2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE DEALER HAS TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO REPAIR THE MIDDLE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT AND THE PASSENGER WAS NOT SECURE IN THE VEHICLE. IN ORDER FOR THE SEAT BELT TO BE CLOSED, IT HAD TO BE EXTENDED TO THE FULL LENGTH IN ORDER TO RETRACT. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK BECAUSE THE PASSENGER WAS NOT SECURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55000. UPDATED 07/01/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE SEAT BELT PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. UPDATED 07/02/10.*JB

I HAVE A 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID AND EVER SINCE A FEW HUNDRED MILES, THERE HAS BEEN A KNOCK IN MY STEERING WHEEL. IT IS INTERMITTENT, BUT MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS COMING OUT OF A TURN, USUALLY A RIGHT TURN. AS THE WHEEL COMES BACK TO CENTER (TURNING COUNTER-CLOCKWISE) THERE A MOMENTARY KNOCK WHICH IS AUDIBLE AND CAN BE FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL. MY DEALER INITIALLY REPLACED THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AFTER I NOTICED MANY PEOPLE ON THE TOYOTA FORUMS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. AT ANY RATE, THE PROBLEM CAME BACK AFTER 500 MILES OF THE 1ST REPAIR. I RECENTLY TOOK THE CAR IN AGAIN, AS THE PROBLEM PERSISTED AND I FELT HAD GOTTEN WORSE. AFTER A WEEK OF ARGUING WITH THE LAME SERVICE DEPT MANAGER ( MARINA DEL REY TOYOTA ), I TURNED UP THE HEAT AND SPOKE WITH THE MANAGER OF THE DEALERSHIP. THE PART WAS REPLACED AGAIN, AND AFTER ONE WEEK, THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE...THE STEERING HAS BECOME LOOSE AND SLOPPY, AND NOWTOYOTA IS NOT WILLING TO GO ANY FURTHER TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH OVER BUMPY ROADS WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD HESITATE TO ENGAGE WITHOUT WARNING. HE CONFIRMED THAT THE FEELING WAS AS IF HE HAD REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN IN FACT, HE HAD NOT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE; HOWEVER A CLAIM WAS FILED APPROPRIATELY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING - TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2008 (NOT RECALLED!) ON 2/18/10, MY ACCELERATOR GOT STUCK WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 30 YEARS, AND I KNOW HOW TO DRIVE, SO PLEASE SPARE ME TOYOTA! ALSO, MY CAR IS NOT EVEN ON THE RECALL LIST YET!!!! I ACCELERATED QUICKLY FROM A STOPPED POSITION. ONCE THE ACCELERATOR WAS RELEASED, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RACE. I HIT THE BRAKE, PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL, AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED MOVING. ABOUT 3 SECONDS LATER, AND WITHOUT TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR, (THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT STUCK TO THE MAT, AND IN ITS RELEASED POSITION) I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO DRIVE. THE CAR ONCE AGAIN BEGAN TO RACE FORWARD. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AGAIN (IT STOPPED ONCE AGAIN), WAITED 20 SECONDS, AND BACK IN DRIVE, IT WAS THEN OK. THE PEDAL DID NOT GET STUCK TO THE FLOOR MAT AS TOYOTA CLAIMS COULD HAPPEN. THE FLOOR MAT IN MY CAR WAS NO WHERE NEAR THE PATH OF THE PEDAL. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME, ALBEIT VERY CAREFULLY! THE SCARY PART, IS THAT TOYOTA DID NOT RECALL THIS VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM! I BOUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER THE SAME DAY, AND THEY WERE A BIT NONCHALANT ABOUT THIS, AND ALSO TOLD ME THEY DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM, AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO ABOUT IT, WHICH REALLY CONCERNS ME! ALSO, MY CALL TO TOYOTA CORPORATION WAS TAKEN VERY LOOSELY, AND THEY DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE MUCH CONCERN, EXCEPT TO TELL ME TO REMOVE MY FLOOR MATS. *TR

IN AUGUST, I PURCHASED A USED PRE-CERTIFIED 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FROM STEVINSON TOYOTA IN AURORA, CO. ABOUT A MONTH AGO I NOTICED RUST SPOTS FORMING ON THE HOOD AS WELL AS THE TAILGATE. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BEING THAT ALL THREE WARRANTIES WERE STILL IN EFFECT. I ALSO BROUGHT IT TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP AT THE REQUEST OF THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THE RUST WAS DUE TO CONTAMINATED PAINT AND THAT THEY SEE A LOT OF THIS DAMAGE ON 2008 TOYOTA MODELS. AFTER TWO DAYS OF ARGUING WITH TOYOTA ABOUT WHETHER THE RUST WAS FROM GRAVEL OR DEFECTIVE PAINT, THEY DECIDED TO COVER THE DAMAGE AND HAVE THE HOOD AND TAILGATE REPAINTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AS SHE APPROACHED A STOP SIGN AND THERE WAS A POTHOLE THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD IMMEDIATELY AFTER SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT IT WAS RELATED TO THE COMPUTER ELECTRONICS BUT THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THEY WILL NOT REPLACE OR REPAIR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, WITH SMALL CHILD IN BACK, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE IMMINENT DANGER WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THEY STATED STOP THE CAR IN THE NEAREST SAFE AREA AND CALL DEALER. I FEARED BACK TO AN ACCELERATION ISSUE IN 1985 WITH AN OLDER CAR AND LOOKED FOR A LESS CROWDED AREA TO PULL OVER. I WAS IN TRAFFIC AND THAT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. I PHONED THE NEAREST DEALER, THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN OTHER THAN I NEEDED TO GET THERE OR PULL OVER AND STOP. I WAS LESS THAN 15 MILES AWAY SO I CHOSE TO TRY AND GET THERE SINCE I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR WITH BREAKS. I ARRIVED AT THE DEALER AND SAT 3 HOURS BEFORE I HAD ANY DETAIL, WITH MY TWO YEAR OLD. THEY COULD NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM. THEY ESCALATED THE ISSUE UP THE TOYOTA SERVICE LEVELS. FINALLY, THEY CAME BACK THAT THERE WAS A SMALL (HAIRLINE)BREAK FLUID LEAK IN THE CAR AND THAT PART WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AT 41,000 MILES AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE PART AND LABOR TO INSTALL. AFTER 5 HOURS, THEY GAVE ME A RIDE HOME AND DID NOT OFFER A RENTAL CAR. THE DETAILS I RECEIVED BACK WERE VERY VAGUE AND TO THIS DAY I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE ISSUE BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR, AFTER MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ISSUE - TOYOTA AGREED TO PAY FOR THE PART $1500 BUT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR LABOR $600. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY MAY HAVE PAID FOR ALL THE REPAIR (A YEAR AGO) BUT THE FLOOR MAT ISSUE WAS COSTING THEM SO MUCH MONEY THEY WERE NOT PAYING FOR LABOR ANY LONGER. I FEEL A REPAIR THAT WAS NOT COMMON AND NOT CAUSED MY DRIVING OR LACK OF PROPER MAINTENANCE. THEY CALLED IT A FLUKE AND THAT IS EVIDENCED BY THE ONLY PLACE THEY COULD FIND THE PART WAS IN CINCINNATI, OHIO WHEN I LIVE IN CA. IT TOOK MORE THAN A WEEK FOR THE PART TO ARRIVE AND I WAS WITHOUT MY CAR FOR THREE WEEKS AS I HAD NO WAY TO GET BACK THERE. THEY DID NOT OFFER UP A RENTAL CAR AND MY HUSBAND WAS OUT OF TOWN DURING THAT TIME. *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 4WD - THE ANTISKID MECHANISM FOR ICE IS VERY EFFECTIVE BUT CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IN SNOW. ON THIS MODEL, THERE IS NO MANUAL OVERRIDE. I LIVE IN RURAL NORTH DAKOTA AND BLOWING SNOW OR RURAL ROADS ARE A PART OF LIFE HERE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT I GOT STUCK IN A MINOR DRIFT ON THE ROAD BUT IN TEMPERATURE OF DOUBLE DIGIT BELOW WIND CHILLS. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS IS WHEN THE CAR SENSE WHEEL SLIPPAGE. THIS TURNS ALL POWER OFF TO THE WHEELS. 'FLOORING THE PEDAL" RESULTS IN NO REVVING OF THE ENGINE. (THIS MAY BE A PROBLEM ONLY ON THE HYBRID, I AM NOT SURE.) AS THE POWER GETS TURNED OFF, IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO 'ROCK' THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE DRIFT. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I THOUGHT THAT I BROKE THE VEHICLE AS IT WAS LIKE THE CAR WAS OFF. NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. I NEEDED TO SHOVEL COMPLETELY SO THERE WAS NO WHEEL SLIPPAGE. YESTERDAY, IT CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH THE ELEMENTS AND THE CAR NOT RECEIVING POWER TO THE WHEELS. I DID AN INTERNET SEARCH WHEN THIS HAPPENED THE FIRST TIME AND FOUND OTHERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. ONE PERSON DESCRIBED THE VEHICLE WHEN STUCK IN SNOW AS "A GIGANTIC BOAT ANCHOR." I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER AND THEN THE '800 NUMBER' FOR TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DID NOT GET ANYWHERE. I THINK THE SAFETY SOLUTION IS A MANUAL OVERRIDE SWITCH. *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID LIMITED ACCELERATED WHILE PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND BEFORE I COULD STOP VEHICLE I HIT A FROZEN SNOW DRIFT WITH THE RIGHT FRONT SIDE. DAMAGE OCCURRED TO VEHICLE AND I HURT MY BACK. THIS HAPPENED ONCE. *TR

MY CRUISE CONTROL ZOOMS OUT OF CONTROL WITHOUT ANY INITIATIVE FROM ME. IT'S A VERY RANDOM PROBLEM, BUT DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING. *TR