2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKE ASSIST VACUUM PUMP FAILS TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE VACUUM FOR THE POWER BRAKE VACUUM ASSIST. RESULTING IS A LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. A BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATES INTERMITANTLY ON THE DASH PANEL AND POSSIBLY AN AUDIO WARNING AND ERROR MESSAGE. PLUS NO ERROR CODES ARE STORED IN MEMORY FOR FUTURE DIAGNOSIS. THIS HAPPENS WHETHER ON A RURAL ROAD, CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY. A PREVIOUS RECALL WAS ISSUED FOR THE 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FOR THIS SAME ISSUE BUT NOT FOR THIS SPECIFIC HIGHLANDER.

AT TIMES, THE BRAKES SEEM TO RANDOMLY LOCK UP. ALMOST LIKE THE PRESSURE IN THE BRAKE LINE IS AT FULL.

WHILE DRIVING INTO GRAND TETON NP OUR HIGHLANDER'S SUNROOF EXPLODED LOUDLY IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SPONTANEOUS FASHION. NO SIGN OF A ROCK OR OTHER ROAD DEBRIS WAS SEEN OR FOUND. FORTUNATELY, OUR SUN SHADE WAS CLOSED AND WE WERE NOT SHOWERED WITH GLASS. WE WERE TRAVELING ABOUT 45MPH AND THE WEATHER WAS SUNNY AND MILD AT ABOUT 68 DEGREES.

STEERING WHEEL LEATHER IS PEELING AND CAUSING ISSUES WITH GRIP. HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD AND FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING OUR HIGHLANDER WITH 20K ON IT THAT TOYOTA CLAIMS IS COSMETIC ISSUE. TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS VERY BADLY GOING UP HILLS AND ALMOST STALLS OUT.

LAST YEAR 02/22/2018 /3,168 MILES, I HEAR A BANG/NOISE FROM REAR OF MY HIGHLANDER ROAD ROUGH ONLY THEY FIXED. THIS YEAR 07/102019 /12,780 MILES SAME PROBLEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY RESPOND. APPROXIMATELY TWO SECONDS AFTER DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY ACCELERATED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CONICELLI TOYOTA (550 W. RIDGE PIKE, CONSHOHOCKEN, PA) ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, BUT NO FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,450. *AS THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES FOR THE SAME DEFECT. *TR

SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODING PANORAMIC SUNROOF.I WAS DRIVING ON A TWO-LANE HIGHWAY ALONE ON THE ROAD MAY 31, 2019 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30PM.I HAD MY SUNROOF COVER CLOSED AND WAS TRAVELING THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL TURNED ON.I HEARD A VERY LOUD AND SHARP NOISE, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A GUNSHOT.IT STARTLED ME QUITE A BIT, I WAS LUCKY TO BE THE ONLY CAR ON THE ROAD BECAUSE IF I HAD BEEN IN TRAFFIC AND HAD SWERVED FROM THE SHOCK OF THE NOISE,I MIGHT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT.I LOOKED AROUND AND CHECKED ALL OF MY WINDOWS, NONE WERE BROKEN.I THEN THOUGHT A TIRE HAD BLOWN, BUT I HAD NOT LOST ANY HANDLING, SO I CONTINUED ALONG THE HIGHWAY STILL WONDERING WHAT HAD HAPPENED.ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, SURROUNDED BY OTHER CARS AND AGAIN HEARD A VERY LOUD AND SHARP GUNSHOT SOUNDING NOISE.I AGAIN LOOKED ALL AROUND MY CAR AND DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE.BUT AT THIS POINT I WAS SURE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR AND DECIDED TO PULL OVER AT THE NEXT SPOT TO GET OUT AND INSPECT MY CAR.WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND I DROVE AWAY FROM THE INTERSECTION, I HEARD A SOUND AKIN TO ICE CUBES IN A GLASS AND KNEW THAT IT WAS BROKEN GLASS.AGAIN, I COULDN'T SEE ANY DAMAGE.I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AT THE ROOF OF MY CAR, THE REAR SUNROOF WAS SHATTERED INTO TINY PIECES LAYING ON THE SUNROOF COVER.I BELIEVE THE SUNROOF GLASS IS DEFECTIVE OR IMPROPERLY ENGINEERED AND FEEL IT IS A DANGER.THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP BLAMED IT ON A ROCK, BUT FROM THE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH I HAVE DONE, IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND THERE IS GROWING CONCERN SURROUNDING THE SAFETY OF THESE TYPES OF SUNROOFS IN ALL TYPES OF AUTOMOBILES.I FILED AN INSURANCE CLAIM TO COVER THE DAMAGE; BUT FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAMAGE AND FEEL VERY ANXIOUS NOW DRIVING MY CAR.I DO NOT FEEL IT IS SAFE AND WORRY CONSTANTLY ABOUT THE GLASS SPONTANEOUSLY BREAKING AGAIN.

APON ACCESLARATION , CAR HESITATE FOR A FEW SECOND, RPM GOES TO 5000 UNTIL VEHICLE SLOWLY START TO MOVE. FEELS LIKEW THER IS NO PROPER SYNCH BETWEEN ENGING AND TRANSMISSION. DANGEROUS WHEN PASSING OR AVOIDING A VEHICLE AHEAD OF YOU. THE SAME ISSUE WHILE USING THE CRUSE CONTROL, IT JUMPS FROM A FEW RPMS TO 5K + THAT ALWAYS I HAVE TO BRAKE TO AVID RAMMING A CAR AHEAD OF ME. BRAKES GET SOF THAT I HAVE TO PUMP IT A FEW TIMES. MILEAGE IS 1780 MILES.

MUSTY SMELL IN THE VEHICLE SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2018, VEHICLE BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP EARLY APRIL 2019 WITH NO RESOLUTION. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP EARLY MAY 2019. WATER FOUND UNDER PASSENGER CARPET ALONG WITH MOLD. ADVISED BY TOYOTA NO DEFECTIVE PARTS AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO.

THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM FAILED TO ASSIST IN AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC ON A HIGHWAY. SINCE THE REPAIR, THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ON THE SPEEDOMETER SIDE OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INTERMITTENTLY ILLUMINATES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL PULSES AS IF THE ABS SYSTEM IS ENGAGING. ONCE IT STOPPED ME SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY CITY STREET. WENT FROM 35 TO 0 VERY SUDDENLY. I HAVE TAKEN THIS TO 2 DEALERS AND THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG. THE SYSTEM DOES NOT INDICATE AN ERROR EVEN THOUGH THE LIGHT IS ON AND THEY TESTED WHILE IT WAS ON. I CAN RECREATE THE ISSUE BY ACCELERATING QUICKLY WHILE TURNING LEFT. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WHEN GOING STRAIGHT, BUT THE ONLY WAY TO GUARANTEE IT WILL HAPPEN IS TO TURN AND ACCELERATE QUICKLY. NEITHER OF THE 2 DEALERS I HAVE TAKEN IT TO HAVE FOUND THE ISSUE AND TOYOTA CUSTOMER CARE STOPPED CALLING ME BACK.