2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

WHILE ENTERING INTO A DRIVEWAY AT A VERY SLOW SPEED, I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN FURTHER. BUT INSTEAD OF BRAKING, THE CAR LUNGED FORWARD. I FELT I WAS NOT IN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I CONTINUED TO HIT THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO GO FORWARD. IT SLAMMED INTO THE CAR THAT WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AND CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE. IT ALSO SHOVED THE CAR INTO THEIR GARAGE, SPLIT THE FRAME IN HALF AND RIPPED OFF BRICK FROM THEIR HOME. THE SURFACE WAS SLIPPERY WITH WET LEAVES AND THERE WAS A SLIGHT INCLINE GOING UP THE DRIVEWAY, BUT I JUST HAD BRAND NEW TOP OF THE LINE WINTER TIRES PUT ON AND I WAS PROBABLY ONLY GOING 5 MPH. IT DID NOT MAKE ANY SENSE. FROM READING THE FORUMS ON LINE, I BELIEVE THIS IS A MAJOR DEFECT WITH THE HYBRID AND TOYOTA IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY NEED TO DO A RECALL. LIVES ARE AT STAKE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. *TR

MY CAR HAD BEEN MAKING A CHIRPING NOISE WHEN I BRAKE SO I TOOK IT TO A BRAKE PLACE AND THEY PUT ON NEW BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS, ABOUT A WEEK LATE ALL THE LIGHTS ON MY DASH CAME ON SAYING EVERYTHING WAS WRONG, I CALLED THE BRAKE PLACE THEY SAID IT WAS JUST A LOOSE CONNECTION. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE A STOP AT A LIGHT APPROXIMATELY A HALF A FOOTBALL FIELD AWAY AND MY BRAKES JUST STOPPED WORKING AND I SLID INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME.. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE BRAKE PLACE THEY SAID IT WAS THE HYBRID SYSTEM, FROM WHICH THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY CAR. I TOOK IT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND THEY FIXED THE RECALL BUT THEN SAID MY PROBLEM IS THE BRAKE HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR, A 2500.00 PART! FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IT IS THE SENSOR THAT TELLS YOUR BRAKES TO OPERATE WHEN YOU PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL!!! THEN I STARTED RESEARCHING AND IT LOOKS LIKE OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM IN THE HYBRID HIGHLANDER IN 2006 AND 2007 MAKES!!! I PUT MY CAR IN MY GARAGE FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS BECAUSE I SIMPLY DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THIS AND NOW THE BATTERY IS COMPLETELY DEAD! WHEN I DROVE IT HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THEY FIXED THE RECALL AND TOLD ME THE NEWS ABOUT THE ACTUATOR, IT FELT LIKE I WAS DRIVING ON ICE AND REALLY HAD NO CONTROL OF THE BRAKES AT ALL... I WOULD THINK WITH THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN ABOUT THIS, THAT THIS WOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE, I MEAN WHEN YOU PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND YOUR BRAKES ACTUALLY WORK, YOUR CAR SHOULD STOP!! THIS COULD REALLY END UP HURTING SOMEONE! *TR

THE DRIVER'S DOOR POWER WINDOW SWITCH IS DEFECTIVE AND DANGEROUS. THE DRIVER WINDOW WILL SURPRISE BY ROLLING ITSELF DOWN AT ANY TIME. ALSO, WHITE SMOKE HAS COME OUT OF IT ONCE. IT'S HAPPENED OVERNIGHT LATELY, AT FIRST I WAS SURPRISED, I COULDN'T REMEMBER LEAVING THE WINDOW DOWN. SO I PUT A PIECE OF SCOTCH TAPE AT THE TOP OF THE WINDOW JOINING THE DOOR FRAME AS PROOF I LEFT THE WINDOW UP.. THE TAPE PROVED ITSELF 5 TIMES SO FAR. TOYOTA HAS RECALLED 7.4 MILLION OTHER VEHICLES FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM, THEY INSIST THAT THE ISSUE ISN'T COVERED BY RECALL FOR MY VEHICLE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS SINCE THE VEHICLE'S BEHAVIOR EXACTLY FITS THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RECALL. I CALLED TOYOTA AT 18003314331, SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH [XXX] FOR ISSUE NUMBER [XXX]. THEY HAVE NO REASON OR EXPLANATION THAT MAKES ANY SENSE TO ME. PLEASE ADVISE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

BRAKES BECOME MOMENTARILY UNRESPONSIVE WHEN STOPPING. CAR LURCHES FORWARD AND ADDITIONAL FORCE IS NEEDED ON PEDAL TO REGAIN CONTROL. APPEARS TO HAPPEN WHEN BRAKING SYSTEM SWITCHES OVER FROM REGENERATIVE TO FRICTION. HAPPENS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS WHEN TRYING TO STOP. *TR

I BOUGHT NEW A 2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRID . THE BRAKES HAVE CONTINUALLY PERFORMED SPONGY AND THE ACCELERATOR WOULD STICK . I HAVE HAD TO DRIVE WITH EXAGGERARTED BRAKING SPACE TO COMPENSATE . MY WIFE HAS HAD THREE SMALL ACCIDENTS ( REAR END DUE SUDDEN STOPS IN URBAN TRAFFIC SETTING . OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE PRESSED DARCARS TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN ROCKVILLE MD FOR ASSISTANCE BUT THEY CLAIMED NO PROBLEM . CALLS TO TOYOTA USA WERE GREETED WITH NO HELP. OUR INSURANCE HAS BEEN DRASTICALLY INCREASED WE HAVE TRIED TO GET THE INSURER, GEICO . TO ASSIST US IN THE DEFECTIVE BRAKING PROBLEM AND STICKY ACCELERATOR. WE ARE NEARING THE 5 YEAR WRITE OFF OF THOSE ACCIDENTS . WE HAVE SIDELINE THE SUV AND HAD TO PERCHASE A ANOTHER TOYOTA ( PRIUS )FOR MY WIFE , A NURSE . WE HAVE NOT HAD PROBLEMS WITH ACCIDENTS AND BRAKING EVER BEFORE . WE SEE THE LEGAL WRANGLING WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND TOYOTA BUT SEE NO RELIEF. WE ARE TWO COMBAT VETERANS OF THE GULF WAR AND IRAQ WAR . WE FEELS ABANDONED . A FRIEND SAID TO FILE THE CLAIM WITH YOUR AGENCY . WE ARE NOT HOPEFUL. SINCERELY LIEUTENANT COLONEL [XXX], US ARMY RETIRED. AND MAJOR[XXX], US ARMY RESERVES. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *JS

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND LOST POWER OF MY VEHICLE. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS MY #6 COIL BUT I HAVE A FEELING IT WAS THE INVERTER WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED TO IT. I GOOGLED IT AND EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WAS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE INVERTER GOES ON THE VEHICLE. I DON'T REALLY TRUST THEM. *TR

ON THE APPROXIMATE DATE WRITTEN ABOVE, I RECEIVED A NOTICE OF RECALL FROM TOYOTA RELATED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PART NOTED ABOVE [IPM]. THE NOTICE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT MY TOYOTA DEALER AND INDICATED THAT THE IPM "WOULD BE REPLACE." THE NOTICE WENT ON TO SAY "...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FUSE OF THE POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT COULD BLOW, CAUSING THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO SHUT DOWN AND RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE STOPPING WHILE BEING DRIVEN. THIS CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH." BEING SOMEWHAT RISK ADVERSE, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WHICH OCCURRED EARLIER TODAY. AT THAT APPOINTMENT, I WAS TOLD "THE PART WOULD BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE IF IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED." CLEARLY, THIS INFORMATION WAS DIFFERENT THAN THAT PROVIDED BY THE NOTICE. WORSE, HOWEVER, IS THE FACT THAT THE DEALER, HAVING DETERMINED THAT THE PART DID INDEED NEED TO BE REPLACED, THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE PART WOULD NEED TO BE ORDERED AND SINCE THEY WERE ON BACKORDER THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD TELL ME WHEN THE PROMISED REPAIR MIGHT ACTUALLY OCCUR. AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE, THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION IS BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE UNTIL TOYOTA GETS ITS ACT TOGETHER. SOMEHOW, THAT DOESN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT AND I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW. *TR

I WAS IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION PROCEEDING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION WHEN A TOYOTA CAMRY TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF ME AND AT THE LAST MINUTE TRIED TO CORRECT BACK TO AVOID ME; BUT WAS UNABLE TO AND HIT ME WITH THE PASSENGER'S FRONT CORNER OF THEIR VEHICLE DIRECTLY INTO THE FRONT BUMPER OF MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID, MORE TOWARDS THE DRIVERS SIDE. BOTH CARS WERE TOTALED AND ALL OF THE CAMRY'S AIR BAGS DEPLOYED BUT NONE OF MINE DEPLOYED. BOTH MYSELF AND MY PASSENGER WERE BADLY INJURED AND ARE STILL IN TREATMENT 5 MONTHS LATER (AT THE TIME OF MAKING THIS REPORT). I JUST RECEIVED NEW INFORMATION REGARDING MY INJURIES AND SOME MIGHT BE PERMANENT INCLUDING A CLOSED HEAD INJURY AND SPINAL INJURIES. BASED ON SPEAKING WITH MANY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT THEY ARE ALL SHOCKED MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BASED ON THE TYPE AND SEVERITY OF THE ACCIDENT AND ALL OF MY DOCTORS HAVE QUESTIONED WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY AND WERE ALSO SURPRISED. I STILL HAVE OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS PLACED A HOLD ON IT UNTIL AN INSPECTION CAN BE COMPLETED TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION. PLEASE ADVISE ON HOW TO GET THIS INSPECTION DONE AND HOW TO ENSURE THE AIRBAGS WERE WORKING PROPERLY AND FOR SOME REASON THEY WERE JUST NOT SUPPOSE TO DEPLOY. *TR

I TRY TO START THE CAR AND IT DID NOT START. ALL LIGHT WAS ON INCLUDING VSC/HYBRID SYSTEM CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER. THEY BLEED THE BRAKE AND ERASED THE CODE. DRIVE THE CAR FOR THE NEXT 2 DAYS. CAR FAILED TO START AGAIN ALL LIGHT ON VSC/HYBRID CAR WAS TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER. DIAGNOSIS IS FAILED INVERTER ASK $8357.82 FOR REPAIR BECAUSE THE RECALL IS NOT LAUNCHED AND I CALL TOYOTA MOTORS CANADA TELL ME THEY WILL NOT REPAIR RECALL FOR USA VEHICLE . TOYOTA MOTORS USA WILL NOT AUTHORIZE FOR REPAIR IN CANADA OF SAFETY DEFECT (TOYOTA SAFETY RECALL 13V-396) ALSO REFUSING TO REPAIR IN THE USA IF I BRING THE CAR TO TOYOTA CAR DEALER IN NEW YORK STATE BECAUSE RECALL NOT LAUNCHED. THE CAR HAVE BEEN TOWED TO MY HOUSE. *TR

ON SEPT 5, 2013, I PUT MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID IN REVERSE TO STRAIGHTEN IT UP IN A PARKING SPACE, BEFORE I COULD EVEN BREATHE, IT TOOK OFF IN REVERSE GOING OVER 60 MI. AN HOUR AND I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR. IT FINALLY HIT A GARAGE FROM BEHIND AND TOOK DOWN THE WHOLE SIDE OF THE GARAGE AND THE FRONT OF THE GARAGE. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. I WAS NOT INJURED EXCEPT FOR A SORE NECK AND RIGHT SHOULDER. THEY ARE JUST NOW PULLING THE BLACK BOX FROM MY CAR. NO RESPONSE FROM TOYOTA YET.[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR