2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID CONSUMER STATES THAT TOYOTA SOLD HER A VEHICLE IN UNSAFE CONDITION AND WRITES REGARDING AN ENGINEERING DEFECT *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HER SON DROPPED A CUP WITH LIQUID INSIDE AND MANAGED TO GET INTO THE HYBRID'S BATTERY THAT WAS LOCATED BENEATH THE BACK PASSENGER SEAT. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM AND CHECK VSC SYSTEM LIGHTS ILLUMINATED.

I WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET & THE VEHICLE DIED. IT COULDN'T BE STARTED & THE GEARSHIFT COULD NOT BE MOVED INTO ANY OTHER GEAR, THEREFORE IT REMAINED IN REVERSE. NOTHING ELECTRICAL WOULD WORK EITHER & THE CAR'S INTERIOR IS FULLY ELECTRIC , (WINDOWS, DOOR LOCKS, NAV, SEATS, RADIO ECT). THE "CHECK ENGINE" MESSAGE WAS ON. AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY, AS PER TOW TRUCK DRIVER . THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED. FIRST TOWED THE CAR TO GET A NEW BATTERY BUT AFTER INSTALLATION OF THE NEWLY PURCHASED BATTERY, THE CAR STILL WAS INOPERABLE & HAD TO BE TOWED AGAIN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. THIS WAS AN ADDITIONAL OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE "INVERTER" & SOMETHING LISTED ON THE RECEIPT AS "SUPER LONG LIFE C". *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE HYBRID INVERTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 146,851. UPDATED 04/05/11*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ESC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENTIRE HYBRID SYSTEM SHUT DOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE WHERE HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 191,000. UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF UPDATED 1/5/12 *CN

THE COMPUTER ON 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WON'T ALLOW ENGINE TO START. 12V BATTERY WILL NOT START AUTO UNTIL A SMALL CHARGE IS CONNECTED TO BATTERY I HAVE HAD IT IN THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 1 WEEK OLD - WAS TOLD THAT I MUST HAVE LEFT A DOOR OPEN, AND NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. SECOND TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP - SAME PROBLEM - SAME RESPONSE, AGAIN, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED 1/1/11. STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM - CAR WILL NOT START-GET STRANDED AND CAR WILL NOT START. ON 2/22/11 I TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, ALONG WITH DOCUMENTATION ON SERVICE BULLETIN 01605, NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10015806 - SERVICEMAN SAID THAT THEY (THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT) DO NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO ANY OF THE NHTSA BULLETINS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. NO LIGHTS LEFT ON OR ACCESSORIES LEFT ON. HEATER, RADIO, SEATS, ARE TURNED OFF. *TR

IN JANUARY 2011, WE WERE REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING STALL WHEN OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLAND HYBRID SHUT DOWN. WE COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR AT ALL. SEVERAL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP, SUCH AS "CHECK ENGINE" AND "CHECK VSC SYSTEM." WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER'S REPAIR PLACE. AFTER THREE WEEKS, IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT OUR INVERTER HAD FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

HYBRID INVERTERS ON 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS ARE FAILING, VEHICLE ALL OF THE SUDDEN STOPS AND LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL GO ON. YOU TRY TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND ITS USELESS. INVERTERS ARE FAILING AND THE COST OF THE PART ITSELF IS OVER $7000 PLUS THE COST OF LABOR. INVERTERS ARE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 100,000 MILES. MY HIGHLANDER HAS 107,000. I AM NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO GET IT REPAIRED. I THINK THAT TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN 2006 HIGHLANDERS AND SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED BEFORE THERE IS A TRAGEDY ON THE ROADS. *TR

VEHICLE TOYOTA 2006 VIN #[XXX] HIGHLANDER LIMITED PRIOR COMPLAINT SENT TO TOYOTA & DOT 2/4/2010. AFTER A STOP WHEN ACCELERATOR SOMETIMES THERE IS A SECOND OR TWO PAUSE BEFORE THE ENGINE RESPONDS CAUSING A SUDDEN LURCH FORWARD. ADDITIONALLY WHEN DIVING AT IN TOWN SPEEDS AND THE ACCELERATOR IS RELEASED AND THEN A RESUMPTION OF PRESSURE ON IT THERE IS A SECOND OR TWO PAUSE BEFORE THE ENGINE ENGAGES, ALSO CAUSING A LURCH FORWARD. I HAVE LEARNED TO "EXPECT THE CONDITION" AND MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR IT, HOWEVER IT STILL CAUSES CONCERN AND POSSIBLY A DANGEROUS ACCELERATION. THE ACCELERATOR AND ENGINE ACTIVATION NEED TO BE CORRECTED FOR THIS "PAUSE AND LURCH FORWARD RESPONSE". PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND WAS ACCELERATING, HEARD A POP AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE CHECK VSC LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP SAID THE HYBRID INVERTER FAILED.

GETTING ON FREEWAY ON RAMP HEARD "BANG" AND CAR WENT DEAD. NO BRAKES, STEERING OR ANY FUNCTION. MANAGED TO PULL OFF AND CALL TOW TRUCK. TOYOTA SAID THE "INVERTER" BLEW AND ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTION WAS LOST. THEY REPLACED THE INVERTER AND SAID THEY NEVER SAW THIS BEFORE. CAR HAS BEEN OK SINCE. *TR