2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

MY CAR, TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2008, TIRE (245/55 19R) WARE OUT TO 2/32 ~ 3/32 AT 17500 MILES. WHEN IT WENT DON TO 4/32, GARAGE WARN ME ABOUT TIRE NEED TO CHANGE VERY SOON, I CONTACTED MY TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYO TIRE BUT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. ALMOST ALL OF HIGHLANDER OWNER COMPLAIN ONLINE AT CAR FORUM. WE DIDN'T GET ANY ACTION FROM BOTH CAR AND TIRE DEALER. ONLY ONE OWNER GET FREE REPLACEMENT BY DEALER FROM UPSTATE NEW YORK. TOYO 245/55 R19 TIRE IS NOT GOOD AT HANDLING ON SNOW AND ICE. WHEN THERE WAS SNOW, I HAVE TO DRIVE VERY CAREFULLY AND SLOWLY. EVEN THOUGH I DRIVE VERY CAREFULLY, I SLIP AND SKID TWO OR THREE TIMES. MOST OF THE OWNER OF 2008 AND 2009 HIGHLANDER WHICH COME WITH 245/55 R19 SIZE TIRE COMPLAINT ABOUT POOR HANDLING ON SNOW AND ICE EVEN ON WET SURFACE. THERE ARE ONLY TWO CHOICES FOR THAT KIND OF SIZE TIRE AND BOTH DO NOT HAVE GOOD RESULT OF HANDLING ON WET OR ICE. I HOPE THIS REPORT CAN GIVE SOME HELP TO OTHER OWNERS OF THE CAR WHICH COME WITH 245/55 R19. THANKS. *TR

I OWN A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER VEHICLE AND THE FRONT TIRES HAVE ALMOST ALL TREADS WORN DOWN ALREADY AFTER JUST 10,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE WHICH INDICATES THIS VEHICLE IS JUST CHEWING TIRES RIGHT UP SO I AM WORRIED ABOUT EARLY TIRE FAILURE. OTHER OWNERS MUST HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. CAN NHTSA CHECK THIS OUT FOR ALL OWNERS? *TR

I BOUGHT A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN DECEMBER 2007. I DID NOT TEST DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT. AFTER A FEW WEEKS, I TRIED TO BACK UP AT NIGHT. THE LIGHTS ARE COMPLETELY INADEQUATE AND THEY ARE A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE EVERY FEW FEET AND CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NOTHING/NO ONE IN MY PATH WHEN BACKING UP AT NIGHT. I ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK/REPAIR THE LIGHTS. THEY SAID THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT BUT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO FIX IT. IT IS NOT SAFE TO BACK UP THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT BECAUSE THE LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE ENOUGH TO SEE IF SOMEONE IS IN YOUR PATH. I HAVE ASKED THE MANUFACTURER FOR HELP FIXING THE PROBLEM BUT THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *TR

TOYO TIRES (P245/55R19) WERE INSTALLED ON MY 08 HIGHLANDER AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. AT FIRST OIL CHANGE, WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WERE NOT WEARING PROPERLY & HAD ALIGNMENT CHECKED. NO PROBLEMS WITH ALIGNMENT--CALLED TOYOTA--THEY ADVISED TO ROTATE EVERY 5K WITH OIL CHANGE..DID THE SAME AND I NOW HAVE 20K MILES WITH 2 REAR TIRES THAT RUBBER IS "PEELING" SO BAD THAT THEY HAVE TO BE REPLACED IMMEDIATELY. FRONT WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED WITHIN FEW MONTHS AS WELL. TOYOTA IS BLAMING TOYO & NO REPLY FROM TOYO....OBVIOUSLY THIS MANUFACTURER MAKES POOR QUALITY PRODUCTS WITH JUST THE COMPLAINT RECORDS THAT YOU HAVE ON FILE. ANYONE DRIVING A VEHICLE WITH THESE TIRES IS OBVIOUSLY TAKING THEIR LIFE IN THEIR HANDS!! *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL FORWARD WHEN THE VEHICLE AND TRANSMISSION ARE POSITIONED IN REVERSE, IF THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE IS ON A DOWNWARD SLOPE. *TR

MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER CONSUMES A LITTLE OVER HALF QUART OF OIL FOR EVERY 1,000 MILES DRIVEN AND I TOOK IT TO LONGO TOYOTA FOR MORE THAN THREE TIMES AND THE MECHANIC THERE TOLD ME THAT IT'S NORMAL. THIS IS THE FIRST BRAND NEW CAR THAT I EVER HAD WHEREIN I HAVE TO ADD OIL IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES (3,000 MILES). HAD THEY TOLD ME BEFORE I BOUGHT THIS CAR, MAYBE I WILL NOT HAVE BOUGHT IT AND WON'T END UP HAVING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER - ACCELERATED TO PASS A CAR IN THE NEXT LANE SO I COULD PASS AND THE ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. I PULLED INTO THE SHOULDER AND THOUGH THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE AND STILL THE CAR WANTED TO GO BUT IT SLOWED A BIT SO I THREW IT INTO PARK AND THE JERKED BUT FINALLY CAME TO A STOP AND I SHUT OFF THE CAR. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND I AM AFRAID THAT IT MAY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. CURRENTLY THE CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY HAVEN'T HEARD OF THIS BEFORE. YET WHEN I GOOGLED THE ISSUE TOYOTA HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE WITH THE HIGHLANDER AS WELL AS OTHER VEHICLES INCLUDING THE CAMRY. *TR

ON MARCH 2, 2009 I RENTED A SUV FROM HERTZ AT THE SALT LAKE CITY AIRPORT. UPON PICKING UP THE CAR I COMMENTED TO THE PERSON CHECKING ME OUT THAT THE TIRE TREAD DEPTH LOOKED VERY LOW FOR AN SUV THAT WOULD BE USED IN THE SNOW. SHE SAID SHE WOULD MAKE NOTE OF IT. WHEN I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION 230 MILES AWAY I USED A PENNY TO CHECK THE DEPTH. I CALLED HERTZ TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE TO GET THE TIRES REPLACED. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE SAID THERE WAS A GOODYEAR DEALER IN THE CITY I WAS IN BUT WOULD HAVE TO GET APPROVAL. THE MANAGER AT THE HERTZ IN SLC SAID HE WOULD NOT APPROVE NEW TIRES. I STOPPED AT A TOYOTA DEALER WHO CHECKED THE TIRE TREAD DEPTH, THE DEPTH RANGED FROM 2/32 TO 3/32, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THE TIRES WERE UNSAFE. SHOULD THE NHSTB INVESTIGATE CAR RENTAL COMPANIES WHO MAY BE PLACING THE SAFETY OF CUSTOMERS AT RISK TO SAVE MONEY? *TR

THE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/L400 (NOT H/L 683 OR 684 II AS LISTED IN THE CHOICES FOR THIS TIRE ON THIS WEB SITE!!!!!) TIRES ON OUR 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ARE TERRIBLY UNSAFE IN ALL CONDITIONS OTHER THAN DRY ROADS. THEY HYDROPLANE IN THE RAIN, THE REAR END SLIDES IN ALL TYPES OF SNOWY CONDITIONS, CAUSING THE STABILITY CONTROL TO KICK IN AND COMPENSATE, AND THEY REQUIRE FREQUENT TOPPING OFF OF THE AIR PRESSURE, MORE SO THAN ANY TIRE ON ANY VEHICLE I'VE EVER OWNED. THIS TIRE IS GETTING TERRIBLE REVIEWS ON TIRERACK.COM FROM CURRENT OWNERS OF MAZDA CX-9S AND HIGHLANDERS, AND THERE ISN'T ANOTHER TIRE ON THE MARKET IN THE SIZE I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE IT. IT'S AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. OUR CAR IS A V6 POWERED 4X4 SUV WE BOUGHT BRAND NEW 10 MONTHS AGO. IT HAS NEVER DRIVEN WELL IN SNOW, AND DESPITE THE FULL-TIME 4-WHEEL DRIVE, THE VEHICLE BEHAVES LIKE A REAR-DRIVE TRUCK WITH SUMMER TIRES. THE CAR SEVERELY FISHTAILS AND SLIDES SIDEWAYS, WITH THE STABILITY CONTROL FULLY CUTTING POWER AND APPLYING CERTAIN BRAKES IN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT COURSE. THIS HAPPENS AT EVERY TURN AND INTERSECTION. IT'S NOT ONLY EMBARRASSING, IT'S ALSO WREAKING HAVOC ON MY FUEL ECONOMY AS I DO SO MUCH SLIPPING IN THESE TIRES, AND I FEAR I WILL BE GOING OFF THE ROAD OR SLIDING INTO SOMEONE'S PROPERTY OR VEHICLE SOME DAY WITHOUT WARNING. *TR

I OWN A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. DURING THE SNOW DAYS WE WERE TRYING TO DRIVE IT UP MY SNOW COVERED ROAD BUT COULD NOT DUE TO THE SLIGHT INCLINE AND THE COMPACT SNOW. MY WIFE WAS DRIVING, I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND GRANDPA WAS IN THE BACK. ONCE WE STOPPED THE CAR WAS PUT INTO 'PARK', I GOT OUT AND WAS WALKING AROUND THE BACK. BY THEN MY WIFE AND GRANDPA WERE JUST OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITH THE DOORS STILL OPEN. THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS BUMPING INTO ME AND KNOCKING ME OVER ALMOST RUNNING OVER ME. MY WIFE AND GRANDPA WERE BEING PUSHED OVER BY THE OPEN DOORS. MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO CLIMB BACK IN AND HIT THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. GRANDPA WAS KNOCKED OVER ONTO THE GROUND AND BROKE HIS GLASSES. OTHER THAN FREAKING US ALL OUT WE WERE OK. I AM SURE THIS HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE HIGH TECH TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT A CAR IN 'PARK' SHOULD NOT START ROLLING NO MATTER WHAT. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS. IS THIS NORMAL BEHAVIOR? HAVE OTHER PEOPLE SUBMITTED THIS PROBLEM? *TR