2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Complaints

MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAS BEEN MAKING NOISE EVERY 5 SECONDS AND THE NOISE LAST FOR 3 SECONDS. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY WHETHER THE ENGINE IS ON OR OFF. IT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED WHEN IT IS RUNNING (AS MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED ONLINE) BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF IT WHEN THE CAR IS ON THE MOVE. I WAS CONCERNED AND CHECKED ONLINE TO FIND OUT THAT IT IS THE ABS ACCUMULATOR PUMP AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF HIGHLANDER OWNERS THAT HAVE OR ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM. TOYOTA HAS RECENTLY ISSUED AN EXTENSION OF WARRANTY ON ITS 2006/2007 MODEL BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, NOT ON 2008. I HAVE ALSO READ FROM A FORUM THAT THE SAME PART ON CAMRY HYBRID HAS BEEN RECALLED. IT IS A VERY EXPENSIVE PART AND CRITICAL TO THE LIVES OF HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNERS. TOYOTA SHOULD ACT ON IT BY ISSUING A WARRANTY EXTENSION ON THE 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID MODEL.

BRAKE MALFUNCTION/ ABS MALFUNCTION/ NEEDS NEW BRAKE ACTUATOR/ 3600.00 TO REPAIR THIS. HAPPENED WHEN WE HAD TO APPLY BRAKES REPETITIVELY IN STALLED TRAFFIC.

THE ABS SYSTEM FAILURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH A BRAKE MALFUNCTION WARNING. I HAD THE ABS ACCUMULATOR REPLACED AND THE ABS PUMP REPLACED, BUT NOW TOYOTA IS TELLING ME THAT I NEED TO HAVE THE ABS ACTUATOR REPLACED AS WELL. THE ABS SYSTEM IN THE 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID IS FAULTY AND EVENTUALLY LEAKS THE HYDRAULIC FLUID RENDERING THE ABS SYSTEM INOPERABLE. THIS TENDS TO HAPPEN OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND GETS WORSE WITH AGE. THUS IT TYPICALLY OCCURS AFTER ALL WARRANTIES ARE EXPIRED. THE PARTS REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM COST OVER $5000 FROM TOYOTA AND ONLY DEALERS HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO ATTEMPT THIS FIX. TOYOTA DID MAKE A VOLUNTARY RECALL "CUSTOMER SERVICE UPDATE" FOR THE 206 AND 2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS ABS SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, THE 2008 STILL HAS TREMENDOUS ABS SYSTEM PROBLEMS, AND THE PARTS SHOULD LAST THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR, BUT TOYOTA HAS YET TO ISSUE A RECALL ON THE 2008 HH ABS SYSTEM. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM FOR THE 2008 HH AND THE ABS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND MOST CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY ALMOST THE VALUE OF THE CAR JUST TO HAVE IT BE IN A SAFE, DRIVEABLE CONDITION.

MY 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WAS JUST DEEMED TOTALED BY THE CAR DEALERSHIP (NEWBURGH TOYOTA) AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY (LIBERTY MUTUAL), BECAUSE OF EXCESSIVE RODENT DAMAGE. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE RODENTS WERE ATTRACTED TO THE WIRING BECAUSE TOYOYTA USES ECO-FRIENDLY SOY-BASED COATING ON THEIR WIRES WHICH ATTRACT RODENTS!! RODENTS CHEWED WIRES, THE WIRING HARNESS, PLUGGED DRAINAGE HOLES WITH THEIR BEDDING THUS CAUSING WATER DAMAGE, AND RUINED THE HYBRID BATTERIES. THE DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT MORE THAN $12,000, WHICH OF COURSE TOYOTA WOULD NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START UNLESS THE BATTERY WAS UNHOOKED TO "CLEAR" THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. WHEN IT STARTED THE ERROR MESSAGES/WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH WERE LIT UP EVERYWHERE, INDICATING IT WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE A SERVICE TECH STRIPPED THE INTERIOR AND DISCOVERED RODENTS NESTS, DROPPINGS, WATER, AND LOTS OF DAMAGE. PHOTOS ATTACHED. PARTS ALONE FOR THE REPAIR WERE MORE THAN $10,000, AND THAT DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTICS OR LABOR COSTS. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS HAS BEEN A GIANT HEADACHE!

THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN MAKING A CHIRPING NOISE WHILE STOPPED FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS. STARTING YESTERDAY THE CAR INFO SCREEN STARTED DISPLAYING WARNINGS SUCH AS CHECK ABS, BRAKE MALFUNCTION, ETC. THE BRAKES CAN BE DIFFICULT TO PRESS SOMETIMES, LIKE IT IS LOSING PRESSURE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THEY SAID THE BRAKE ACTUATOR/MODULATOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY SAID THEY ARE SEEING THIS ON A LOT OF TOYOTA/LEXUS BUILT SUVS. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ TODAY, IT LOOKS LIKE MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE BRAKE SYSTEM AND OTHER WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON SUDDENLY. THE CAR STILL STOPPED, BUT THE BRAKES REQUIRED MORE PRESSURE. TOYOTA CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT, THIS PART ALONE IS $1600. ANOTHER RELATED PART TOYOTA SAYS IS REQUIRED COSTS ANOTHER $2600. TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT FOR THE 2006 AND 2007 MODELS. GIVEN THAT THE PROBLEM IS THE SAME AND INVOLVES VEHICLE SAFETY, TOYOTA SHOULD EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO THE 2008 HIGHLANDER'S.

I STARTED THE CAR ONE MORNING TO FIND ALL OF MY BRAKE WARNINGS SUDDENLY ON. THE VEHICLE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF ANY ISSUES PRIOR TO THIS, AND UPON GETTING THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC, IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS AN ABNORMAL LEAK IN THE ACCUMULATOR. NO INCIDENT OR SIGNS OF ISSUES LED UP TO THE SUDDEN MALFUNCTION--IT WAS IN GREAT OPERATING SHAPE LEADING UP TO THE INCIDENT, AND EVEN UPON PARKING AND DISENGAGING THE CAR THE EVENING BEFORE. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER ACCOUNTS OF THIS HAPPENING WITH HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNERS, EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING SOMEWHERE. I JUST HAPPENED TO BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO ENCOUNTER THE PROBLEM UPON TURNING ON THE CAR.

MY VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A DEALERSHIP IN JANUARY 2017 AND THREE WEEKS LATER, THE ABS CONTROL MODULE/PUMP FAILED. WITHOUT A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING ABS CONTROL MODULE/PUMP, OPERATING THE VEHICLE WOULD BE DANGEROUS DUE TO THE 'STICKING BRAKE' BEHAVIOR. MY TOYOTA-CERTIFIED GARAGE CHARGED ME OVER $3,000 TO REPLACE THIS PART. THE GARAGE, WHO I'VE BEEN USING FOR OVER 7 YEARS AND ABSOLUTELY TRUST, SAID THAT THE LOCAL TOYOTA PARTS DISTRIBUTOR HAD OVER 10 UNITS OF THIS PART IN STOCK, WHICH THE GARAGE SAID WAS HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR AN ITEM THIS EXPENSIVE. I SEARCHED MULTIPLE ONLINE FORUMS (TOYOTANATION.COM, US.TOYOTAOWNERSCLUB.COM) AND THIS SAME PREMATURE FAILING OF THE ABS ACTUATOR WITHIN THE ABS CONTROL MODULE/PUMP HAS HAPPENED TO HUNDREDS OF OWNERS, USUALLY AFTER THEIR HIGHLANDER HYBRID PASSES 100,000 MILES. I FEEL THAT THIS PROBLEM IS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART AND BASED ON THE HIGH INVENTORY LEVELS KEPT ON HAND BY TOYOTA PARTS DISTRIBUTORS, IT APPEARS THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT TOYOTA SHOULD PROVIDE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS ABS ASSEMBLY AND REFUND THE AMOUNT THAT OWNERS HAVE HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO HAVE THIS DEFECTIVE PART REPLACED.

WHILE DRIVING SLOWLY IN A SCHOOL ZONE I ATTEMPTED TO STOP FOR THE CROSSING GUARD AND CHILDREN. THE BRAKE PEDDLE BEGAN PULSATING BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP USING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE BRAKE DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON AND SHOWED ABS AND VSC FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP WHO ADVISED THEY WOULD HAVE TO SPECIAL ORDER A PART AND CHARGED ME $1,800.00 FOR THE PART. THEY RECEIVED THE PART 1 WEEK LATER AND CALLED TO ADVISE THAT IT WAS THE WRONG PART AND THAT THE CORRECT PART WAS $1,000.00 MORE BECAUSE THEY NEEDED THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY. I COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND THE TOYOTA MOTOR CORP. AND THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP ME. MY VEHICLE WAS REMOVED FROM THE DEALERSHIP AND TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP. THE OWNER, (A RETIRED CERTIFIED TOYOTA MASTER TECHNICIAN) ADVISED HE COULD ORDER THE OEM ASSEMBLY, INSTALL IT, AND PROVIDE THE SAME WARRANTY AS THE DEALERSHIP FOR $ 2,100.00. HE FURTHER STATED THAT WHILE WORKING FOR TOYOTA HE HAD REPLACED HUNDREDS OF ASSEMBLIES ON 2007-2011 TOYOTA CAMRY HYBRID MODELS AS PART OF "TOYOTAS LIMITED REPAIR ASSISTANCE CAMPAIGN". HE FURTHER ADVISED THE ASSEMBLY WAS THE SAME FOR BOTH THE CAMRY HYBRID & HIGHLANDER HYBRID MODELS. ADDITIONALLY HE COULD SUPPLY ACCEPTABLE PAPERWORK IF TOYOTA CONDUCTS A LIMITED REPAIR ASSISTANCE CAMPAIGN FOR THE 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID