2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SLOW SPEED DUE TO TRAFFIC, AROUND 20 MPH. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME UNEXPECTEDLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I HAD 2 CAR LENGTHS AND PUT ON THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR NEVER "GRABBED"--I JUST SLOWED AND COASTED INTO THE BACK OF THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. BECAUSE THE ABS ON A HYBRID DOES NOT KICK IN UNTIL THE CAR REACHES 25 MPH, MY CAR WAS BUSY REGENERATING POWER FROM THE BRAKES RATHER THAN DOING A QUICK, EMERGENCY STOP. NOW I AM LIABLE FOR THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR AHEAD OF ME THAT I REAR-ENDED, AND I AM CONCERNED THAT I WOULD NOT STOP PROPERLY IF A CHILD RAN IN FRONT OF ME ON A NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. THIS HAS BEEN SUBMITTED AS A PROBLEM WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS AS WELL ON HYBRIDCARS.COM FORUM. *TR

THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY PULLED TO THE LEFT IN THE DIRECTION OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THEN TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT VERY QUICKLY. MY HUSBAND HAD TO STEER WITH HIS ARMS BRACED AGAINST HIS KNEES TO DRIVE IT DOWN TO THE DEALER, WHERE THEY TOLD HIM THAT THE STEERING ASSIST MOTORS WERE NOT GETTING THE INFORMATION FROM THE DRIVER PROPERLY AND SO WERE PULLING THE CAR IN RANDOM DIRECTIONS. IF SOMEONE WITH LESS UPPER BODY STRENGTH (LIKE ME) HAD BEEN DRIVING, THE CAR WOULD HAVE GONE RIGHT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE HIGHLANDER WILL BE AT THE DEALER FOR A WHILE; THEY CAN'T TELL US HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO FIX IT. WE ARE HOPING THAT THE REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY WILL NOT DO THE SAME THING. *TR

HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING BRAKING PROBLEMS ... DRIVING IN TRAFFIC OR COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP FAIRLY QUICKLY (I.E. STOP SIGN), THE BRAKE ENGAGES ... LETS GO FOR A SECOND... CATCHES, CAR STOPS. THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME, BUT IT BEGAN HAPPENING QUITE FREQUENTLY ... TOOK IT TO TOYOTA. THEY CHANGED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ON THE FRONT ... SINCE THERE WAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THE NEWER MODEL, BUT NOT MINE. RIVING ON A SERVICE ROAD ... 55-60 MPH ... THE CAR STARTS SLOWING DOWN BY ITSELF ... CONSTANTLY.. KEPT SPEEDING UP AND IT KEPT SLOWING DOWN, AS IF BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED... NO BRAKE LIGHTS THOUGH. TODAY I WAS DRIVING THE CAR ... GOING DOWN A GRADUAL SLOPE ... ON A TURN ... BRAKED ... THE CAR SPED UP .. WENT FROM 30 MPH TO ABOUT 35 MPH, WHILE BRAKING ... CAR SKIDED OFF THE ROAD, SKID LIGHT CAME ON, BEEPING NON STOP ... HIT A POLE... SHATTERED MY MIRROR AND SCRATCHED THE SIDE ... CAR WOULDN'T STOP ... THREW IT INTO PARK AND FINALLY SKIDDED TO A STOP. DRIVING ON THURSDAY, ABOUT TO COME TO A STOP AND .... IT DOES THIS SHORT STOP THING RECENTLY.. WHERE IT BRAKES RATHER FORCEFULLY AND ABRUPTLY WHEN IT IS COLD... SO AFTER THAT HAPPENS ...THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF... AND COMES TO A FULL STOP. NO LIGHTS. NO ENGINE. BRAKE PEDAL GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. CAR IS STILL IN DRIVE, KEY STILL IN IGNITION ...PUSH IT INTO PARK, TAKE OUT KEY... RESTART.... DRIVING AGAIN. THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT LIGHT DOESN'T TURN ON ANYMORE NOW. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE LAST THURSDAY NOW. THERE ARE ALOT MORE INCIDENCES AND DIFFERENT FAILURES. *JB

IN MY HIGHLANDER HYBRID, WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 0-15 MILES PER HOUR HOLDING THE STEERING WHEEL STRAIGHT AND FIRMLY WITH BOTH HANDS IF FULL THROTTLE IS UTILIZED, THE VEHICLE WILL PULL UNCONTROLLABLY TO THE RIGHT THEN BACK TO THE LEFT. ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, I ALMOST SIDE SWIPED A VEHICLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. I REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO MY DEALER AND THEN TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO TEST DRIVE AND VERIFY THE PROBLEM, WHICH THEY DID. THE DEALER RESPONSE WAS" IT IS JUST THE WAY THE VEHICLE IS AND THEY ALL DO THIS" AND "UNLESS A WARNING LIGHT COMES ON THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO". SO NOW I AM AFRAID TO ACCELERATE WHEN NEEDED DUE TO LACK OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA IS SENDING A FACTORY REP OUT TO EVALUATE THE VEHICLE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING 35 MPH ON A CLEAR DAY WITH DRY ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE ENTERED INTO AN INTERSECTION WITH A GREEN LIGHT AND WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, AT THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL, FORCED ACROSS TWO LANES AND THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE STRUCK A CONCRETE LIGHT POLE, HEAD ON. THE SEAT BELT WAS WORN, BUT THE FRONTAL AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AND THE INSURANCE CLAIMS ADJUSTER HAD PHOTOS OF THE VEHICLE. THE SERVICE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. UPDATED 12/26/06. *JB

SINCE I OWNED THE CAR IN SPEEDS BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH THERE IS A HESITATION BACK AND FOURTH THIS IS A HYBRID HIGHLANDER 2006 REPORTED IT TWICE NO FIX YET. *NM

NEW 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID 7200 MILES, WELL UNDER BOTH FACTORY AND EXTENDED WARRANTY. NO A/C -AIR CONDITIONING NOT WORKING- FOUND THAT SMALL PEBBLE/ROCK HAD DAMAGED AC CONDENSER ASSEMBLY, AND ALL COOLANT LOST. UNLIKE GAS VERSION OF HIGHLANDER, HYBRID HIGHLANDER HAS ZERO PROTECTION FROM ANY ROCK/BUG/ OBJECTS FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE -- THERE IS NO MESH OR PROTECTION AT ALL. IT IS VERY ACCESSIBLE, BEING LESS THAN 1 FOOT AWAY FROM GROUND, AND COMPLETELY EXPOSED TO FRONT AIR TRAFFIC DEALER IS CHARGING ME OVER 950$ TO REPLACE ENTIRE SYSTEM. THEY WILL NOT COVER THIS UNDER ANY WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM CAN/WILL EASILY HAPPEN AGAIN. I HAVE NOT/DO NOT TRAVEL DIRT ROADS, MOSTLY HIGHWAY -- SO THIS PROBLEM WILL MOST LIKELY REOCCUR UNLESS MESH/GRATE PROTECTION IS FITTED TO FRONT OF LOWER ASSEMBLY. TOYOTA HAS NO FRONT-BRA PARTS AVAILABLE. I HAVE CONTACTED CUSTOMER CARE AT TOYOTA AND THEY ONLY SYMPATHIZE. *NM

2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4WD HYBRID STALLED DURING LEFT TURN (IN FRONT OF TRAFFIC) WHEN TRAVELING TO WORK. BOTH THE GAS AND ELECTRIC ENGINE STALLED - I.E. I PUSHED THE GAS AND NOTHING HAPPENED. TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED, AND EVERYTHING HAS WORKED WELL SINCE (4 DAYS). *NM