2011 Toyota Highlander Brakes Problems

Your ABS brake actuator has started to fail, which means your anti-lock braking system may not work properly. This could affect how your brakes respond in emergency stops or slippery conditions. The ABS actuator will likely need to be replaced or repaired by a mechanic.

While driving at 20-30 mph, your dashboard lit up with multiple warning lights and a brake malfunction message appeared on the information display, even though your brakes seemed to work normally and there were no visible fluid leaks. The brake system's ABS pump was running repeatedly for 2-5 seconds every 1-5 minutes. The issue appears to be related to an electrical problem with the ABS system's power supply or pump relay rather than actual brake failure.

ON FEB 13, I WAS DRIVING AN ANN ARBOR, MI, STREET THAT WAS DOWNHILL AND ICY. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL UNTIL THE ABS CAME ON, AND HELD IT ON FOR 15 TO 30 SECONDS. THIS DID NOT STOP THE CAR, BUT SLOWED IT, AND ALLOWED ME TO GO STRAIGHT, UNTIL AFTER 10 TO 20 SECONDS, THE ABS STOPPED WORKING (NO MORE PEDAL PULSING, NO MORE ABS NOISE), THE WHEELS LOCKED UP, AND I SLID INTO THE CURB. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO DAMAGE. A TECHNICIAN AT TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID IT IS NORMAL ON ALL VEHICLES FOR ABS TO STOP WORKING, AND FOR WHEELS TO LOCK UP, AFTER ABS OPERATES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS MAY BE WHAT I EXPERIENCED. HE SAID ONE SHOULD RELEASE THE PEDAL AND THEN REAPPLY PRESSURE, OR PUMP THE PEDAL. THIS SUGGESTION IS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN THE USUAL INSTRUCTIONS, WHICH SAY TO CONTINUALLY PRESS BRAKE PEDAL. HE HAD AN EXPLANATION, WHICH I CANNOT REPEAT -- SOMETHING TO DO WITH BRAKE FLUID DEPLETING SOMEWHERE, PERHAPS THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE ABS PROBLEM PROBLEM LIGHT HAS NOT COME ON. AFTER THAT INCIDENT, THE ANTILOCK BRAKES HAVE WORKED FINE, THOUGH I HAVE NOT TESTED THEM IN THE SEVERE CONDITIONS OF FEB 13. SINCE THE ABS SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE WORKING NOW, AND THE ABS LIGHT IS NOT ON, THERE APPEARS TO BE LITTLE CHANCE THE TOYOTA DEALER COULD DO SOMETHING USEFUL. THERE APPEAR TO BE TWO POSSIBILITIES: 1. THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ABS SYSTEMS WHEN APPLIED FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. NHTSA WILL BECOME AWARE OF THIS IF MORE OWNERS MAKE REPORTS. 2. THE TECHNICIAN IS CORRECT THAT AFTER ACTIVATING ABS FOR A LENGTH OF TIME, ONE MUST RELEASE THE PEDAL, OR PULSE IT, IN ORDER FOR ABS TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE. IN THIS CASE, INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING ABS NEED TO BE SUBSTANTIALLY REVISED, AND ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS NHTSA OUGHT TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF THE ISSUE AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DANGEROUS ACCIDENTS WHEN ABS IS APPLIED CONTINUOUSLY FOR TOO LONG.

I WAS PARKING MY CAR AT A PARKING LOT. I ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE CAR (IT WAS ABOUT 2MPH) WHILE APPLYING BRAKE AND MY CAR DID NOT STOP, RATHER IT ACCELERATED, I PUSHED BRAKE AND DID NOT WORK, IT JUMPED ON THE CURB. I RELEASED BRAKE, REAPPLIED AND CHANGED TO PARKING MODE IMMEDIATELY AND IT STOPPED. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED THIRD TIME WITH THIS CAR. WHEN CAR IS ABOUT TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP, THAT TIME BRAKE DON'T WORK AND CAR ACCELERATE FURTHER. BRAKE PEDAL WAS VIBRATING WHEN IT WAS A SNOW ON THE ROAD WHEN I WAS TRYING TO STOP AT STOPLIGHT AND IT ACCELERATE. THIS IS VERY VERY DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL SAME COMPLAINTS ONLINE. THIS IS A DEFINITE MANUFACTURER DEFECTS AND MUST BE RECALLED IMMEDIATELY. LUCKILY SO FAR, I HAVE NOT HIT ANYTHING BUT NOW AFTER THE PARKING LOT INCIDENT I AM AFRAID.

BREAK LIGHT WARNINGS ALL CAME ON. BRAKES WENT OUT WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. HAD TO SHOVE BREAK PEDAL DOWN WITH BOTH FEET TO THE FLOOR GOING UPHILL TO STOP. DEALERSHIP TOLD US IT'S THE BREAK ACTUATOR PUMP AND WILL BE $5000 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A SERIOUS HARDSHIP ON US. I'M A FOSTER PARENT AND NEED MY VEHICLE IN WORKING ORDER. DEALERSHIP SAID ONLY THEY CAN DO THE REPAIR DUE TO SENSOR CALIBRATIONS.

ABS BRAKE ACTUATOR FAILED ON TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. SPENT $1905 ON REPAIRS FROM TOYOTA. THERE WAS A RELATE RECALL ON TOYOTA CAMERY HYBRID WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ABS FUNCTION WON'T ACTIVATE WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE RECEIPTS OF ALL THE REPAIRS ON HAND

AT 8:00 AM ON 7/7/2016, MY SON WAS DRIVING MY HIGHLANDER 2011 TO WORK AT 80 M/H ON ROAD 287 IN NJ. THE VIN IS [XXX]. THE CAR IN FRONT OF MY SON WAS SLOWING DOWN. MY SON WAS TRYING TO BRAKE THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN. BUT, THE ALL BRAKES STOPPED WORKING AND THE DASHBOARD SCREEN DISPLAYING A WARNING MESSAGE "BRAKE: BRAKE MALFUNCTION". MY HIGHLANDER 2011 CRASHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT. MY CAR WAS JUST MAINTAINED ON 3/15/2106 AT TOWNE TOYOTA, LEDGEWOOD, NJ 07852. ALL BRAKES WERE UPDATED. PLEASE ADVISE ME WHO SHOULD TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR "BRAKE MALFUNCTION". INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE GOING INTO A PARKING SPACE, I ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED ENTIRELY TO THE FLOOR, AND THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE. AS THE RESULT, MY VEHICLE DROPPED APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET OVER A RETAINING WALL TO A LOWER PARKING LOT LANDING NOSE FIRST ONTO THE PAVEMENT OF THE PARKING AREA BELOW. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND THE VEHICLE ULTIMATELY LANDED ON ALL FOUR TIRES, ROLLING FORWARD UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY ENGAGING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE.

I WAS DRIVING IN THE COASTAL HILLS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING SEVERELY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON DOWNWARD SLOPES. I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE BRAKE DISCS OVERHEATING. FOR THE REMAINED OF THE TRIP I USED THE GEARSHIFT TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR WHEN DRIVING ALONG DOWNWARD SLOPING ROADS BY SELECTING 2ND GEAR IN THE AUTOMATIC GEARSHIFT. BY AVOIDING USE OF THE BRAKES, I AVOIDED THE VIBRATION AND WAS ABLE TO GET HOME SAFELY. I SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE. THE TECHNICAL STAFF CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE DISCS SHOWED SIGNS OF OVERHEATING BUT DID NOT REPLACE THEM UNDER WARRANTY. THIS SAME PROBLEM PRESENTED ITSELF EARLIER, TOO, AT APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MILES, DURING A TRIP IN THE SIERRA NEVADA. ON THIS PREVIOUS INCIDENT, WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE BRAKE DISKS WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, BUT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM WAS NOT ADDRESSED: THE UNDERSIZED DISCS BEING UNABLE TO DISSIPATE THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE BRAKES WHEN DRIVING DOWNHILL. PLEASE, CONSIDER THIS A SEVERE PROBLEM, POTENTIALLY REQUIRING A RECALL: THE SEVERE VIBRATIONS CAUSED BY THE BRAKES ON A DOWNWARD SLOPING MOUNTAIN ROAD, ESPECIALLY WITH WET OR SNOWY ROADS, COULD EASILY MAKE THE VEHICLE TO SLIP OUT OF CONTROL AND CAUSE A CRASH. *TR

I WAS DRIVING IN THE SIERRA NEVADA WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING SEVERELY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES ON DOWNWARD SLOPES. I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS DUE TO THE BRAKE DISCS OVERHEATING. FOR THE REMAINED OF THE TRIP I USED THE GEARSHIFT TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR WHEN DRIVING ALONG DOWNWARD SLOPING ROADS BY SELECTING 2ND GEAR IN THE AUTOMATIC GEARSHIFT. BY AVOIDING USE OF THE BRAKES, I AVOIDED THE VIBRATION AND WAS ABLE TO GET HOME SAFELY. I SUBSEQUENTLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR MAINTENANCE. THE TECHNICAL STAFF CONFIRMED THAT THE BRAKE DISCS SHOWED SIGNS OF OVERHEATING AND REPLACED THEM UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT SOLVE THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM: UNDERSIZED DISCS, UNABLE TO DISSIPATE THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE BRAKES WHEN DRIVING DOWNHILL. THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS PRESENTED ITSELF AGAIN AT APPROXIMATELY 19,000 MILES, DURING ANOTHER TRIP IN THE COASTAL HILLS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO PENINSULA. PLEASE, CONSIDER THIS A SEVERE PROBLEM, POTENTIALLY REQUIRING A RECALL: THE SEVERE VIBRATIONS CAUSED BY THE BRAKES ON A DOWNWARD SLOPING MOUNTAIN ROAD, ESPECIALLY WITH WET OR SNOWY ROADS, COULD EASILY MAKE THE VEHICLE TO SLIP OUT OF CONTROL AND CAUSE A CRASH. *TR

BOTH FRONT INNER BRAKESPADS COMPLETELY WARNED OUT DAMAGING BOTH ROTORS BADLY, SOME METAL PIECES FOUND ON FLOOR BROKE LOOSE FROM BOTH FRONT ROTORS. OUTSIDE PADS HAS 60% THICKNESS LEFT ON IT. ENDED UP CHANGING BOTH FRONT ROTORS AND PADS COSTING $375. MECHANIC SAID THIS MAY BE A RESULT OF A FAULTY BRAKE SYSTEM. TALK TO TOYOTA REPRESENTATIVE WITHOUT ANY SOLUTION OR RESPONSE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH AND APPROACHING A LEFT TURN. I TRIED TO BRAKE THE CAR TO SLOW DOWN AND THE BRAKE DID NOT WORK. MY FOOT PUSHED ALL THE WAY DOWN AND SINCE I HAD 2 KIDS IN THE CAR I WAS REALLY CONCERNED THAT I COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. I TRIED TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP AND HIT THE SIDE WALK. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME OR THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED. EVEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN REPAIRED, THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO MALFUNCTION AT LEAST TWICE A WEEK. I APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES AND THEN SLOWLY BRAKES, SOMETIMES DOES NOT BRAKE AT ALL. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO TOYOTA AND THEY ARE DENYING THERE IS ANYTHING WRONG. I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME PROGRAMMING ISSUING WITH THE CAR AND THE BRAKES CONTINUE TO MALFUNCTION. I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO TURN. I HAVE 5 KIDS AND DRIVING AN UNSAFE CAR. *TR

VEHICLE MAKES A VERY NOTICEABLE, IRRITATING WHINE OR WHISTLE NOISE WHEN ACCELERATING AT 40MPH. STOPS WHEN GAS PEDAL IS RELEASED. VERY CONSTANT AND ANNOYING. DID NOT HAPPEN WHEN CAR WAS FIRST PURCHASED. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TOYOTA THAT IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE, WHICH THEY REPLACED. DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. NOW THEY TELL ME IT IS NORMAL. TEST DROVE ANOTHER VEHICLE FROM THEIR LOT OF THE SAME EXACT YEAR, MAKE, MODEL. NO NOISE AT ALL. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. TOYOTA KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT THEY ARE DENYING IT. OTHER TOYOTA VEHICLES (I.E. RAV4, TUNDRA) HAD/HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. FORUMS TELL ME IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. WAITING ON APPOINTMENT FOR A FIELD TECH FROM TOYOTA TO EXAMINE IT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY BRAND NEW (3 WEEKS AFTER I BOUGHT IT) TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 IN A SECONDARY DOWN HILL ROAD WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED COMPLETELY AND THE CAR STARTED TO ACCELERATE DOWNHILL. NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTROL IT I IGNORED THE "FULL STOP" SIGN AT THE END OF THE SECONDARY ROAD AND I CONTINUED IN A FLAT MAIN ROAD WHERE CARS NORMALLY SPEED UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE SHIFT INTO PARK AND FINALLY THE CAR STOPPED WITH A LURCH. THE LIFE OF MY SON AND MINE WERE SERIOUSLY ENDANGERED. THE CAR WAS TOWED BY THE DEALER AND IT IS STILL THERE AFTER THEY HAVE REPLACED AT LEAST 2 PARTS SO FAR. WE PAID ALMOST $32 000 FOR A BRAND NEW DEFECT FREE CAR BUT INSETAD THEY ARE GOING TO GIVE US THE SAME CAR WHICH IS NOW UNDERGOING MAJOR REPAIRS. *TT

I WAS DRIVING 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, STOPPED THE CAR AT RED LIGHT (INTERSECTION OF CATHARPIN RD AND US 55). DURING THE GREEN LIGHT, I WAS TRYING TO TAKE A RIGHT TURN ON THE LIGHT AND THE CAR DID NOT ALLOW ME TO TURN THE POWER STEERING (STUCK) AND ON THE LCD PANEL IT STARTED BLINKING MESSAGE SAYING BREAK MALFUNCTION, THE CAR WENT ON TO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE AND FINALLY WITH SOME STRUGGLE STOPPED THE CAR ON THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS COMING ON THAT LANE (MY GOOD FORTUNE). CALLED THE COPS AND THEY HELPED THE CAR TO PULL ON SIDE OF THE ROAD. LOOKS LIKE SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THE CAR. REQUESTING THE TOYOTA TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INTO SERIOUS TROUBLE. *TR