2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

IN NOVEMBER, 2013, THE VSC SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT AND SEVERAL OTHER LIGHTS ("ABS")CAME ON IN THE CAR. A WARNING NOISE REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES SINCE THEN...THE SAME SOUND THAT COMES ON IF YOU FAIL TO FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT. THE DEALERSHIP TESTED THE SYSTEM AND DETERMINED IT NEEDS A NEW BRAKE ACTUATOR PART WHICH WITH LABOR COMES TO OVER $2,000.00. I FILED COMPLAINTS WITH TOYOTA AND OTHER NATIONAL GROUPS TO NO AVAIL. I RECENTLY WAS NOTIFIED OF ANOTHER TOYOTA RECALL AND CAME ON THIS SITE AND DISCOVERED AN IDENTICAL INCIDENT (NHTSA ID NUMBER:10562656.) PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AND ADVISE OF THE FINDINGS AS IT APPARENTLY IS A GROWING ISSUE AND RISK EXPERIENCED AND DOCUMENTED BY OWNERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGERS SIDE AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONED. THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED WHEN THERE WAS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE SIGNAL WAS BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

STARTED VEHICLE, POWER STEERING FAULT INDICATOR CAME ON. NO POWER STEERING. DOES STEER WHILE IN MOTION BUT EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN, IMPOSSIBLE WHILE STANDING STILL. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR 2 WEEKS AGO (3/17/14) AND IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR 500 MILES WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. LAST NIGHT I PARKED IN MY USUAL SPOT ACROSS THE ROAD FROM MY HOUSE. ON THE MORNING OF SUNDAY (3/30/14) I WENT TO TURN ON MY CAR AND I NOTICE A P/S RED LIGHT CAME ON AND DID A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND REALIZED IT WAS MY POWER STEERING FAILING. DID A QUICK TEST, CONFIRMED THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. I DID SOME FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND REALIZE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HIGHLAND HYBRID AND THERE WAS ALREADY A NHTSA ACTION (PE06055) FILED PREVIOUSLY BUT HAD NO CONCLUSION. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT UP AGAIN, THAT IT HASN'T GONE AWAY, IT IS DANGEROUS AND I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS WEB BLOG ABOUT THIS: HTTP://WWW.GREENHYBRID.COM/DISCUSS/F12/2006-HCH-LOST-POWER-STEERING-BRIEFLY-25044/ HTTP://ANSWERS.EDMUNDS.COM/QUESTION-POWER-STEERING-FAILURE-ON-2006-HIGHLANDER-HYBRID-9455.ASPX IT IS ABSURD THAT TOYOTA REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT A BAD QUALITY PRODUCT THEY PRODUCE. IF THEY DON'T WANT TO RECALL, AT LEAST FIX THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM RATHER THEN HAVE PEOPLE SHELLING OUT THEIR MONEY (ON TOP OF WHAT THEY ALREADY PAID TO PURCHASE THE CAR) TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA CREATED IN THE OUTSET. *TR

THE DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR FALLS DOWN AND BLOCKS MY VIEW OF THE ROAD. THE VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN POSITION. IT IS TOO HEAVY. *TR

IN OCTOBER 2013 I HAD A "CHECK VSC SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT. UPON TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE BATTERY AND REPLACED IT AND THE WARNING LIGHT WENT AWAY. HOWEVER, OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE STARTED NOTICING A "SQUEAKING" SOUND COMING FROM THE AREA UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE BUT THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. YESTERDAY, THE SAME "CHECK VSC SYSTEM" WARNING POPPED UP, ONLY NOW IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A NUMBER OF OTHER LIGHTS ON THE DASH, INCLUDING "ABS" "BRAKE" THE "TIRE PRESSURE (!)" AND ONE OTHER LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE TO THE UPPER RIGHT OF THE "READY" TEXT. THE DEALER HAS JUST TOLD ME THERE WERE TWO COMPUTER CODES, ONE IS C1241. THEY SAID THE PREVIOUS DEALER DID NOT DIG DEEP ENOUGH INTO THE ISSUE IN OCTOBER, AND THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH PRESSURE. THE BRAKE ACTUATOR NEEDS REPLACEMENT, THE PART IS $1,800 AND WITH LABOR AND TAXES THE BILL COMES TO OVER $2,400. BASED ON OTHER RESEARCH I HAVE DONE TODAY THIS SEEMS TO BE A GROWING ISSUE THAT MANY OWNERS ARE FACING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, WITH SUNROOF, SUNSHADE AND WINDOWS AND DOORS CLOSED, THE SUN ROOF AND SUNSHADE WAS RIPPED OUT OF THE CAR. THE PIECES WENT FLYING INTO THE ROAD AND SIDE OF THE ROAD BEHIND ME. THANKFULLY NOT HITTING OTHER CARS. WE HAD NO NOTIFICATION OF A RECALL, OR PROBLEM WITH SUNROOF UNIT. *TR

DRIVE SIDE VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN POSITION. WHEN I WANT IT DOWN TO BLOCK THE SUN FROM MY EYES, IT HANGS IN THE MIDDLE AND WON'T STAY UP AGAINST THE WINDOW, IMPAIRING VISIBILITY. *TR

I WAS TURNING RIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN A WOMAN WALKING HER DOG BEGAN CROSSING THE STREET. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HER AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED SOUNDLESSLY FORWARD (CAR IS HYBRID BUT PRESSING ACCIDENTALLY ON THE GAS PEDAL WITH FORCE WOULD HAVE CAUSED REVVING NOISE) AND I COULD NOT CONTROL IT.. I RAN OVER THE WOMAN'S FOOT AND ALSO HER DOGS FEET. I DROVE THE CAR UP OVER A CURB WHICH RESULTING IN A FLAT TIRE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE CAR OR MYSELF. THE WOMAN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BUT HAD NO BROKEN BONES. THE DOG HAD BRUISING AND DISCOMFORT BUT NO SERIOUS INJURIES EITHER. TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD FIND NO ALERTS, WARNINGS, OR ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT TO ACCELERATE UNINTENTIONALLY. *TR

THE CASE WAS STOPPED AND PLACED IN PARKING WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING FORWARD AT ABOUT 3 MPH. I ALMOST HIT A CAR 5 FEET IN FRONT OF ME(AT THE TIME I PLACED THE HIGHLANDER IN PARKING GEAR) AND IT ENDED 6 INCHES AWAY FROM THE CAR IN THE FRONT. I HAD TO STEP ON THE BRAKE SHIFT GEARS FROM PARKING TO DRIVE. SHIFT AGAIN TO PARKING AND WHILE KEEPING THE BRAKES ON I PRESSED ON THE PARKING BRAKE AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. THERE WAS NO INCLINE IN THE STREET OR ANY DECLINE OBSERVABLE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ORIGINAL FAILURE. MY WIFE AND MY 1 YEAR OLD CHILD WERE INSIDE THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR