2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

TOYOTA HEATER CONTROL UNIT HAS MALFUNCTIONED SO THAT TEMPERATURE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKS AND NOW AIRBAG, AC SWITCH, REAR DEFROSTER, AND VENT CONTROL NO LONGER WORKING. ENTIRE UNIT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. UNFIXED THIS HAS POTENTIAL FOR CAUSING ACCIDENTS OR INJURIES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE BRAKES WHERE DEPRESSED WHEN SUDDENLY THE ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS MODULATOR VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL WORK. ONCE THE TECHNICIAN OPENED THE INVERTER CASE WE FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS FOR BOTH THE INVERTER AND TRANSMISSION WERE COMPLETELY MELTED AND COOKED DUE TO A FIRE INSIDE THE INVERTER. I AM NOW LOOKING AT A $15000 REPAIR BILL WITH TOYOTA AND LUCKILY MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT BURNED ALIVE OR IN AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN FATALITIES. *TR

REAR ENDED ANOTHER CAR AT THE END OF A RAMP. SEVERE DAMAGE TO OTHER CAR. I WONDERED AT THE TIME WHY THE AIR BAG DID NOT GO OFF, EVEN THOUGH MY BUMPER AND HOOD WAS DAMAGED. BUT, POLICE SAID IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE I WENT UNDER THE SMALLER CAR? I DIDN'T QUESTION HIS JUDGMENT, BUT NOW THAT I HEAR OF SO MANY OTHER TOYOTA CAR AIRBAGS NOT GOING OFF, I THINK THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

ENGINE SHUTDOWN AT 70MPH, ENGINE/HYBRID SYSTEM DID NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL OR CRUISE CONTROL - NO WARNING LIGHTS. WAS ABLE TO COAST TO SIDE OF FREEWAY SAFELY. I TURNED OFF IGNITION AND RESTARTED THE CAR, VEHICLE RAN FLAWLESSLY AFTERWARDS. *TR

IN NOVEMBER, 2013, THE VSC SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT AND SEVERAL OTHER LIGHTS ("ABS")CAME ON IN THE CAR. A WARNING NOISE REMAINS ON AT ALL TIMES SINCE THEN...THE SAME SOUND THAT COMES ON IF YOU FAIL TO FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELT. THE DEALERSHIP TESTED THE SYSTEM AND DETERMINED IT NEEDS A NEW BRAKE ACTUATOR PART WHICH WITH LABOR COMES TO OVER $2,000.00. I FILED COMPLAINTS WITH TOYOTA AND OTHER NATIONAL GROUPS TO NO AVAIL. I RECENTLY WAS NOTIFIED OF ANOTHER TOYOTA RECALL AND CAME ON THIS SITE AND DISCOVERED AN IDENTICAL INCIDENT (NHTSA ID NUMBER:10562656.) PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER AND ADVISE OF THE FINDINGS AS IT APPARENTLY IS A GROWING ISSUE AND RISK EXPERIENCED AND DOCUMENTED BY OWNERS. *TR

STARTED VEHICLE, POWER STEERING FAULT INDICATOR CAME ON. NO POWER STEERING. DOES STEER WHILE IN MOTION BUT EXTREMELY HARD TO TURN, IMPOSSIBLE WHILE STANDING STILL. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR 2 WEEKS AGO (3/17/14) AND IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR 500 MILES WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. LAST NIGHT I PARKED IN MY USUAL SPOT ACROSS THE ROAD FROM MY HOUSE. ON THE MORNING OF SUNDAY (3/30/14) I WENT TO TURN ON MY CAR AND I NOTICE A P/S RED LIGHT CAME ON AND DID A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND REALIZED IT WAS MY POWER STEERING FAILING. DID A QUICK TEST, CONFIRMED THAT MY STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. I DID SOME FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND REALIZE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HIGHLAND HYBRID AND THERE WAS ALREADY A NHTSA ACTION (PE06055) FILED PREVIOUSLY BUT HAD NO CONCLUSION. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT UP AGAIN, THAT IT HASN'T GONE AWAY, IT IS DANGEROUS AND I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS WEB BLOG ABOUT THIS: HTTP://WWW.GREENHYBRID.COM/DISCUSS/F12/2006-HCH-LOST-POWER-STEERING-BRIEFLY-25044/ HTTP://ANSWERS.EDMUNDS.COM/QUESTION-POWER-STEERING-FAILURE-ON-2006-HIGHLANDER-HYBRID-9455.ASPX IT IS ABSURD THAT TOYOTA REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT A BAD QUALITY PRODUCT THEY PRODUCE. IF THEY DON'T WANT TO RECALL, AT LEAST FIX THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM RATHER THEN HAVE PEOPLE SHELLING OUT THEIR MONEY (ON TOP OF WHAT THEY ALREADY PAID TO PURCHASE THE CAR) TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT TOYOTA CREATED IN THE OUTSET. *TR

IN OCTOBER 2013 I HAD A "CHECK VSC SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT. UPON TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY SAID IT WAS DUE TO THE BATTERY AND REPLACED IT AND THE WARNING LIGHT WENT AWAY. HOWEVER, OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE STARTED NOTICING A "SQUEAKING" SOUND COMING FROM THE AREA UNDERNEATH THE FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE BUT THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. YESTERDAY, THE SAME "CHECK VSC SYSTEM" WARNING POPPED UP, ONLY NOW IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A NUMBER OF OTHER LIGHTS ON THE DASH, INCLUDING "ABS" "BRAKE" THE "TIRE PRESSURE (!)" AND ONE OTHER LIGHT ON THE LEFT SIDE TO THE UPPER RIGHT OF THE "READY" TEXT. THE DEALER HAS JUST TOLD ME THERE WERE TWO COMPUTER CODES, ONE IS C1241. THEY SAID THE PREVIOUS DEALER DID NOT DIG DEEP ENOUGH INTO THE ISSUE IN OCTOBER, AND THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS NOT GETTING ENOUGH PRESSURE. THE BRAKE ACTUATOR NEEDS REPLACEMENT, THE PART IS $1,800 AND WITH LABOR AND TAXES THE BILL COMES TO OVER $2,400. BASED ON OTHER RESEARCH I HAVE DONE TODAY THIS SEEMS TO BE A GROWING ISSUE THAT MANY OWNERS ARE FACING. *TR

I WAS TURNING RIGHT AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN A WOMAN WALKING HER DOG BEGAN CROSSING THE STREET. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID HER AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED SOUNDLESSLY FORWARD (CAR IS HYBRID BUT PRESSING ACCIDENTALLY ON THE GAS PEDAL WITH FORCE WOULD HAVE CAUSED REVVING NOISE) AND I COULD NOT CONTROL IT.. I RAN OVER THE WOMAN'S FOOT AND ALSO HER DOGS FEET. I DROVE THE CAR UP OVER A CURB WHICH RESULTING IN A FLAT TIRE TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. THERE WAS NO INJURY TO THE CAR OR MYSELF. THE WOMAN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BUT HAD NO BROKEN BONES. THE DOG HAD BRUISING AND DISCOMFORT BUT NO SERIOUS INJURIES EITHER. TOOK THE CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD FIND NO ALERTS, WARNINGS, OR ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED IT TO ACCELERATE UNINTENTIONALLY. *TR