2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLAND HYBRID. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH, THE HYBRID SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITH A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO DETECTED AN ACCUMULATION OF WATER WITHIN THE HYBRID BATTERY. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE WATER ORIGINATED FROM THE REAR SUB FRAME AREA AND AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, THE FRAME EXHIBITED TWO CRACKS AND TWO HOLES. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

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 OWN 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID 4WD CAR WOULD NOT START 56,300. MLS VSC LITE ON -PUT IN PARK (WAS IN PARK) 12V BATTERY DEAD WHEN RESEARCHING HAVE FOUND KNOWN PROBLEM,MY CAR HAS LEXUS ENGINE, KNOWN PROBLEMS, MOST PEOPLE TOLD BATTERY DEAD..REAL PROBLEM BAD INVERTER,SOME HAVE ALMOST DIED HAPPENED WHEN DRIVING SOME MAY HAVE TOYOTA LOOKING OTHER WAY, TELL PEOPLE BAD BATTERY ..HM LAST TOYOTA BATTERY I HAD IN DIF CAR LASTED 7 YRS,PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW I WILL BE IN AFIGHT WITH LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER , PLEASE CHECK THIS OUT I AM A NURSE AND PEOPLE COULD DIE WITH THIS DEFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *TR

WHILE CHANGING TIRES, ONE OF THE FIVE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL STUDS BROKE OFF. INSPECTION REVEALS A FAULTY VOID (AIR BUBBLE) IN THE CENTER OF THE STUD WHERE IT BROKE OFF. I HAVE THAT PIECE. I BOUGHT A NEW REPLACEMENT STUD AND WHEEL NUT FROM BIGHORN TOYOTA IN GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO. THEY WILL REPLACE IT FOR ME IN APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS UNLESS I CAN FIND ANOTHER AUTO SHOP THAT CAN REPLACE IT BEFORE THEN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HV. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THREE WARNING LIGHTS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE WARNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 24,000.

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