2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

ABS MODULE WENT OUT DURING ICE STORM MAKING CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE. LOOKING ONLINE, I SEE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL OF MY PARTICULAR CAR. I WAS LUCKY THAT I LIVE IN HOUSTON WHICH RARELY HAS ICY ROADS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED TO OPERATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HER RESIDENCE. A MONTH LATER, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CHECK VEHICLE SYSTEM AND THE BRAKE MALFUNCTION INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT CALLED PUENTE HILLS TOYOTA AT 626-964-7100 (LOCATED AT 17070 GATE AVE, HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA 91745) AND WAS INFORMED TO TOW THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOP. THE CONTACT DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA OF WHITTIER (14577 E. WHITTIER BLVD, WHITTIER, CA 90605) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW BRAKE SYSTEM WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000.

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN SUDDENLY MY DASHBOARD DISPLAYED THE ABS VSC WARNING LIGHTS. I BROUGHT MY CAR TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO RUN THE DIAGNOSTICS ON IT, WHICH COST ME $ 100. AFTER WHICH I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ABS ACTUATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED FOR ABOUT $4500. SO I ASKED IF THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE AND IF THE BREAKS ARE STILL OK AND WORKING, THEY SAID IT WAS FINE TO DRIVE BUT TO REPLACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I WAS ABOUT TO GO ON A VACATION SO DIDNT HAVE (THE TIME )OR MONEY TO SPEND ON A PART THAT IN MY MIND SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CALL TOYOTA TO CHECK FOR ANY RECALLS ON MY MODEL...THEY HAD NONE. AS I WAS COMING BACK FROM MY VACATION, DOING ABOUT 60MPH A LADY PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF MY CAR CAUSING ME TO REAREND HER VEHICLE. MY BREAKS LOCKED UP AND THANKFULLY NO ONE GOT HURT. I AM INTERESTED IN CONTACTING A LAWYER TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE.

BRAKES STOPPED WORKING WITH LIGHTS COMING ON REQUESTING TO TAKE IT TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS THE ABS ACTUATOR WHICH IS MALFUNCTIONING AND REQUESTING ME TO REPLACE IT AT 3500$. TOYOTA HAS BEEN MAKING THIS PART DEFECTIVE AND HAS BEEN RECALLING THIS FOR SIMILAR MODEL YEARS. 2007 HAS A RECALL. 2008 CAMRY HYBRID HAS A RECALL. THEY SHOULD JUST RECALL THIS PART ACROSS THE BOARD.

UPON STARTING CAR, BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON, PLUS WARNING MESSAGES SAYING BRAKE MALFUNCTION, CHECK ABS, AND CHECK VSC SYSTEM. TOOK TO DEALER. DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS NEW ABS ACTUATOR WHICH WILL COST $3,300 WITH INSTALLATION. I WAS ALSO TOLD PART IS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER, AND MAY TAKE 1-2 MONTHS TO RECEIVE. DIDN'T TAKE MUCH EFFORT TO LEARN ON THE INTERNET THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM, AND THAT OTHER TOYOTA CARS AROUND THE SAME PERIOD HAD RECALLS ON THIS PART. WHY NO RECALL ON THIS MODEL AND YEAR?

MY 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAS A C1391 ABS ACCUMULATOR TROUBLE LIGHT CLOSE TO A $5000.00 REPAIR. I HAVE NOTICED THE PRIOR 2 YEARS HAVE HAD SAME ISSUE WITH RECALLS AND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THIS YEAR. WILL THE NHTSA BE LOOKING INTO THIS?

I WAS DRIVING IN 295 I HEARING A SOUND COMING FROM THE DASKBOARD AND A LIGHT APPEARED STATED NEED TO CHECK ABS BREAK SYSTEM BY DEALER. I SAID TO MYSELF I'LL HAVE IT CHECK WHEN I GOT HOME. I WAS DOING 65 MILES PER HOUR, I WAS PRESSING BREAK THERE WERE NO BREAK, PUMP THE BREAK SEVERAL TIMES, NO BREAK, I PRESSED THE EMERGENCY BREAK AND THANKS TO THE LORD THE CAR SLOW DOWN AND EVENTUALLY STOP. APPARENTLY DEALER ASKED ME $5,500. TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND I DON'T HAVE THIS TYPE OF MONEY, AND I'M STILL MAKING PAYMENT ON THIS VEHICLE CAN'T EVEN DRIVE; I BELIEVE THIS TYPE OF ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL. I NEED HELP PLEASE!!!!! [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

BRAKE MALFUNCTION ON 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID WITH 100,495 MILES: I HAD THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS APPEAR ON THE ELECTRONIC SCREEN - 'ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION - PARK CAR IN A SAFE PLACE AND CALL THE DEALER', 'VSC SYSTEM FAILURE', ' BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING'. A LOUD ALARM CAME ON SUDDENLY WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND IS NOW CONSTANT WHEN THE IGNITION 'ON' BUTTON IS PRESSED, (I.E. WHEN CAR IS MOVING OR IN PARK). I NEED TO USE VERY HIGH FOOT PRESSURE TO MAKE THE BRAKES WORK AT ALL AND THIS SITUATION COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF I NEEDED TO STOP SUDDENLY. I READ THE MANY SIMILAR BRAKE RELATED COMPLAINTS ON THE NHTSA AND TOYOTA BLOG PAGES. THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER IS CHARGING $2,435 [20-25% OF NET WORTH OF VEHICLE] TO REPLACE THE BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY WHICH THEY INDICATE IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP IN DEBUGGING THE ABS/BRAKE/VSC MESSAGES ARE DUE TO. THE REPLACEMENT PART COSTS $1,200 (WITH OVERNIGHT SHIPPING) BUT THE DEALER IS CHARGING $1,781. EVEN AFTER THIS PART IS REPLACED, FIXING THE ISSUE MAY REQUIRE ADDITIONAL PARTS/WORK. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH TOYOTA US CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO INDICATED THAT THEY CANNOT HELP TO COVER ANY PART OF THIS REPAIR AT ALL, EVEN THOUGH BRAKE FAILURE IS LIFE SAFETY ISSUE. GIVEN THE BRAKE WARRANTY EXTENSION BY TOYOTA FOR 2007-2011 CAMRY AND FOR 2006, 2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRID AND GIVEN THAT THE 2008 MODEL YEAR HIGHLANDER IS BUILT ON THE CAMRY PLATFORM, I AM REQUESTING THAT THE NHTSA STRONGLY URGE TOYOTA TO ISSUE A BRAKE WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR 2008 MODEL YEAR HIGHLANDER HYBRID.

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30K / HR ON SEPTEMBER 22, AROUND 6PM. LITTLE TRAFFIC AS THE ROAD LEADS DEEP TO THE COUNTRY. NO RAIN, GREAT VISIBILITY. WE'D JUST STOPPED TO FOLLOW SOMEONE TO A REMOTE LOCATION AND HAD NOT GOTTEN OUT OF THE CAR AT THAT TIME AS THE FRIEND CAME TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. A FEW MINUTES LATER, AN ALARM SOUNDED AND THE INDICATOR DISPLAYED "BRAKE MALFUNCTION". THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING AND AT THE SAME MOMENT, SMOKE BEGAN FILLING THE VEHICLE FROM THE FRONT VENTS. AT THIS TIME YOU COULD ALSO SEE SMALL FLAMES FROM THE FRONT HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. WE IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE CAR ONCE IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP (FORCED TO PARK POSITION). FLAMES COULD BE SEEN FALLING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT END. MY HUSBAND SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE. WE RAN AROUND A NED IN THE ROAD TO GET TO SAFETY. WITHIN MINUTES (5-7 MAX) THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE GENTLEMAN WE WERE FOLLOWING TURNED AROUND TO SEE WHERE WE WERE WHEN HE REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS IN FLAMES. TOYOTA CES HAS BEEN CONTACTED AS WE WERE HOPING FOR HELP WITH AN INVESTIGATION. WE ARE A MILITARY FAMILY, STATIONED OVERSEAS. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIPPED HERE 2.5 YEARS AGO AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE ONCE WE RECEIVED NEW ORDERS. TOYOTA HAS BEEN LESS THAN ACCOMMODATING WITH PROVIDING ANY INFORMATION. THIS HAPPENED WITH LITTLE TIME TO GET TO SAFETY. MY HOPE IS INFORMATION CAN BE GATHERED FROM OTHER CONSUMERS THAT MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR SITUATIONS. LIVES COULD POTENTIALLY BE SAVED IF WE WORK TOGETHER TO GET FACTS DOCUMENTED. STATESIDE NUMBER PROVIDED. WE CAN BE REACHED AT +34 642 47 0598

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE REVERSING AT 5 MPH, THE VSC, CHECK TRACTION CONTROL, ABS, AND BRAKE MALFUNCTION WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE TO DRIVE TO HIS DESTINATION, BUT THE INDICATORS REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE LOCAL DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 147,200. ...UPDATED 10/23/17 *BF UPDATED 10/26/2017*JS