2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

IN JUNE OF 2013 I WENT TO MCCARTHY TOYOTA IN SEDALIA, MO FOR AN UNRELATED RECALL. SOME WORK WAS DONE, BUT I WAS TOLD TO RETURN IN A WEEK OR SO BECAUSE AN ADDITIONAL PART HAD TO BE ORDERED. DURING THIS WEEK, THE RED AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT APPEARED. I HAD NEVER OBSERVED THIS WARNING LIGHT BEFORE. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE DEALER TO COMPLETE THE ORIGINAL RECALL WORK, I INQUIRED ABOUT THE WARNING LIGHT. THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME THAT MY MODEL TOYOTA SOMETIMES HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE SPIRAL CABLE AND I WAS ONE OF THE UNLUCKY OWNERS! HE INFORMED ME THAT I NO LONGER HAD FUNCTIONING AIRBAGS, BUT HE HAD THE NECESSARY PARTS TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION AND COULD DO IT IMMEDIATELY. THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $500 AND WAS NOT COVERED BY ANY WARRANTEE OR RECALL. I DECIDED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE MY CHANCES IN A VEHICLE THAT NOW HAD NON-FUNCTIONING AIRBAGS, SINCE $500 WAS JUST TOO MUCH MONEY TO PAY. A FRIEND RECENTLY INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD FILE THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT JUST CAME ON AT 110,000 MILES, NO ACCIDENT, IN THE GARAGE..TOOK IT TO DEALER AND THEY ARE ASKING TO REPLACE SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY IN DRIVER AIRBAG AT A COST OF $663 AND EXPLAINED THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. I CALLED TOYOTA AND DISCUSSED THE ISSUE...I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT TACOMA'S HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS WELL, INTERESTING THOUGH, THAT MY 08 HIGHLANDER HAD SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA CONFIRMED MY UNDERSTANDINGS AS WELL. I SEARCHED INTERNET AND SEVERAL OTHER HIGHLANDERS (ALMOST IDENTICAL VINS) HAVE FACED THE SAME ISSUE. I THINK HIGHLANDERS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED FOR THE SIMILAR ISSUES WHICH TACOMA'S FACED.. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE GIVEN SOME ATTENTION. HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/TOYOTA/HIGHLANDER/AIR-BAG-LIGHT-ON-PROBLEMS.PHP THE ABOVE WEBSITE LISTS OTHER HIGHLANDER'S WHICH FACED THE SAME ISSUE. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE GOOD WORK YOU GUYS ARE DOING TO MAKE THE ROADS/HIGHWAYS SAFER PLACE FOR EVERYONE.. THANK YOU. *JS

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA DEALER IN NOVEMBER 2011 AFTER RECEIVING NOTICE TO HAVE DEFECTIVE OIL COOLER HOSE CHECKED. IN SEPTEMBER 2013 REPLACEMENT OIL COOLER HOSE FAILED WHILE ON HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT SEVENTY MILES PER HOUR. OIL WAS OBSERVED COVERING BOTTOM OF VEHICLE AND FILM OF OIL ON BACK OF VEHICLE. THE OIL GAUGE INDICATED NO OIL IN ENGINE. I BELIEVE THIS RESULTED IN A SAFETY HAZARD FROM BOTH INHALING FUMES AND POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER AND OIL COOLER HOSE REPLACED FOR SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

I OWN A 2008 HIGHLANDER SPORT THAT HAS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THE DOOR LOCKS. THE REMOTE KEY FOB NO LONGER WORKS, AND NOW EVEN THE BUTTON INSIDE THE CAR STOPPED WORKING. I HAVE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AND IT APPEARS THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE OWNED HIGHLANDERS HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE. MY CAR WAS RECALLED RECENTLY FOR THE POWER WINDOWS, AND NOW THE DOOR LOCKS NO LONGER WORK. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT WITH THE HOPE THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE COMPLAIN TO FORCE TOYOTA TO FIX THIS ISSUE. *TR

WE WERE ACCELERATING UNDER FULL POWER ONTO US 101 ON THE NORTHBOUND ON RAMP FROM CA 41 WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER, STEERING AND AIR CONDITIONING. ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS ABLE TO STEER AROUND US TO AVOID COLLISION AND WE WERE ABLE TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND ROLL TO A STOP ON THE NEXT OFF RAMP. WARNING INDICATORS ON: HYBRID SYSTEM, BRAKES, STABILITY CONTROL, AND RETURN TO TOYOTA DEALER. TOWED TO DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED WITH TOYOTA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT INVERTER ASSEMBLY (G92A0-48100) FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY DUE TO MILAGE. WE WERE CHARGED $8244.77 FOR A NEW INVERTER ASSEMBLY PLUS INSTALLATION. WE WERE LUCKY TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. THIS KIND OF FAILURE IS DANGEROUS. *JB

AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT DEPLOYED, AND REMAINED LIT FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE DAYS. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AT PULLMAN, WA DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A FAULTY SPIRAL CABLE; THE SPIRAL CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED AT A COST OF $491.69. I WONDER WHY THERE WAS A RECALL DONE ON ~450,000 TACOMAS, BUT NOT ON THE HIGHLANDER. IT SOUNDS LIKE A SIMILAR PROBLEM: POOR ENGINEERING LEADS TO FRICTION, CAUSING A SHORT IN THE CABLE. WARNING LIGHT GOES ON, AND THE DRIVER AIR BAG MAY NOT DEPLOY DURING A WRECK. I COULD THINK OF 1001 BETTER WAYS TO SPEND $500!!! *JB

THE CAR JUST STOPPED MOVING - ENGINE WAS RUNNING & ALL SYSTEMS WERE ON. THE WARNING SYSTEMS STARTING DISPLAYING THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES: CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM, CHECK VSC SYSTEM, CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM, CHECK 4WD SYSTEM. THE CAR HAD NO 'LIMP' MODE, AND I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO COAST TO A PARKING SPACE. PRIOR TO THIS THE CAR WAS RUNNING FINE WITH NO SIGNS OF FAILURE. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE HYBRID INVERTER HAD GONE OUT. UPON RESEARCHING THIS IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE HIGHLANDER'S, AND THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2006/07 MODELS. I PURCHASED IN JAN OF 2008, AND BY VIN RESEARCH IT APPEARS MY VECHICLE CAME FROM THE SAME MANUFACTURING FACILITY AS THE RECALLED MODELS. ALSO, SEARCHING ON-LINE I FOUND SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF THIS NOW IN THE 2008 MODELS. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT I WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY, AS IT APPEARS THIS CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE AT ANY SPEED. I FIND IT VERY SAD THAT TOYOTA KNOWS THIS HAZARD EXISTS AND STILL IS NOT NOTIFYING OR REPLACING THESE PARTS THAT THEY KNOW ARE DEFECTIVE (NOT ONLY NOT REPLACING, BUT ASKING CONSUMERS TO PAY 10K PLUS TO REPAIR).

I WAS DRIVING FROM MARYLAND BACK HOME TO NEW JERSEY AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT ACCELERATE OR MOVE AT ALL WHEN IN GEARS. THE ENGINE WAS ON, HOWEVER THE CAR STOPPED MOVING. I WAS ON BACKROADS WITH LOW VISIBILITY SO NEIGHBORS AND OTHERS CAME OUT IMMEDIATELY TO PUSH THE CAR OFF THE ROAD SO IT WOULD NOT CREATE AN ACCIDENT. IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A FAULTY INVERTER ON THE HYBRID SYSTEM. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND THAT THE PREVIOUS YEARS MODELS WERE RECALLED, HOWEVER 2008 MODEL WAS NOT. BUT AS I DO THE RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT NUMEROUS BUYERS OF THIS MODEL HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING THE IGNITION, THE ENGINE FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES WHERE AND BATTERY WAS REPLACED ON EACH RECURRENCE. MOST RECENTLY, A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETECT A TROUBLE CODE. THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ROAD MILEAGE TO COULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.