2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

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

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

A MONTH OR TWO AFTER I BOUGHT MY 2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRID IN MARCH OF 2007, I HAD TWO INCIDENTS WHERE MY CAR ACCELERATED FOR ME. BOTH TIMES I WAS ON THE FREEWAY, TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH. BOTH TIMES, I FELT A SURGE OF POWER FOR ABOUT 7 - 8 SECONDS. THE TWO INCIDENTS HAPPENED MAYBE A MONTH APART. I TOLD MY HUSBAND ABOUT IT AT THE TIME AND HE ASSURED ME IT WAS JUST BECAUSE I WASN'T USED TO MY NEW CAR. I KNOW FOR SURE THAT WASN'T THE REASON. ALMOST THREE YEARS LATER I HAVEN'T HAD ANY MORE SURGES BUT I DO HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN. I AM HYPER AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH TOYOTA VEHICLES AND THEY HAVE YET TO FIGURE IT OUT. IF WE COULD AFFORD IT, WE'D GET RID OF THIS CAR IMMEDIATELY AND GET A NEW ONE. BUT WE CAN'T. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO THE GARAGE AND A BEDROOM. SHE THEN SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE IT ACCELERATED IN REVERSE. SHE DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO AVOID AN ADDITIONAL INCIDENT, SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL GEAR TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM ACCELERATING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. SHE CALLED THE DEALERSHIP BUT NO ONE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TO FIND OUT WHY THE FAILURE OCCURRED. SHE HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER TO-DATE. SHE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY MORE ACCELERATION FAILURES WHEN THE COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 7,000.

ON OCTOBER 13, 2009, MY 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WAS PARKED AT A SMALL BUSINESS PARKING LOT, ABOUT 40 FT. AWAY FROM ANOTHER PARKED CAR. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND DRY. DURING THE PROCESS OF PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE,(NECESSARY FOR IGNITION) MY CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN AT A VERY HIGH SPEED, AND SMASHED INTO THE PARKED CAR BEHIND ME. I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL OF THIS CAR. IT DAMAGED THE BACK OF THE OTHER CAR SO COMPLETELY THAT IS WAS UNDRIVABLE AND HAD TO BE TOWED. MY CAR HAD SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE REAR BUMPER TRUNK/HATCH BACK AND EXHAUST SYSTEM. THE ESTIMATED DAMAGE IS $3500-$4500. THIS IS NOT A FLOOR MAT RELATED PROBLEM. THE HIGHLANDER HAS HOOKS THAT SECURE THE DRIVERS SIDE FLOOR MATS SO THEY DO NOT COME IN CONTACT WITH THE GAS PEDAL. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THIS CAR. MY CAR HAD JUST HAD ITS 30K SERVICE A WEEK PRIOR TO MY ACCIDENT AND IS VERY WELL MAINTAINED. I AM A VERY SAFE AND CAREFUL DRIVER WITH AN OUTSTANDING DRIVER RECORD AND I KNOW THIS WAS NOT MY FAULT. THIS CAR SPED OUT OF CONTROL BY ITSELF. NO ONE COULD POSSIBLY REVERSE THEIR CAR IN A SMALL PARKING LOT THAT QUICKLY. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY HAD A CORPORATE INVESTIGATOR INSPECT MY CAR FOR POTENTIAL CAUSES. THEY INDICATED THAT NO UNUSUAL ERRORS WERE REPORTED ON THE VEHICLES COMPUTER. I FEEL TOYOTA OWES ME AND POSSIBLY HUNDREDS OF OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION PROBLEM AN EXPLANATION AND CORRECTIVE ACTION. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND REAL PROBLEM. *TR