2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE AND AS HE APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE REAR BRAKES EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE SOUND WAS NORMAL AND DID NOT DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 7,000.

I HAVE A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. ON 1/26/2009 I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT, BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE, WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE. I HADN'T BEEN DOING ANYTHING BUT SITTING THERE, WAITING FOR THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME TO START MOVING, WHEN MY VEHICLE WENT FORWARD (LURCHED) AND I REAR-ENDED THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME! I HAVE NEVER DONE THAT IN MY LIFE. MY CAR HIT THE VEHICLE - A MINIVAN, IN FRONT OF ME VERY HARD, (FELT LIKE 10-15 MPH) CAUSING A LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE REAR CARGO DOOR. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THE EVENT WAS SO ODD, AND HAPPENED SO FAST, (AND THIS HAPPENED BEFORE TOYOTA EVER RECALLED ANYTHING EXCEPT THE PRIUS), I ASSUMED I MUST'VE DONE SOMETHING TO CAUSE IT. SO WHEN THE POLICE GOT THERE, I TOLD THEM MAYBE I WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION, AND MAYBE I ACCELERATED BEFORE THE LIGHT CHANGED (BUT EVEN AT THE TIME, IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME, BECAUSE I WASN'T FIRST IN LINE AT THE LIGHT, I WAS WAITING, PATIENTLY, BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE). IN FACT, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE LIGHT, I WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME TO MOVE, AS I USUALLY DO - DID. I WENT IN TO MY TOYOTA DEALER A FEW MONTH AGO (MARCH 2010) AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED, AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE IS A HYBRID, SOMETIMES, WHEN YOU'RE STOPPED AT A LIGHT, IT SWITCHES FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR TO GAS, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PETAL HARD ENOUGH, IT CAN LURCH FORWARD. PLEASE CAN YOU LOOK INTO THIS FURTHER, IT WAS QUITE SCARY. I BET ALLSTATE AND OTHER INSURANCE COMPANIES HAVE MANY CLAIMS WHERE A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER REAR-ENDS OTHER VEHICLES, AND PEOPLE ASSUME IT'S THEIR FAULT, NOT ASSUMING THE VEHICLE MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM. *TR

RE. TOYOTA 2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKING FAILURE RESULTING IN A HIGH SPEED COLLISION. I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON THRUWAY 87 IN THE STATE OF NY WHICH WAS LARGELY THE RESULT OF THE BRAKES ON MY HIGHLANDER HYBRID NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WHAT HAPPENED: I WAS HEADING NORTHBOUND TRAVELING 65 MPH WITH TRAFFIC ON THE THRUWAY A LITTLE MORE TOWARDS THE HEAVY SIDE BUT TRAFFIC WAS MOVING SMOOTHLY. APPARENTLY, SEVERAL VEHICLES A HEAD OF ME, A GOAT RAN ONTO THE THRUWAY AND A TRACTOR TRAILER LOCKED HIS BRAKES UP AND CAME TO A STOP. THERE WERE PROBABLY THREE VEHICLES BETWEEN THE TRUCK AND MYSELF AND FIRST TWO VEHICLES QUICKLY MOVED INTO THE LEFT LANE WITH THE LAST VEHICLE PRACTICALLY SWERVING INTO A SPACE THAT HARDLY FIT HIS VEHICLE AT THE LAST MOMENT. THIS QUICK MOVEMENT ALERTED ME TO BE ON GUARD AND I MOVED MY FOOT OVER TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE TRUCK DIDN'T HAVE BRAKE LIGHTS OR FLASHERS ON NOR HAD THERE BEEN ANY BRAKE LIGHTS VISIBLE TO ME TO INDICATE SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC AHEAD SO I WAS STILL TRAVELING AT 65 MPH BEFORE REALIZING AFTER A SHORT DELAY THAT THE TRUCK WAS AT A STAND STILL. I QUICKLY DECIDED THAT THE LEFT LANE WAS FULL SO I COULDN'T SWERVE LEFT, THE RIGHT LANE HAD A GUARD RAIL THERE BUT LOOKED LIKE THERE MIGHT BE ENOUGH ROOM TO SQUEEZE BY ON THE SHOULDER ALBEIT WITH A HIGH RISK OF FLIPPING, SO I CHOSE TO BRAKE AND SQUARE UP ON THE TRUCK'S BUMPER. I WAS ABOUT 90 TO 100 YARDS OUT WHEN I STARTED BRAKING. I FELT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES PULSING HARD AND THE VEHICLE WAS SHUDDERING HARD. AFTER ABOUT 5 TO 10 PULSES, THE BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND THE VEHICLE COASTED BUT DOING THIS AT 50 MPH+ AND THIS GOES ON FOR 40 YARDS OR SO UNTIL RIGHT BEFORE IMPACT. I FELT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES START KICKING IN AGAIN BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. I HIT THE REAR OF THE TRACTOR TRAILER AT AROUND 50 MPH AND STOPPED DEAD. I HAD CALLED MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES OF THE BRAKING PROBLEM (I.E., INCONSISTENT OPERATION ON ROUGH SURFACE) AND ALSO I LOGGED IT ON DOT'S WEBSITE BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. UPDATED IVOQ 09/15/10 *TR

COPY OF A NOTE SENT TO TOYOTA VIA THEIR WEBSITE REGARDING SUDDEN, SHORT-LIVED DECREASE IN BRAKING POWER IN A HIGHLANDER HYBRID: "ON MONDAY FEB. 8, I STOPPED BY LIA TOYOTA OF NORTHAMPTON, MA TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT -- 25,000 MILE SERVICE AND REQUESTED THEY CHECK THE BRAKES, AS I HAD EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN, SHORT-LIVED (A SECOND OR SO) DECREASE IN BRAKING POWER ON RANDOM OCCASIONS. I KNOW ZIP ABOUT CARS, BUT I SAID IT FELT LIKE AN AIR BUBBLE OR SOME SUCH IN THE BRAKE LINES. IT APPEARED ENTIRELY RANDOM, HAPPENING AT IN-TOWN AS WELL AS HIGHWAY SPEEDS (ONCE). A DAY OR TWO LATER TOYOTA ANNOUNCED THE RECALL FOR 2010 PRIUS'S. WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT AND THE REASON I THOUGHT, "AH, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE HIGHLANDER DOES, AND IT'S A HYBRID." SO, TODAY I WENT IN FOR SERVICE, DISCUSSED THE BRAKES, AND WAS TOLD THAT UNLESS FELLAS IN THE SHOP CAN DRIVE THE CAR AND EXPERIENCE THE BRAKING ISSUE, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO -- THEY CANNOT EVEN FILE A REPORT WITH TOYOTA, IE. THEY CANNOT GET INFORMATION UP THE CHAIN TO FOLKS WHO ACTUALLY MAKE THE CARS. THAT IS A LUDICROUS POLICY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT) A KNOWN PROBLEM EXISTS IN A HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM AND B) (AND I ASSUME A BIT HERE) THE HIGHLANDER BRAKING SYSTEM IS PROBABLY A NEAR COUSIN OF THE PRIUS'S. IN ANY EVENT, HERE'S A REPORT FROM A CONSUMER -- A HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNER HAS EXPERIENCED ON MULTIPLE, RANDOM OCCASIONS A SUDDEN, SHORT LOSS OF BRAKING POWER WHEN APPLY THE BRAKES. IT'S NOT LED TO ANY ACCIDENTS; IT IS SIMPLY DISQUIETING (THOUGH THE HIGHWAY SPEED INCIDENT WAS A BIT THRILLING). AS A MATTER OF COURSE, I'D CHECK YOUR OTHER HYBRIDS GANG. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHEN BRAKING OVER BUMPY ROADS OR POTHOLES (EVEN SMALL BUMPS), THE SENSATION I GET IS THAT THE BRAKES ARE NO LONGER ENGAGED. THE CAR FEELS TEMPORARILY OUT OF CONTROL. THIS SENSATION IS STRONGER IF THE BUMPS ARE ENCOUNTERED DURING A TURN OR IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE BUMPS ABOUT A FOOT OR TWO APART (AS OFTEN LEFT BY BUSES REPEATEDLY STOPPING IN THE SAME AREAS ON CITY STREETS). ON FAMILIAR ROADS, I KNOW WHERE THE BUMPS ARE AND CAN DRIVE/BRAKE ACCORDINGLY. UNFAMILIAR ROADS MAKE THIS PROBLEM LESS PREDICTABLE AND MORE DANGEROUS. THIS PROBLEMS SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PROBLEMS WITH TOYOTA PRIUS' BRAKING. MY VEHICLE IS NOT CURRENTLY PART OF THE RECALL AND I WONDER IF TOYOTA IS BEING EVASIVE ABOUT HOW EXTENSIVE THE PROBLEM TRULY IS. TEMPORARY LOSS OF BRAKING OVER BUMPY ROADS HAS EXISTED SINCE I TOOK POSSESSION OF MY NEW HIGHLANDER IN JUNE 2007. I CAN PREDICT OCCURRENCE WITH NEAR 100% ACCURACY ON CERTAIN FAMILIARLY BUMPY ROADS. I SEE ON THIS FORM THAT I MUST PICK A DATE FOR "THE" INCIDENT (THERE HAVE BEEN MANY). I'LL PICK A DATE OF RECENT PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE/SCARY OCCURRENCE. NOTE: THIS ONLINE REPORTING SYSTEM REQUIRES ME TO CHOOSE "ELECTRIC BRAKES" OR "HYDRAULIC BRAKES." I DON'T KNOW WHICH TO CHOOSE: I THINK IT IS A HYBRID OF BOTH, SO NEITHER CHOICE IS ACCURATE. NHTSA: YOU CAN DO BETTER! *TR

I BELIEVE MY 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAS THE SAME BRAKING PROBLEMS AS DESCRIBED WITH THE TOYOTA PRIUS. I HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE DAY ONE OF PURCHASE AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS NORMAL. HERE IS MY DESCRIPTION OF MY BRAKING PROBLEM. WHEN I AM TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY OR CITY DRIVING, WHENEVER I PUSH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL YOU CAN FEEL NORMAL BRAKING ALSO YOU CAN SEE THE DASH GAUGE NEEDLE POINTING TO THE BLUE AS IT RECHARGES THE BATTERIES AND THEN THE VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP. EVER SO OFTEN, WHEN I AM BRAKING I CAN FEEL THE VEHICLE LETTING UP ON THE BRAKING, HOWEVER I HAVE NOT DECREASED MY FOOT PRESSURE AND THE NEEDLE ON THE DASH GOES FROM THE BLUE TO NORMAL AND THE VEHICLE MOVES FORWARD WITH MOMENTUM AND I MUST INCREASE MY FOOT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL VERY QUICKLY TO RE-GAIN MY ORIGINAL BRAKING PRESSURE. THIS HAPPENS TO ME ABOUT ONCE A WEEK, AND I HAVE LOOKED A THE BATTERY STATUS AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE BATTERY STILL NEEDS MORE CHARGING. IT WAS VERY SCARY AT FIRST BUT NOW I AM USE TO IT. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THIS IS NORMAL OR NOT, HOWEVER THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIUS PROBLEMS SOUNDS JUST LIKE MINE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN STOPPING THE VEHICLE WITH HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. WITHIN A FEW MINUTES, THEY BEGAN OPERATING NORMALLY. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED 20 TO 30 TIMES . THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,859. UPDATED 3/30/2010 THE CONSUMER STATED OCCASIONALLY WHILE STEPPING ON THE BRAKE AT LOW SPEEDS, IT WOULD FEEL LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS IN NEUTRAL. BUT, JUST A FRACTION OF A SECOND IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY. UPDATED 05/10/10*JB

FIRST EVENT-PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE-APPLIED THE BRAKE-CAR ACCELERATED AND WENT OVER THE BUMPER GUARD. ONGOING ISSUE-WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKE AND HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD AT THE SAME TIME, THE CAR LUNGES FORWARD AND THE BRAKE APPEARS TO FAIL. REPORTED TO DEALER-SAID IT WAS POSSIBLY THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM. HAVE HAD THE BRAKES CHECKED NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO TROUBLE FOUND. *TW