2019 Toyota Highlander

In the morning of 6/15/2021 while driving the 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid in 90+ degree heat on a busy Denver suburb thoroughfare, the Denso fuel pump failed causing multiple malfunction messages to be displayed and the engine to stall placing the SUV and me in a very unsafe situation in traffic. The SUV was partially in traffic because a curb prevented me from driving the vehicle out of traffic and the fail safe mode did not allow me to drive to a cross street to get the SUV out of traffic. Fortunately, a police squad arrived, parked behind me with emergency lights flashing until the tow truck arrived. The SUV was taken to a nearby Toyota dealer where Toyota service personnel in conjunction with Toyota engineering determined the Denso fuel pump was the problem and was replaced. Toyota has the Denso fuel pump. Moments before the SUV stalled multiple malfunction messages started being displayed including but not limited to: check engine light see dealer, pre-collision system malfunction, AWD system malfunction, Hybrid System malfunction, etc.

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE ON 1/8/21 AT TOYOTA OF SCRANTON FOR REAR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. THEY HAD REPLACED ARM AWAY, TRAILING. WE CALLED AGAIN FOR DEVICE IN FEBRUARY 2021 FOR PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. IT WAS SCHEDULED FOR SERVICE ON MARCH 20,2021, WHICH TOYOTA OF SCRANTON DID NOT HAVE THE PARTS. IN JANUARY 2021, TOYOTA MENTIONED NOTHING OF THE PENDING FUEL PUMP RECALL. WE RECEIVED NO CALLS FROM TOYOTA AT ANY TIME FOR A RECALL. WE BECAME AWARE OF THE RECALL AFTER WE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR IN FEBRUARY. TOYOTA HAS STILL NOT RESOLVED THE FULL PUMP RECALL.

I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW WITH ABOUT 11 MILE ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION IMMEDIATELY HAD SHIFTING ISSUES AS IT COULD NOT DECIDE WHAT FORWARD GEAR TO GO INTO AND SHIFTED HARD AND FELT AS IF IT WAS GOING INTO TWO GEARS AT ONE TIME AND AFTER A SHORT DRIVE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WARNING DISPLAY INDICATED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WARNING THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS OVERHEATING AND ACTED AS IF THE ENGINE WAS STARVING OF FUEL AS IT SURGED AND DID NOT DELIVER POWER TO GO BEYOND 35 MPH. AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE DEALER REASSURED ME AT LEAST THREE TIMES THAT THE CAR WAS OKAY AND THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS. I REPEATEDLY HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT AND THE DEALER REASSURED ME THAT THERE WAS NO TROUBLE CODE AND NO PROBLEMS FOUND ALTHOUGH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SHOWED TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING AND THEY FIXED A WIRING CONNECTOR TO TRY AND FIX THE RUNNING PROBLEM. A CLASS ACTION SUIT CAME OUT FOR THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE RECALL AND THE 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURE ARE TRYING TO HIDE. AFTER 13 MONTHS AND 2,800 TOTAL MILES THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED, BURNED UP THE INTERNAL CLUTCH SET AND I NOW HAVE NO FORWARD AND REVERSE GEARS. I FEEL THAT THE SURGING AND TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ARE A SOFTWARE DEFECT AS THE SHIFTING DEFECT COMES AND GOES AND VASTLY PROMOTED IF I DRIVE IT VERY GENTLY FROM A COLD START. ONCE WARMED UP IT DOES NOT ACT UP AS OFTEN EXCEPT WHEN TWO GEARS SEEM TO BE ENGAGED AT THE SAME TIME. THE KEY ALSO INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO START AND INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ALSO SHOWS TRAC LIGHT , ABS FAILURE LIGHT, BSM NOT AVAILABLE, SMART KEY FAILURE, AND COMPLETE BLACK OUT OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND SHOWN TO THE DEALER MECHANIC AND SERVICE WRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHED AND VIDEOTAPED FOR DOCUMENTATION AND IN THE REPAIR ORDERS.

FUEL PUMP RECALL WAS APPARENTLY IN EFFECT WHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN FEBRUARY 2020. DEALER (RIVERVIEW TOYOTA, MESA AZ) SCHEDULED SERVICE FOR THE RECALL IN OCTOBER 2020. AFTER DROPPING OFF THE VEHICLE, ASST SERVICE MANAGER CALLS TO INFORM ME THEY DON'T HAVE THE PART AND DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL BE AVAILABLE. I DRIVE MY THREE GRANDDAUGHTERS 5 DAYS A WEEK AND I MORE THAN CONCERNED THAT THIS ISSUE STILL REMAINS UNRESOLVED!

VEHICLE IS SLOW TO RESPOND AND/OR HAS INTERMITTENT PERFORMANCE WHEN ACCELERATING OR MOVING FROM COMPLETE STOP. THERE IS LAG TIME IN THE VEHICLE'S RESPONSE TO DRIVER ACCELERATION WHICH MAKES IT CHALLENGING TO ENTER (FROM ROADWAY OR DRIVEWAY) ONCOMING TRAFFIC OR MERGE INTO INTERSTATE/FREEWAY TRAFFIC. THE DELAY IN THE RESPONSIVENESS AND INCONSISTENT PERFORMANCE CAUSES DRIVER TO NEED EXTRA TIME AND DISTANCE WHEN ENTERING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THE FRONT END ALSO BECOMES JUMPY AND ENTERS WITH A SKID/PULL FORCE CAUSING THE NEED TO STEER INTO THE VEHICLE AND COURSE-CORRECT. VEHICLE ALSO DOES NOT ACCELERATE WELL OUT OF A RIGHT-HAND TURN ON 90DEG TURNS AND LAGS TO ACCELERATION PAST APEX. THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 07/25/2020 WITH 4,278 MILES. TOYOTA ISSUED A RECALL FOR LOW-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP IN 01/2020 AND ADDED THIS MODEL TO THE RECALL LIST IN 10/2020. AN INTERIM SAFETY RECALL NOTICE STATING THE VEHICLE COULD STALL WHILE DRIVING INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH, PARTICULARLY AT HIGH SPEEDS. AS OF 02/15/2021, TOYOTA HAS NOT ISSUED A REMEDY TO THIS SAFETY RECALL WHICH HAS BEEN OPEN, IN TOTAL, FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. AS A DRIVER WHO RELIES ON FREEWAY TRAVEL IN ARIZONA, THIS IS DISTURBING AND THE ADDITIONAL ERRATIC PERFORMANCE IN-TOWN DURING NORMAL TRAFFIC IS EQUALLY UNSETTLING. THIS VEHICLE IS STILL BEING USED IN NORMAL CONDITIONS DUE TO THE OWNER BEING IN AN ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT RECREATIONAL DRIVING IS BEING LIMITED DUE TO THE OPEN AND UNRESOLVED SAFETY RECALL ISSUED BY TOYOTA. I ALSO CONTACTED MY SERVICE WRITER AT TOYOTA BEFORE RECEIVING THE LETTER, SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE TO ASK IF THE ACCELERATION DELAYS AND INCONSISTENCY WERE NORMAL IN THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE THE DRIVER EXPERIENCE IS SUBPAR TO WHAT SHOULD BE EXPECTED WITH A NEW, LOW-MILE XLE VEHICLE.

RECALL ON THE VEHICLE FOR FUEL PUMP, AND REPLACEMENT IS NOT YET AVAILABLE. TOYOTA STATES THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE BY END OF FEBRUARY / EARLY MARCH. WE HAVE ASKED THE DEALER TO ALLOW US TO RETURN THE VEHICLE BUT THEY WILL NOT BECAUSE THE CURRENT VALUE IS LESS THAN WHAT IS OWED. WE HAVE ASKED TOYOTA MANUFACTURER TO ACCEPT THE VEHICLE AS A RETURN WITH NO NEGATIVE BALANCE (WE HAVE ALREADY PAID ON THIS VEHICLE FOR 14 MONTHS). THEY STATE THE PROBLEM WILL BE REPAIRED AND THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE RECALL STATES THE CAR CAN STOP AT ANY TIME AT HIGH RATES OF SPEED, WITH OR WITHOUT WARNING. OUR VEHICLE HAS HESITATION AND THAT IS ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS NOTED IN THE RECALL. WE DO NOT WANT TO WAIT ANY LONGER FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED, AND WE DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR A VEHICLE WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING. WE HAVE AN ARBITRATION MEETING WITH TOYOTA HOWEVER, I WAS READING THE WARRANTY AND IT SAYS TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH YOU. CAN YOU HELP US GET THIS RESOLVED IN A TIMELY MANNER?

ALTHOUGH MY CAR WAS NEW (ONLY 11 MONTHS OLD) AND LESS THAN 5000 MILES, IT HAD SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY WHILE I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST TOYOTA DEALERSHIP OVERNIGHT. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MY FAULTY FUEL PUMP AND THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN TO SUCH A NEW CAR BEFORE. CURRENTLY I HAVE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON (MY CAR HAS LESS THAN 6200 MILES ON IT) AND IT ONLY GOES AWAY WHEN I PUT IN A FULL TANK OF GAS. AFTER I DRIVE ABOUT 2 MILES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON AGAIN. I AM TERRIFIED MY CAR ENGINE WILL JUST DIE ONCE I'M ON THE ROAD, OR WORSE, THE FREEWAY. I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR WITHOUT THAT FEAR. PLEASE SEE CULVER CITY TOYOTA RECORDS FOR PROOF OF MY FUEL PUMP PROBLEM AND ENGINE DYING. THEY ALSO HAVE RECORD OF MY TOWING TO THAT DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY ON SEPT 1, 2020.

MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN ON THE RECALL LIST SINCE JANUARY 2020, BUT TOYOTA STILL HAS NOT ISSUED ME A NOTICE TO HAVE THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. THEY CONTINUE TO SAY OVER THE PHONE THAT THEY HAVE NO REMEDY AVAILABLE. THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS. THEY SHOULD ISSUE THE NOTICE SO I CAN GET THE PUMP REPLACED BEFORE THE TRANS ON THE HIGHWAY. SO FAR I HAVE NOT HAD A MALFUNCTION.