2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MAD AWARE OF PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE AT TIME OF FAILURE WAS 131,326.

THERE WAS FIRE IN THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY. THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE INVERTER AND THE TRANSMISSION WERE COMPLETELY COOKED AND MELTED. THE PROFESSIONAL OPINION OF A TOYOTA NATIONAL ENGINEER IS THAT THE GENERATOR IN THE TRANS AXLE SURGED AND CAUSED A FIRE MELTING THE COMPONENTS. HOW CAN THIS GO UN-INVESTIGATED WITH SO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. MY FAMILY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN BURNED ALIVE OR IN A FATAL CRASH DUE TO THIS COMPLETELY UNSAFE SYSTEM. HOW CAN TOYOTA CONTINUE TO SAY THEY ARE ALL ABOUT SAFETY WHEN THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT ISSUES LIKE THIS. THEY HAVE SENT ME A $16,000 BILL FOR THIS ISSUE THAT IS COMPLETELY A PRODUCT OF THEIR POOR AND UNSAFE VEHICLE. *TR

ABS BRAKE ACCUMULATOR FAILURE. VSC WARNING LIGHT. CODE C1391 90K MILES. $3000 REPAIR. ABS PUMP FAILS SO YOU HAVE LESS BRAKING FORCE ON HEAVY SUV AT HIGHWAY SPEED... ALL 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID AND LEXUS 400H IMPACTED. TOYOTA INTERNALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND REDESIGNED THE ACCUMULATOR FOR THE NEW HIGHLANDER. NO RECALL DUE TO THE SIGNIFICANT COST OF ACCUMULATOR. *TR

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN FOR A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT, THE VEHICLE WILL LUNGE FORWARD OR ACCELERATE UNTIL THE BRAKE IS APPLIED HARDER/PEDAL PUSHED DOWN FURTHER. THIS HAS BEEN DESCRIBED IN OTHER COMPLAINTS AS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED. IT ALSO FEELS AS IF THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SLOW DOWN, HOWEVER, ONCE IT SLOWS TO ABOUT 10-15 MILES PER HOUR, THE CAR ACCELERATES FORWARDS OR THE BRAKES SOME RELEASE THEMSELVES EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL IS CONTINUOUSLY HELD DOWN. *TR

TOYOTA HEATER CONTROL UNIT HAS MALFUNCTIONED SO THAT TEMPERATURE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKS AND NOW AIRBAG, AC SWITCH, REAR DEFROSTER, AND VENT CONTROL NO LONGER WORKING. ENTIRE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. UNFIXED THIS HAS POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKES WHERE DEPRESSED WHEN SUDDENLY THE ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS MODULATOR VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL WORK. ONCE THE TECHNICIAN OPENED THE INVERTER CASE WE FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS FOR BOTH THE INVERTER AND TRANSMISSION WERE COMPLETELY MELTED AND COOKED DUE TO A FIRE INSIDE THE INVERTER. I AM NOW LOOKING AT A $15000 REPAIR BILL WITH TOYOTA AND LUCKILY MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT BURNED ALIVE OR IN AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN FATALITIES. *TR

REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR AT THE END OF A RAMP. SEVERE DAMAGE TO OTHER CAR. I WONDERED AT THE TIME WHY THE AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF, EVEN THOUGH MY BUMPER AND HOOD WAS DAMAGED. BUT, POLICE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE I WENT UNDER THE SMALLER CAR? I DIDN'T QUESTION HIS JUDGMENT, BUT NOW THAT I HEAR OF SO MANY OTHER TOYOTA CAR AIRBAGS NOT GOING OFF, I THINK THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

I HAVE OWNED THIS HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2006, FOR EXACTLY 1 WEEK. THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS LEADING UP TO THIS ONE WHILE OWNER DROVE VEHICLE THAT WEEK. OWNER STARTED CAR ON SATURDAY MORNING TO GET KIDS TO SOCCER GAME AND VOCAL CLASS, BOTH MISSED. UPON STARTING VEHICLE DRIVER NOTICED P/S WARNING SENSOR LIGHT ON DASHBOARD. THEN PUT CAR IN REVERSE AND REALIZED THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING IN VEHICLE? THIS WAS THE ONE AND ONLY LIGHT THAT CAME ON. CONTACTED DEALERSHIP WHO SAYS THEY WILL CONTACT OWNER ON MONDAY. *TR

ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT 70MPH, ENGINE/HYBRID SYSTEM DID NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR CRUISE CONTROL - NO WARNING LIGHTS. WAS ABLE TO COAST TO SIDE OF FREEWAY SAFELY. I TURNED OFF IGNITION AND RESTARTED THE CAR, VEHICLE RAN FLAWLESSLY AFTERWARDS. *TR