2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITENTLY BUT FREQUENTLY. DEALER HAS REPLACED PARTS TWICE BUT FAILED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA USA SENT A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE (INTERIM NOTICE) APPOXIMATELY 10 MONTHS AGO WHICH SEEMED TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM BUT SAID TOYOTA WAS WORKING ON THE REMEDY AND A SECOND OWNER NOTIFICATION WOULD BE SENT WHEN THE REMEDY IS AVAILABLE. THE NOTICE ALSO SAID THAT WHEN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON THE AIR BAGS COULD DEPLOY INADVERTENTLY AND THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALER. THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON FREQUENTLY BUT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, HE SAYS THAT HE CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM UNTIL TOYOTA ISSUES THE FINAL RECALL. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA USA WHO STATE THAT THEY CANNOT GIVE ANY DATE FOR WHEN THEY WILL HAVE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP.

I WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, AS I WAS APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT, I HIT THE BRAKES. WHILE I THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS GOING TO STOP, IT BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. I HIT THE BRAKES NUMEROUS TIMES AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP. WHEN I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO TOYOTA, THEY SIMPLY DISMISSED THE ISSUE INDIRECTLY SAYING I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. I WAS THEN LOWBALLED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SELL THE VEHICLE BACK TO THEM. I'VE NOTICED [XXX] HAS BEEN ABLE TO RECREATE THE INCIDENT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

I WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF A SUBWAY RESTAURANT IN A STRIP MALL AT APPROXIMATELY 7:30 P.M. AFTER EATING, MY FAMILY AND I LEFT THE RESTAURANT AND GOT INTO OUR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND BACKED OUT OF MY PARKING SPOT JUST A FEW FEET. (IT IS A VERY NARROW PARKING LOT AND FACES A VERY BUSY STREET.) I BUMPED INTO A CONCRETE POLE THAT WAS BEHIND ME, THAT I COULD NOT SEE BECAUSE OF THE DARKNESS. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, SO THAT I COULD PULL BACK UP INTO MY ORIGINAL PARKING SPOT AND RENEGOTIATE HOW I WAS GOING TO BACK OUT. AS SOON AS I APPLIED A LITTLE PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR SUDDENLY SEEMED TO JUMP FORWARD. BEFORE I COULD EVEN PROCESS WHAT WHAT HAPPENING, THE CAR ACCELERATED VERY, VERY QUICKLY AND I SLAMMED INTO THE BRICK WALL OF THE SUBWAY. THERE WAS NOT EVEN TIME FOR ME TO THINK ABOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE, IT HAPPENED SO FAST. I FELT LIKE I HAD LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THANKFULLY, NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT THERE WAS PROPERTY DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING AND SOME TO MY CAR. I'VE BEEN DRIVING FOR 25 YEARS AND HAVE NO HISTORY OF TICKETS OR ACCIDENTS. I DO NOT DRINK AND WAS NOT DRINKING ON THE NIGHT THIS HAPPENED. I WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ANY KIND OF MEDICATION OR ILICIT SUBSTANCES. *TR

BRIEF ENGINE KNOCK/RATTLE NOISE COLD STARTUP. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING A COLD SOAK STARTUP. *TR

DEALER CLAIMED " THIS IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. ACCESS AND TRACED ALL RELATED WIRING TO INSIDE THE FUSE/RELAY PANEL. FOUND SOMETHING HAD CHEWED AND SHORTED OUT THE WIRING" THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY PROOF. I NOTIFIED TOYOTA MOTORS AND GOT NO HELP FROM THEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V245000 (AIR BAGS) AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE AND TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER, THEY INFORMED HIM THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND TO KEEP TRYING BACK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 53,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO FUNCTION. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF THE FAILURE, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY WITH THE FLICKERING OF THE POWER BUTTON INDICATOR LIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THERE WAS A FAULTY BATTERY INVERTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR DOOR HATCH WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE HINGES AND THE MOTOR ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CLAIM WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,917.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL TO TREAT MINOR INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INSURANCE LOT WHERE THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 63,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO REPOSITION THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WITH THE JACK HOLDING THE VEHICLE UP. THE JACK SLIPPED FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WHILE THE CONTACT WAS UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. THE PASSENGER SIDE FENDER AND THE BOTTOM MOLDING WERE DAMAGED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 07/08/11*LJ THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED ON JUNE 2, 2011