2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF MOMENTARY LOSS OF BRAKING POWER ON UNEVEN SURFACE. AUTOMOBILE: 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. DEALER STATES IT IS 'NORMAL' AND THAT THE NEWER HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS HAVE BEEN REDESIGNED. *TR

PURCHASED 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID NEW IN 2006. COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES TO THE DEALER THAT JUST BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, THE BRAKES SEEMED TO RELEASE AND THE CAR SURGED FORWARD. THE DEALER INSISTED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FOR HYBRIDS AS THE ELECTRONIC BRAKING SWITCHED TO HYDRAULIC BRAKING AND NO FIX WAS AVAILABLE. I NOW HAVE A 2010 PRIUS WITH A SIMILAR PROBLEM. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER INCLUDED AND ALSO INVESTIGATED FOR THIS PROBLEM ALONG WITH THE 2010 PRIUS INVESTIGATION. *TR

WE HAVE A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MINOR BUT ANNOYING PROBLEMS: 1) BATTERY DEAD IN MORNING 4 OR 5 TIMES FOR NO APPARENT REASON. 2) AFTER TURNING OFF ENGINE AND OPENING DOOR, BUZZER OCCASIONALLY GOES OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON. 3) SOME RADIO STATIONS PICK UP A LOT OF STATIC WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED. 4) DVD CAROUSEL PLAYER PICKS UP ERRORS WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PLAY DISKS FOUR OR FIVE. WROTE A LETTER TO TOYOTA IN 2007 REGARDING SOME OF THESE ISSUES BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. THESE PROBLEMS COULD BE RELATED TO THE ELECTRONIC ISSUES WE HAVE RECENTLY BEEN HEARING ABOUT. *TR

DURING CONSTANT BRAKING OF MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID (SUCH AS WHEN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT), THERE IS SOMETIMES A MOMENTARY, BUT NOTICEABLE FAILURE OF THE BRAKES (WHICH CAUSES SLIGHT ACCELERATION), BEFORE THE CONDITION RESOLVES ITSELF ON ITS OWN. AT THE MOMENT OF FAILURE, IT FEELS AS IF THE BRAKES ARE RELEASED FOR A SPLIT SECOND AND THEN THE CONDITION SELF-CORRECTS BEFORE THERE IS TIME TO REACT. I HAVE NOTICED THIS PERHAPS 30 TIMES IN THE NEARLY THREE YEARS THAT I HAVE DRIVEN THE VEHICLE. MY WIFE HAS ALSO NOTICED THIS CONDITION. ABOUT A YEAR AGO I RECEIVED A SERVICE LETTER FROM TOYOTA WHICH, I THOUGHT, WAS INTENDED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEAL TO HAVE IT SERVICED, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *TR

MY 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKES DO NOT GRAB IMMEDIATELY WHEN I AM DRIVING FORWARD AND GOING OVER A POT HOLE OR TRAIN TRACKS WHILE BRAKING TO REDUCE MY SPEED. THIS OCCURS ANY TIME I AM IN THAT SITUATION. IT IS EVEN MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN TURNING AND BRAKING WHILE GOING OVER A POT HOLE OR TRAIN TRACKS. I HAVE ASKED THE DEALER TO CHECK THIS OUT 2-3 TIMES. THEY DON'T SEEM TO TEST DRIVE IT, JUST TEST THE BRAKES AND SAY THEY ARE OKAY. *TR

LIVE IN NORTHERN US, 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID, IM FEELING ELECTRICITY ON AND OFF AS IM DRIVING MY CAR, FEEL ELECTRICITY IN QUICK BURSTS THRU LEGS AND THRU SEAT. I TOOK TO DEALER AND SHOWED NOTHING, I THINK THIS IS COVER UP.. *TR

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID THE VEHICLE LURCHES FORWARD WHENEVER SLOW BRAKING (GAS PEDAL NOT PUSHED) EVER SINCE PURCHASE IN 2006, AND STILL BEHAVES THIS WAY NOW. WE HAVE CONTACTED OUR DEALER ON AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT OCCASION, AND ONE ADDITIONAL TIME AFTER THE RECALL BEING ISSUED. EACH TIME, THE DEALER SAYS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE DEALERS MOST RESENT RESPONSE (02/02/2010) WAS THAT OUR CAR IS NOT IN THE RECALLED LIST, AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH OUR CAR. THE DEALER CAN CHECK AGAIN BUT IF THEY STILL FINDS NOTHING WRONG, WE HAVE TO PAY FOR THE CHECK UP. BUT WE HEAR SO MANY REPORTS OF IDENTICAL EXPERIENCE TO OURS IN TOYOTA HYBRID CARS (PRIUS, CAMRY AND HIGHLANDER) THAT DOES NOT INVOLVE THE GAS PEDAL. THE CAR LURCHES OR ACCELERATE WHEN SLOW BRAKING!!! *TR

THIS INPUT WILL SHOW THE COMMONALITY BETWEEN COMPLAINTS #10139802, 10194711, 10256617, 10259470, 10280157, & 10289084 WHICH ARE FOR MULTIPLE TOYOTA/LEXUS MODELS. ALL THESE COMPLAINTS SAY SAME THING IN DIFFERENT WORDS. PROBLEM IS A VSC ALARM WHICH SETS OFF INDICATORS FOR SKID, ABS, AND OTHER SYSTEMS WITH THE ECU COMPUTER CAUSING AN AUDIBLE ALARM AND MESSAGE TO CHECK VSC SYSTEM. ALARM SEEMS TO PARTIALLY DISABLE BRAKING SYSTEM. BRAKES BECOME MUSHY AND I BELIEVE FRONT BRAKES ARE DISABLED. I KNOW REAR BRAKES STILL OPERATE MECHANICALLY, AND BECAUSE ABS IS DISABLED, REAR BRAKES CAN LOCK UP AND SKID IF BRAKE PEDAL IS PUSHED HARD ENOUGH. STANDARD RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA/LEXUS IS TO REPLACE ECU COMPUTER. HOWEVER, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM ABOVE COMPLAINTS, THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS SOLVE THE PROBLEM. MY OWN COMPLAINT IS FOR MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 4WD-I WITH APPROXIMATELY 54,000 MILES. I EXPERIENCED A ONE TIME VSC ALARM OVER 1 YEAR AGO WHEN THE ENGINE START BATTERY WAS DYING. TOYOTA DEALER TOLD ME TO REPLACE BATTERY AND SEE IF PROBLEM CONTINUED. I REPLACED BATTERY AND ALSO HAD ALL FOUR TIRES ROTATED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER I STARTED EXPERIENCING MORE VSC ALARMS AT A HIGHER RATE. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AS WELL AS AT LOW SPEED. IT HAS ALSO OCCURRED BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE. 2 DIFFERENT TOYOTA DEALERS HAVE ATTEMPTED TO "ADJUST" SYSTEM TO STOP ALARMS WITHOUT SUCCESS. I HAVE GONE AS LONG AS 4 MONTHS WITHOUT AN ALARM AND THEN FOR NO REASON (NO SKID EVENT) ALARM RECURS. SOLUTION BOTH DEALERS HAVE NOW GIVEN IS TO REPLACE ECU. DUE TO FINANCES, I CAN NOT AFFORD NEW COMPUTER, SO I HAD A TOYOTA MECHANIC WITH 25 YEARS EXPERIENCE INSTALL TWO DIFFERENT USED COMPUTERS WITH NEITHER ONE SOLVING PROBLEM. AFTER EXAMINING THE INTERNET AND YOUR COMPLAINT BOARD I NOW REALIZE THAT THIS PROBLEM OCCURS ACROSS TOYOTA'S PRODUCT LINE AND THAT THERE IS NO CLEAR SOLUTION. I BELIEVE TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THEY HAVE AN ECU COMPUTER PROBLEM. *TR

I OWN A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED HYBRID, BOUGHT NEW, CURRENTLY WITH 40,000 MILES. THIS VEHICLE HAS GONE THROUGH TWO SETS OF TIRES. THE ORIGINAL TIRES, GOODYEAR INTEGRITY TIRES, WERE UNDER WARRANTY FOR 50,000 MILES, WERE REPLACED AT 23,390 MILES. AT THE TIME, I CONTACTED BOTH TOYOTA AND GOODYEAR TO ADVISE THEM OF THE PREMATURE TIRE WEAR. TOYOTA WAS DISMISSIVE, SAYING IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. GOODYEAR HONORED THEIR WARRANTY AND ISSUED CREDIT ON A REPLACEMENT SET OF GOODYEAR INTEGRITY TIRES. THE SECOND SET OF TIRES WAS REPLACED ON JANUARY 5, 2010 WITH ONLY 15,579 MILES ON THEM. IN THE FIRST REPLACEMENT, MY OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS WERE $445.62; RECENT COSTS WERE $547.12; TOTAL OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS FOR REPLACING PREMATURELY WORN GOODYEAR TIRES: $992.74 I AM BRINGING THIS MATTER TO YOUR ATTENTION FOR THREE REASONS: 1) UNLESS I AM THE ONLY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED HYBRID OWNER WITH THIS ISSUE, I BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT THE SPECIFIED TIRES ARE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE VEHICLE, AND THEY MAY PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD, OR AT THE VERY LEAST, A GREAT INCONVENIENCE TO THE OWNER; (2) I BELIEVE HAVING TO REPLACE TIRES TWICE ON A VEHICLE WITH 40,000 MILES ON IT IS BOTH HIGHLY UNUSUAL AND ONEROUS; (3) GOODYEAR MAY BE OVERSTATING THEIR TIRE MILEAGE ESTIMATES, A WARRANTY FOR A TIRE WITH 50,000 MILES WHEN IN FACT, IT MAY ONLY GET HALF THAT IF NOT LESS. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER, IN THE INTEREST OF CONSUMER SAFETY AND SATISFACTION. AS FOR MYSELF, I SEEK REIMBURSEMENT FROM BOTH TOYOTA AND GOODYEAR FOR HAVING TO REPLACE TWO SETS OF TIRES ON A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 40,000 MILES ON IT. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION. PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ME SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2006 TOYOTA HYBRID HIGHLANDER FROM ALEXANDRIA TOYOTA. ALEXANDRIA, VA. OVER THE YEARS SINCE PURCHASE, I HAVE NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH A PECULIAR "FORWARD THRUST MOVEMENT" WITH ACTIVE BREAKING AND HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS IN 2007, AS WELL AS MENTIONED IT AT ALL MANUFACTURER CHECKUP TIMES.THE DEALER DOWNLOADED SOME NEW TOYOTA ?DRIVE TRAIN COMPUTERIZED PROGRAM ONCE (?2007) TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, BUT THE PROBLEM INTERMITTENTLY CONTINUES. HERE IS A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE WHICH OCCURRED CHRISTMAS EVE WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES PRIOR TO THE STOP SIGN AT THE END OF OUR STREET. I APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR DID NOT STOP, INSTEAD IT "THRUST ITSELF", FOR LACK OF BETTER WORD, FURTHER FORWARD WHILE BREAKS WERE APPLIED, FORCING ME TO SLAM ON THE BRAKES TO AVOID BUSY CROSS STREET ONCOMING TRAFFIC. UPON SLAMMING THE BREAKS ALL THE WAY DOWN AND HOLDING, THE CAR REACTED CORRECTLY AND STOPPED. INCHES AWAY FROM A CAR TRAVELING AT 35 MPH OR MORE. OUR STREET ROAD WAS NOT WET NOR DID IT HAVE ICE: THE CAR MOTION WAS NOT ONE OF A SLIPPERY SLIDE. THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE WAS 40F. MY TEENS WERE IN THE CAR, AND THE PASSENGER SEATED TEEN OBSERVED THE SITUATION. SHE HAS SIMILARLY REPORTED THIS TENDENCY TO "GO FORWARD" WITH BRAKING RATHER THAN SLOW, AND THE NEED TO PRESS HARD. I WAS NATURALLY UPSET AT THIS NEAR MISS OCCURRENCE CHRISTMAS EVE. I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AT LEAST A HALF A DOZEN TIMES AS I CAN RECALL SINCE PURCHASE. I CALLED TOYOTA WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED TO REPORT IT WITHOUT SATISFACTION. I WENT TO MY DEALER WITHOUT CORRECTION OR RECOGNITION OF IT BEING A PROBLEM. THE RECENT REPORTS ON FELLOW TOYOTA BRANDS HAVE ME WORRIED. ANY CAR THAT GOES FORWARD RATHER THAN STOP UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS WHEN BREAKS ARE APPLIED IS WORRISOME. PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EVALUATION OF THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID IN YOUR REVIEW. IS TOYOTA AWARE AND NOT TELLING US? I WANT NHTSA TO KNOW ABOUT THIS AND I APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU HAVE TO OFFER. *TR