN MY OPINION. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THIS LOSS OF TRANSMISSION ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, NOT JUST ONCE. *NM

CONSUMER TIRE PRESSURE WAS 38 PSI AND WAS TOLD BY DEALER AND GOODYEAR THAT IT WAS HIGH AND SHOULD BE AT 30 PSI. *JB

I HAVE A 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED W/V6 ENGINE. WHEN I ACCELERATE AT LOW SPEEDS, THEN TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE AGAIN, THERE IS A PROLONGED HESITATION BEFORE THE VEHICLE STARTS TO ACCELERATE. THE SAME PROBLEM EXISTS WHEN YOU MAKE A TURN AND THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE AGAIN. THE OTHER DAY I WAS TRYING TO PULL OUT ONTO A WELL TRAVELED ROAD. I MOVED OUT INTO THE FIRST LANE AND THEN TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE NEXT LANE WAS CLEAR. I SAW THERE WERE CARS COMING AROUND THE CURVE TOWARDS ME IN BOTH LANES. I HIT THE GAS AND THE CAR HESITATED. THEN FINALLY IT STARTED TO MOVE. I BARELY MISSED BEING BROADSIDED. I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER THIRTY YEARS AND HAVE DRIVEN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT VEHICLES. I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND AM VERY CONCERNED FOR MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND TOYOTA AND THEY SAY THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION. AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED THIS IS ANYTHING BUT NORMAL AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. *NM

DT: 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6- THE CONSUMER DROVE OFF THE LOT ON JUNE 3, 2005; THE CRUISE CONTROL BEHAVED ERRATICALLY AND IT OFTEN FELT AS IF IT WAS ACCELERATING A COUPLE OF MILES BEHIND THE DESIRED SPEED. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO PASS THIS TURKEY WHICH YIELDED DIFFERENT RESULTS. THERE IS SOMETIMES AWKWARD DOWN SHIFTING AND RAPID ACCELERATION WHICH IS PRECEDED BY HESITATION. THE CONSUMER APPROACHED A VILLAGE INTERSECTION, DOWNHILL WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CONSUMER TOOK HIS FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE AND BEGAN TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO DESIRED STREET. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO APPLY A BIT OF GAS AND NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO APPLY A BIT MORE GAS AND AGAIN NOTHING HAPPENED. THE THIRD TIME THE CONSUMER ADDED A BIT MORE GAS AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TOO FAST CAUSING THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S HEADS TO TIP BACK. THIS WAS A NARROW MAIN STREET IN A MAIN VILLAGE. THERE WERE LOTS OF POSSIBLE TARGETS, CARS/ KIDS BIKES, AND OTHERS. THEN THERE WAS THE UNANTICIPATED DOWN SHIFTING FOR BRAKING EFFECT THAT TIPPED HEADS FORWARD, BUT THAT WAS ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY, AND NOT QUITE AS ANNOYING OR NEARLY OF THE SAME CONCERN. THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER FIRST ASSERTED THAT THERE WERE NO ADJUSTMENTS ACCESSIBLE FOR THE MECHANICS. INABILITY TO DO SOMETHING. AFTER APPLYING MORE GAS AND VEHICLE HESITATION CONSUMER SEARCHED FOR A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) AND FOUND NONE. BUT FOUND ONE FROM JUNE 3, 2005 THAT RELATED TO RECALIBRATING OF THE TRANSMISSION. ABSOLUTELY NO MENTION OF EXPRESSIONS OF CONCERN OR EARLIER TSBS. *AK *MR

HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING. COMPLAINT FILED WITH DEALER ON 8/10/05. I WAS ADVISED THAT THIS IS NORMAL. THIS IS A CONSTANT CONDITION AND NOT SAFE. *NM

MY 2005 HIGHLANDER OFTEN HESITATES RIGHT WHEN I NEED THE MOST ACCELERATION. *NM

I AM A CERTIFIED CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN AND HAD A PARENT COME TO ME WITH CONCERN ABOUT THE THIRD ROW SEATING IN HER TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2005. THE HEAD RESTRAINTS IN THIS MODEL ONLY HAS TWO NOTCHES. THE FIRST IS UP ABOUT 4 INCHES AND THE SECOND AROUND 5 INCHES. THERE IS A HUGE GAP IN BETWEEN. THIS SEAT CANNOT BE USED FOR A CHILD IN A NO BACK BOOSTER SINCE THIS HEAD RESTRAINT HAS NO NOTCHES THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THIS CHILD'S HEAD HEIGHT. IT IS EITHER TOO LOW OR TOO HIGH. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY STATED THAT THEIR VEHICLES MEET OR EXCEED ALL SAFETY STANDARDS. THEY REFERRED ME TO CONTACT THEIR LOCAL CONSUMER RELATIONS PERSON WHICH THE PARENT IN CONCERN HAD BUT THE GENTLEMAN HAD NO CLUE WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT. UNLESS THIS IS YOUR PRIMARY FOCUS THIS MAY HAVE GONE UNNOTICED BUT THIS PARENT HAD THE CONCERN AND CHECKED INTO IT. SHE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADJUSTED IN SOME WAY. IT SEEMS THAT ADDING A FEW NOTCHES COULD ACCOMMODATE MANY MORE PASSENGERS IN THIS VEHICLE. THIS IS USELESS TO HER AND THIS IS THE MAIN REASON WHY SHE PURCHASED THIS 7 PASSENGER VEHICLE. *NM

DT: CALLER SAID THAT TWICE HIS VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN HITTING THE GAS PEDAL. WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL TO PASS A CAR NOTHING HAPPENED FOR A FEW SECONDS. DEALER SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT, AND THAT WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE WA SDESIGNED. DEALER SAID THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET.*AK

1-MERGING INTO TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE, AND MAKING A TURN AND MERGING INOT TRAFFIC 2-ENGINE HESITATION FOR A FEW SECONDS, THEN VEHICLE RESPONDS WITH SURGE IN SPEED. CARS COMING BEHIND ME HAD TO BRAKE/CHANGE LANES TO KEEP FROM HITTING ME. 3-I DIDN'T TRY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED, BECAUSE I UNDRSTAND THAT TOYOTA IS SAYING THIS IS NORMAL, AND NOT A PORBLEM.