2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

AS I APPROACHED A STOP SIGN, MY CHECK ENGINE AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS LESS THAN A MILE FROM MY DESTINATION AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PARK MY VEHICLE WITH NO ISSUES. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, I CONTACTED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO ALERT THEM TO THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP REPRESENTATIVE ASKED IF THE VSC LIGHT WAS FLASHING AND I TOLD HIM NO; TO WHICH HE REPLIED IT WOULD BE OKAY TO DRIVE. LATER ON THAT EVENING, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND UPON TAKING OFF AT THE LIGHT, THE VEHICLE SEEMED SLUGGISH AT FIRST AND THEN SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND SURGED FORWARD. WHEN I PULLED INTO THE DEALERSHIP, I EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND AM NOW AWAITING TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *TR

VSC, TRACKING AND ABS LIGHTS COME ON WHEN DRIVING. SOMETIMES ON AS SOON AS I REVERSE IN THE MORNING. USED TO GO OFF IF I TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED. SOMETIMES DOESN'T COME ON UNTIL I AM ALMOST HOME FROM WORK (30 MILES) SOMETIMES THE BRAKES FEEL OFF AND NOT GRIPPING. HAD BRAKES INSPECTED AND EVERYTHING FINE. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SMELLED SMOKE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER THEN LOOKED DOWN NEAR HER KNEE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A FIRE COMING FROM THE FUSE BOX. THE DRIVER PULLED THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT AND EXITED. THE VEHICLE IGNITED INTO FLAMES AND WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE FUSE BOX. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A HOLDING AREA FOR THE MANUFACTURER TO EXAMINE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS UNKNOWN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. UPDATED 7/18/12 *CN UPDATED 07/25/12

WHILE DECELERATING ON AN OFF-RAMP, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND THEN STALLED. I WAITED FOR A TOW TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE INVERTER BEING BAD ABOUT 5 DAYS LATER.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE HAD A LOUD POP SOUND OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 40/MPH. WITHIN 2 SECONDS VEHICLE SLOWED TO ABOUT 5/MPH ALLOWING JUST ENOUGH TIME TO GET TO THE BIKE LANE BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. NO VEHICLES WERE ON SAME SIDE OF ROAD ALLOWED TO JUMP TO BIKE LANE. TOYOTA OF KEARNY MESA (SAN DIEGO, CA) RAN DIAGNOSTIC ON VEHICLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE HYBRID INVERTER DEAD'. AT THIS TIME THEY ARE STILL ATTEMPTING TO FIX THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHILE ENGAGING THE BRAKES. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 89,000.

THE DRIVER'S SUN VISOR DOES NOT STAY UP -- WHEN EITHER PULLED BACK OR PUSHED FORWARD -- AND FALLS IN THE DRIVER'S LINE OF VISION. THIS LEADS TO A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE IT MEANS THE DRIVER LOSES HIS FIELD OF VISION FOR A FEW SECONDS AT VERY UNPREDICTABLE TIMES. *TR

UPON STARTING MY CAR, THE VSC OFF, CHECK ENGINE, AND ABS LIGHTS REMAINED LIT. ACCELERATION WAS SLOW AND ROUGH, AND THE GENERAL ENGINE FEEL WAS WRONG. I STOPPED CAR AND RESTARTED WITH NO EFFECT. WHILE DRIVING, THE LIGHTS EXTINGUISHED FOR A MOMENT, AND AT THAT POINT PERFORMANCE TEMPORARILY IMPROVED - THIS CAUSED A SURGE IN ACCELERATION. BUT THE SAME LIGHTS CAME ON A MOMENT LATER AND PERFORMANCE, ONCE AGAIN, FAILED. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE SURGE OCCURRED. *TR

VALVE SPRINGS. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. I MANAGED TO STEER ACROSS 4 LANES OF FAST TRAFFIC TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED AS PISTON FAILURE. THE CAR WAS TOWED 140 MILES TO MOTORCARS TOYOTA FOR REPAIR. THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED: "A VALVE SPRING ON THE #2 CYLINDER BROKE IN FRONT HEAD AND DROPPED INTO THE # 2 CYLINDER, DESTROYING THE PISTON AND SEVERELY DAMAGING THE SHORT BLOCK ASSEMBLY. BLOCK HAD A HOLE IN IT AND #2 PISTON WAS BROKEN IN HALF". REPAIR INCLUDED: REPLACING SHORT BLOCK ASSEMBLY, FRONT HEAD, EXHAUST CAM, VALVE, SPRING. I HAD TO PAY APROX. $6000 FOR A PROBLEM TOYOTA PUBLICLY ADMITTED SOME 2008 V8 MODELS HAD. FAULTY VALVE SPRINGS WAS ACTUALLY A RECALL BUT ONLY FOR LEXUS MODELS. NOT FAIR! *KB

THE VEHICLE STALLED (LOST CONTROL OF STEERING AND ENGINE CEASED TO OPERATE) WHILE DRIVING AT AROUND 35 MPH. "HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING" WAS DISPLAYED AND IT ADVISED TO PULL OVER AND CONTACT DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. *TR