2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

IN JANUARY 2010, I WAS PARKED IN MY DAUGHTER'S DAYCARE DRIVEWAY. THE DRIVEWAY HAS A NORMAL SLOPE. I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON WHILE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING ON THE BRAKES THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE CAR BEGAN ROLLING BACKWARD. I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THANKFULLY NO CHILDREN WERE AROUND ME. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN MOMENTS LATER WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, WHICH HAS A MINIMAL SLOPE. AGAIN THE BRAKES LOST PRESSURE AND DID NOT WORK. IN BOTH INSTANCES I NOTICED THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT WAS ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THE VSC LIGHT TURNED ON 4X IN THE SAME DAY. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. THE VSC LIGHT AND BRAKES FAIL ON A ROUTINE BASIS...AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. I MAKE SURE THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND PARKING BRAKE ARE ENGAGED AND THAT THE VSC LIGHT DOES NOT TURN ON BEFORE SHIFTING TO DRIVE. THIS CARE IS UNSAFE CONSIDERING THE VSC ENGAGES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. *TR

WE HAVE A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM (ABS/VSC). FOR NO APPARENT REASON, THE ABS/VSC WILL MALFUNCTION AND BRAKES OPERATE INCORRECTLY. IT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM THAT COMES AN GOES. WE HAVE ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT IN THE SNOW IN OHIO. WE HAVE HAD THE CAR INTO THE DEALER 4X WITHOUT RESOLUTION SINCE NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IS WRONG. IT HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE IT STARTED JAN 2010. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE POWER STEERING LOCKED AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAKE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN. THE VEHICLE ALSO BECAME HARD TO CONTROL AT HIGHER SPEEDS BETWEEN 50 TO 70 MPH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED 10 TIMES. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED THAT WAY AND IT WAS NOT MALFUNCTIONING. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,050.

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 4WD - THE ANTISKID MECHANISM FOR ICE IS VERY EFFECTIVE BUT CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IN SNOW. ON THIS MODEL, THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE. I LIVE IN RURAL NORTH DAKOTA AND BLOWING SNOW OR RURAL ROADS ARE A PART OF LIFE HERE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I GOT STUCK IN A MINOR DRIFT ON THE ROAD BUT IN TEMPERATURE OF DOUBLE DIGIT BELOW WIND CHILLS. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS IS WHEN THE CAR SENSE WHEEL SLIPPAGE. THIS TURNS ALL POWER OFF TO THE WHEELS. 'FLOORING THE PEDAL" RESULTS IN NO REVVING OF THE ENGINE. (THIS MAY BE A PROBLEM ONLY ON THE HYBRID, I AM NOT SURE.) AS THE POWER GETS TURNED OFF, IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO 'ROCK' THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DRIFT. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I THOUGHT THAT I BROKE THE VEHICLE AS IT WAS LIKE THE CAR WAS OFF. NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. I NEEDED TO SHOVEL COMPLETELY SO THERE WAS NO WHEEL SLIPPAGE. YESTERDAY, IT CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE ELEMENTS AND THE CAR NOT RECEIVING POWER TO THE WHEELS. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME AND FOUND OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. ONE PERSON DESCRIBED THE VEHICLE WHEN STUCK IN SNOW AS "A GIGANTIC BOAT ANCHOR." I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEN THE '800 NUMBER' FOR TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DID NOT GET ANYWHERE. I THINK THE SAFETY SOLUTION IS A MANUAL OVERRIDE SWITCH. *TR

ALL THE SENSOR LIGHTS, INCLUDING ABS, EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND TRAC, FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM HAVE GONE ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY ON MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. SOMETIMES THE BRAKES ENGAGED THE SKID CONTROL AND ONE TIME I HEARD THE BACK LEFT BRAKE MAKE A CLUNKING NOISE WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES WERE INSPECTED TWICE, ONCE BY TOYOTA MECHANIC AND ANOTHER TIME BY A LOCAL SEARS MECHANIC. THE TOYOTA MECHANIC RE-CALIBRATED THE SENSORS AND THEY STAYED OFF FOR A FEW WEEKS, BUT THEY ARE ALL BACK ON NOW. THE TOYOTA MECHANIC STATED THAT OUR VEHICLE WAS THIRD ONE HE SAW THAT WEEK FOR BRAKE SENSOR PROBLEMS. ALSO, BOTH MECHANICS SAID I HAD PLENTY OF BRAKES LEFT. THIS STARTED WHEN THERE WAS LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON MY CAR BUT, WITH OVER 36,000 WARRANTY MILES. I THINK THE SENSORS SHOULD LAST LONGER AND IT'S SCARY DRIVING WITH THE SENSOR LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM. *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID LIMITED ACCELERATED WHILE PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND BEFORE I COULD STOP VEHICLE I HIT A FROZEN SNOW DRIFT WITH THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO VEHICLE AND I HURT MY BACK. THIS HAPPENED ONCE. *TR

MY CRUISE CONTROL ZOOMS OUT OF CONTROL WITHOUT ANY INITIATIVE FROM ME. IT'S A VERY RANDOM PROBLEM, BUT DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING. *TR

I HAVE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2008 FROM AUG 2008. THIS CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH BRAKING. FIRST WINTER IT WAS UNSAFE TO PARK CAR ON SHOPPING PARKING, BECAUSE OF CLOSE PROXIMITY TO OTHER CARS. HIGHLANDER WAS NOT STOPPING, IT CONTINUED MOVING WITH MY LEG ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS CAR WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. I DROVE MANY DIFFERENT SUVS FROM RENTAL COMPANIES, LIKE CHEVY TRAIL BLAZER, GMC ACADIA, JEEP TWO DIFFERENT MODELS, BUT NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP THREE TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY TOLD ME THEY CANNOT DO ANYTHING. I'M USED TO THIS CAR NOW, BUT BRAKING STILL NOT GOOD. IT REQUIRES DEEP PRESSURE ON THE PEDAL AND CAR IS STOPPING LONGER. *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FAILS TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. MOST OCCURRENCES AT LOW SPEED AFTER SLOWING TO 5MPH VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO GAS PEDAL - OR WILL NOT ENGAGE INTO GEAR AND MOVE FORWARD. THIS OCCURS OR IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED AFTER HAVING SLOWED DOWN OR IN THE MIDST OF A SLOW DOWN (NOT A COMPLETE STOP) USUALLY TO WAIT FOR TRAFFIC TO CLEAR. OCCURRED WITH EVERY DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE (4). MOST NOTABLE (SCARY) WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING AND TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN GEAR, RPM INCREASE, CAR REVES UP, BUT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. MY DAUGHTER SCREAMED. TAKEN TO DEALER AT LEAST TWICE. AND CONTINUE TO CALL AND COMPLAIN. DEALER STATES THEY HAD EXPERTS LOOK AT CAR, REBOOTED COMPUTER (BECAUSE CAR RESPONDS TO DRIVER THAT DRIVES THE MOST!). SAID NOTHING IS WRONG OR CAN BE DONE. DEALER HAS ADMITTED THAT ENGAGING IS SLOW, NOTICEABLE. FAILURE TO ENGAGE OCCURS DAILY. CONSEQUENCE - IN DANGER OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE CAR OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NOTHING WAS DONE TO REPAIR. COMPUTER RE-SET. (THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD) VEHICLE ALSO HAS EXPERIENCED TROUBLE WHILE DRIVING UP HILL. RPM WENT TO 4000 + AND WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. ON FREEWAY AND SLOWING DOWN. HAD 6 HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN CAR. ALSO HAS "DROPPED" INTO GEAR HEAVILY. *TR

MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID '08 HAS ALWAYS HAD A UNNERVING BRAKING ISSUE. OFTEN, ESPECIALLY AT SLOWER SPEEDS, WHEN I FIRST APPLY THE BRAKES, INSTEAD OF BRAKING, THE CAR ACTUALLY JUMPS FORWARD. I HAVE ASKED THE TOYOTA SERVICE (WHERE I GET MY OIL CHANGED) ABOUT THIS AND THEY SAY IT'S JUST THE WAY THE HYBRID BRAKE SYSTEM WORKS. WHILE I HAVEN'T GOTTEN IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THIS DELAYED BRAKE RESPONSE (KNOCK ON WOOD), IT REALLY DOES NOT SEEM LIKE AN APPROPRIATE WAY FOR BRAKES TO WORK. DO THE PRIUS HYBRIDS AND THE HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS SHARE THE SAME BRAKING SOFTWARE? *TR