2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

I HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID THAT I PURCHASED ON APRIL 2010 WITH A LITTLE OVER 40K MILES. I NOTICED AT LOW SPEEDS AND WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS\TRAIN TRACKS A SLIP IN THE BRAKING OF THE SUV FOR 1 OR 2 SECOND OR LESS. THIS ISSUE IS VERY EASY TO REPRODUCE..JUST DRIVE IT OVER A BUMPY ROAD OR TRAIN TRACKS AND THIS BRAKING ISSUE WILL OCCUR. I'VE READ ONLINE THIS ISSUE HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE REGENERATIVE BRAKES AND HYDRAULIC BRAKING SYSTEMS AND THE TRANSFER BETWEEN THE TWO AT LOW SPEEDS. IF THIS IS THE CASE I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT AND A SAFETY ISSUE. IF I NEED TO STOP REALLY FAST ON A BUMPY ROAD AND I HAVE A 1 OR 2 SECOND DELAY IN STOPPING I COULD END UP IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HV. SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A ROUND CIRCLE AROUND THE LENS AREA ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE LENS ON BOTH HEADLIGHTS WERE MELTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,876.

2006 HYBRID HIGHLANDER. WELL MAINTAINED. ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT WARNING. LIGHTS FLASHED THE CAR STALLED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AREAS. TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. EACH TIME THE DEALERSHIP SAID COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED AT 96,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 105,000. I WAS OFFERED A LOW TRADE IN PRICE FOR AN NEW RAV 4. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM WAS ABOVE THEIR FEEBLE MINDS. ILL TRAINED BRAINS CAN NOT COMPREHEND COMPLEX ISSUES. IT IS REAL EASY, PUT IN AN NEW INVERTER. NEW MONTH I WILL HAVE A LARGER SETTLEMENT CHECK FOR A BUSINESS VENTURE. LAST TOYOTA PRODUCT I BUY. I HAVE OWNED 8 VEHICLES FROM THIS DEALERSHIP. LOOKS LIKE I AM GOING BACK TO AMERICAN IT WAS VERY SCARY ON TOP OF THE INTERSTATE 12 DURING RUSH HOUR WITH A HARD RAIN FAILING.. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN HE PUTS THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE IT WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO WAIT SEVERAL MOMENTS BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD FINALLY RESPOND AND MOVE IN REVERSE. ON OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE WHEN IN REVERSE WITH THE BRAKES DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE TO STOP THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT HE WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER TO DETERMINE IF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

MY WIFE WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF OUR APARTMENT BUILDING, IDLING WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHEN OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GATE. BEFORE THE CAR CRASHED, SHE REPEATEDLY APPLIED THE BRAKE AND EVEN PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE CAR DID NOT STOP. AFTER THE IMPACT, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AND ACCELERATE BEFORE FINALLY STOPPING. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE. THE BODY HAS BEEN REPAIRED, BUT PER TOYOTA, NOTHING MECHANICAL OR ELECTRONIC HAS BEEN TOUCHED. LAST WEEK TOYOTA SENT A SPECIALIST OUT TO INSPECT THE CAR AND DOWNLOAD DATA. WE WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME, AND 5 DTC CODES DISPLAYED. THE DESCRIPTIONS DISPLAYED ON THE INVESTIGATOR'S LAP TOP MENTIONED VEHICLE SPEED SENSORS ON RIGHT WHEEL AND LEFT WHEEL, THE EMPS, BODY ECU SWITCH CIRCUIT AND "LOW OR HIGH POWER SUPPLY VOLTAGE". THE CAR WAS TEST DRIVEN, AND NO ERRORS OR CODES WERE REPORTED. THE CAR IS NOW WAITING TO BE TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE REVIEWED AND FIXED. *TR

HAVE A TOYOTA 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID AND WAS DRIVING THE CAR LESS THAN A WEEK AGO AND WAS ON THE PARKWAY DOING 65 IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND CAR STARTED TO DECELERATE, LOST THE POWER STEERING, COULD NOT BRAKE NOR WAS I ABLE TO PUSH THE PEDAL FOR THE GAS. ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND CAR STOPPED. PUT IT IN DRIVE AND WENT TO RESTART CAR, WOULD NOT TURN ON THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM, CHECK VSH, BRAKE LIGHT ETC..... BROUGHT TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP THURSDAY, STILL NO WORD. STATES IT MIGHT BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM PART IS APPROXIMATE. 1500 TO START. THEYCANNOT EVEN EVALUATE THE CAR TILL THEY PLACE THIS PART IN. SOUNDS COSTLY TO ME . WENT ON ANOTHER WEBSITE, APPEARS THAT OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WHEN THEY ARE OVER 100,000 MILES. OCTOBER 4 EMAIL:"FINALLY GOT MY CAR BACK AFTER 3 WEEKS. THEY PUT IN A NEW CONTROL PANEL AND INVERTER, I PAID $1400 FOR THE CONTROL PANEL AND WAS COMPENSATED FOR THE $8800 INVERTER. PLUS THEY FIXED A STEERING WHEEL RECALL AND THE REAR BRAKES WERE SHOT (MY FAULT). [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. SHE DROVE ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND CALLED A TOW COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER HOME, THEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER ADVISED HER THAT THE INVERTER FOR THE HYBRID FAILED, AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER 10 DAYS BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 122,231.

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKING PROBLEMS OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE BRAKES WOULD MOMENTARILY FAIL WHILE BRAKING AT 35 TO 40 MPH. *TR

I HAVE AN 06 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WITH 64,900 MILES ON IT, WE WERE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 5 SOUTH ON CENTRAL CA, SUDDENLY VSC AND CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM FLASHED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE CAR WAS TOTALLY DEAD, TRIED TO START IT A COUPLE OF TIMES BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TOO A NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND THE PROBLEM WAS THE HYBRID INVERTER. 2 DAYS BEFORE THE INCIDENT THE CAR'S BATTERY WAS TOTALLY DRAINED, NOT A SINGLE LIGHT WILL TURN ON. I JUMP STARTED THE CAR TO MAKE RUN. THE INVERTER WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED US $8200 W/O INSTALLATION TO REPLACED IT IF IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR HIGHLANDER HYBRID INVERTER FAILURE. THIS CAN HAPPEN ANYTIME AGAIN W/O WARNING AND COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS , AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE ON DRIVING THIS CAR AGAIN. *TR

TL-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WOULD NOT START. IT TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE SHE WAS TOLD A WIRE SHORTED AND BLEW OUT THE HYBRID SYSTEM. SHE WAS TOLD THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN THE INVERTER. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER ALSO INFORMED HER THIS FAILURE WAS A MANUFACTURED DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 131,600. SM.