2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE CHECK ESC WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE ENTIRE HYBRID SYSTEM SHUT DOWN, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACTS RESIDENCE WHERE HE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COMMON FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 191,000. UPDATED 03/23/11 *BF UPDATED 1/5/12 *CN

THE COMPUTER ON 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WON'T ALLOW ENGINE TO START. 12V BATTERY WILL NOT START AUTO UNTIL A SMALL CHARGE IS CONNECTED TO BATTERY I HAVE HAD IT IN THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME WAS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS LESS THAN 1 WEEK OLD - WAS TOLD THAT I MUST HAVE LEFT A DOOR OPEN, AND NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. SECOND TIME TO THE DEALERSHIP - SAME PROBLEM - SAME RESPONSE, AGAIN, THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. NEW BATTERY WAS INSTALLED 1/1/11. STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM - CAR WILL NOT START-GET STRANDED AND CAR WILL NOT START. ON 2/22/11 I TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, ALONG WITH DOCUMENTATION ON SERVICE BULLETIN 01605, NHTSA ITEM NUMBER 10015806 - SERVICEMAN SAID THAT THEY (THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT) DO NOT PAY ANY ATTENTION TO ANY OF THE NHTSA BULLETINS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. NO LIGHTS LEFT ON OR ACCESSORIES LEFT ON. HEATER, RADIO, SEATS, ARE TURNED OFF. *TR

IN JANUARY 2011, WE WERE REVERSING OUT OF A PARKING STALL WHEN OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLAND HYBRID SHUT DOWN. WE COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR AT ALL. SEVERAL LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD LIT UP, SUCH AS "CHECK ENGINE" AND "CHECK VSC SYSTEM." WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER'S REPAIR PLACE. AFTER THREE WEEKS, IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT OUR INVERTER HAD FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

HYBRID INVERTERS ON 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS ARE FAILING, VEHICLE ALL OF THE SUDDEN STOPS AND LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL GO ON. YOU TRY TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND ITS USELESS. INVERTERS ARE FAILING AND THE COST OF THE PART ITSELF IS OVER $7000 PLUS THE COST OF LABOR. INVERTERS ARE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY UP TO 100,000 MILES. MY HIGHLANDER HAS 107,000. I AM NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO GET IT REPAIRED. I THINK THAT TOYOTA IS WELL AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IN 2006 HIGHLANDERS AND SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO GET THE PROBLEM FIXED BEFORE THERE IS A TRAGEDY ON THE ROADS. *TR

I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AND WAS ACCELERATING, HEARD A POP AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START. THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE CHECK VSC LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP SAID THE HYBRID INVERTER FAILED.

GETTING ON FREEWAY ON RAMP HEARD "BANG" AND CAR WENT DEAD. NO BRAKES, STEERING OR ANY FUNCTION. MANAGED TO PULL OFF AND CALL TOW TRUCK. TOYOTA SAID THE "INVERTER" BLEW AND ALL ELECTRICAL FUNCTION WAS LOST. THEY REPLACED THE INVERTER AND SAID THEY NEVER SAW THIS BEFORE. CAR HAS BEEN OK SINCE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED; THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THERE WAS ALSO A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CHECK VSC AND CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INVERTER FAILED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 118,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE UP A SLIGHT INCLINE IN THE STREET AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 10 MILES, IT SUDDENLY STOPPED MOVING. THE ENGINE WAS STILL ON BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR BACKWARDS. THE MESSAGE ON THE DASH WAS FIRST CHECK CSV (OR VSC) AND THEN CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. THE POLICE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND THE CAR WAS HAULED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM IN 6 DAYS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE JUMPSTARTED . THE FAILURE OCCURRED BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO REPLACED THE BATTERY; THE BATTERY HAD BEEN PLACED FOUR TIMES IN FIVE YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THE VSC LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE INVERTER HAD FAILED AND STATED THE TRANSAXLE AND THE INVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THEY WERE AWARE OF A POSSIBLE INVERTER PROBLEM WITH THOSE MODELS AND WOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER TO SEE IF THE REPAIRS COULD BE MADE FREE OF CHARGE SINCE THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.