2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE A SERVICE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO CHECK THE HYBRID SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER WAS REPLACING THE INVERTER WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 99,681. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WITH GOODYEAR, INTEGRITY, SIZE 225-65-R17. THE REPLACEMENT TIRES WERE PURCHASED IN 2009. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICED THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM THAT THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVEN 15,000 MILES. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE WEAR WAS ABNORMAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BY A LOCAL MECHANIC. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,778.

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID ON A TURNPIKE. AS SHE DROVE ON EXIT RAMP THE CAR LOST POWER AND WARNING LIGHTS SIGNALED A PROBLEM WITH HYBRID SYSTEM. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER. WE WERE TOLD PART WOULD COST $8,200 AND $800 FOR LABOR. REPAIR IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY SINCE CAR HAS 130,000 MILES. PROBLEM HAS NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. *TR

THE INVERTER ( A VERY EXPENSIVE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT) ON MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID FAILED RESULTING IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. IT TOOK A WEEK TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR. REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT APPLIES TO HYBRID COMPONENTS. I HAVE ASKED, BUT TOYOTA CAN/WILL NOT TELL ME HOW OFTEN THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAS OCCURRED; THE INTERNET HAS STORIES FROM OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF FAILURE. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ON THE HIGHWAY IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. WITH TOYOTA'S REPUTATION, I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT THEY DON'T WANT DISCUSSED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE AND CHECK VSF WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE FROM THE ROADWAY WHERE IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND GENERAL POWER INVENTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 144,000.

I EXPERIENCED TOTAL POWER LOSS TO THE ENGINE AND STEERING OF MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. TOYOTA WANTS $7000 TO REPLACE THE HYBRID POWER INVERTER. TOYOTA REFUSES TO DISCLOSE FREQUENCY OF THIS FAILURE. IDENTICAL FAILURES CAN BE FOUND IN ONLINE FORUMS, ALL WITH THE 2006 HIGHLANDER OR WITH THE 2006 LEXUS RX 400H. POTENTIALLY DEADLY FAILURE FOLLOWED BY A PRICE GOUGING REPAIR COSTS. *TR

(2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID) PULLING ONTO 4 LANE (2 LANES DIVIDED BY CONCRETE BARRIER) HIGHWAY MERGING INTO 55+ MPH TRAFFIC. ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 30-35 MPH AND HEARD A "CLUNK". CAR STARTED TO COAST WITHOUT ANY ACCELERATION (GASOLINE ENGINE STILL RUNNING). UNFORTUNATELY THIS WAS AT A COMPLICATED INTERSECTION WHERE SEVERAL ROADS INTERSECT WITHOUT ROOM FOR A SHOULDER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT MOST LANE, WHERE ENTERING TRAFFIC FROM INTERSECTING ROAD USED. I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITHOUT ANY CONTROL OVER FORWARD MOVEMENT. THE REPAIR COST IS IN EXCESS OF $18,000. APPARENT NEED FOR A COMPLETE REPLACEMENT OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM (INVERTER AND DRIVE SYSTEM). THE "BLUE BOOK" VALUE MIGHT BE IN THE $15-16,000 RANGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THE HYBRID CONVERTER FAILED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER OPERATIONAL. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER WHO ADVISED THE REPAIR WOULD BE AT HIS EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD EXPERIENCED SOME DIFFICULTY IN TRYING TO GET THE DEALER TO MAKE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 129,000.

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HV. CONSUMER WRITES TO INFORM OF COMPLAINT REGARDING JUST TIRES AND THE WORK CARRIED OUT ON HER VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER PURCHASED FOUR NEW TIRES FROM JUST TIRES AT A COST OF $612.12. NINE MONTHS LATER, AFTER EXPERIENCING THE TIRES SLIDING IN THE RAIN, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO BE INSPECTED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE TIRES WERE COMPLETELY BALD AND TOO DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON. THE CONSUMER THEN RETURNED TO JUST TIRES AND SHE WAS TOLD THE CAUSE FOR THE WEAR WAS DUE TO THE WHEELS NOT BEING ALIGNED. HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE ORIGINAL PAPERWORK, IT STATED CHECK VEHICLE FOR ALIGNMENT WHICH WAS TO BE A FREE SERVICE INCLUDED IN THE TIRE PURCHASE AND NO ONE MENTIONED TO HER THERE WAS AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. *JB THE CONSUMER IS SEEKING A REFUND, HOWEVER GOODYEAR OFFERED HER $292 WHICH WAS LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT SHE SPENT. UPDATED 06/21/10.*JB

MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID LURCHES FORWARD WHEN YOU FIRST APPLY THE BRAKES AT ABOUT 20-25 MPH OR LESS, GIVING THE SENSATION OF LOSING BRAKING POWER. THE BRAKES ALSO SQUEAK WHEN PEDAL APPLIED AND HAVE SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. NOW HAS 65,000 MILES. PRIUS ASIDE, THE PROBLEM CAN BE DANGEROUS AND DEALER SAYS SIMPLY KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND NO ONE ELSE COMPLAINS. JUST LOOK AT YOUR COMPLAINTS AS WELL AS HUNDREDS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. LET'S TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM BEFORE THERE IS A DEATH WHICH GETS SOMEONE'S ATTENTION AT YOUR OFFICE. THANK YOU. BELOW DATE IS IRRELEVANT. HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND HAS FOR YEARS. *TR