2013 Toyota Highlander Transmission Problems

AS I BEGIN DRIVING AND COME TO STOP IT TENDS TO REV UP AND THEN DROPS BACK TO NORMAL. IT FEELS LIKE VEHICLE REVS UP A LITTLE WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO STOP IT BY PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL.IT FEELS LIKE VEHICLE DOES NOT WANT TO STOP AND YOU HAVE THE FEELINGS TO PRESS THE BRAKE EVEN HARDER.

HEAD GASKET LEAKED CAR LESS THAN 100K MILES AND LESS THAN 5 YEARS. GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWED SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH OTHER HIGHLANDERS.

I AM ASKING THAT THE NHTSA INVESTIGATE THE 2013 HIGHLANDER LIMITED FOR THE ABILITY TO TURN OFF THE CAR WHILE IN "DRIVE" AFTER PARKING. WE PURCHASED OUR CAR NEW FORM THE DEALER, AND EVER SINCE WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF THE VEHICLE AFTER PARKING BUT IN "DRIVE" WHICH HAS LED TO THE CAR UNINTENTIONALLY ROLLING DOWNHILL ON SEVERAL TIMES. ON TWO OCCASIONS IT HAS LED TO THE CAR NOT RESTARTING. WE HAVE ASKED OUR LOCAL DEALER AND SERVICE PEOPLE, AT TOYOTA OF SEATTLE, ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN TOLD, ALBEIT WITH INCONSTANT REASONING, THAT THE CAR WAS DESIGNED TO HAVE THIS CAPABILITY. WE HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND TO US THIS SEEM EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, AS THE ONLY WAY TO BE ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT YOU'VE LEFT THE CAR IN "DRIVE", OTHER THAN THE VEHICLE ROLLING, IS A BEEP SOUND. HOWEVER, THIS BEEP IS THE EXACT SAME SOUND ALERT YOU GET WHEN YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON, OR A DOOR IS OPEN, OR YOU'RE RUNNING OUT OF GAS -- MAKING IT A COMMON SOUND THAT DOES NOT SIGNIFY A DANGEROUS SITUATION. ALSO, OFTEN THIS SOUND DOES NOT REGISTER IN THE BRAIN UNTIL YOU ARE OUT OF THE VEHICLE, BECAUSE THE SAME SOUND IS USED TO ALERT THAT A DOOR HAS BEEN OPENED BEFORE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. IN WHICH CASE, THE NOISE GOES AWAY AFTER YOU GET OUT AND CLOSE THE DOOR. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHERE OUR CHILDREN HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF THE PARKED VEHICLE WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE BEEP AND THEN THE CAR WILL START ROLLING. I AM A CAREFUL PERSON, SO GIVEN MY INNUMERABLE CLOSE CALLS WITH THIS ISSUE I ENCOURAGE YOU TO INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. THANK YOU OF YOUR TIME. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

OVER NIGHT MY PARKED SUV MOVED 10 FEET BACKWARDS ON A VERY SLIGHT UP SLOPED PARKING SPACE AT MY HOME. IT WAS LOCKED, IN PARK AND NO ICE UNDERNEATH. I DID NOT MOVE IT AFTER FIRST NOTICING INCIDENT, BUT IT THEN MOVED ANOTHER 2 FEET THIS MORNING. THEN LATER I GOT IN AND MOVED IT BACK TO ORIGINAL PLACE, PUT IT IN PARK AND IT CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THEN SET PARKING BRAKE SO THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. CALLED SOUTH HILLS TOYOTA AND THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY CAUSE OR PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE, RJM PS: NO ICY CONDITIONS INVOLVED. SMART KEY WAS IN HOUSE ON TABLE. NO ONE IN HOUSEHOLD MOVED IT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REVERSED, THE HATCHBACK OPEN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS PLACED IN PARK BEFORE EXITING THE VEHICLE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE HATCH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS AND KNOCKED THE CONTACT TO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HIP AND ARMS, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED FROM THE CRASH SITE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000. UPDATED 09/01/16*LJ

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. IN ADDITION, THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHEN DRIVING 40 MPH OR HIGHER. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER A MANUFACTURER WARRANTY FOR THE TRANSMISSION IN NOVEMBER OF 2015. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION UTILIZED WAS REBUILT. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION UTILIZED FOR THE REPAIR MET THE MANUFACTURER STANDARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200.

FROM STOP (AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, MERGING, ETC), PRESS ON GAS PEDAL FOR ACCELERATION AND VEHICLE DOES NOT GO, HESITATES, THEN DOES ACCELERATE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES, INTERMITTENTLY, AND HAS BEEN REPORTED TO TITUS WILL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. SINCE THEY HAVE NOT DUPLICATED IT, PROBLEM CONTINUES INTERMITTENTLY. NEVER KNOW WHEN THIS WILL OCCUR. IT IS VERY DISCONCERTING AND DANGEROUS. THIS VEHICLE HAS A LOT OF "COMPUTER" GLITCHES WITH GPS MAPPING, BLUETOOTH, AUTO LIGHTS, ETC. MAYBE RELATED?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR A BREAK WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES AND, EACH TIME, THE CONTACT HAD TO PUMP THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL UP TO THREE TIMES IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT ONE OF THE COMPUTER MODULES THAT REGULATED ACCELERATION WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE WHICH OF THE MODULES WAS FAULTY; THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ISSUED A CASE NUMBER TO TAKE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE HESITATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000. MA 10/25/15

PURCHASED 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 11/24/12; TRANSMISSION HAS MALFUNCTIONED APPROXIMATELY 16 TIMES SINCE DATE OF PURCHASE. WHEN REDUCING SPEED TO APPROXIMATELY 30 TO10 M.P.H. AND THEN TRY TO ACCELERATE, THE TRANSMISSION APPEARS TO GO INTO NEUTRAL; THE DRIVE STICK REMAINS IN DRIVE! WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I SHIFT DRIVE STICK TO NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE AND THEN TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO WORK FINE. I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO EXTEND YOUR IMAGINATION TOO FAR TO REALIZE THE POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH WHEN MAKING A TURN OR TRYING TO PASS SOMEONE! DEALER WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSION. THE INITIAL RESPONSE FROM DEALER WAS THE TRANSMISSION HAS TO ADJUST TO MY DRIVING HABITS? IF YOU CHECK CARCOMPLAINTS.COM OR EDMONDS.COM, YOU WILL SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE 2004. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO REVIEW PAST HEAD ON COLLISIONS AND TURN ACCIDENTS TO CONSIDER IF IT WAS "DRIVER ERROR" VS "TRANSMISSION FAILURE" I WOULD LIKE TO BE CONTACTED TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU *TR UPDATED 02/20/2015 *JS

I BOUGHT A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN OCTOBER 2012 AND NEVER NOTICED ANY PROBLEM UNTIL EARLY IN 2014. WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE ON A SMALL INCLINE, THE ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT RESPOND. IT ACTED AS IF I AM NOT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT GOING TO THE MOUNTAINS BUT JUST A SMALL INCLINE WHEN I DRIVE HOME FROM WORK EVERYDAY. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER IN MARCH 2014 AND THEY RESPONDED SAME AS OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS WEBSITE, NO ERRORS ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND NO POSTING FROM TOYOTA. THEY ADVISED ME TO PUT IN PREMIUM FUEL AND I DID BUT THAT DID NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE. VERY DISAPPOINTING FROM A TOYOTA WITH A V6 ENGINE. THE DEALER ALSO TRIES TO SAY IT IS DUE TO CVT TRANSMISSION. HOWEVER, I HAVE A SUBARU WITH CVT AS WELL AND THAT CAR CAN ACCELERATE UPHILL WHEN NEEDED. I HAVE HAD A TOYOTA CELICA, TERCEL, AND A TOYOTA TRUCK IN MY LIFE AND NONE HAD THIS TYPE OF PROBLEMS. *TR