2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

I AM IN THE MILITARY AND HAD MY CAR IN STORAGE FROM 2008-2012 WHILE STATIONED OVERSEAS. I JUST TOOK MY CAR IN FOR THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE AND WAS TOLD MY HEADLIGHT COVER WAS FOGGY. WHEN I GOT HOME AFTER PICKING UP MY CAR I HAD NOTICED THERE WHERE TWO BURN MARKS THAT HAD MELTED THE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS WHERE THE HIGH-BEAM LIGHTS ARE. I HAD CALLED TOYOTA HEADQUARTERS AND THEY REFERRED ME TO THE HAWAII DEALERSHIP SINCE THEY COULD NOT LOCATE MY VIN NUMBER. I CALLED THE HAWAII DEALERSHIP, AND HAD NO LUCK THERE EITHER. THIS IS UNSAT AND IS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM FOR THIS YEAR OF TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND A HAZARD. I DO NOT KEEP MY HEADLIGHTS ON 24 HOURS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, SO WHY IS THIS HAPPENING. IN ADDITION, MY CAR ONLY HAS 66,600 MILES FOR BEING A 2006 MODEL. AS I SAID THIS CAR WAS IN STORAGE FOR 4.5 YEARS DUE TO MY OVERSEAS DUTY ASSIGNMENT. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SINCE I HAVE NO CONTROL OF THIS AND, IT IS A DEFECT IN THE MODEL / YEAR OF THE HIGHLANDER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.

ABS BRAKE ACCUMULATOR FAILURE AT 98,958 MILES. DEALER WANTS $3000 FOR REPAIR. IT LOOKS LIKE ALL 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS, SOME LEXUS MODELS ARE IMPACTED. TOYOTA KNOWS WHAT IS GOING ON AND THEY HAVE EVEN REDESIGNED THE ACCUMULATOR FOR THE NEW HIGHLANDER WITH A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER. TOYOTA WILL NOT ISSUE A RECALL DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT COST OF ACCUMULATOR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYBRID WAS CALIBRATING AND WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VSC AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACTUATOR AND THE HYBRID PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WOULD NOT START ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE CAR HAD BEEN RUNNING FOR SOME TIME , TURNED OFF FOR 5 MINUTES AND THEN IT WOULD NOT RESTART. AFTER SITTING FOR A FEW HOURS IT RESTARTED. SOME TIMES IT HAD TO BE JUMPED AND THE CODE READ "SHIFT TO PARK" EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ALREADY IN PARK. I TOOK IT IN AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT AND OF COURSE THEY SAID THAT THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING BEFORE. *TR

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, CAR BROKE DOWN AND STOPPED FUNCTIONING. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS CHARGED $4259.81 TO REPLACE TRANSFER CASE. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATING, I DISCOVERED THAT TOYOTA HAD ISSUED A TSB (TC008-07) TO REPLACE THE RIGHT-HAND BEARING SEAL THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. MY CAR WAS IN SERVICE AT THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES PRIOR WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS BY REPLACING THE SEAL. *TR

WE HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON AIR BAGS ON DIFFERENT MAKE CARS, AND TOYOTA WAS ON THE LIST. THIS WAS ON NEWS OCTOBER 22,2014. THE AIR BAG WAS CALLED TAECOTA, OR TAYCOTA. *TR

COMPLAINT: 2006 BASE HIGHLANDER, FWD, 4 CYLINDERS. BRAKE SYSTEM (VSC, TRAC OFF, ABS & BRAKE) AND TPMS LIGHTS ON, DISABLING SAFETY FEATURES. 1)TPMS FLASHING LIGHT. ISSUE MAY HAVE BEEN IN-PROCESS SINCE DAY 1. IT REGULARLY CAME ON, RESET BY DEALERS AND EVENTUALLY SHOWED US HOW TO RESET OURSELVES. 2)BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHTS. ALL (4) CAME ON, DIAGNOSED AS LEFT REAR WHEEL SENSOR. DEALER QUOTED COST: $1000. REPLACEMENT DIDN'T WORK, WOUND UP REPLACING WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY PIGTAIL. LASTED TWO (2) WEEKS, RE-DIAGNOSED AS ABS PUMP/CONTROL MODULE ASSEMBLY. DEALER QUOTED COST: $2500. WHILE THIS ITSELF IS RIDICULOUS, THE REPAIR COSTS WOULD EXCEED 1/8TH (13%) THE COST OF THE VEHICLE NEW! NOW, IN 2014, IT'S APPROXIMATELY (50%) OF THE CURRENT VEHICLES VALUE. THIS ISSUE HAS RECENTLY RESULTED IN SCREECHING TO A HALT IN DANGEROUS TRAFFIC. IT ESSENTIALLY NEGATES THE STAR SAFETY SYSTEM FEATURES, FOR VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS ISSUE CANNOT BE IGNORED ANY LONGER, SINCE IT'S THE TOPIC ON NUMEROUS WEB SITE FORUMS AND INQUIRIES AND EVEN SALVAGED USED PARTS ARE BEING SOLD BY MANY SITES FOR THIS PROBLEM. RECOMPENSE: REMUNERATION OF EXPENSES TO DATE AND FUTURE REPAIRS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS REQUESTED. REVIEW OF TSB AND/OR INVESTIGATION INTO RECALL CAMPAIGN TO FIX ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR

AFTER THE DATE OF THE CRASH THE CAR IS FAILING TO STOP PROPERLY. THE CAR WILL BUMP CONSTANTLY BEFORE A COMPLETE STOP. IT IS UNSAFE TO USE THE CAR AT HIGHER SPEED OR IN SUDDEN STOP SITUATIONS. IT IS ALSO MAKING A CONSTANT NOISE WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL HYBRID SHOP AND THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS QUICK IN JUST MINUTES. THEY SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL TOYOTA HYBRIDS. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS BUT NOT ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY. THEY SAID THAT PART SHOULD LAST FOR THE LIFE OF EVERY CAR BUT NOT FOR THE HYBRIDS. IT WAS A BAD DESIGN AND TOYOTA HAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR JUST DIAGNOSE BUT NOT REPAIR OR PREVENT. THE PART COST $2400 INCLUDING LABOR. I CALLED TOYOTA PR AND MAKE A COMPLAINT. THEY HAVE FAILED TO HELP ME NEITHER THEY PROVIDE STATUS ON THE COMPLAINT.

I ALREADY REPLACE THE BRAKE ACTUATOR WITH A COST OF $2,600.00, AFTER A YEAR IT FAIL AGAIN. AS RESEARCHING IN THE INTERNET I FOUND OUT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID. ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ACTUATOR IS PRIMING EVERY 15 SECONDS. *TR