2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

THE CASE WAS STOPPED AND PLACED IN PARKING WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING FORWARD AT ABOUT 3 MPH. I ALMOST HIT A CAR 5 FEET IN FRONT OF ME(AT THE TIME I PLACED THE HIGHLANDER IN PARKING GEAR) AND IT ENDED 6 INCHES AWAY FROM THE CAR IN THE FRONT. I HAD TO STEP ON THE BRAKE SHIFT GEARS FROM PARKING TO DRIVE. SHIFT AGAIN TO PARKING AND WHILE KEEPING THE BRAKES ON I PRESSED ON THE PARKING BRAKE AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. THERE WAS NO INCLINE IN THE STREET OR ANY DECLINE OBSERVABLE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ORIGINAL FAILURE. MY WIFE AND MY 1 YEAR OLD CHILD WERE INSIDE THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THE HYBRID INVERTER FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.-

AS I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT OF A HOTEL THE CHECK VCS SYSTEM, CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM, CHECK AWD SYSTEM WARNINGS BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE AND ALTERNATE. THE MASTER WARNING LIGHT, SLIP INDICATOR LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND THE ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WERE ALL ILLUMINATED AS WELL. THE CAR WOULD DRIVE, HOWEVER, THE POWER STEERING AND ABS WERE NOT WORKING. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE CLOSEST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I WAS ORIGINALLY TOLD THAT THE CAR SIMPLY NEEDED A NEW BATTERY. ONCE THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, I WAS TOLD THAT THE ECU FOR THE ABS SYSTEM HAD DIED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $2000. WHEN I MENTIONED THE RECALL AND THE FACT THAT THE SYMPTOMS WERE DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE RECALL NOTICE FOR THE IMP I WAS TOLD THAT WHILE MY VIN FELL UNDER THE BOJ RECALL, THE SPECIFIC SERIAL # OF MY IMP DID NOT. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT THE PROBLEM MY CAR WAS HAVING. WHEN I ASKED WHETHER THE SERIAL NUMBERS OF THE D1M RECALL WERE CHECKED I WAS TOLD THIS WAS AN "INTERIM RECALL" AND THAT THEY WERE NOT AUTHORIZED TO DO REPAIRS ON THIS ONE YET SO THEY COULDN'T CHECK. RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT AN IMP FAILURE CAN CAUSE AND ECU FAILURE. FURTHERMORE, AN ECU FAILURE WOULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE SYSTEM TO GO INTO FAIL SAFE MODE AS IT DID. I HAVE A TOYOTA CASE #, BUT THEY HAVE TOLD ME THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *JS

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE CAR HOME AFTER GROCERY SHOPPING AND THE CAR JUST QUIT. SHE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED ME. I ARRIVED AND TRIED TO START THE CAR WITH NO LUCK. FINALLY CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. THEY INSPECTED THE CAR ON TUESDAY (SEP 17,2013) AND SAID THE INVERTER WAS BAD AND THAT A REPLACEMENT WOULD BE $8,500. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK RECALLS ETC... WITH THE REGIONAL REP. THEY ARE AWAITING A SMALL PART TO SEE IF THAT WILL CAUSE THE INVERTER TO WORK PROPERLY. MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THE CAR JUST QUIT WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD! *TR

LOUD SQUEAKY NOISE FROM ABS ACTUATOR EVERY TIME BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. WAS TOLD $2,000+ TO FIX AND NOW I HEAR IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE. TIME FOR A RECALL! *TR

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER TO THE WHEELS AND ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. SHE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR FORWARD OR BACKWARD TO GET THE CAR OUT OF THE LANE OF TRAFFIC. WE GOT THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY INFORMED US THAT THE INVERTER WAS BAD AND WE NEEDED A NEW ONE. WE HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT REPLACING AN "INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE" AND HAD THE REPAIRS DONE JAN 9TH 2013. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS SAID THAT THE REPLACED PART IS WORKING AND THAT IT IS THE INVERTER ITSELF THAT HAS GONE BAD. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ONLINE. I AM JUST THANKFUL THAT SHE WASN'T GOING HIGHWAY SPEED WITH OUR CHILD IN THE CAR WHEN SHE LOST POWER. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT APPROX. 60 MILES PER HOUR THE BRAKE LIGHT AND VCS SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. THE WARNING LIGHT ALSO WENT ON. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OWNER'S MANUAL, I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTHORIZED TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. ACCORDING TO THE AUTOMOBILE STATUS REPORT, THE ABS-HYDRAULIC CONTROL ASSEMBLY: WITH ECU MUST BE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO COMPLAINTS I RESEARCHED ON-LINE, SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED RELATING TO THIS MAKE, MODEL AND ABS SYSTEM. I FILED AN INCIDENT WITH TOYOTA (REFERENCE NUMBER: [XXX]). THE INTAKE REPRESENTATIVE WHO CHECKED WITH THE DEALERSHIP SAID THIS WASN'T A RECALL ITEM AND NO SUPPORT WAS AVAILABLE TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE PART. SHE CONFIRMED THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DEFECT IN THE WORKMANSHIP. I ASKED [XXX] (THE PERSON I SPOKE TO) IF I COULD TAKE THE VEHICLE FOR A SECOND OPINION RELATING TO THE ABS PART. I ALSO ASKED FOR VERIFICATION THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ACTUALLY CHECKED THE PART FOR A DEFECT OR IS QUALIFIED TO DETERMINE IF IN FACT IT IS A MANUFACTURERS' DEFECT. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED THAT THE ABS PART; BRAKE FLUSH/FLUID EXCHANGE/BF; ENGINE AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT;A/C SERVICE-ACS; COOLANT FLUSH (PREMIUM)-CF; AND FUEL INJECTION SERVICE WOULD COST $2,250. I ALSO ASKED THE TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE WHAT THE BATTERY EXPECTANCY ON THE CAR IS AND WHETHER THE MANUFACTURER OFFERS ANY SUPPORT IN TERMS OF THE COSTS. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE BATTERY CAN COST $5,000.00 TO REPLACE BUT THE MANUFACTURER MAY OFFER SOME SUPPORT. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ASSISTANCE, RESEARCH AND FILLING OF THIS COMPLAINT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR UNEXPECTEDLY DROPPED DOWN. OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING, DANGEROUSLY OBSCURING VISIBILITY. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REMEDY, IT JUST HANGS DOWN. EITHER HAVE TO DUCK DOWN WHILE DRIVING TO SEE OR HOLD UP VISOR WITH HAND THAT SHOULD BE ON STEERING WHEEL. HAVE GATHERED A NUMBER OF QUOTES TO REPAIR RANGING FROM $236 TO $425. RIDICULOUSLY EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR, AND I BELIEVE, SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM AS I LEARNED THROUGH RESEARCH, IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

ON JUNE 29TH, 2013 I WAS TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND ON INTERSTATE 95, JUST NORTH RICHMOND VA, WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE AND "HYBRID ENGINE FAIL", OR SOMETHING SIMILAR FLASHED ON THE DISPLAY. I PULLED TO THE LEFT SHOULDER WHICH WAS VERY NARROW. CHECKING TRAFFIC BEHIND ME, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER, WHERE IT DIED. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO SAID THE HYBRID SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $9,200. WE OPTED TO SELL THE CAR FOR SCRAP AND RECEIVED $3,600. IF I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN A SITTING DUCK AND THAT BUSY SECTION OF ROAD. *TR

CHECK VSC SYSTEM CAME ON, THEN OFF, IT HAPPENS A LOT TOOK IT TO A DEALER THEY FOUND NOTHING NOW THE WARNING IS ON ALL THE TIME, TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND NOW THEY WANT $2,600.00. *TR