2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS LENS WAS MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE 3M PLASTIC COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE PLASTIC WAS REMOVED FROM THE LENS AND THE VEHICLE WAS FURTHER INSPECTED WHERE THERE WERE NO ELECTRICAL FAILURES FOUND. THE INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT THE LIGHT BULB WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY DENIED THE CLAIM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 58,000. UPDATED 10/12/11*LJ UPDATED 3/22/12 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE WOULD MAKE A LOUD SOUND WHILE DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE AND HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL, AND THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIVE ROUGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT SOMETHING WAS BLOCKING THE CRANK SHAFT AND VARIOUS PIECES OF THE ENGINE COULD POSSIBLY BE OUT OF PLACE. A FULL DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT PROVIDED BECAUSE THE ENGINE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN TAKEN APART TO DO SO. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 87,000. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE PROBLEM WAS RELATED TO THE ENGINE AND NOT THE HYBRID SYSTEM. IT WAS DETERMINED A VALVE SPRING BROKE IN THE ENGINE. SOMEHOW, THERE WAS A WEAKENING IN THE VALVE SPRING IN THE CYLINDER HEAD THAT CAUSED THE VALVE SPRING TO BREAK AND CAUSE INTERNAL DAMAGE. TOYOTA STATED THE SHORT BLOCK AND BOTH CYLINDER HEADS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WITH NEW PARTS AND LABOR, THE ESTIMATED COST WAS $11,000. UPDATED 08/31/11*JB UPDATED 9/16/11 *CN UPDATED 2/9/2012 *CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. IN JULY 2010, THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH, WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER WHERE IT WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN JULY 2011, THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY FAILED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NUMBER: 11V342000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,600. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,072. UPDATED 09/15/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED TOYOTA FINALLY ADMITTED THE VEHICLE WAS APART OF A RECALL. THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED FOR THE SECOND TIME. HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL PART THAT WAS RECALL, WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL THE JANUARY 2012. UPDATED 11/18/11

TOYOTA OR THE DEALER HAS FAILED TO REMEDY THE DEFECT (ACCELERATOR PEDAL) WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FOR MY 2006 HIGHLANDER. *KB

I WAS PARKING MY HIGHLANDER HYBRID IN A PARKING GARAGE , IT STARTED TO ACCELERATE AS I STARTED TO PUT ON BY BRAKES. I HIT THE CONCRETE WALL. THE RADIATOR,BUMPER AND HOOD AS DAMAGED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *KB

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR WILL NOT STAY IN PLACE, HAS BEGUN DROPPING DOWN OBSCURING MY VISION WHILE DRIVING. *TR

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID POWER INVERTER FAILURE - A $9,000 REPAIR. MY 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID CAME TO A DEAD HALT LAST FRIDAY AFTERNOON GOING JUST OVER 40 MPH ON A BUSY STREET IN AUSTIN, TX. THE ENGINE WOULD RUN, BUT IT WOULD NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER ON I-35 AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FAILED POWER INVERTER - A $9,000 REPAIR. IT HAS 70K MILES AND I JUST PURCHASED IT FOR $18K A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. THE ORIGINAL OWNER PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY TO 100K MILES, SO VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR WAS COVERED INCLUDING A FREE RENTAL CAR FOR THE WEEK IT WAS IN THE SHOP. I WILL DEFINITELY PURCHASE ANOTHER WARRANTY WHEN THIS ONE EXPIRES AS WHO CAN AFFORD THIS TYPE OF REPAIR ON A USED VEHICLE! I AM CONSIDERING SELLING THIS VEHICLE AND TOOK IT TO THE SAME TOYOTA DEALER THAT REPLACED THE POWER INVERTER TO GIVE ME A TRADE IN APPRAISAL. THEY RAN A CAR FAX HISTORY REPORT ON IT AND THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE CAR HAS HAD THE POWER INVERTER REPLACED! THEY SHOW IT SERVICED ON THE DATE OF THE REPAIR, BUT DID NOT INDICATE THAT THE POWER INVERTER HAD BEEN REPLACED - ARE THEY TRYING TO HIDE THIS PROBLEM????? *TR

WE WERE DRIVING OUR 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID FROM VIRGINIA TO OHIO. WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE OH TURNPIKE JUST BEFORE MILE MARKER 218 TO CHANGE DRIVERS AS THE PAST FEW SERVICE STOPS WERE CLOSED FOR RENOVATIONS. WE DID NOT TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE NEW DRIVER PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL TO RETURN TO THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR MADE A FUNNY SOUND THEN THE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH ALTERNATING ERRORS FOR THE HYBRID SYSTEM AND VSC SYSTEM. THE CAR WAS FROZEN AND WOULD NOT MOVE. WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT BEDFORD TOYOTA IN OH BEING AWAITING DELIVERY & REPLACEMENT OF THE INVERTER. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OR INDICATIONS OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. IN FACT, IT HAD JUST BEEN IN FOR ITS 65,000 MILE CHECK-UP TWO WEEKS EARLIER. *TR

DRIVING NORTH ON INTERSTATE 75 NEAR WARNER ROBINS, GA IN OUR 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID. GOING 75 MPH IN THE LEFT LANE WHEN THE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH VSC, CHECK HYBRID, AND ESP LIGHTS. IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL POWER. NO POWER STEERING, LIMITED BRAKING, NO ACCELERATION. BARELY AVOIDED A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT (4 PEOPLE IN MY CAR) AND MADE IT TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. TOWED TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER BY AAA. CAR HAS 85000 MILES ON IT AND TOYOTA DIAGNOSED A FAULTY INVERTER. IT IS BEING COVERED AS A WARRANTY REPAIR. WAITING FOR COMPLETION OF REPAIRS IN GEORGIA TO COMPLETE DRIVE HOME TO NEBRASKA (ALL THE WHILE INCURRING NON-TRIVIAL EXPENSES FOR HOTEL, RENTAL CAR, ETC.). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THEY WERE DRIVING ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND TRYING TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD FORCING THE CONTACT TO DRIVE ONTO THE SERVICE LANE. THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING NOISE AND THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND AFTER THE FAILURE WAS DIAGNOSED, THE DEALER STATED THEY DID NOT FIND ANY FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000. THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL OF THE PART BUT I DID NOT GET A LETTER IN THE MAIL YET. UPDATED 09/08/2011 *LN *TR