2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AR ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN. WHEN THE CONTACT TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. UPDATED 09/06/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE POWER STEERING DIDN'T ALWAYS RETURN. SOMETIMES, THE CONSUMER HAD TO SIT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. UPDATED 09/08/16.*JB

IT IS A 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID WITH 105200 MILES AND WELL MAINTAINED.. IT LOOSES POWER ASSIST IN STEERING AT ALL SPEEDS INTERMITTENTLY. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AS I HAVE TO PUT LOT OF MUSCLE IN STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS BUT IT HAD LOST POWER ASSIST EVEN AT 65 MPH AS WELL WHICH MADE ME VERY NERVOUS. I CANNOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS THE POWER STEERING P/S LIGHT COMES ON MOST OF THE TIMES NOW. ONLY ONCE A WHILE IT IS OFF WHICH IS WHEN I DRIVE BUT FEW MILES OF DRIVING GETS THE LIGHT BACK ON WITH NO POWER ASSIST. I HAVE SEEN MANY PEOPLE IN FORUMS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM FOR THAT YEARS HYBRIDS. THEREFORE I AM REQUESTING TO HELP ME OUT WITH EITHER A RECALL OR GETTING THIS FIXED AT MY LOCAL ROCHESTER MN DEALERSHIP. ANYTHING YOU COULD DO AT THE EARLIEST WOULD BE APPRECIATED.. CUSTOMER REQUEST TO BE REMOVED FROM COMPLAINT LIST, CELL PHONE , ADDRESS. NOT TO BE CONTACTED. UPDATED 08/12/16*LJ UPDATED 6/18/18*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 175,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.

WHILE STOPPING OR STOPPED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE'S A CLICKING SOUND. I HAVE FOUND THAT IT'S COMING FROM THE ABS BRAKE ACCUMULATOR. THERE HAVE BEEN A COUPLE INSTANCES WHERE I'M PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT STARTS TO SLOW DOWN, THEN FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES RELEASE, THEN GRAB AGAIN SLOWING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. I'VE ALMOST CRASHED A COUPLE TIMES. I'VE HEARD AND READ OF MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THIS SYSTEM AND SOME HAVE EVEN HAD ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS. TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD BE AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR A RECALL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE REPAIR CAN BE UP TO $4,000 AND MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH THAT THEY CAN JUST PAY OUT AT A GIVEN MOMENT. ALSO, WHEN TURNING THE KEY TO ON, THE ACCUMULATOR HAS STARTED MAKING A LOUD BUZZING NOISE FOR 10-15 SECONDS. PLEASE CONSIDER THIS SYSTEM FOR IMMEDIATE RECALL TO HELP PREVENT ANY MISHAPS.

MY SPEED WAS ABOUT 30 MPH; SPEED LIMIT WAS 40MPH. I WAS DRIVING NORTH-BOUND APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. UP AHEAD, I SAW THAT TRAFFIC WAS STOPPING AND THE LIGHT WAS RED. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO SLOW TO A STOP, AND I STARTED TO EVEN THOUGH I WAS BACK ABOUT 15 CAR LENGTHS FROM THE CARS AHEAD. WHEN I STARTED PUSHING ON THE BRAKE, MY CAR IMMEDIATELY 'DIED' BUT THE CAR KEPT ROLLING FORWARD, EVEN THOUGH I CONFIRMED MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. I WAS VERY STARTLED THAT THE CAR KEPT ROLLING WITH BRAKE APPLIED. BEFORE I COULD THINK ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT, THE CAR THEN RUMBLED AND SHOOK, AND THE ENGINE MADE A REVVING SOUND. THEN THE CAR JUST SPED UP INCREMENTALLY FASTER AND FASTER EVEN AS I DESPERATELY CONTINUED TO SHOVE HARD ON THE BRAKE. I YELLED "WHAT'S IT DOING?' I QUICKLY WONDERED IF I SHOULD PULL THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION BUT FELT THAT WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO. AS THE CAR WENT FASTER, I WENT INTO ABSOLUTE PANIC. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO MISS HITTING ANYONE. I WAS DESPERATE TO AVOID CARS, BUT I WAS COMPLETELY UNABLE TO STOP MY CAR EVEN AS I CONTINUED PUSHING HARD ON THE BRAKE. THEN I HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT THE LIGHT. I TRULY BELIEVE THIS WAS AN UNINTENDED BRAKE ACCELERATION. I AM DEEPLY COMPELLED TO REPORT THIS SO THAT THE CAUSE AND RESOLUTION MAY BE FOUND BEFORE OTHERS ARE SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. I SUFFERED A FRACTURED BACK AND WAS IN THE HOSPITAL 4 DAYS; AND DRIVER I RAN INTO WAS HURT AS WELL REQUIRING HOSPITAL ATTENTION. BOTH THE 3RD PARTY COMPANY FOR TOYOTA WHO DOWNLOADED THE DATA BOX AND TOYOTA SAY THE BRAKES WERE NOT APPLIED; THAT IS NOT FACTUALLY UNTRUE! THE DATA COMPUTER PRINT-OUT SHOWS WHAT TOOK PLACE PRIOR TO THE IMPACT. IN FACT, IT SHOWS THAT THE ACCELERATOR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE UP TO THE POINT OF IMPACT WHICH TELLS US THAT THE COMPUTER TOOK OVER THE ACTIONS OF THE CAR AND DISENGAGED THE BRAKES.

DEALER STATED THAT BRAKE ACTUATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING< VSC LIGHT ON< NOISE< $3200.00 TO FIX??? NO RECALL?

MY ABS PUMP/ACTUATOR STARTED MAKING A WEIRD SOUND AND RUNS A LOT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WAS QUOTED $3200. I HAVE A CHECK VSC MESSAGE, BRAKE LIGHT, AND ABS LIGHT ON NOW AS WELL.

WE PURCHASED A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH THE HOPES OF GETTING A RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION VEHICLE DUE TO ITS HIGH RATINGS AND REPORTED RELIABILITY...SADLY, I WAS MISTAKEN WHEN THE ABS BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND AND I NEARLY GOT INTO A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT DRIVING THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY. UPON GETTING THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT, IT WAS ASCERTAINED THAT THE ABS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY WAS TO BLAME. THE COST!!!!!!!!! $1,900 AND NO RECALL ON A PART THAT SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE!!!!!! I COULD OF BEEN KILLED IN THIS FAULTY CONTRAPTION DUE TO MANUFACTURERS NEGLIGENCE.

WHEN COMING TO A STOP THE BRAKES RANDOMLY SURGE INSTEAD OF STOPPING. AFTER A VAN REAR ENDED MY CAR AT A STOPLIGHT, THE TENDENCY TO SURGE INCREASED AND CAUSED TWO REAR END COLLISIONS WITHIN A FEW MONTHS. TOYOTA CLAIMS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. CODES WERE DOCUMENTED, BUT I FEEL THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BEYOND THE MANUFACTURER. IT IS ESPECIALLY PRONE TO THE SURGE WHEN BRAKES ARE HIT SUDDENLY ON CITY OR HIGHWAY STREETS. IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE COMPUTER CANNOT DECIDE WHETHER TO CHARGE THE BATTERY OR BRAKE AND THAT HESITATION IS FRIGHTENING!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V396000 (HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.