2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MERGED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND POWER OFF AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE INVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 124,000. UPDATED 3/13/13 *CN

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER TO WORK AND TURNED ON THE HEATED SEAT. IT HAS BURNED HER LEG AT THE HAMSTRING UNDER THIGH AREA PRETTY BAD. *TR

OIL LEAK FROM BACKSIDE OF ENGINE. TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE WITH A SERVICE BULLETIN TSB-0321-08 BUT DID NOT PERFORM A RECALL. THEREFORE, YOU MAY EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM AND YOU MAY FIND THE ISSUE AFTER YOUR WARRANTY EXPIRED. THIS IS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR - ESTIMATED TO BE MORE THAN $2K. TOYOTA CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE QUALITY PROBLEMS AND SHOULD HONOR THEIR PRODUCTS WITHIN OR OUTSIDE THEIR WARRANTY WHEN IT IS CLEARLY RELATED TO POOR QUALITY. *TR

AFTER HAVING A FLAT TIRE I PULLED OUT THE JACK SUPPLIES BY TOYOTA. I FOUND AS I WAS USING THE JACK THAT IT IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE TO USE IN ANY SITUATION. THE JACK HAS TO BE EXTENDED ALMOST ALL THE WAY WHEN DEALING WITH 19 INCH WHEELS. AT THE EXTENDED HEIGHT THE JACK IS UNSTABLE EVEN WHEN ON A FLAT HARD SURFACE. WHEN TAKING THE TIRE OFF OR PUTTING IT BACK ON THE JACK AND THE AUTO ROCK QUITE A BIT TO THE POINT THAT I HAD TO STOP AND CALL FOR ROAD SERVICE. EVEN THE SERVICE PERSON CALLED THE JACK A UNSAFE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST TWO YEARS AND BOTH TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULTS. THE SCISSOR JACKS USED ON A SUV IS EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. SAFETY NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY NOT WEIGHT OR EXPENSE. IT IS TOO EASY FOR THE AUTO TO FALL OFF THE JACK WHEN EXTENDED TO ALMOST THE MAX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHITE PARTICLES WERE EMITTED THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM WHILE THE CLIMATE CONTROL WAS ACTIVED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A MECHANIC OR THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 76,000.

I WAS DRIVING TO QUEENS NY AND SUDDENLY AFTER PAYING HTE TOLLS AT THE QUEENS MIDTOWN TUNNEL THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED . IT WAS TOWEDE TO QUEENSBORO TOYOTA WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE POWER INVERTER HAD DIED AND COST $8504.50 TO HAVE IT REPLACED . *TR

MY STEERING LOCKS WHEN I WAS DRIVING. I REPORTED THIS ISSUE BEFORE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY FIGURE OUT THAT THE COMPUTER HAS A PROBLEM AFTER THE BIG ISSUE. *TR

BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE NOTICED THE STEERING IN OUR 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. WE HEAR KNOCKING AND NOISES COMING OUT OF TURNS AND THE STEERING IS MUCH LOOSER THAN WHEN WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. THE KNOCKING BEGAN ABOUT A EIGHT MONTHS AGO AND HAS BECOME MORE AND MORE FREQUENT. IT FIRST MADE THE STRANGE KNOCK COMING OUT OF A SLOW RIGHT HAND TURN, BUT NOW IT DOES IT COMING OUT OF A TURN IN EITHER DIRECTION. SOMETIMES IT WILL MAKE THE NOISE DURING A QUICK ACCELERATION. LIKE MANY OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS, WE TO CAN FEEL THE KNOCK IS THE STEERING WHEEL. I AM BEGINNING TO THINK THIS CAR IS UNSAFE AND DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE TAKING IT ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ASSIST HANDLE BROKE IN TWO PLACES. THIS HANDLE IS ATTACHED OVER THE DOOR, INSIDE THE CAR, NEAR THE EDGE OF THE ROOF. THE CAUSE APPEARS TO BE METAL FATIGUE DUE TO SIGNIFICANT STRESS ON THE HANDLE OVER (3+) YEARS OF USE BY THE PASSENGER WHILE ENTERING AND EXITING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR SIDE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE AND AS A RESULT IT HAD TO BE CUT. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED HE HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE EMITTING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE SEAT BELT AND THE LOWER STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,600 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000. UPDATED 12/12/12 *CN