Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC | |||
| 10/20/2009 | 41000 | 1 | |
| I was driving on the freeway, with small child in back, and all of a sudden the imminent danger warning lights came on. they stated stop the car in the nearest safe area and call dealer. i feared back to an acceleration issue in 1985 with an older car and looked for a less crowded area to pull over. i was in traffic and that was not possible. i phoned the nearest dealer, they could not tell me what was going to happen other than i needed to get there or pull over and stop. i was less than 15 miles away so i chose to try and get there since i was able to slow the car with breaks. i arrived at the dealer and sat 3 hours before i had any detail, with my two year old. they could not locate the problem. they escalated the issue up the toyota service levels. finally, they came back that there was a small (hairline)break fluid leak in the car and that part would need to be replaced. i was just out of warranty at 41,000 miles and i would have to pay the part and labor to install. after 5 hours, they gave me a ride home and did not offer a rental car. the details i received back were very vague and to this day i really don't know what caused the issue but i had to pay for an expensive repair, after many conversations about the issue - toyota agreed to pay for the part $1500 but i was responsible for labor $600. i was told that they may have paid for all the repair (a year ago) but the floor mat issue was costing them so much money they were not paying for labor any longer. i feel a repair that was not common and not caused my driving or lack of proper maintenance. they called it a fluke and that is evidenced by the only place they could find the part was in cincinnati, ohio when i live in ca. it took more than a week for the part to arrive and i was without my car for three weeks as i had no way to get back there. they did not offer up a rental car and my husband was out of town during that time. *tr | |||
| 12/14/2009 | 28000 | 1 | |
| 2008 toyota highlander hybrid - experiencing brake problems. when applying the brakes, it takes a second before the brakes catch. the problems is exactly what is reported with the toyota prius models and likely the same software problem. however, toyota has not acknowledged this and is a major safety issue. *tr | |||
| 12/27/2007 | 1000 | 1 | |
| Highlander 2008 braking gap. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 9000 | 1 | |
| My 2008 toyota hybrid highlander has on numerous occcasions lost braking power when going over a bump in the road. i first noticed this several months ago. *tr | |||
| 12/04/2008 | 200 | 1 | |
| My wife was driving the highlander in the first week we had the car. she was driving in slow moving rush hour traffic in cambridge ma at less than 15 mph. when a car in front of her stooped quickly, she hit the brakes which initially stopped, but on their own released for a fraction of a second and then re-engaged. this caused her to hit the back of another car. initially we reported this to toyota and were told that it had to with the hybrid braking system. this type of brake release has occurred at least on a weekly basis and but is not consistent. we have both learned how to drive the car more conservatively because of the problem with the brake. today the car was brought into the dealership where this behavior was confirmed by toyota after driving our car, and we were told that this problem may be related to the braking problem described in the prius as well. a low battery was changed, in hope of helping. *tr | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | |||
| 11/02/2011 | 88000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle hesitated while engaging the brakes. as a result, the vehicle suddenly accelerated abnormally. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 88,000 and the current mileage was 89,000. kmj | |||
| 11/02/2011 | 88000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph the vehicle hesitates while engaging the brakes as a result it suddenly accelerated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 88,000 and the current mileage was 89,000. pm | |||
| 09/25/2010 | 36432 | ||
| When i brake it feels like the vehicle actually accelerates a little before the brake kicks in. almost as if i were stepping on the accelerator and brake at the same time. does not happen often but often enough that i notice it. also rear brake pads worn down to metal after about 36,000 mi. also pre- mature tire wear out. had to get new tires at 20k. | |||
| 05/24/2008 | |||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact stated that when driving over bumps at approximately 20 mph, the vehicle momentarily surges forward. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed they could not duplicate the failure. the failure continued to occur. the failure mileage was unknown. the current mileage was approximately 20,000. | |||
| 06/09/2009 | 23000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander. while traveling approximately 15 mph over bumpy roads with his foot on the brake pedal, the braking system would hesitate to engage without warning. he confirmed that the feeling was as if he had removed his foot from the brake pedal when in fact, he had not. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they could not duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and would not offer any assistance; however a claim was filed appropriately. the failure mileage was 23,000 and the current mileage was unknown. | |||
| 11/23/2009 | 25000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact stated that as she approached a stop sign and there was a pothole the vehicle lunged forward immediately after she applied the brakes. the dealer was contacted and stated that it was related to the computer electronics but there were no recalls. they will not replace or repair the failure. the failure mileage was 25,000. | |||
| 02/05/2010 | 5000 | 1 | |
| My toyota highlander hybrid '08 has always had a unnerving braking issue. often, especially at slower speeds, when i first apply the brakes, instead of braking, the car actually jumps forward. i have asked the toyota service (where i get my oil changed) about this and they say it's just the way the hybrid brake system works. while i haven't gotten in an accident because of this delayed brake response (knock on wood), it really does not seem like an appropriate way for brakes to work. do the prius hybrids and the highlander hybrids share the same braking software? *tr | |||
| 03/31/2009 | 200 | 1 | |
| Shortly after commencing braking, brakes briefly seem to let go or slip. the sensation is of the car lurching forward, almost accelerating. then braking resumes. please note that this is not a one-time incident; i notice it every time i drive at slow or moderate speeds, and then need to brake--most recently, today. 2008 model highlander hybrid was purchased in march 2009; we have owned it for 11 months. *tr | |||
| 06/15/2008 | 1000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. sometimes when i apply the brakes, the car feels as though it is actually accelerating and not decelerating. this gap in decelerating does not last a long time, but is disconcerting and my normal reaction is to hit the brakes harder. my daughter has also experienced this. the toyota dealer has denied that there is any problem with the brakes. this has occurred regularly since i purchased the car in april 2008. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2010 | 25000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. ever since it was new, it has inconsistent braking at slow speeds, around 25 mph and slower. when braking at slow speeds, hitting a small bump or pothole will shut down the regen brakes, the brakes momentarily release, and then will reapply with the hydraulic brakes activated, but will require much greater pedal pressure to get the same braking force. *tr | |||
| 01/04/2010 | 5000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. ever since it was new, it has inconsistent braking at slow speeds, like 20 mph and slower. when braking at slow speeds, if i hit even a small bump or pothole, the brakes momentarily release, and then will re-apply but will require much greater pedal pressure to get the same braking force. i had the dealer look at it but said nothing was wrong. *jb | |||
| 12/26/2008 | 15000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. on approximately four occasions while driving various speeds including approximately 25 mph with the brake pedal engaged the vehicle failed to stop within a reasonable time. the failure occurred on icy weather conditions. she also stated that intermittently the vehicle would surge when she tapped the brake pedal. she took the vehicle to the dealer who did not inspect the vehicle. she has not called the manufacturer. the vehicle has not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current mileage was approximately 45,000. the failure mileage was approximately 15,000. | |||
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC - ANTILOCK - CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | |||
| 01/04/2010 | 5000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. ever since it was new, it has inconsistent braking at slow speeds, like 20 mph and slower. when braking at slow speeds, if i hit even a small bump or pothole, the brakes momentarily release, and then will re-apply but will require much greater pedal pressure to get the same braking force. i had the dealer look at it but said nothing was wrong. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2009 | 1000 | 1 | |
| Toyota highlander hybrid 2008... brakes feel like they are not catching, especially if going over a bump. happens frequently since first got the car new, one year ago. no accident. *jb | |||