2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

AT 5:00 PM ON MAY 16, 2017 I DROVE HOME FROM WORK (15 MINUTES OF IN-TOWN DRIVING) EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND WENT INSIDE TO PREPARE TO LEAVE WITH MY FAMILY FOR MY SON'S SENIOR HONORS NIGHT. AT 5;45 PM WE GOT INTO THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY MY MOM AND MY HUSBAND SAID, "WHAT'S BURNING?". IT SMELLED LIKE PAPER BURNING. BEFORE LEAVING THE HOUSE, MY HUSBAND POPPED THE HOOD TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T A WIRE OR SOMETHING ELSE BURNING UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. WE DOVE 10 MINUTES TO TOWN TO EAT. WE STAYED IN RESTAURANT 30 MINUTES. WHEN WE RETURNED TO MY CAR, MY MOTHER GOT IN THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT AND AND MY HUSBAND IN BACK AND WE ALL SMELLED A STRONG SMELL OF SOMETHING BURNING. I LOOKED AT MY MOM BEFORE STARTING THE CAR AND SAW THE BLACK, BURNT HEADREST. IT APPEARS THERE WAS AN ACTUAL FLAME AT SOME POINT. EVERYONE GOT OUT OF THE CAR, WE REMOVED THE HEADREST, BUT THE BACK LEFT SIDE OF THE PASSENGERS SEAT WAS STILL VERY HOT TO THE TOUCH. MY HUSBAND DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE FIRE STATION NEARBY, SINCE THE TOYOTA DEALER WAS ALREADY CLOSED. THE FIREFIGHTERS UNPLUGGED THE WIRES FROM THE SEAT. THE SEAT COOLED BACK DOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. EVERY TIME A TURN WAS MADE, THE STEERING SHAFT MADE A NOISE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN JULY OF 2016. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE SHAFT ASSEMBLY FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED THE MILEAGE TO BE REPAIRED UNDER TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 0034-13. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

THE ABS SYSTEM FAILURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH A BRAKE MALFUNCTION WARNING. I HAD THE ABS ACCUMULATOR REPLACED AND THE ABS PUMP REPLACED, BUT NOW TOYOTA IS TELLING ME THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE ABS ACTUATOR REPLACED AS WELL. THE ABS SYSTEM IN THE 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID IS FAULTY AND EVENTUALLY LEAKS THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RENDERING THE ABS SYSTEM INOPERABLE. THIS TENDS TO HAPPEN OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND GETS WORSE WITH AGE. THUS IT TYPICALLY OCCURS AFTER ALL WARRANTIES ARE EXPIRED. THE PARTS REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM COST OVER $5000 FROM TOYOTA AND ONLY DEALERS HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO ATTEMPT THIS FIX. TOYOTA DID MAKE A VOLUNTARY RECALL "CUSTOMER SERVICE UPDATE" FOR THE 206 AND 2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS ABS SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, THE 2008 STILL HAS TREMENDOUS ABS SYSTEM PROBLEMS, AND THE PARTS SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR, BUT TOYOTA HAS YET TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE 2008 HH ABS SYSTEM. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM FOR THE 2008 HH AND THE ABS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MOST CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY ALMOST THE VALUE OF THE CAR JUST TO HAVE IT BE IN A SAFE, DRIVEABLE CONDITION.

MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WAS JUST DEEMED TOTALED BY THE CAR DEALERSHIP (NEWBURGH TOYOTA) AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY (LIBERTY MUTUAL), BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE RODENT DAMAGE. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE RODENTS WERE ATTRACTED TO THE WIRING BECAUSE TOYOYTA USES ECO-FRIENDLY SOY-BASED COATING ON THEIR WIRES WHICH ATTRACT RODENTS!! RODENTS CHEWED WIRES, THE WIRING HARNESS, PLUGGED DRAINAGE HOLES WITH THEIR BEDDING THUS CAUSING WATER DAMAGE, AND RUINED THE HYBRID BATTERIES. THE DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN $12,000, WHICH OF COURSE TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START UNLESS THE BATTERY WAS UNHOOKED TO "CLEAR" THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. WHEN IT STARTED THE ERROR MESSAGES/WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH WERE LIT UP EVERYWHERE, INDICATING IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE A SERVICE TECH STRIPPED THE INTERIOR AND DISCOVERED RODENTS NESTS, DROPPINGS, WATER, AND LOTS OF DAMAGE. PHOTOS ATTACHED. PARTS ALONE FOR THE REPAIR WERE MORE THAN $10,000, AND THAT DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTICS OR LABOR COSTS. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS HAS BEEN A GIANT HEADACHE!

THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING A CHIRPING NOISE WHILE STOPPED FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS. STARTING YESTERDAY THE CAR INFO SCREEN STARTED DISPLAYING WARNINGS SUCH AS CHECK ABS, BRAKE MALFUNCTION, ETC. THE BRAKES CAN BE DIFFICULT TO PRESS SOMETIMES, LIKE IT IS LOSING PRESSURE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE BRAKE ACTUATOR/MODULATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY SAID THEY ARE SEEING THIS ON A LOT OF TOYOTA/LEXUS BUILT SUVS. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ TODAY, IT LOOKS LIKE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM.

IT WAS RAINING AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS TAKING IN WATER. TOYOTA CLAIMED FROM CRACKED TAIL LIGHT BUT TAIL LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN LEAKING BEFORE. WATER IN BACK OF CAR RUINED HYBRID BATTERY AND TRANSITORS. AFTER LOOKING UP ISSUE. FOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AFTER THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. LUCKY MY WIFE HAD JUST PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON SUDDENLY. THE CAR STILL STOPPED, BUT THE BRAKES REQUIRED MORE PRESSURE. TOYOTA CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT, THIS PART ALONE IS $1600. ANOTHER RELATED PART TOYOTA SAYS IS REQUIRED COSTS ANOTHER $2600. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT FOR THE 2006 AND 2007 MODELS. GIVEN THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AND INVOLVES VEHICLE SAFETY, TOYOTA SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO THE 2008 HIGHLANDER'S.

PURCHASED THIS 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID NEW FROM GREENTREE TOYOTA IN DANBURY CT. WE SELECTED THE HYBRID VERSION TO SAVE ON GAS. LITTLE DID WE KNOW OUR SAVINGS IN GAS WOULD BE SUCKED UP IN OIL CONSUMPTION. I NEED TO CARRY A CASE OF OIL IN THE CAR AT ALL TIMES. ASKED TOYOTA SERVICE IN DANBURY CT TO INVESTIGATE AND THEY CONDUCTED THE SAME OIL TEST OTHERS SPEAK ABOUT. ALTHOUGH THEY SAY OUR HIGHLANDER PASSED THE TEST I END UP ADDING ABOUT 2 QUARTS OF OIL BETWEEN EVERY OIL CHANGE. THIS CAR WAS SERVICED IN EXACT COMPLIANCE WITH THE RECOMMENDED SERVICE SCHEDULE. THE TOYOTA SERVICE DEPARTMENT IN DANBURY CT JUST SAYS THAT IT IS NORMAL FOR A CAR WITH 135,000 MILES ON IT TO BURN OIL. THIS WAS A HUGE INVESTMENT. I WOULD EXPECT AT LEAST 200K MILES ON A CAR BEFORE EXPERIENCING THIS SORT OF PROBLEM. VERY DISAPPOINTING. I WOULD HAVE EXPECTED TOYOTA TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. INSTEAD WE GET A WELL ORCHESTRATED DON'T ADMIT ANY WRONGDOING RESPONSE. TOYOTA SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR PRODUCING A SUBSTANDARD PRODUCT.

I STARTED THE CAR ONE MORNING TO FIND ALL OF MY BRAKE WARNINGS SUDDENLY ON. THE VEHICLE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ANY ISSUES PRIOR TO THIS, AND UPON GETTING THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN ABNORMAL LEAK IN THE ACCUMULATOR. NO INCIDENT OR SIGNS OF ISSUES LED UP TO THE SUDDEN MALFUNCTION--IT WAS IN GREAT OPERATING SHAPE LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT, AND EVEN UPON PARKING AND DISENGAGING THE CAR THE EVENING BEFORE. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING WITH HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNERS, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING SOMEWHERE. I JUST HAPPENED TO BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO ENCOUNTER THE PROBLEM UPON TURNING ON THE CAR.