2018 Toyota Highlander

AS OF THIS DATE, MY 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HAS DELAYED ACCELERATION, HESITATION, JERKING, LURCHING, ERRATIC THROTTLE RESPONSES, ETC. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. THIS HAS OCCURRED TWO TIMES TO DATE. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE, RESTART AND THEN THE VEHICLE PERFORMED PROPERLY AFTER THAT. MY CONCERN IS WHAT MAY HAPPEN WHEN IT DOES IT AGAIN. NOTHING TO SHOW IN A PHOTO.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ROUTE 22 TOYOTA (109 US-22, HILLSIDE, NJ 07205, (973) 287-4741), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND REFERRED CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

MY 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EXPERIENCED 4 DIFFERENT EPISODES OF SPONTANEOUS ACCELERATION WHILE ON LOCAL HIGHWAYS, 3 BEING ON RESUMPTION OF SPEED WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL AND THE 4TH NOT WHILE ON CRUISE CONTROL.THERE ARE 10 OTHER ELECTRONIC TYPES OF MALFUNCTIONS NOT INVOLVING SAFETY ISSUES. PER THE LEMON LAW OF WA STATE, THE MATTER WAS TAKEN TO ARBITRATION. THE ARBITRATER FOUND IN MY FAVOR AND AWARDED ME A NEW REPLACEMENT HIGHLANDER. TOYOTA HAS ASKED FOR A JURY TRIAL. I THEREFORE CONTINUE TO DRIVE A VEHICLE THAT COULD CAUSE A DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY FATAL CAR. I CAN SUPPLY FURTHER DOCUMENTATION SHOULD YOU WANT IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE CONTACT STATED AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE IDLED ROUGH. THE LOW-PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED AVONDALE TOYOTA (10005 W, PAPAGO FWY, AVONDALE, AZ 85323, (877) 554-6890) AND WAS INFORMED THAT PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT WAS OFFERED A LOANER VEHICLE BUT DECLINED THE OFFER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

ON MAY 5, 2020 I STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT IN THE LEFT TURN LANE, AFTER JUST HAVING A 20K MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON MY 2018 HIGHLANDER XLE. AFTER THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I ACCELERATED AND AS I WAS ENTERING THE INTERSECTION, THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STALLED. IT WAS NOT A SMOOTH DECELERATION, BUT RATHER A JOLTING AND ABRUPT, SLAMMING DECELERATION, ALMOST SCREECHING TO A HALT. LUCKILY, THE CAR BEHIND ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES AND DID NOT HIT ME. ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON, AND AFTER THE CAR WAS STOPPED COMPLETELY, IT RESTARTED AND I DROVE INTO THE NEAREST PARKING LOT. HAD I AND THE CARS BEHIND ME BEEN TRAVELING FASTER, IT'S LIKELY THAT I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. THE STOPPING FORCE WAS ENOUGH TO SLAM ME INTO MY SEATBELT. I CALLED TOYOTA SERVICE AND THEY RECOMMENDED THAT I TURN OFF THE AUTO-START FUNCTION EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE VEHICLE, WHICH I HAVE DONE. THIS APPEARS TO BE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE SAFETY RECALL 20TA02, WHERE THE LOW-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP MAY STOP OPERATING. THE VEHICLE IS IN AN EXTREMELY UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION AND I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT TOYOTA HAS NOT ROLLED OUT THE RECALL REPAIR SOONER. I'M LUCKY THAT I WAS THE ONLY OCCUPANT IN THE VEHICLE, AND IF THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR, THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPHIC. *TR

I OWN A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, ME AND MY FAMILY INCLUDING MY 4 YEAR OLD SON WERE TAKING A DRIVE UP TO NEVADA CITY. WE LIVE IN CALIFORNIA AND WHEN WE GOT ON THE ROAD AND TRIED TO COME TO A STOP ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES STARTED TO SHAKE. WE DECIDED TO PULL OVER AND AS WE PULLED OVER THE CAR STALLED, WE PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TRIED TO TURN IT ON WITH NO LUCK LEFT IT OFF FOR A COUPLE MINUTES AND STILL NO LUCK AN ERROR CAME ON THAT SAID LOW BREAKING POWER. WE HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE SO WE CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY STATED THEY WOULD NEED TO CHARGE US ABOUT 200 DOLLARS TO CHECK THE CAR. TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY DECIDED TO KEEP OUT CAR UNTIL THERE IS A RESOLUTION FOR THE RECALL WHICH THEY SAID COULD TAKE 3 TO 4 MONTHS. JUST UNETHICAL FOR TOYOTA TO CHARGE US FOR A PROBLEM THAT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR CONTROL NOT ONLY THAT BUT 4 MONTHS TO FIX A RECALL ERROR IS JUST RIDICULOUS. NOW WE'RE TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THE CAR ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR 4 YEAR OLD SON IN THE CAR. CONTACTED TOYOTA MANUFACTURER AND THEY WERE REALLY UNWILLING TO HELP GAVE US A RUN AROUND AND WE DIDN'T COME TO A RESOLUTION ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THEY DIDN'T OWN UP TO THE PROBLEM AND WE WERE LEFT WITH MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. *TR

SLOWLY (3-5MPH) MOVING TOWARD EXIT RAMP FROM HOSPITAL PARKING LOT. TRIED TO BRAKE BEFORE TURNING RIGHT ONTO RAMP, BUT SERVICE BRAKE DIDN'T RESPOND -- FELT LIKE I WAS JUST POUNDING THE FLOOR. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO COAST. I TURNED IT ONTO EXIT RAMP. DURING COAST DOWN RAMP THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY SHOWED "LOW BRAKE POWER" OR "BRAKE POWER LOW". VEHICLE SPEED REMAINED RELATIVELY CONSTANT. I SHIFTED INTO R (REVERSE), THINK THAT NO HARM WOULD COME TO TRANSMISSION AT THAT SPEED, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED; COAST REMAINED CONSTANT. LUCKILY NO VEHICLES WERE IN FRONT OF MINE AND NONE WERE COMING ON RT 25 BRIGHTON AVE WESTBOUND IN PORTLAND ME, SO I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE COASTING VEHICLE TO A SLOW STOP ALONG THE ROAD'S EDGE (BUT STILL HALFWAY INTO THE TRAVEL LANE). THEN THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE HAD BEEN TURNED OFF (NOT BY ME). A CITY BUS CAME ALONG ABOUT ONE MINUTE LATER; IF IT HAD COME BY ONE MINUTE BEFORE THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION WITH MY VEHICLE. AFTER WAITING TO RECOVER FROM THE SHOCK OF THAT EVENT, I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND TESTED THE BRAKES, AND THEY SEEMED NORMAL AND THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL LIGHTS ON MESSAGES ON THE VEHICLE DISPLAYS. I TRIED DRIVING IT CAREFULLY, AND IT SEEMED NORMAL, SO I DROVE IT OFF BRIGHTON AVE AND ULTIMATELY GOT IT HOME IN BUXTON WITHOUT ANY MORE ADVERSE EVENTS. TODAY I LOOKED AT THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR AND IT WAS NORMAL (1/4 INCH BELOW MAX). I'M HAVING IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT ON MARCH 1, 2018 AND WILL NOT DRIVE IT AGAIN UNTIL THEY TELL ME IT HAS BEEN FIXED.

APON ACCESLARATION , CAR HESITATE FOR A FEW SECOND, RPM GOES TO 5000 UNTIL VEHICLE SLOWLY START TO MOVE. FEELS LIKEW THER IS NO PROPER SYNCH BETWEEN ENGING AND TRANSMISSION. DANGEROUS WHEN PASSING OR AVOIDING A VEHICLE AHEAD OF YOU. THE SAME ISSUE WHILE USING THE CRUSE CONTROL, IT JUMPS FROM A FEW RPMS TO 5K + THAT ALWAYS I HAVE TO BRAKE TO AVID RAMMING A CAR AHEAD OF ME. BRAKES GET SOF THAT I HAVE TO PUMP IT A FEW TIMES. MILEAGE IS 1780 MILES.

I NOTICED A HESITATION WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. ON ONE INCIDENT ON I-288 I PRESSED THE GAS TO PASS A CAR AND IT HESITATED AND THE RPM JUMPTED TO 51/2. FINALLY THE CAR ENGAGED SO I COULD PASS. I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BLOW UP. ON THE WAY HOME ON I-295 IT REPEATED AGAIN ONLY THIS TIME THE RPM JUMPED TO 4. THIS WAS ON 3/20 AND THE DEALER STILL HAS THE VEHICLE AND CAN'T FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE MANAGER DID DRIVE IT WITH ME AND FELT THE HESITATION.