2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, 54,248 MILES I BROUGHT MY 2006 HIGHLANDER INTO A DEALER FACILITY FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND TO INVESTIGATE A V.S.C. WARNING LIGHT INDICATION THAT HAD APPEARED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE OBD TEST REVEALED A C1241 CODE. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY. I FOLLOWED THE SERVICE RECOMMENDATIONS AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED THE V.S.C /ABS/CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WERE ON. RETURNED TO DEALER WHERE OBD TEST INDICATEDC1300 FAILED SKID CONTROL ECU. VEHICLE APPEARS TO OPERATE WITHOUT ANTI-LOCK BRAKE, VEHICLE SKID CONTROL AND TRACTION CONTROL FUNCTIONALITY. VEHICLE HANDLING IS VERY UNSTABLE. NEAR CRASH ON FREEWAY WHEN LEFT FRONT BRAKE LOCKED UP. *TR

AFTER 10,000 MILE SERVICE AND NEW BATTERY AND ABOUT TWO WEEKS USE THE CAR'S STEERING FAILED TO RESPOND IN STORE PARKING LOT . I HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALER. THE CAR'S THREE YEAR WARRANTY ENDED IN SEPT. AND I DID NOT PURCHASE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE DEALER ADVISED AFTER 3 DAYS THAT PARTS FOR RACK & PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE ORDERED THEY WERE $1500 AN A DEPOSIT WAS REQUIRED. IN 3 WEEKS THE CAR WAS REPAIRED AND RETURNED REQUESTED SOME TYPE ASSISTANCE SO DEALER TOOK OFF $200.00 THE BILL. *TR

I WAS PULLING UP TO SUBWAY AND I NOTICED THAT MY STEERING WAS A LITTLE TIGHT. I WENT AND ATE AND THEN HEADED TO MY FRIENDS HOUSE IN ORLANDO. WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY I ALMOST HIT A CAR BECAUSE THE STEERING STARTED TO JERK VIOLENTLY TOWARDS THE RIGHT AND LEFT. I MADE IT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ORLANDO BECAUSE IT WAS RIGHT NEXT TO ME, BUT AS I WAS PARKED AND THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING THE WHEEL WOULDN'T STOP MOVING BACK-IN-FORTH. THAT IS WHEN I FOUND OUT TOYOTA WILL NOT PAY FOR THE REPAIRS FOR FREE, EVEN THOUGH I COULD OF KILLED OR INJURED MYSELF AND OTHER PEOPLE AROUND ME. TOYOTA NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS AND FIX IT!!! *TR

PULLING AWAY FROM PARKED POSITION. STEERING SYSTEM FAILED,MAKING VEHICLE UNDRIVEABLE. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT TOWN&COUNTRY TOYOTA IN CHARLOTTE NC. HAD THIS FAILURE HAPPENED AT HIGH SPEED A FATAL ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. *TR

HI, THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKING, THE BRAKING SYSTEM DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY AND AND VEHICLE MOVES FORWARD AND THIS IS INTERMITTENT. IT BEEN RECURRING FOR SOME TIME AND THE DEALERSHIP(TOYOTA OF HACKENSACK) WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE AD ARE DISMISSIVE TO DOWNRIGHT DISRESPECTFUL . WHEN YOU BRAKE ST TIMES THE VEHICLE CONTINUES FORWARD LIKE THE BRAKES ARE NOT HOLDING OR NO BRAKES BEING APPLIED. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE LINKS BELOW ITS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE. HTTP://WWW.HYBRIDCARS.COM/FORUMS/TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER-HYBRID-T404.HTML HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F0D8058/3 HTTP://WWW.HYBRIDCARS.COM/FORUMS/BRAKE-FAILURE-2007-T1013.HTML HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/NEWS04/2007/09/PRIUS_ACCELERATE.HTML THANKS MANOJ DAS *TR

I TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP OR WAS NOT POWERSTEERING ANY LONGER AND FOR A 55 YEAR OLD WOMAN DRIVING THIS CAR IS IMPOSSIBLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD GET 35 MILES PER GALLON IN THE CITY; HOWEVER, IT ONLY GETS 21 MILES. HE CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY APPRECIATED HIS INPUT AND COMMENTS. THE CONTACT FEELS THAT A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 31,000.

THE STEERING JUST STOPPED WORKING, DIDN'T LOCK, BUT IT TOOK RAW MUSCLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE TO AVOID HITTING A TREE. NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING THAT WAS WRONG PRIOR LOSS OF STEERING. MY WIFE WAS ON A WINDING ROAD AND SLOWED DOWN TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN (THE PREVIOUS TURN ON THE ROAD WAS A LEFT) AND THE WHEEL STARTED TO, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, BUCK BACK AND FORTH. SHE HAD JUST ENOUGH TIME TO STOP BEFORE THE NEXT TURN IN THE ROAD. NO CRASH AND NO INJURY, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE. RIGHT NOW THE CAR IS AT THE DEALERSHIP TO BE FIXED. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. IT HAS THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE "I"SYSTEM. ANY TIME THE VEHICLE SENSES SLIPPING IN THE TIRES IT CUTS POWER TO ALL WHEELS. I HAVE BEEN STUCK IN VERY MANAGEABLE CONDITIONS. NOT ONLY DO YOU NOT GET 4 WHEEL DRIVE TO HELP OUT OF ADVERSE CONDITIONS, YOU GET NO DRIVE TO ANY WHEELS AND ARE LEFT STUCK. I SPOKE WITH TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THAT THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED TO DO THIS TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE HYBRID SYSTEM. THERE IS NO INFORMATION IN ANY OF THE LITERATURE PROVIDED WHEN PURCHASING A VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE SOLD TO ANYONE WHO DRIVES IN SNOW OR ON ANY THING OTHER THAN AN IMPROVED ROAD. TOYOTA ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED OTHER COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE BUT WILL NOT CORRECT IT, NOR INFORM BUYERS ABOUT IT'S DESIGN. THIS WILL UNDOUBTEDLY STRAND DRIVERS IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS THEY DEEM MANAGEABLE. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WITH 43058 MILES. ON OCTOBER 6, 2008, AFTER DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY FOR ONE HOUR, I DECIDED TO VISIT MY PARENTS, WHILE BACKING-UP TO PARK ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET, I LOSS ALL THE POWER STEERING. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE, FINALLY I REACH A SAVE AREA. A SIGNAL WAS LIGHTED ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL, AFTER READING THE OWNERS MANUAL, I FIND A PAGE WERE STATES THAT THE EPS SYSTEM CAN PROTECT ITSELF FROM OVERHEATING CAUSING THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST. IN A HIGHLIGHTED SECTION OF THE OWNERS MANUAL, IT ASK THE OWNER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA SERVICE CENTER IF A EPS FAILURE HAPPENS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AS RECOMMENDED BY THE OWNERS MANUAL. THEY ARE AWARE THAT THE EPS SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING BUT WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. BY THE SIMILAR CASES FOUND IN THE INTERNET WITH THE SAME EPS ISSUE I CAN FORECAST THAT THE COST OF THE REPAIR WILL BE ANYWHERE FROM $2,000 TO $3,000 PLUS THE FACT THAT SPARE PARTS ARE ABOUT 20% HIGHER COST IN PUERTO RICO THAN THE REST OF THE US, IF THEY ARE AVAILABLE.I DO NOT AGREE THAT THIS ISSUE IS NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW AND QUALITY ISSUE THAT IS THE MANUFACTURERS (TOYOTA) RESPONSIBILITY. WHY DO I NEED TO PAY FOR A REPAIR THAT IS A MANUFACTURERS RESPONSIBILITY? NEITHER THE DEALERSHIP OR THE TOYOTA DISTRIBUTOR ON PUERTO RICO HAS BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY OR PROVIDE SUPPORT TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE EPS FAILURE. APPARENTLY, TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ABOUT THE EPS FAILURE IN THE 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID.