2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

MY VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A DEALERSHIP IN JANUARY 2017 AND THREE WEEKS LATER, THE ABS CONTROL MODULE/PUMP FAILED. WITHOUT A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING ABS CONTROL MODULE/PUMP, OPERATING THE VEHICLE WOULD BE DANGEROUS DUE TO THE 'STICKING BRAKE' BEHAVIOR. MY TOYOTA-CERTIFIED GARAGE CHARGED ME OVER $3,000 TO REPLACE THIS PART. THE GARAGE, WHO I'VE BEEN USING FOR OVER 7 YEARS AND ABSOLUTELY TRUST, SAID THAT THE LOCAL TOYOTA PARTS DISTRIBUTOR HAD OVER 10 UNITS OF THIS PART IN STOCK, WHICH THE GARAGE SAID WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR AN ITEM THIS EXPENSIVE. I SEARCHED MULTIPLE ONLINE FORUMS (TOYOTANATION.COM, US.TOYOTAOWNERSCLUB.COM) AND THIS SAME PREMATURE FAILING OF THE ABS ACTUATOR WITHIN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE/PUMP HAS HAPPENED TO HUNDREDS OF OWNERS, USUALLY AFTER THEIR HIGHLANDER HYBRID PASSES 100,000 MILES. I FEEL THAT THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART AND BASED ON THE HIGH INVENTORY LEVELS KEPT ON HAND BY TOYOTA PARTS DISTRIBUTORS, IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD PROVIDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ABS ASSEMBLY AND REFUND THE AMOUNT THAT OWNERS HAVE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THIS DEFECTIVE PART REPLACED.

WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY IN A SCHOOL ZONE I ATTEMPTED TO STOP FOR THE CROSSING GUARD AND CHILDREN. THE BRAKE PEDDLE BEGAN PULSATING BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE BRAKE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND SHOWED ABS AND VSC FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THEY WOULD HAVE TO SPECIAL ORDER A PART AND CHARGED ME $1,800.00 FOR THE PART. THEY RECEIVED THE PART 1 WEEK LATER AND CALLED TO ADVISE THAT IT WAS THE WRONG PART AND THAT THE CORRECT PART WAS $1,000.00 MORE BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY. I COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THE TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP ME. MY VEHICLE WAS REMOVED FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE OWNER, (A RETIRED CERTIFIED TOYOTA MASTER TECHNICIAN) ADVISED HE COULD ORDER THE OEM ASSEMBLY, INSTALL IT, AND PROVIDE THE SAME WARRANTY AS THE DEALERSHIP FOR $ 2,100.00. HE FURTHER STATED THAT WHILE WORKING FOR TOYOTA HE HAD REPLACED HUNDREDS OF ASSEMBLIES ON 2007-2011 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID MODELS AS PART OF "TOYOTAS LIMITED REPAIR ASSISTANCE CAMPAIGN". HE FURTHER ADVISED THE ASSEMBLY WAS THE SAME FOR BOTH THE CAMRY HYBRID & HIGHLANDER HYBRID MODELS. ADDITIONALLY HE COULD SUPPLY ACCEPTABLE PAPERWORK IF TOYOTA CONDUCTS A LIMITED REPAIR ASSISTANCE CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID

UNDETECTED BRAKE FLUID LEAK WHILE IN USE. VEHICLE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS CHECKED FOR LEAKS BUT NOT VISIBLE.

I WAS DRIVING TO AN OFF RAMP WHEN MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY TRAFFIC! IT ALMOST CAUSED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT. I HAD IT TOWED AND THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP DIAGNOSED IT AS AN INVERTER CONVERTER PROBLEM AND WILL CAUSE ME $11000 (YES, ELEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS) TO REPLACE IT. THIS APPEAR TO BE AN ENGINEERING DEFECT FAULT. OF ALL THE WARNING IN PLACE IT SEEMS TO INFORM THE DRIVER, SUCH AS THE ABS LIGHT, LOW GAS GAUGE, LOW AIR, OIL MAINTENANCE WARNING, WHY NOT THE 'INVERTER PROBLEM DETECTED, BRING YOUR CAR TO THE DEALER NOW?'. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA IS BEING IRRESPONSIBLE IN DESIGNING A CAR THAT JUST SIMPLY STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY OR ON ANY STREET WITHOUT WARNING. THIS ERROR IS SUPER DANGEROUS AND CAN CAUSE INNOCENT LIVES AND TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IN CORRECTING THE WRONG INSTEAD OF HIDING BEHIND THE SCENE. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THERE ARE OTHER SUCH PROBLEM BUT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT MY VEHICLE ID NUMBER IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST. WHO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE ON THE RECALL LIST ANYWAY? CERTAINLY THIS IS A PROBLEM AFTER ALL IT IS AFFECTING VEHICLES 2006 TO 2012? PLEASE HELP.

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING ODD SCREECHING NOISE FROM THE RT FRONT WHILE STOPPED. LAST WEEK SEVERAL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON TELLING ME TO PULL OVER AND CALL FOR REPAIRS. I WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND SKID CONTROL ECU UNITS HAVE FAILED. THE COST OF REPAIR ( $3000) IS BEYOND COMPREHENSION FOR A VEHICLE OF THIS VINTAGE, 2008 WITH UNDER 100,000. WHILE THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THE NEXT MODEL YEAR IT DOES NOT COVER 2008. I BELIEVE IT SHOULD, BEING THAT SO MANY OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS EXACT , LIFE THREATENING PROBLEM. AT THIS TIME THE BRAKES WORK BUT WHEN APPLIED THEY MAKE A CONSTANT CLICK AND I FEEL RHYTHMIC RELEASE AND CATCHING THROUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL.

BRAKE FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. WARNING LIGHTS DID COME ON AND LOUD ALARM TOO. DEALER SAYS THIS IS PROBLEM WITH DEFECTIVE ABS PUMP AND/OR ACTUATOR. THIS ISSUE HAS LIFE-THREATENING POTENTIAL BECAUSE LOSS OF BRAKES WAS SUDDEN. HAD TO RESORT TO PARKING BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE. SAME PART WAS DEEMED DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED ON CAMRY HYBRID MODELS BY TOYOTA. SAME WARRANTY EXTENSION SHOULD BE APPLIED TO HIGHLANDER. *TR

TAKATA RECALL MY CAR WAS INVOLVED IN THE INITIAL RECALL, TOYOTA REPLACED THE AIRBAG IN SEPTEMBER 2015. IN OCTOBER 2016 MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED TO BE THE SAME ISSUE I HAD BEFORE - AIRBAG ISSUE. TOYOTA REFUSES TO FIX THE CAR AGAIN STATING THEY ONLY HAVE A ONE YEAR WARRANTY ON WARRANTY WORK WHICH THIS ISSUE IS JUST OUT OF THAT PERIOD. I HAVE TRIED TO REACH A MANAGER AT THE TOYOTA WARRANTY CENTER NUMEROUS TIMES BUT HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL.

AS I WAS MAKING A SLOW RIGHT TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET, THE STEERING WHEEL GAVE OUT AND I HIT A PARKED CAR. THEN MY DASHBOARD LIGHT INDICATOR FOR THE STEERING WHEEL LIT UP.

CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM WARNINGS; CODE TRACED TO ACCUMULATOR NOT HOLDING PRESSURE (C1391 ABNORMAL LEAK OF ACC PRESS). $2,500+ REPAIR. THIS SAME PART WAS ALREADY COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR THE CAMRY HYBRID AND THEY ARE BUILT ON THE SAME PLATFORM. SHOULD BE COVERED FOR THE HIGHLANDER AS WELL.

WHILE BRAKING TO STOP CAR IN A SCHOOL PICK UP LINE, WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES BEGAN FLASHING. WARNING LIGHTS STATED BRAKE MALFUNCTION, ABS SYSTEM ETC. DEALER RAN DIAGNOSTIC, STATED THERE IS AN INTERNAL LEAK OF BRAKE ACTUATOR, REPAIR COSTS $5500. LIGHTS WERE RESET AND 2 WEEKS LATER WHILE DRIVING LIGHTS AND WARNINGS CAME BACK ON. TOYOTA HAS RECALL FOR 2006AND 2007BUT NOT 2008. *TR