2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

MY SON WAS DRIVING AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED ON HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH NO WARNING OR POWER STEERING. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE HYBRID GENERATOR HAD SHORTED AND NEEDED $7,300.00 WORTH OF REPAIRS. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS, IF HE WAS ON A VERY BUSY ROAD AND THIS VEHICLE WERE TO HAVE STOPPED ON HIM AS SUDDENLY AS IT DID THAT DAY HE COULD OF POSSIBLY BEEN REAR-ENDED AND SERIOUSLY INJURED. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN A PART OF SEVERAL RECALLS WITH THIS SAME TYPE OF ISSUE, BUT TOYOTA HAS REFUSED MY REQUEST FOR THIS VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED OR ISSUE A RECALL WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR

AFTER MAKING A LEFT TURN AT A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE DISPLAY STARTED INDICATING ERROR CODES INCLUDING CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. AFTER DRIVING APPROX 1/2 MILE, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND SHUT DOWN/STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC. FORTUNATE, I RECEIVED SOME HELP FROM AN ON-LOOKER TO HELP ME MANUALLY STEER THE CAR OVER SLIGHTLY ON TO THE SIDEWALK AREA AS TRAFFIC IS CONGESTED IN THAT AREA. TOYOTA DOES NOT CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THEIR RECALL NOTICE INDICATES "INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH". ADDITIONALLY, THEY WILL NOT HONOR THEIR RECALL NOTICE FOR THE HYBRID SYSTEM INVERTER STATING THE INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE LOCATED ON THE INVERTER WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE EVEN THOUGH THE CONDITIONS WERE EXACTLY WHAT IS STATED ON THE RECALL NOTICE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SHOULDERS AS ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO STATED HAT THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS CORRODED. THE CORROSION HAD TO BE CLEANED OFF FROM THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTION AND THE ENGINE RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V342000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) THAT MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID, 34,000 MILES BOUGHT USED. FAIRLY OFTEN WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES AT LOWER SPEEDS, THE SUV SURGES FORWARD LIKE THE BRAKES HAVE RELEASED FOR A MOMENT AND THEN HAVE REAPPLIED. IT IS DANGEROUS. I TOOK THE CAR TO LEE'S TOYOTA (ON 03/03/12) FOR RECALL NOT RELATED TO THIS. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS SOME AIR IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM, THE MECHANIC FIXED. AND I WILL NOT BE CHARGED FOR. THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE CUT AND PADS CHANGED. WHEN I GOT HOME I TOOK THE WHEELS OFF AND THE ROTORS AND PADS ARE FINE. THE DEALER DID NOT GENERATE THE TICKET NUMBER FOR THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT MAKE ANYTHING OF IT BECAUSE THEY DID NOT CHARGE ME. JUST THE OTHER DAY WHILE BACKING UP THE SUV DID JUST THAT AND THE BUMPER ENDED UP ON THE STOP SIGN POLE. I DID ONLINE RESEARCH & NOW I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT'S DEFIANTLY DANGEROUS AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON I40 JUST AFTER LEAVING I17 AT FLAGSTAFF, AZ, DURING HEAVY RAINSTORM, VEHICLE DECELERATED ABRUPTLY TO ABOUT 45 MPH (WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 65), MANAGED TO PULL OFF AT NEXT OFF RAMP AND CAR DIED COMPLETELY ABOUT HALFWAY UP OFFRAMP (COUNTRY CLUB ROAD EXIT). WARNING MESSAGES INCLUDED "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM", "CHECK 4WD SYSTEM", AND "CHECK AVS SYSTEM". AFTER CALLING FINDLAY TOYOTA IN FLAGSTAFF AND WHILE WAITING FOR TOW TRUCK, TURNED SYSTEM OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND ATTEMPTED RESTART WHICH WAS SUCCESSFUL AND DROVE TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. AFTER 2 DAYS OF DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS AND TECHNICIAN CALLS WITH TOYOTA, THEY TRIED TO TELL ME PROBLEM WAS DIRTY MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. THIS VEHICLE HAD RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE AND HAD INVERTER AND AVS SYSTEM REPLACED AT A LITTLE OVER 100,000 MILES. EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD WITH POWER SYSTEM FAILURE ON INTERSTATE IN RAINSTORM SURROUNDED BY 18 WHEELERS. *TR

AS I ACCELERATED FROM A STOP AT A SIDE STREET TO ENTER HIGHWAY TRAFFIC, I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED BY A LARGE TRUCK WHEN THE HH INVERTER FAILED. THE CAR SIMPLY SUDDENLY FAILED TO RESPOND WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING. SEVERAL DASHBOARD SYMBOLS LIT UP, INCLUDING CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM,'AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO STEER TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER CHECKED FOR RECALLS AND SAID THERE WERE NONE. I MENTIONED THE JUNE 2011 NOTICE WE'D RECEIVED, AND THAT WE WERE TOLD THAT THE PART WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL JAN. 2012. WE DID NOT RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION FROM TOYOTA AND CALLED THE DEALER IN JAN. FOR AN APPOINTMENT. AFTER A BRIEF INSPECTION, WE WERE TOLD THE PART WAS NOT DEFECTIVE AND NO REPLACEMENT NECESSARY.' WE HAD BEEN EXTRA CAUTIOUS AND LIMITED THE USE OF OUR HH FOR MONTHS, AND WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE WAS NO EFFORT TO EXAMINE THE PART EARLIER OR VERIFY THE CONDITIONS OF USE OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE CAR WAS TOWED IN APRIL 2012, THE DEALER SAID WE NEEDED A PART, WHICH THEY ORDERED AND INSTALLED AT NO COST TO US WITHIN A FEW DAYS. THE MANAGER SAID THAT IT WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE PART, TOOK A LONG TIME TO INSTALL, AND THAT WE WERE "LUCKY TO HAVE THE WARRANTY."' THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THE INVERTER RECALL BUT THE INVOICE INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A "BOJ RECALL." THERE MAY HAVE BEEN AN EARLIER CLUE: ON DEC. 1, 2011 THE SAME DASHBOARD INDICATORS (CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM AND VRC) LIT UP IN THE MORNING WHEN I WENT TO START IT AND COULDN'T. WE ASKED DEALER ABOUT RECALLS, MENTIONED THE UPCOMING SCHEDULED NOTIFICATION (JAN. 2012), BUT WERE TOLD THERE WERE NONE, AND THAT PROBLEM WAS THE BATTERY. THIS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN RELATED, BUT I WONDER IF THE DEALERSHIP EVER CONSIDERED THE INVERTER ISSUE IN ITS ANALYSIS. THIS 2006 HH HAD ONLY 25,259 MILES AT TIME OF FAILURE, ONLY 1 OWNER, AND RCVD REGULAR MAINTENANCE FROM DEALER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REVERSE FROM A RESIDENTIAL DRIVE WAY, THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INVERTER AND ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 11V342000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 113,000.

DRIVING IN 6 LANES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC WE HEARD A 'THUNK' AND LOST ALL POWER. I WRESTLED THE VEHICLE TO GET IT TO COAST OFF OF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE INVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. COST WAS $7600, AFTER A SUBSTANTIAL DISCOUNT FROM THE DEALER, WHO WAS OBVIOUSLY EMBARRASSED ABOUT CHARGING SO MUCH FOR A SINGLE PART. THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, SINCE ALL POWER AND ELECTRICALLY ASSISTED DRIVING FUNCTIONS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. FORTUNATELY IT DIDN'T. SUBSEQUENTLY I FOUND THAT TOYOTA HAD UPGRADED THEIR INVERTERS BEGINNING IN 2007. WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED IN 2011 FROM TOYOTA AN "INTERIM SAFETY RECALL NOTICE" FOR THE INVERTER, BUT HAVE HEARD NOTHING SINCE. *TR

DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR WILL NO LONGER RELIABLY STAY UP, SO THE VISOR SOMETIMES FALLS DOWN SUDDENLY AND BLOCKS MY VIEW. WHEN IT DOES STAY UP, IT ONLY STAYS UP PART WAY. *TR