2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION WE HAVE HAD WITH OUR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. WHEN ACCELERATING, THE VEHICLE WILL PERIODICALLY OVER-REV BEFORE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTS INTO THE APPROPRIATE GEAR. THIS RESULTS IN A MOMENTARY LACK OF ACCELERATION. AGAIN THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. WHEN TAKEN TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, THEY SAY THEY CANNOT RECREATE THE PROBLEM AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN SEE THAT IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR

OUR 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS HAD THE SAME INTERMITTENT BRAKING PROBLEM SINCE WE PURCHASED IT IN 2008. WHEN WE BRAKE FOR THE FIRST SECOND OR SO OF DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE BRAKES WILL EITHER NOT RESPOND OR THERE WILL BE A SLIGHT SURGE IN ACCELERATION. AFTER FURTHER DEPRESSION OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES WILL ENGAGE, BUT THE INITIAL ENGAGEMENT IS NOT SMOOTH. IT FEELS LIKE SOMEONE THAT HAS BRAKED THEIR VEHICLE TOO RAPIDLY. THIS ISSUE COMES AND GOES. WHEN WE TAKE IT TO THE DEALER, THEY SAY THEY CANNOT RECREATE THE ISSUE AND SAY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR

LEFT AND RIGHT REAR BRAKES STAY ENGAGED WHEN APPLIED AND WILL NOT DISENGAGE FOR UP TO 2 MINUTES AFTER RELEASED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE MECHANISM (APPARENTLY THE CALIPERS) WAS CORRODED. *TR

SHORTLY AFTER COMMENCING BRAKING, BRAKES BRIEFLY SEEM TO "LET GO" OR SLIP. THE SENSATION IS OF THE CAR LURCHING FORWARD, ALMOST ACCELERATING. THEN BRAKING RESUMES. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT A ONE-TIME INCIDENT; I NOTICE IT EVERY TIME I DRIVE AT SLOW OR MODERATE SPEEDS, AND THEN NEED TO BRAKE--MOST RECENTLY, TODAY. 2008 MODEL HIGHLANDER HYBRID WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH 2009; WE HAVE OWNED IT FOR 11 MONTHS. *TR

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ALL WHEEL DRIVE AND HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S ALIGNMENT. MY MECHANIC SAID IT IS A DEFECT THAT CANNOT BE FIXED AND IS A SAFETY DANGER. WHEN MY CAR HAD 3,000 MY MECHANIC SAID THE TIRES WERE SHREDDING. WHEN HE CHECKED MY ALIGNMENT HE SAID IT WAS OFF BUT WHENHE TRIED TO CORRECT IT HE SAID IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO FIX AND IT IS A DEFECT. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD FIX IT. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR THEY SAID IT WAS REALIGNED BUT COULD NOT GET IT TO THE RECOMMENDED ALIGNMENT BUT IT WAS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK AGAIN TO HAVE IT REALIGNED AND THE SAME RESULT THAT IT COULD NOT BE REALIGNED TO COMPANY SPECS BUT TOYOTA TOLD ME THE MISALIGNMENT IS NOT A SAFETY DANGER. MY MECHANIC SAID IT IS A DANGER SO I BROUGHT IT BACK TO TOYOTA TO COMPLAIN. TOYOTA SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO SO I SHOULD JUST LIVE WITH IT. I AM FURIOUS AND AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY CAR. WILL YOU PLEASE HELP ME. I AM AWARE OF OTHER OWNERS WITH ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS WITH THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE MODELS. THANK YOU. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN OCTOBER 2007. SHE STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE IN RPMS WITHOUT WARNING. SHE ASSUMED THE FLOOR MAT WAS BLOCKING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL; HOWEVER UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND THIS WAS NOT THE CASE. THE VEHICLE THEN PROCEEDED TO ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE AT SPEEDS OF LESS THAN 15 MPH. THE CONTACT USED BOTH FEET TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ABRUPTLY SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO IDLE UNTIL SHE SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER NOR MANUFACTURER PROVIDED ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,400 AND THE CURRENT WAS 39,538. UPDATED 3/24/10 *CN UPDATED 08/18/10*JB

SINCE THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH TALK ABOUT THE TOYOTA HYBRIDS I THOUGHT I WOULD FILE A QUICK COMPLAINT THAT MAY NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED. JUST LIKE ON THE FORD FUSION HYBRIDS AND SOME OF THE TOYOTA HYBRIDS UNDER RECALL, MY 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAS A BIT OF A FUNNY BRAKE FEELING WHEN GOING FROM REGENERATIVE BRAKING TO MECHANICAL BRAKING. I CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM EASILY AND IT OCCURS SEVERAL TIMES DAILY. I'VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITH IT, BUT THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT STARTLED ME. LONG STORY SHORT, WHEN TRAVELLING DOWN HILL AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE FIRST BRAKING IS THE REGENERATIVE BRAKING. WHEN IT CHANGES OVER TO MECHANICAL BRAKING THE VEHICLE SORT OF LURCHES FORWARD AND REQUIRES MORE PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO CONTINUE SLOWING DOWN AT THE SAME RATE. AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE LEARNED TO EXPECT AND I ALWAYS LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM BETWEEN ME AND ANY CAR IN FRONT.

AT THE END OF OCTOBER, 09, I WAS DRIVING WITH BOTH OF MY BOYS IN THE CAR. I GOT INTO THE LEFT TURN LANE ON BAY AREA BLVD, HOUSTON,TX. I HAD ONE CAR IN FROM OF ME. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND MY ENGINE RACED AND I STARTED TO GO FORWARD. I LOOKED DOWN QUICKLY TO SEE IF THE FLOOR MAT WAS STUCK AND IT WAS NOT. I PRESSED BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. I PUT MY CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. MY 11 YEAR OLD WAS IN THE FRONT SEAT AND HE EXPERIENCED THE ENTIRE SITUATION. I WAS VERY SCARED THAT I WOULD HIT THE CAR IN FRONT WHICH IS WHY I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED IT OFF. I DID NOT THINK ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE ME SO I DID NOT TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT. LAST WEEKEND I WAS WAITING AT THE RED LIGHT WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO TURN LEFT AND MY CAR ENGINE STARTED TO RACE AGAIN, I WAS READY TO PUT MY CAR IN PARK BUT THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN SO I WAS ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD. I CONTACTED STAR TOYOTA IN LEAGUE CITY AND SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER. I WAS INFORMED AGAIN ( ONCE BY THE SALES MANAGER) THAT MY CAR VIN HAD A J IN FRONT OF IT SO IT WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE RECALL. I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN AT MY EXPENSE TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND WAS REFERRED TO THE 800 331 4331. I CALLED THAT NUMBER AND RECEIVED A RECORDING THAT DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME OF CALLS THAT THEY WERE NOT ACCEPTING CALLS AND WAS REFERRED TO THE TOYOTA PRESS ROOM ON LINE. I WENT TO THAT SITE AND DID NOT FIND ANY WAY TO CONTACT TOYOTA. I HAVE A DANGEROUS CAR AND I CANNOT GET HELP WITH IT FROM THE DEALER. I DON'T CARE IF THE VIN HAS A J IN FRONT OF IT OR IF IT WAS MADE IN JAPAN. I HAVE OWNED THIS CAR SINCE OCT 2007. MY HUSBAND COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES THAT WHILE HE WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON THE INTERSTATE THAT IT SEEMED TO ACCELERATE FASTER ON ITS OWN. *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID - EXPERIENCING BRAKE PROBLEMS. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES, IT TAKES A SECOND BEFORE THE BRAKES CATCH. THE PROBLEMS IS EXACTLY WHAT IS REPORTED WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS MODELS AND LIKELY THE SAME SOFTWARE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, TOYOTA HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. SOMETIMES WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES, THE CAR FEELS AS THOUGH IT IS ACTUALLY ACCELERATING AND NOT DECELERATING. THIS "GAP" IN DECELERATING DOES NOT LAST A LONG TIME, BUT IS DISCONCERTING AND MY NORMAL REACTION IS TO HIT THE BRAKES HARDER. MY DAUGHTER HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS. THE TOYOTA DEALER HAS DENIED THAT THERE IS ANY PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THIS HAS OCCURRED REGULARLY SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN APRIL 2008. *TR