2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

I WAS TRAVELLING 45 MPH, WHEN A CAR IN FRONT OF ME SUDDENLY STOPPED. I HAD TO BRAKE HARD AND MY CAR STALLED. I FELT A THUD, WENT TO ACCELERATE AND REALIZED MY CAR HAD NO POWER. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART THE CAR. MY CAR HAD A RECALL IN 2013 REGARDING POSSIBLE STALL DUE TO HEAT POSSIBLY CAUSING A DEFECT IN THE HYBRID COMPUTER BOARD. I TOOK IT IN AND THIS WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. THIS IS THE ONE AND ONLY TIME MY CAR HAS STALLED, BUT IT WAS SCARY BECAUSE I HAD MULTIPLE CARS BEHIND ME AND I COULD HAVE REAR-ENDED. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR INTO TOYOTA TO BE EXAMINED.

FIRST NOTICED ON DATE ABOVE, BUT OCCURS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. WHEN SLOWING DOWN, AND BRAKES ARE APPLIED, IF A BUMP, POTHOLE, AND TRACTION IS LOST FOR A SPLIT SECOND THE BRAKES STOP WORKING AND THE CAR SURGES,COASTS, DISENGAGE. FIRM PRESSURE ON BRAKES IS USED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF BRAKING POWER. AS A RESULT STOPPING DISTANCE IS INCREASED. THIS LOSS OF BREAKING POWER LASTS FOR 1/2 TO 1 SECOND. PERHAPS ITS RELATED TO THE HYBRID REGENERATING SYSTEM. NEVER THE LESS IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING TO LOSE BRAKES, EVEN FOR A SPLIT SECOND

THIS CAR IS NOTHING BUT A JOKE WHEN IT COMES TO TIRES!!!! IT SHOULD BE CALLED TOYOTA TIRE EATER! I JUST GOT MY 5TH (THAT'S RIGHT) 5TH SET OF TIRES FOR THIS VEHICLE SINCE I PURCHASED IT NEW IN '07. I FOUND OUT THROUGH OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM... I ALSO HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS VEHICLE'S TIRES ARE NOT SPEC. OUT CORRECTLY! IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT COMPANY YOU BUY YOUR TIRE FROM THOUGH IT CAME WITH GOOD YEAR INTEGRITY'S ON IT - 18K BEFORE THEY WERE GONE! THE TIRE SIZE FOR THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY MADE BY CERTAIN MANUFACTURER'S I FINALLY SAID THAT THIS WOULD BE THE LAST TIME I BUY A TOYOTA! THEY DON'T CARE APPARENTLY AND THERE EXCUSE IS THEY DON'T WARRANTY TIRES! BUT THEY SPEC THEM OUT AND PUT THE CRAP ON THERE CARS! MAKES YOU THINK DOESN'T IT! WHO PAYED OFF WHO HERE! I HAVE MICHELIN'S NEW DEFENDER TIRE ON THE VEHICLE NOW A 90K TIRE... SO I HOPE TO GET AT LEAST 30 TO 35 K OUT OF THESE! I HAVE COMPLAINED ONCE BEFORE ABOUT THIS AS WELL.... THANKS, FOR LOOKING OUT FOR THE NEXT FIRESTONE AND FORD TIRE ISSUE... I GUESS THIS WILL BE THE NEXT SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH TIRES! THE GARBAGE THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AS CONSUMERS OVER CORPORATE GREED AND GOV'T PAY OFF'S! PROVE ME AND OTHERS WRONG! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! I WILL FINALLY BE STARTING A CHAT AND SITE WERE OTHERS CAN VIEW AND COMMENT OF THIS ISSUE!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V396000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS MADE BETWEEN 2/16/05 AND 7/29/10, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL TWICE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V396000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE REMEDY WAS INSUFFICIENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE SECOND TIME BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

I AM REPORTING TWO ISSUES WITH MY HIGHLANDER. THE FIRST IS IN REGARDS TO THE BRAKE SYSTEM. WHILE LOOKING AT ANOTHER COMPLAINT THAT HAD BEEN FILED, I REALIZED THAT MY CAR DID THE SAME THING. BRAKES BECOME MOMENTARILY UNRESPONSIVE WHEN STOPPING. CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND ADDITIONAL FORCE IS NEEDED ON PEDAL TO REGAIN CONTROL. I COPIED WORD FOR WORD WHAT THE OTHER PERSON WROTE, AS THAT DESCRIBES IT PERFECTLY. MY SECOND COMPLAINT REGARDS THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE WIPER ON THE LEFT HAS STOPPED WORKING WELL, AND WILL NOT WIPE BACK AND FORTH PROPERLY ON THE WINDOW. IT STOPS OR GETS STUCK MID-WIPE, OBSCURING MY VISION. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND I AM HAVING THEM REPAIRED TOMORROW. THANK YOU. *JS

FAILED. CAR NOT SAFE TO DRIVE PER TOYOTA SERVICE TECHNICIAN, AND REQUIRES REPLACEMENT COSTING $3700. THE FAULT WAS A FAILED ABS BRAKE ACTUATOR (?SAME AS IN '07 HYBRID CAMRY?). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HYBRID SYSTEM SHUT DOWN AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V396000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM), BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

AFTER GETTING OFF THE HIGHWAY (NOT IN MY TOWN) LIGHTS CAME ON MY DASHBOARD FOR THE ABS BRAKING AND VSC SYSTEM. THERE WERE ALSO ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS LIKE (!) IN A CIRCLE. THE MANUAL SAID FOR ALL OF THESE CONTACT DEALER IMMEDIATELY, WHICH I DID. I WAS TOLD THE ABS ACCUMULATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND IT WAS APPROXIMATELY A $3,000 JOB. I HAD THE REPAIR COMPLETED AND PAID $2,700.00. (THE DEALER DISCOUNTED THE JOB). I AM AWARE THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY ON THAT SAME PART IN THE CAMRY HYBRID. FURTHER THE INTERNET IS REPLETE WITH INSTANCES OF THIS HAPPENING IN 2006 AND 2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRID MODELS. TOYOTA HAS NO CREDIT, EXTENDED WARRANTY, OR OTHER BENEFIT TO HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNERS. I CALLED TOYOTA AND HAVE A CASE NUMBER WITH THEM (#1412081681). I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR EXTENSION OF WARRANTY ON THIS KNOWN DEFECTIVE PART. IS THERE ANY INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE? *TR

RHEOSTAT ON VEHICLE HVAC CONTROL PANEL N LONGER CONTROLS TEMPERATURE SETTING... VEHICLE WILL USUALLY START AT SETTING - RESPOND TO DESIRED HEAT OR A/C - CUT-OUT TO A NEUTRAL (CABIN OR OUTSIDE DEPENDING ON VENT SETTING) TEMPERATURE. HITTING A ROAD SURFACE BUMP OR SHARPLY TURNING ON A CURVE WILL RE-ACTUATE THE RHEOSTAT SETTING UNTIL THE NEXT ERRATIC INTERRUPTION BEGINS. *TR