2008 Toyota Highlander Fuel System Problems

The Hybrid inverter failed on the car instantly stopping the car without any sort of warning what so ever. Car did not have a limp mode or any way to get the car off to the side of the road. It stopped in the traffic lane and had to be pushed out of harm's way. A search shows like it's becoming a common problem, $12,000.00 to fix it is another problem.

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT (SHE BELIEVES SHE WAS TRAVELING UNDER 25 MPH AS SHE CAME TO A RED LIGHT) ON A BUSY ROAD THE VEHICLE MADE A BEEPING ALERT SOUND AND THE DISPLAY ROTATED THROUGH THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES: " (!) CHECK BRAKE SYSTEM- HAVE YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALER, BRAKE BRAKE MALFUNCTION- STOP THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACT DEALER, ABS CHECK ABS- HAVE YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALER, CHECK VSC SYSTEM- HAVE YOUR VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALER." LUCKILY SHE WAS WITHIN A MILE OR TWO OF MY HOME AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT THERE SAFELY. SHE TOOK PHOTOS OF THE WARNING LIGHTS WITH HER CELL PHONE. THEY ARE ATTACHED. WE DROVE IT TO A LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED US THAT THE ABS ACCUMULATOR/ACTUATOR WAS INTERNALLY LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WE DROVE IT HOME WHERE WE PARKED IT FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. IN THE MEANTIME, I CALLED TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE AND THAT I HAD SEEN RECALLS ONLINE FOR THE PREVIOUS TWO YEAR MODELS AND ASKED IF THE REPLACEMENT WOULD BE COVERED ON OUR 2008. THE TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE AGREED TO SUBMIT INFORMATION TO THE LOCAL DEALER TO COVER $1000.00 OF THE COST AS A WARRANTY SERVICE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT IF THERE WERE MANY COMPLAINTS AND A RECALL ISSUED THAT WE COULD LATER BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REMAINING AMOUNT. I UNDERSTOOD THAT MY INFORMING THEM OF THE ISSUE WOULD BE PASSED ON TO THOSE WHO INVESTIGATE THESE MATTERS TO DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BECOME A RECALL ITEM BUT WE NOW SEE THAT OUR COMPLAINT IS NOT LISTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, THUS THE SLOW REPORTING OF THIS ISSUE. THE REPAIR COST WAS $3273.78 FOR PARTS (AFTER THE $1000.00 ASSISTANCE DISCOUNT) AND $490.50 FOR LABOR, PLUS A $40 ENVIRO FEE AND TAX.

IT WAS RAINING AND THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR WAS TAKING IN WATER. TOYOTA CLAIMED FROM CRACKED TAIL LIGHT BUT TAIL LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN LEAKING BEFORE. WATER IN BACK OF CAR RUINED HYBRID BATTERY AND TRANSITORS. AFTER LOOKING UP ISSUE. FOUND OTHERS WHO HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF AFTER THE DASH WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. LUCKY MY WIFE HAD JUST PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT.

LEASED THE CAR NEW. ON THE ODOMETER IT HAD OVER 60 MILES REGISTERED. FROM THE FIRST DAY, THE VALVES WERE SOUNDING LOUDLY. THE VALVES ARE STILL SOUNDING LOUDLY, AT 15, 000 MILES. I INFORMED THE SERVICE DEPT, BUT REALLY NOTHING WAS DONE. WHEN WARMING UP THE CAR, WHEN I FIRST HAD IT, THE CAR WAS RUNNING VERY ROUGH. THE SERVICE DEPT. CORRECTED THIS. AT 15,000 MILES A FUEL INJECTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. SERVICE CONSULTANT STATES HE WILL CHECK THIS IN ONE YEAR. I WANTED TO KNOW HOW COME THE FUEL INJECTOR HAD TO BE REPLACE AND WAS THIS NORMAL IN OTHER CAR. NEW FUEL INJECTOR WAS INSERTED. OLD PART IS NOT AVAILABLE. *TR

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FAILS TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. MOST OCCURRENCES AT LOW SPEED AFTER SLOWING TO 5MPH VEHICLE DOES NOT RESPOND TO GAS PEDAL - OR WILL NOT ENGAGE INTO GEAR AND MOVE FORWARD. THIS OCCURS OR IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED AFTER HAVING SLOWED DOWN OR IN THE MIDST OF A SLOW DOWN (NOT A COMPLETE STOP) USUALLY TO WAIT FOR TRAFFIC TO CLEAR. OCCURRED WITH EVERY DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE (4). MOST NOTABLE (SCARY) WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS TURNING AND TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN GEAR, RPM INCREASE, CAR REVES UP, BUT WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC. MY DAUGHTER SCREAMED. TAKEN TO DEALER AT LEAST TWICE. AND CONTINUE TO CALL AND COMPLAIN. DEALER STATES THEY HAD EXPERTS LOOK AT CAR, REBOOTED COMPUTER (BECAUSE CAR RESPONDS TO DRIVER THAT DRIVES THE MOST!). SAID NOTHING IS WRONG OR CAN BE DONE. DEALER HAS ADMITTED THAT ENGAGING IS SLOW, NOTICEABLE. FAILURE TO ENGAGE OCCURS DAILY. CONSEQUENCE - IN DANGER OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MOVE CAR OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NOTHING WAS DONE TO REPAIR. COMPUTER RE-SET. (THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD) VEHICLE ALSO HAS EXPERIENCED TROUBLE WHILE DRIVING UP HILL. RPM WENT TO 4000 + AND WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS. ON FREEWAY AND SLOWING DOWN. HAD 6 HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN CAR. ALSO HAS "DROPPED" INTO GEAR HEAVILY. *TR

DRIVING MY NEW 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LEASED DEC. 2008. ON 4-5 SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON I ACCELERATED AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO FULL RACE. PEDAL WAS NOT STUCK. COULD NOT TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL CAUSED UNCONTROLLED MAXIMUM RPMS. TURNING THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON NUMEROUS TIMES DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. EVENTUALLY AFTER ABOUT 20-30 SECONDS THE PROBLEM RESOLVED, ENGINE SLOWED WITH NO SIGN THERE HAD EVER BEEN A PROBLEM. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN SINCE SPRING 2009 BUT THAT SPRING THE 4-5 EPISODES HAPPENED WITHIN A FEW WEEKS.

2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FUEL TANK DAMAGE. CONSUMER STATES ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT GAS WHEN TRYING TO FILL THE TANK. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE OVR VALVE AND CHARCOAL FILTER WERE DAMAGED. *KB