2007 Toyota Highlander complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ENGINE WOULD OCCASIONALLY REV MAKING BRAKING MORE FORCEFUL. HE SPECULATED THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSTIC TESTING EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE TO DETECT THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 42,000. UPDATED 02/1710 *BF UPDATED 02/19/10 UPDATED 03/02/10 THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS ENGINE IDLE, NOT ACCELERATING OR BRAKING. UPDATED 03/22/10.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WAS NOT DUE TO A STUCK ACCELERATOR, BECAUSE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALSO RUNS THE HYBRID MOTOR. THE HYBRID MOTOR IS NOT ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE LIKE THE GAS ENGINE. IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS THE PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE WOULD STILL RUN AWAY IN ELECTRIC MOTOR. THEREFORE, IT IS DEFINITELY AN ENGINE PROBLEM, NOT AN ELECTRIC MOTOR OR ELECTRIC GENERATOR. AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT CONTROLS THE ENGINE AND THE HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTOR. UPDATED 04/09/10.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AGAIN. UPDATED 05/03/10

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. MICE ENTERED THE VEHICLE ENGINE AND CHEWED THE WIRE RELAY. AS A CONSEQUENCE, WHILE DRIVING THE ENGINE IT WAS IN LIMP MODE; WHICH CAUSED SUDDEN VEHICLE DECELERATION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500. THE CURRENT MILEAGE 29,000. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS AVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO EXIT A PARKING SPACE, THE ALL WEATHER FLOOR MATS THAT HE PURCHASED IN 2007 CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK. AS A CONSEQUENCE HE CRASHED INTO SEVERAL TREES. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. HE AND THREE OTHER OCCUPANTS WERE INJURIED. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER WERE BOTH NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 41,212.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE ROTORS WERE RUSTING AND THE PADS WERE WORN DUE TO THE WINTER WEATHER. THE BRAKE PADS, ROTORS, AND CALIPERS HAD RUST ON THEM AND THEY WERE STUCK TOGETHER DUE TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER. WHEN ENGAGING THE BRAKE PEDAL THERE WAS A PULSATING AND UNEVEN FEELING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS STATED THAT THEY WERE WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER TO SEE WHAT THE OUTCOME WOULD BE. THERE WERE RELATED RECALLS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAILURE FOR OTHER YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL TOYOTA'S. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED; HOWEVER, HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO WILL ASSUME THE REPAIR COST. THE CONTACT IS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 28000.

MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT CAUGHT BETWEEN MY TOES AND BOTTOM OF MY FOOT AND THE BOTTOM OF AN OPEN-TOED SHOE AND I COULD NOT PULL MYSELF FREE TO STOP MY CAR AND I RAN INTO A STOPPED CAR IN FRONT OF ME AT AN INTERSECTION, WHICH WAS PUSHED INTO ANOTHER CAR. I WAS TRAVELING VERY SLOWLY, BUT MY ACTIVITY IN TRYING TO FREE MY FOOT CAUSED MY CAR TO ACCELERATE SOME. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE. WHEN I TOLD A NEIGHBOR SHE SAID THE SAME THING HAD HAPPENED TO HER, BUT THAT SHE WAS NOT OUT IN TRAFFIC AT THE TIME. I NOTICED THAT BOTH OF OUR VEHICLES HAVE VERY NARROW ACCELERATOR PEDALS, AND THAT THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ANYONE. I HAVE NOT BEEN DRIVING WITH SANDALS SINCE THEN, BUT A GREAT MANY PEOPLE DO. *TR

AT 22,356 MILES I HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE THE BRAND WAS TOYO TIRES. *TR

TOOK CAR FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD THAT AT 12,500 MILES THE TIRES ON OUR 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WHERE WORN OUT AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED THE TIRES ARE A TOYO TRANPATH A11 225 70 R 16. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, STRUCK A CURB, CROSSED THE MEDIAN, AND CRASHED INTO TWO PARKED VEHICLES. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BUMPER AND DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WERE DAMAGED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE WITHIN 30 DAYS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000. UPDATED 12/15/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER THE POILCE WERE NOT CALLED. UPDATED 12/15/08. *JB

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVERS SIDE FELL APART. THE TIRE SEPARATED AT THE SIDE WALL. MY WIFE MANAGED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CAME TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE DEALER WAS NO HELP. WE FEEL THAT THESE TIRES ARE UNSAFE AND WANT TO REPLACE THEM. TIRES-TOYO P225 70R16 101S M+S 97H1407 THESE TIRES HAD ONLY 19800 MILES ON THEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE 12-VOLT BATTERY IN HER VEHICLE. ON AT LEAST TEN OCCASIONS, THE 12-VOLT BATTERY WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT WOULD ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OVER. SHE HEARD OF INSTANCES WHERE OTHER PEOPLE'S VEHICLES COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING; THEREFORE, SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT IT COULD EVENTUALLY HAPPEN TO HER. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES, BUT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER CHARGED THE BATTERY AND RELEASED THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000.

TIRE WENT FLAT DUE TO FAILURE OR BREAKDOWN OF SIDE WALL. *TR

2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WITH 45,000 MILE ON IT. UNPROTECTED AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER DAMAGED BY ROAD DEBRIS - COST ME $1300 TO FIX AT DEALER. I FOUND OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS ON INTERNET WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEM. ALSO APPEARS TO BE PROBLEM ON TOYOTA COROLLA (TOYOTA ISSUED TSB AC002-06 ON THIS). CLEARLY DEFECTIVE DESIGN - ABSOLUTELY NO PROTECTION IN FRONT OF A/C CONDENSER WHICH IS MOUNTED VERY LOW WITH BIG OPEN HOLES IN SHROUD IN FRONT OF IT. ALMOST FORMS A FUNNEL FOR COLLECTING ROCKS, BROKEN TIRE CHUNK'S, ETC. FROM ROADWAYS AND HAVING THIS DEBRIS PUNCTURE AIR CONDITIONING CONDENSER. COMPLAINED TO TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE. RESPONSE ABYSMAL. AND WE WERE A TOYOTA FAMILY - CURRENTLY OWN TWO OTHER TOYOTAS. SHAME ON TOYOTA. *TR

SLOW THROTTLE RESPONSE UPON TAKE-OFFS. CAN BE HAZARDOUS IN A NEED TO QUICKLY GET OUT OF A SITUATION FROM A STANDING STOP OR SLOW ROLLING TAKE OFF. *TR

TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO SHIFT AT RANDOM TIMES. AT A STOP IT WILL NOT ENGAGE IMMEDIATELY AND THE HIGHLANDER WILL COAST TO SPEED, AT OTHER TIMES I TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR LAUNCH OFF LIKE A RACE CAR. WHEN COASTING IT SEEMS TO SHIFT AT RANDOM TIMES AND SOME TIMES SPEED UP WHEN I WANT TO SLOW DOWN BY HITTING BRAKES. THIS SEEMS TO RISK A COLLISION. *TR

SLOW INTERMITTENT DRAIN ON TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 2007 AUXILIARY BATTERY. SINCE APRIL 2007, THE BATTERY HAS DIED 5 TIMES. DEALER REPLACED WITH NEW BATTERY, NEW DVD PLAYER BUT STILL CANNOT IDENTIFY THE SOURCE OF THE BATTERY DRAW. *TR

WHEN TRAVELING DOWN HILL FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME THE BATTERIES CHARGE AND THEN START TO EMIT NOXIOUS FUMES INTO THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. (OZONE I THINK.) ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WE HAVE HAD TO ROLL THE WINDOWS DOWN OR STOP AND EXIT THE VEHICLE TO ALLOW THE FUMES TO CLEAR. THE LOCAL DEALER SAYS THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE, AND THAT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO ABOUT OUR COMPLAINTS. *TR

NOTIFIED BY FELLOW TRAVELER THAT TIRE WAS LOW. CHECKED DASH FOR WARNING LIGHT - NO WARNING. TOOK AUTO TO TIRE DEALERSHIP. MADE ME REPLACE TIRE - TOLD IT WAS UNSAFE. SAID SENSORS WERE REQUIRED IN AUTO AS OF 2006. HAD SENSOR IN PREVIOUS HIGHLANDER. CALLED TOYOTA. TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT HYBRID HAD SENSOR. TOOK AUTO TO DEALERSHIP. HAD CHECKED. NO SENSOR!! WAS TOLD BY THEM THAT IT WAS NOT REQUIRED. *TR

WAS PULLING INTO PARKING SPACE UNDER 5 MPH AND THERE WAS A SUDDEN SURGE FORWARD AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK. WENT OVER CURB THROUGH BUSHES OFF ANOTHER CURB HITTING UNDERNEATH OF CAR AND BRAKES THEN WORKED AGAIN. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE THEY DROVE IT PUT IT ON A MACHINE AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR! *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE CANNOT SEE THE SPEEDOMETER ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING THE DAYTIME. HE STATED THAT THE LENSES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ARE TINTED, WHICH HE BELIEVES IS THE REASON FOR THE POOR VISIBILITY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED HIM TO CALL TOYOTA. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH TOYOTA AND THE CONTACT WAS ISSUED COMPLAINT NUMBER 200707203477. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50. UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR

2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED WITH STALLING CONCERNS CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE CARS IDLE SPEED CONTROL VALVE AND IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE HAD TO BE REPLACED**CC

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING IN THE SUNLIGHT, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS ARE DIFFICULT TO READ. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE DEALER TEST THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THAT IS HOW IT WAS MANUFACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE ONLY OCCURS DURING THE DAYTIME. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 100 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT ALSO PURCHASED A TOWING PACKAGE WHICH INCLUDES A HITCH. THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE HITCH IN STOCK AND THE CONTACT WAS SENT TO ANOTHER STORE TO RETRIEVE THE PART. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A BILL FOR THE HITCH. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 41. *AK

HYBRID INVERTER FAILURE. *NM

2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER - UNCONTROLLED TRANSMISSION SURGES CAUSE VEHICLE TO MOVE FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. TRANSMISSION ALWAYS SHIFTING DOWN TO 5TH GEAR AT VERY SLOW SPEEDS, PUSHING CAR FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN NOT DESIRED. TAKING FOOT OFF GAS PEDAL, CAR MAINTAINS SPEED (LIKE ON CRUISE CONTROL). CAR WILL DRIVE AND MAINTAIN SPEEDS WITHOUT GAS PEDAL INPUT. DRIVER MUST FIGHT TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN. SLOWING DOWN, COMING TO A STOP SIGN, CAR STILL ALWAYS WANTS TO SHIFT DOWN INTO 5TH GEAR, PUSHING CAR FORWARD FASTER JUST BEFORE FULL STOP, RISKING REAR END COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. FIGHTING WITH CAR TO SLOW DOWN. TOYOTA DEALER SAYS CAR IS WORKING AS DESIGNED. *JB