2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR INCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE IN WHICH THE HYBRID SYSTEM SHUTTING DOWN. THE FIRST THREE TIMES THE VEHICLE WAS FINE WHEN I TURNED IT OFF, BUT WOULD NOT RESTART. WITH ALL THREE OF THESE INCIDENTS THE VEHICLE WOULD RESTART WITH NO ISSUES AFTER A FEW HOURS. THE CSV AND THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHTS AS WELL AS MOST OF THE PANEL LIGHTS WOULD COME ON. THE DEALERSHIP CHECKED IT TWO TIMES AND SAID IT WAS FINE. IN THE MOST RECENT EVENT, I WAS WAITING AT THE BOTTOM OF A DRIVEWAY. WHEN I WENT TO PROCEED I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD SOUND THAT SEEMED EQUIVALENT TO IT RUNNING AT A HIGH RPM. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR REVERSE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN, IT MADE THE SAME SOUND AND AGAIN DID NOT MOVE. THE CSV AND THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" LIGHTS AS WELL AS THE PANEL LIGHTS CAME ON. I ROLLED THE CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY AND TURNED IT OFF AGAIN. DUE TO THE PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED HISTORY OF THE CAR, I CHOSE TO WAIT AN HOUR BEFORE TRYING TO RESTART IT. AFTER WAITING AN HOUR, I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR AND THE EXACT SAME THINGS HAPPENED. AFTER PUTTING THE CAR ON THE SCOPE THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. I WAS CALLED AFTER TWO DAYS OF THE DEALER RUNNING MANY TESTS AND TOLD IT WAS THE INVERTER. THE PRICE QUOTED TO ME WAS $8000. I INSISTED THAT THEY NEEDED TO LOOK INTO THE TOYOTA RECALL OF THE HYBRID INVERTERS. I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS CHECKED BY ANOTHER DEALERSHIP ON AUGUST 15,2011, AND IT WAS "CLEARED." I ASKED THEM TO RECHECK THIS RECALL TO SEE IF MY CAR FIT INTO THE CATEGORY. I WAS INFORMED THEY WERE NOT GOING TO RECHECK IT, BUT THEY WOULD INSTEAD CONTACT TOYOTA. HAD THIS HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING UP OR DOWN MY DRIVEWAY, I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE GONE OVER THE 50 FOOT EMBANKMENT ON MY DRIVEWAY OR THE CLIFF DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE. *TR

PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. CAR CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE AND ABRUPT HALT. COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD MOMENTARILY SURGE FORWARD WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT A BRAKE MODULE AND THE TRANSMISSION WERE DEFECTIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT CLIPS ON THE FLOOR MATS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

DRIVERS SIDE SUNVISOR ON TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WILL NOT STAY UP. SUNVISOR FALLS AND BLOCKS VIEW OF THE ROAD. FORCED TO HOLD SUNVISOR UP WITH LEFT HAND WHILE DRIVING. *TR

I WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID UP THE DRIVEWAY AND AROUND TO THE BACK OF OUR HOME WHERE WE HAVE A REAR ENTRY GARAGE. AS I TURNED IN THE DRIVEWAY I STARTED TO SLOW/STOP THE CAR SO I COULD BACKUP TO PULL INTO THE GARAGE THE CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY STRIKING A SMALL TREE IN THE YARD DOING A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE LEFT FRONT, LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND LEFT QUARTER PANEL. IT'S POSSIBLY TOTALLED. IT WAS AS IF A SOMETHING SIEZED THE CAR AND SUDDENLY PULLED IT FORWARD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. IF THE TREE HAD NOT STOPPED THE CAR I WOULD HAVE STRUCK THE HOUSE. NO AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I AM BRUISED AND SORE BUT OTHERWISE OK. I HAD BEEN RUNNING ON BATTERY THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND UP THE DRIVEWAY BUT AFTER IT HAPPENED I NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS NOW RUNNING SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE SURGE WAS THE RESULT OF THE GAS ENGINE KICKING IN OR SOME OTHER SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM. *TT

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE BEFORE STALLING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE LOCATED IN THE ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 130,010.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED AND THE BRAKING DISTANCE HAD INCREASED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE BRAKES DID NOT FEEL SAFE AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THE FRONT BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE FRONT BRAKE PADS REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS STILL FAULTY AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH VIRGINIA FOOTHILLS, THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ON MY HYBRID STOPPED WORKING. I HAD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY, NO POWER STEERING AND WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS INCIDENT IF I HAD TO STOP FOR AN EMERGENCY. I SLOWLY PULLED OVER SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN AND AFTER A WHILE THE WARNING LIGHTS AND WARNING BUZZER WENT OFF. *KB

THE SUN VISOR IN MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID DROOPS DOWN FROM THE CEILING ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. APPARENTLY THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND YOU HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS, YET TOYOTA HAS DONE NOTHING TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM TEMPORARILY RELEASES WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR UNEVEN ROAD CONDITIONS. THIS PROBLEM ORIGINALLY STARTED IN WINTER, WHEN TEMPS WERE BELOW FREEZING. IT IS NOW HAPPENING NO MATTER WHAT THE WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TO THE TOYOTA DEALER 3 TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY SAY THEY CANNOT REPRODUCE THE FAULT, NOR DO THEY FIND ANY INFORMATION ABOUT IT WHEN THEY SEARCH THEIR DATABASE. THE INCIDENT DATE CITED IN THIS COMPLAINT IS THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. *TR