2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

WHEN I BRAKE AND HAVE MY FOOT FIRMLY AND GRADUALLY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE CAR SLOWS BUT THERE ARE THESE ONE SECOND INSTANCES WHEN THE CAR CONTINUES TO COAST/LUNGE FORWARD AS IF IT IS NOT GOING TO STOP. THESE PROBLEMS OCCUR BETWEEN 25 MPH AND 30 MPH AND ALSO SOMETIMES AT 5 MPH. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE FEELING THAT I AM NOT IN CONTROL OF THE CAR. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V342000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE WITHOUT GIVING REASONABLE EXPLANATION TO THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND SIDED WITH THE DEALER, ADVISING THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD RELEASE ANOTHER NOTICE TO INFORM CONSUMERS WHEN THEY WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO PERFORM THE WORK RECALL WORK ON SELECTED VEHICLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

I PURCHASED A USED 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FROM A FERNELIUS DEALERSHIP IN MICHIGAN IN APRIL 2011 - IT WAS IN MINT CONDITION WITH 56210 MILES ON IT - THOUGHT I HAD MADE THE BEST DEAL EVER - THEN THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING WHILE DRIVING IT OVERHEATED. THOUGHT I HAD BLOWN A HEAD GASKET ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE THREAD BOLTS ON THE SHORT BLOCK HAD STRIPPED OUT AND LEAKED RADIATOR FLUID EVERYWHERE CAUSING IT TO OVERHEAT. AT THAT TIME THE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT I NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME TOO BAD I BOUGHT A USED VEHICLE IF I WANTED TO TOW IT TO THEM THEY WOULD LOOK AT IT. I THAN CONTACTED TOYOTA CORPORATION ONLY TO BE TOLD PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING, SINCE I WASN'T THE ORIGINAL OWNER THEY WEREN'T GOING TO HELP ME EITHER. SO NOW I'M STUCK TRYING TO FIND AN ENGINE BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP CAN ONLY OFFER ME ONE WITH 58000 MILES ON IT INSTALLED FOR ABOUT $7,000, AND FROM WHAT I'M READING ON THE INTERNET THEY HAVE THIS PROBLEM WHEN THE ENGINE REACHES RIGHT OUT OF THE WARRANTY AT 60,000 MILES. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND CORPORATION WON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND FIX THE ENGINE OR AT LEAST OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE. WHY SHOULD THEIR FAULTY ENGINE PART BE MY PROBLEM? NOW OF COURSE BEING JUST A WORKING STIFF AND RETIRED MILITARY MONEY DOESN'T GROW ON TREES AND I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER VEHICLE, SO I HAVE TO GET IT FIXED. I WON'T BUY ANOTHER TOYOTA AGAIN SINCE THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR OWN PRODUCT, BUT I'M STUCK WITH THIS ONE FOR NOW. *TR

THE FRONT WINDOW DEFROSTER AND HEATER CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER ASSEMBLY IS DEFECTIVE. ICE BUILD-UP ON THE FRONT WINDOW IS KNOWN TO IMPAIR A DRIVER'S VISIBILITY AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. THE NUT ON MY TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER WAS SEVERAL TURNS LOOSE! THE ORIGINAL MULTI-STRANDED WIRES SOLDERED TO THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER WERE RIGID BECAUSE THEY WERE TOO WELL TINNED WITH SOLDER AND BROKE FROM VIBRATION FATIGUE; DUE TO THE LOOSE NUT ON THE TEMP-CONTROLLER POTENTIOMETER SHAFT. TOYOTA OR SUMITOMO (VENDOR) SHOULD COVER THIS UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY DUE TO THE LOOSE NUTS (POOR WORKMANSHIP)! THE PROBLEM IS WELL DOCUMENTED WITH PHOTOS AT "HTTP://WWW.DEVALCOURT.COM/2010/03/FIXING-2004-TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER-AC-AND-HEAT-ISSUE/#IDC-COVER". OVER 385 PEOPLE HAVE LEFT COMMENTS THERE; SEVERAL OTHER WEBSITES DOCUMENT THE SAME PROBLEM. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK HYBRID AND VRC SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST RESULT SHOWED A DEFECT IN THE HYBRID BATTERY. THE CONTACT DID NOT AUTHORIZE THE DEALER TO PERFORM ANY MORE TESTS OR REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A CURB AND THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE POWER STEERING AND THE HYBRID COMPUTER SYSTEM FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINED ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER BUT NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. UPDATED 02/09/12*LJ THE DEALER REPLACED THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY. UPDATED 02/29/12

WHEN RUNNING AND DECELARATING WHEN ARRIVING AT A STOP, I APPLIED A REGULAR PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES. AT SOME POINT IN THE BREAKING THE SYSTEM STOP BRAKING AND TRUCK KEEPS RUNNING. AFTER FEW SECONDS AND EXTRA PRESSUR THE TRUCK STAR BRAKING AGAIN. TWO MONTHS LATER I HAVE TO CHANGE BOTH BEARINGS ON MY TRUCK. AS A PROFESSIONNAL ELECTRICAL ENGINEER, I WOULD SAY THAT THE HYBRID SYSTEM SEEMS DEFECTIVE AND SOME CURRENT IS FLOWING TO THE GROUND. THIS RESULT IN BEARING DISCHARGE. THIS NON-BRAKING BEHAVIOR IS OCCURING FREQUENTLY AROUND 3 TO 4 TIMES A WEEK. *TR

THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND HAD TO BE TOWED. DEALER SERVICE NOTES THAT INVERTER FAILED ALONG WITH COMPONENT THAT GOES WITH IT. VEHICLE NON-FUNCTIONAL. *KB

MY SON WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. HE DROVE APPROX 2 MILES FROM OUR HOUSE AT AN AVERAGE SPEED OF 35 MPH WHEN THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SUDDENLY WENT PAST THE RED LINE. HE DROVE OUR CAR APPROX 2 MILES BACK TO OUR HOUSE. WE THEN HAD IT TOWED TO SAVANNAH TOYOTA WHERE THEY CHECKED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THE HEAD WARPED AND THE BOLTS STRIPPED . I WENT TO SAVANNAH TOYOTA AND TOLD THEM THAT I HAD JUST HAD THE CAR THERE FOR AN OIL CHANGE A MONTH PRIOR. AT THE TIME OF OIL CHANGE, SERVICE WRITER NOTED UNDER THE HOOD THAT HE THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THE WATER PUMP MAY BE LEAKING AS THERE WAS FLUID ON THE UPPER PART OF HOOD. THERE WAS NO NOTIFICATION OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE WATER PUMP. A MONTH LATER, THE ABOVE OVERHEAT CONDITION OCCURRED. WHEN WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BURNED UP AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF 5000.00. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO OUR REGULAR MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE BLOCK, JUST THE HEAD NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROX. 2200.00.SAVANNAH TOYOTA DID CHARGE US $600 TO CHECK WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM AND IF THE ENGINE COULD BE SAVED. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE BLOCK BOLTS WERE STRIPPED AND COULD NOT BE RE-INSTALLED. AFTER DIS-ASSEMBLING THE ENGINE TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM THEY DID NOT EVEN REASSEMBLE OUR ENGINE. THE CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AT 70,000 MILES. WE HAVE NOT YET REPAIRED THE PROBLEM CAR HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE 3-20-11 TO DATE 11-22-2011 . *TR