2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED AND CAUSED A CRASH. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 04/02/13*LJ UPDATED 04/12/2013 *JS

MY HH HAS ABOUT 160,000 MILES ON IT. I HAD RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE AND CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP 3 TO 5 TIMES, EACH TIME WAS PUT OVER TO "RECALL CENTER", WHICH EQUALS VOICE MAIL WITH NO RETURN CALL. EVER. LAST WEEK WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED RUNNING AND WAS FLASHING ERROR MESSAGES ON DASHBOARD, INCLUDING CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. IT ENDED UP AT THE DEALER AS CLOSEST MECHANIC DID NOT HAVE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO CHECK IT. I ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK AND REPAIR THE RECALL(S) WHILE THEY REPAIRED THE CAR. THEY ENDED UP TELLING ME THAT THE ISSUE, WHILE RELATED TO A RECALL INVOLVING PART OF THE INVERTER, THAT THE PARTS REQUIRED FOR THE REPAIR WOULD COST $9000 OVER WHAT THE RECALL INVOLVED, BUT THAT, THEY WOULD BE SO NICE AS TO ONLY CHARGE ME $4000 FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE THE CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED EVERY 5000 MILES UP TO 100,000 MILES AT A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM, I SEE THAT THOUSANDS OF 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNERS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM AND, IN FACT, TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGED PROBLEM NOT ONLY BY CHANGING THE INVERTER IN 2007 MODELS, BUT ALSO BY DOING THIS COMPLETE REPAIR JOB THAT MY VEHICLE NEEDS FOR MANY, MANY OWNERS FOR UNDER $1000. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN INADEQUATELY RESPONSIVE TO THESE ISSUES; I HAVE NOW CONTACTED TOYOTA'S "CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER" AND AM AWAITING THEIR RESPONSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE PLASTIC HEADLIGHT COVERS WERE MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THERE WAS NOT A DEFECT FOUND IN THE VEHICLE. THE REGIONAL MANAGER ALSO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF ALL OF THE WARNING INDICATORS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V342000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS BUT THE DEALER EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTIES IN PERFORMING THE REMEDY FOR THE RECALL DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. UPDATED 5/11/12 *LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID . THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V342000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE PARTS NEEDED FOR RECALL REPAIRS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE NOT ADVISED THE CONTACT OF WHEN THE PARTS WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE UNTIL THE RECALL WAS REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

FOR THE PAST MONTH OR SO, THE HIGHLANDER HAS BEEN MAKING A SQUEAKING NOISE AT THE END OF A MODERATELY HARD STOP. IT ALSO MAKES THE SAME SOUND SOMETIMES WHEN BEGINNING TO MOVE AFTER START-UP AND THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED. I WENT TO THE DEALER ON FEB. 21, 2012, AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE ABS ACTUATOR MAKING THE NOISE. THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THAT THE NOISE WAS NO PROBLEM, HE SAID IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, AND THAT THE ABS ACTUATOR ONLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IF I DID NOT WANT TO PUT UP WITH THE SOUND. IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PART TO REPLACE, AND SHOULD BE EXPECTED NOT TO FAIL OVER THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. I READ ONLINE THAT ABS ACTUATORS HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE IN HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS, SO I HAVE REPORTED THIS INCIDENT. *TR

COOLANT LEAKED FROM ENGINE ONTO FLOOR IN LARGE AMOUNTS. OUR MECHANIC SAID THREADS WERE STRIPPED AND HEAD GASKET BOLTS HAD PULLED OUT. ONLY SOLUTION, NEW ENGINE OR POSSIBLE REBUILD BY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. WE WERE UNDER 60,000 MILE WARRANTY BUT OVER 60 MONTHS. TOYOTA REFUSED TO HELP US. SADLY I'VE BEEN CHANGING MY OWN OIL AND DIDN'T KEEP ALL RECEIPTS FOR A MAINTENANCE RECORD. LESSON LEARNED. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP OFFERED NEW ENGINE FOR $7,300 OR REBUILD FOR $4,600. WE HAD NON-TOYOTA MECHANIC REBUILD THREADS FOR $2,300. CAR WORKS FINE NOW. WAY MORE MONEY THAN WE EXPECTED TO SPEND ON A TOYOTA WITH UNDER 60,000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF AND EXITING, THE FRONT DRIVER'S WINDOW ROLLED DOWN INTO THE DOOR PANEL. NEITHER THE DEALER, NOR THE MANUFACTURER, WERE MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

I SWERVED AND STOPPED SUDDENLY WHEN SOMEONE PULLED OUT FROM A SIDE STREET TO AVOID A COLLISION. WHEN I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR, I COULDN'T. EVERYTHING "SEIZED" UP. I JUST COULD NOT MOVE THE CAR. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY INVESTIGATED AND SAID THAT THE ACTUATOR WAS STUCK OPEN AND ALLOWING BRAKE FLUID TO CONTINUALLY ENTER THE WHEELS, THEREBY ENGAGING THE BRAKES. IN FACT, THE MECHANIC COULD ONLY MOVE THE CAR ONCE HE DISABLED EITHER THE BRAKES OR THE ACTUATOR, HE WASN'T SPECIFIC. FROM READING OTHER CUSTOMER DISCUSSIONS ONLINE, IT APPEARS THAT THIS PART IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY. MY DEALERSHIP LOOKED UP THE GENERAL WARRANTY AND SAID THAT THIS WOULDN'T BE COVERED. MY CAR HAS HAD REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I THINK A PART LIKE THIS SHOULD BE COVERED AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR *KB

DRIVING HOME AND CAR LOST POWER. "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" LIGHT CAME ON. LUCKILY, IT WAS LATE, SO THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC, AS THE CAR JUST DIED. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUT INTO PARK BEFORE ROLLING BACK DOWN HE HILL WE WERE DRIVING UP. CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE INVERTER FAILED, AND WOULD COST $9,000 TO REPAIR, WHICH IS NOT MUCH LESS THAN WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH WHEN IT IS RUNNING. CAR HAS BEEN RECALLED, BUT DEALER SAYS THE PARTS SERIAL NUMBER IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. CALLED TOYOTA CORPORATE WHO HAS ASSIGNED A CASE MANAGER WHO IS TO CONTACT ME WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY. *TR