Toyota Highlander Hv 2007
Model Highlander Hv made in 2007 by Toyota got 36 consumer complains there is 1 investigation as well as 3 service bulletins. Consumer complaints with reference, among others things, to electrical system, equipment and seats. Technical service bulletines regarding engine and engine cooling, steering. The car had one investigation (hybrid propulsion system).
Model 2007
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| TSB-0064-10 | 02/04/2010 | 10034284 | Toyota: techstream ecu flash reprogramming procedure. flash reprogramming allows the ecu software to be updated without replacing the ecu. flash calibration updates for specific vehicle models/ecus are released as field-fix procedures de | 11/01/2010 | |
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| TC-09-002 | 01/16/2009 | 10028733 | Toyota: due to insufficient adhesion between the permanent magnets and the rotor of the eps, the motor may gradually lose torque when the wheel is turned to complete left or right position. csc letter was received. *pe | 05/20/2009 | |
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||||
| TC-09-002 | 01/16/2009 | 10028733 | Toyota: due to insufficient adhesion between the permanent magnets and the rotor of the eps, the motor may gradually lose torque when the wheel is turned to complete left or right position. csc letter was received. *pe | 05/20/2009 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HYBRID PROPULSION SYSTEM - INVERTER | ||||||
| PE11005 | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 02/15/2011 | Hybrid inverter failure - vehicle stall | |||
| The office of defects investigation has received 32 complaints alleging incidents of engine stall while driving in model year 2006 toyota highlander hybrid electric vehicles.approximately two-thirds (21) of the incidents occurred at speeds of 40 miles per hour or more.twenty-six reported that the vehicle could not be restarted or that it was towed to the dealership.the complaints show an apparent increasing trend, with all but one received within the past year.none of the complaints alleged that the incident resulted in a crash or injury.a preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and potential safety consequences associated with the alleged defect. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 12/10/2010 | 56500 | ||
| 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |||
| EQUIPMENT | |||
| 02/22/2008 | 8500 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| SEATS | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| S10 appropriate handling re toyota complaint re fort's toyota of pekin fm owner of a 2007 toyota highlander. *tgw 2007 toyota highlander hv. the consumer complained about leather seat cracks on the drivers seat. after a toyota representative inspected the vehicle, the consumer was told the cracks were from normal wear and tear and was not going to be covered under warranty. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC | |||
| 05/27/2010 | 42000 | ||
| Re. toyota 2007 highlander hybrid braking failure resulting in a high speed collision i just 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 65mph 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 mome. 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 65mph 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-locks pulsing hard and the vehicle was shuddering hard. after about 5 to 10 pulses, the brakes stop working and the vehicle coasts but doing this at 50mph+ and this goes on for 40 yards or so until right before impact i feel the anti-locks start kicking in again but it was too late. i hit the rear of the tractor trailer at around 50mph 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. | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 1 | ||
| When braking, if a pothole or bump in the road is hit, the car seemingly jerks forward/accelerates. this occurs every time when braking on a bumpy surface. *tr | |||
| 02/10/2010 | 45000 | 1 | |
| Toyota highlander hybrid 2007. the brakes had a complete failure. i was driving on ice, hit the brakes, and the brake calipers did nothing. i drove straight into a vehicle in front of me and forced another one to hit me. *tr | |||
| 02/05/2010 | 1 | ||
| I own a 2007 toyota highlander hybrid. i purchased it used 6 months ago. since purchase i have noted that when i am braking over uneven surfaces sometimes the car actually accelerates rather than decelerate. it is particularly noticeable when turning at the time of braking such as when i am exiting the highway. i have adjusted my driving habits so that i drive much slower in roadways where this has happened and it helps minimize the issue; however, given the news over braking issues with some other hybrid vehicles, i thought it was worth bringing this issue to your attention. it is unclear if this is a function of the abs or traction control. *tr | |||
| 01/25/2010 | 29300 | 1 | |
| I own a 2007 toyota highlander hybrid. on monday, jan. 25th, my wifewas parking our highlander. she pulled into the parking space. her foot was on the brake pedal. when she went to put the transmission into park, the car suddenly shot forward and hit a tree, damaging the front fender. my wife was sure she had the brake pedal depressed. we believe this accident was caused by a problem of sudden acceleration or braking that made the car go forward overpowering the brake. we also believe that this problem may be related to the toyota acceleration and electronic braking that has been the basis of the recent toyota recalls. based on our experience: 1. 2007 toyota highlander hybrids should be added to the recall list. 2. since we don't know when this will happen again, we do not feel save driving our highlander. please help us to resolve this problem. *tr | |||
| 12/31/2009 | 100 | 1 | |
| I have a 2007 toyota highlander hybrid. when coming to a stop from low speeds, the car often surges and requires additional braking in order to make it stop. since this is the first hybrid i have owned, i thought it just had something to do with the electric/gas engine switchover. with all of the current news, i'm beginning to wonder if there is a design flaw. i have had the car since it was new and it has had this issue since inception. i have always been able to stop eventually, so it hasn't caused me any major problems. however, it is an very odd feeling. other individuals driving my vehicle have experienced the same thing. unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any consistent pattern to when this occurs so i have never taken it to the dealer for this issue. *tr | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 01/01/2010 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 02/17/2010 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Abs system on 2007 toyota highlander failed. resulting cost from dealer will be over 1500 and that is with a friend in the service department helping us out. *tr | |||
| 12/20/2009 | 1 | ||
| 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 | |||
| 05/15/2007 | 1000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/12/2007 | 150 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 02/22/2008 | 8500 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 12/31/2009 | 27023 | 1 | |
| Every time i apply my brakes from a speed of roughly 10mph or more, they apply, release, and reapply. i was told by the dealer that the delay has to do with communication between the brakes and the hybrid computer controller. it does not happen if i decelerate in neutral. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2010 | 56000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2007 toyota highlander hybrid. the brakes momentarily do not engage (essentially skip) when i apply them while going over a bump or a pothole. i have noticed this for a long time, however considered it a 'quirk' until i was in an accident which would have been avoided if the issue had not existed. *tr | |||
| 01/12/2010 | 65000 | 1 | |
| We have a 2007 toyota highlander hybrid that is exhibiting the same braking problems that are being reported with the prius. when pressing the brakes the car begins to slow then it feels that the brakes momentarily release, causing the car to lurch forward, before they re-engage and finish stopping the car. i haven't noticed if it happens more over bumps but it does happen on a fairly regular basis. we have spoken with the toyota dealership about this multiple times and each time have been told that it is working how it should and the pausing in braking is caused by the engine switching over to electric. this cannot be the problem as the majority of the time when this has happened the engine has remained on during the problem. i would like to get the current investigation extended to encompass all hybrid models and not just the prius. the date entered below is the approximate date of the last time i noticed this, however it has happened relatively regularly since we have owned the vehicle. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 09/29/2010 | 28000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| TIRES | |||
| 12/17/2009 | 36925 | 1 | |
| I purchased 4 sumitomo tires from ntb on wednesday, 12-15-09. on friday, 12-17, just 2 days later, i packed up for a trip to boston from dc with my wife and 2 toddler children for a scheduled event that i was slated to speak at. by the time we reached the new jersey turnpike, we pulled over for gas. the gas attendant noticed our left front tire was flat. the autoshop attendant there inflated the tire and rolled it around in water but could not find a leak. they told me to drive a little longer and see if i still have a problem. i pulled over later and saw no problems, but i noticed the steering wheel was tight. by the time i arrived to boston (3 hours behind schedule because of the tires), 3 of the tires were flat. the next day, i brought it to the ntb location in dedham, ma. they told me that all four valve stems were actually recalled because they have a tendency to crack and leak air. upon my arrival back to dc, i went to the ntb in alexandria and asked them to explain why they sold me these recalled parts. the manager told me that he has been in this business for 20 years and never heard of valve stems being recalled. i told him that i did a quick google search and found links going back to 2007 about these pieces being recalled and asked why he didn't know about them. he told me i am the first person to ever make this complaint. i told him i could care less about the # of people who complained before me and that had my family and i left a day later, we would have been driving in wet conditions and could have crashed. he said the tires seem to be working fine now so what | |||
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM | |||
| 11/21/2008 | 15000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2007 toyota highlander hybrid with front wheel drive which is equipped with traction control. on two occasions i have been in situations where the traction control has engaged due to an unstable travel surface. in both instances, the vehicle has shut down and would not accelerate forward due to the traction control not allowing the vehicle to do so. i contacted my local toyota dealer. they indicated that this was normal to protect the cvt from damage on unstable surfaces. they could not provide a remedy for this situation. living in the chicago area, my fear is that we may come across an icy winter roadway that will cause the traction control to initiate the loss of power to the drive train. having no acceleration capability, the possibility exists that an approaching vehicle from the rear will strike our disabled vehicle. this poses a tremendous safety risk. please help me with this situation as toyota has no solution. thank you for your time. *tr | |||
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | |||
| 12/10/2010 | 56500 | ||
| 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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 05/01/2007 | 200 | 2 | |
| 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 | |||
| 11/16/2007 | 7000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 10/13/2009 | 30000 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||