2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED AND FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYBRID INVERTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 106,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CHECK VSC WARNING AND POWER STEERING WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,990 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000.

WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ON RT 138 IN NEWPORT RI, I WAS ACCELERATING AND SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE TRAVEL PORTION OF THE ROADWAY. VEHICLE REQUIRED A FLATBED TOW TRUCK TO BRING IT TO BALISE TOYOTA IN WARWICK RI. SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THE INVERTER HAD FAILED AND THAT THE REPAIR ESTIMATE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $9400. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS WAS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 AND 2007 MODELS AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR CERTAIN MODELS. MY VEHICLE'S VIN DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL AND THE INVERTER. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA'S CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, NEITHER CORPORATE NOR THE DEALER OFFERED UP THE INFORMATION THAT NEARLY 100,000 OF THESE VEHICLES HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE. I ASKED THE PEOPLE IN SERVICE IF THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. THEY LOOKED UP THE PART NUMBER FOR MY INVERTER P/N G9200-48031 S/N PH09YM084 AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM. THE FAILURE MODE RESEMBLES THE MULTITUDE OF FAILURES THAT WERE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT BROAD ENOUGH IN ITS SCOPE. I HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK FROM TOYOTA ON WHAT IF ANYTHING THEY ARE GOING TO DO TO ABSORB THIS OUT OF CONTROL REPAIR COST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID . THE CONTACT STATED THAT BRAKING AT 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY APPLYING EXTREME PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41,866 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,883. UPDATED 05/09/12 *BF UPDATED 05/14/12

TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID INVERTER, ELECTRONIC UNIT, ELECTRICAL WIRING, CIRCUIT BOARDS AND OTHER COMPONENTS HAVE OR MAY HAVE MALFUNCTIONED (BURNED OUT/OVERHEATED). I WAS PREPARING TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE OR "POP" FROM UNDER MY CAR. I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED MY DAUGHTER TO GET MY GRAND DAUGHTER OUT OF THE BACK SEAT AND WAIT UNTIL I COULD DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START IT BUT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR, YET THE ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. SEVERAL ERROR CODES FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY BEFORE I TURNED IT OFF. A FRIEND AND I PUSHED THE CAR BACK INTO THE PARKING SPACE WHERE I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START IT UNSUCCESSFULLY. WHEN THE AAA TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE CAR AND REFUSED TO TRY TO START IT AGAIN. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO POWAY TOYOTA, IT WAS DETERMINED, VIA ERROR CODES, THAT THE INVERTER HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND MUST BE REPLACED. INVERTER SERVICE DONE JAN 02,2010. CAR HAS REMAINED AT POWAY TOYOTA FOR 6 WEEKS. THE INVERTER PART COSTS $4,000.00 AND THE LABOR CHARGES TOTAL AN $6,000-$8,000, I'M TOLD. IT IS NOT DETERMINED IF THE EU NEEDS REPLACEMENT OR WHAT OTHER PARTS MAY ALSO BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. TOTAL REPAIRS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 10,000 - 15,000 IF THE HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM IS ALSO DAMAGED. TOYOTA CORP. HAS OFFERED TO "PARTICIPATE" IN 50% REPLACEMENT COST OF THE PART. 1 YR WARRANTY ON PARTS ONLY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO BUY MY CAR FOR 6,000.00 AND WILL EITHER REPAIR / SELL IT OR SELL IT AT AUCTION. IT IS A 2007, PURCHASED IN JAN 2008 - 125,000 MILES, IN EXCELLENT CONDITION OTHERWISE. WAS BLACK BOOK VALUED AT $12,000 BEFORE THE INVERTER MALFUNCTION. SEEKING TO BE ADDED TO RECALL-DEALER STATED MY CAR'S VIN IS 2 WEEKS OUT FROM THE 2006 RECALL. *TR

VEHICLE BECAME UNSTABLE AND WOBBLING, ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENT WITH LOSS OF CONTROL, WHILE IN MOTION AND DISPLAYED WARNING MESSAGES FOR BRAKE AND VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL WITH CODE P0A7A AND POSSIBLE OTHER CODES. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TYSON'S TOYOTA WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING A DEFECTIVE HYBRID INVERTER AND REQUIRES $8000+ IN REPAIRS. WE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND 2 DAYS LATER THEY CONCLUDED THAT THIS IS NOT A DEFECT AND NO ASSISTANCE WILL BR PROVIDED FOR THE REPAIRS. THIS ISSUE IS SIMILAR/IDENTICAL TO ANOTHER TOYOTA RECALL NUMBER 11V342000. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT 65MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER. I MANAGED TO STEER CAR OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD, NARROWLY AVOIDING ACCIDENT. THE CAR DID RESTART, BUT THIS STALLING AND POWER SHUT OFF REOCCURRED ONCE MORE. DEALERSHIP EXAMINED CAR; TEST DROVE IT; AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. I INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A REAL PROBLEM AND SAFETY CONCERN. AFTER MY PRODDING, THEY ADMINTTED THAT THERE WAS, IN FACT, A VOLUNTARY RECALL, BUT THE NEEDED PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. IT IS ONE THING TO POSTPONE TREATING A CAR FOR A VOLUNTARY RECALL WHEN THAT CAR HAS NOT EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. MY CAR, HOWEVER, HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM AND I FEEL THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD FIND THE NEEDED PART TO REPAIR THE CAR TO ENSURE ITS SAFETY. I ASKED TO HAVE THE SERVICE MANAGER CALL ME BACK BUT I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED THAT CALL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT

DRIVING ON THE 94 FREEWAY WEST, THE "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. CAR SUDDENLY DIED UNEXPECTEDLY. WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE NEARBY EXIT - NEARLY HIT BY NUMEROUS VEHICLES. AT THE EXIT, THE CAR WAS BLOCKING TRAFFIC. PEOPLE HELPED PUSH THE HIGHLANDER TO THE SIDE, WHERE I CALLED AAA. THE HIGHLANDER WAS TOWED TO THE TOYOTA EL CAJON DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. TOYOTA INFORMED ME THE INVERTER HAD DIED. IT WOULD COST $9600.00 TO REPAIR BECAUSE OUT OF WARRANTY. TOYOTA HEAD OFFICE REFUSES TO HELP. AT 3.5 YEARS OLD, THE REPAIR IS WORTH MORE THAN THE CAR. OTHER HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS FROM 2007 WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR COST $40,000.00 NEW AT PURCHASE IN 2007. IT SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 3.5 YEARS. THE INVERTER PROBLEM COULD HAVE HAD DEADLY CONSEQUENCES. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 119,500.

WHILE ACCELERATING TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH FROM A STANDING STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT IN A ZONE MERGING 2 LANES TO 1, MY 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID (`48,000 MILES ON ODOMETER, I AM ORIGINAL OWNER) EXPERIENCED SUDDEN AND TOTAL POWER LOSS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. THEY REPORTED A FAILED INVERTER IN THE HYBRID SYSTEM AND I AM AWAITING THE PART AND REPAIR. FROM MY ONLINE RESEARCH I UNDERSTAND THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 AND EARLY 2007 MODELS AND THAT NHTSA MAY BE INVESTIGATING. ALTHOUGH NO ACCIDENT ENSUED THIS FAILURE AT SPEED IN A LANE MERGE WAS FRIGHTENING, OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING AND COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. *TR