2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Complaints

USING A HIGHLANDER'S POWER-ADAPTER TO POWER MY IPHONE, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF NOISE IS ADDED TO THE MUSIC OUTPUT. TOYOTA DEALER HAS CORRECTED MY PROBLEM BY INSTALLING SOME FILTERS IN LINE BEFORE THE POWER ADAPTER SOCKET. *TR

THERE IS A "CLICKING SOUND" IN THE STEERING COLUMN, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION, AND WORSE IF TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE GOING OVER A BUMP. FEELS AS IF SOMETHING IS LOOSE IN THE STEERING SYSTEM. ALMOST FEELS LIKE A LOOSE CV JOINT. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PICKED THE CAR UP FROM THE DEALER. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A "CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE". PROBLEM HAS BEEN PERSISTING, AND I SHOWED THIS TO ANOTHER DEALER, WHO TOLD ME THAT TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND IS WORKING ON IT. SPOKE WITH TOYOTA, WHO DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE, BUT OFFERED A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TO MEET WITH ME AND TO TEST THE CAR. AWAITING MY APPOINTMENT WITH TOYOTA FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE. *TR

IN FEBURARY 2008, I PURCHASED A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, WHEN SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. ON THE FIRST OCCASION (APRIL 2008), THE INCIDENT ENDED IN AN ACCIDENT AS THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO A WALL. THE SECOND INCIDENCE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS LATER AND NEARLY CAUSED ANOTHER ACCIDENT. AGAIN, AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED BY A PARKING PYLON BEFORE HITTING A WALL. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY CLAIM THAT THEY CAN NOT FIND ANY ISSUES WITH VEHICLE. BASED ON MY RESEARCH, THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE AN ISOLATED PROBLEM AS OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES ARE NOTED AS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. I FEEL THAT THIS VEHICLE IS THREAT NOT ONLY TO THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY, BUT TO OTHERS ON THE ROAD. UPDATED 08/08/08. *JB

CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET TO ALLOW A CAR OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY. MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HIGHLANDER HYBRID (WITH 8000 MILES) MADE A HISSING OR WHISTLING TYPE SOUND AND JUST ACCELERATED. ( I WAS AT A STOP) WE WENT ABOUT 150 FT (ACCORDING TO THE INSURANCE INVESTIGATOR) AND WENT RIGHT INTO A TREE. I WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL THAT EVENING BUT MY PASSENGER IS SEVERELY INJURED. MY INS INVESTIGATOR SUGGEST I ASK YOU IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE THIS.?? THE TRUCK IS TOTALED. MY INVESTIGATOR WANTS TO GET A COURT ORDER TO HAVE THE "BLACK BOX" RELEASED THAT GATHERS INFORMATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT PURCHASED HIS VEHICLE FIFTEEN DAYS AGO. THE WINDSHIELD REMAINS FOGGED. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED WHEN HE ACTIVATED THE DEFOGGER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD HAD TO BE REPAIRED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE DEALER WOULD NOT MAKE THE REPAIR FOR FREE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,500.

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATES THAT 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. HE ALSO STATES THAT THE HILL HOLDER FEATURE DOESN'T WORK ON A DOWNWARD SLOPE. *KB

TL*THE CONTACT LEASES A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 25 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID STRIKING OTHER VEHICLES. HE THEN HEARD A LOUD BANG. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS. HE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AXLE FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WILL SEND AN INVESTIGATOR TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 4,000.

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FUEL TANK DAMAGE. CONSUMER STATES ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT GAS WHEN TRYING TO FILL THE TANK. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE OVR VALVE AND CHARCOAL FILTER WERE DAMAGED. *KB

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY THE SUNROOF EXPLODED AND SENT GLASS FRAGMENT EVERYWHERE. FORTUNATELY THE SHADE WAS PULLED CLOSED OTHERWISE GLASS WOULD HAVE BEEN BLOWN INTO THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AT 55 MPH. GLASS WAS COMPLETELY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE HEADLINER AND IT HAD TO BE REMOVED TO ENSURE GLASS WOULD NOT INTERFERE WITH AIR BAG OPERATION OR BECOME A PROJECTILE IF THE AIR BAG ACTUATED. THE SUNROOF IS MADE OF TEMPERED GLASS AND NOT SAFETY GLASS. WHEN IT EXPLODED, THE GLASS WAS NOT HELD CAPTIVE BY THE SAFETY FILM. ONLY A TWO INCH BORDER OF GLASS REMAINED IN THE SUN ROOF FRAME. THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT SAFETY OVERSIGHT. IF THE SUN ROOF SHADE HAD BEEN OPEN, THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT WITH GLASS AND AN ACCIDENT WOULD LIKELY HAVE OCCURRED. *TR

HAD A ROCK CHIP THAT GREW ACROSS WINDSHIELD WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY. HAD WINDSHIELD REPLACED TWO DAYS LATER VERY SMALL ROCK CHIPPED IT. HAD CHIP FIXED NOW 3WKS LATER LINES ARE APPEARING OUT OF THE FIXED CHIP. ALL REPAIRS WERE DONE BY SAFELIGHT AND IS REPORTED TO INSURANCE. *TR