10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 1
Average Mileage:
78 miles

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problem #23

May 262024

Highlander

  • miles
When I brake, the SUV feels like it accelerates/surges forward rather than slowing down. I need to apply the brakes hard to then stop the vehicle. I never know when it will happen but it happens very often.

- Wendell, NC, USA

problem #22

May 182024

Highlander

  • miles
when I slow down to make a right or left turn I apply pressure to the brake pedal and my vehicle brakes feel like they are "gulping: or not holding, causing my vehicle to lurch forward slightly. This has been happening since I purchsed in July 2022. I replaced my tires last month thinking it was the tires, but the vehicle still lurches forward when braking in a turn. I will put the last time this occurred in your details below

- Holliday, TX, USA

problem #21

Jul 252023

Highlander

  • miles
See attached document for complaint

- Gonzales, LA, USA

problem #20

Mar 162024

Highlander

  • miles
On March 16, 2024 this vehicle experienced a complete brake system failure. This is a very serious braking issue and the vehicle has had several braking incidents leading up to the complete failure. Toyota Motor Corp has dismissed the issue each time as there have been no codes or warning lights prior to this incident. We filed a complaint concerning this braking issue on June 12, 2023, Ref#11526496 Since that first report there have been several other incidents where the brake pedal went soft and depressed to the floor as the vehicle accelerated forward. Since the complete system failure occurred on a Saturday, as of this writing, it has not yet been reported to the service department. We filed a complaint with Toyota Motor Corp stating that this is a very serious safety concern that could lead to injury or death and they dismissed it.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

problem #19

Jan 072024

Highlander

  • miles
Brakes vibrate at highway speeds above 60 mph. Car does stop but steering wheel and seat noticeably shake. Car only 1 year old and started during winter. Seems to be related to TSB-0072-18 but does not cover my vehicle year.

- Glenelg, MD, USA

problem #18

Dec 222023

Highlander

  • miles
Occasionally when slowing to a stop, the brakes feel like they slip and i begin to speed up suddenly. Pressing hard on the brakes stops the car again. This is a safety issue if for example you were braking for someone in a crosswalk or a car in front of you. The dealer was unable to reproduce the issue. It happens maybe once a week, for the last several months. They examined the brakes and said they are fine. No warning lights.

- Andover, MA, USA

problem #17

May 112022

Highlander

  • miles
Unexpected brake failure; While driving at a slow 20 to 30 mph speed lightly braking anticipating a stop at a stop sign my car will unexpectedly surge and jolt the car forward while I'm applying maximum brake force to the peddle. I took it to the local Toyota dealer they checked it out and couldn't find or replicate the problem. I was told that possibly my driving habits or I may have my foot on the brake while still on the accelerator?? When this happens there are NO warning indicators or audible sounds either lit on the instrument panel prior to or after the event. This event on this day propelled my car approximately 6 ft past the crosswalk into the intersection of a four way stop.

- Hazle Township, PA, USA

problem #16

Aug 012023

Highlander

  • miles
A few months after the winter of 2022/2023 the car started making noise and shaking while breaking, the car was taken for regular maintenance at the dealer and I was told everything was fine on April/2023, it just got worse over time and the breaks are now failing and not stopping properly due to huge clusters of rust in the rotors. Car was taken again to the Toyota dealership and they said the warranty does not cover the rotors as they are considered wear and tear parts, rotor isn't worn but has increased in thickness in the areas were the clusters of rust are. After speaking to another mechanic I was told it happened because of the low quality steel of the rotors used by Toyota, which do not perform well in a climate where salt and other chemicals are used to treat the roads. The breaking quality has reduced so much the vehicle is taking twice as long to stop putting myself and others at risk.

- Woburn, MA, USA

problem #15

Jul 082023

Highlander

  • miles
The brake system on the 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid malfunctioned momentarily this weekend (7/8/23 was date of incident) in North Kington, RI. While coming to a gradual stop at a stop light, the brakes momentarily stopped working and felt like the car lunged forward before the auto braking system activated since there was a stopped vehicle in front of us. My foot was on the brake pedal but the brakes just stopped working for a moment. I've read in other toyota forums that this has happened to others with 2022 hybrid highlander models. The same issue happens when applying the brakes going down hill and going over a bump. I'm bringing the vehicle to the toyota dealer this week. No warning lights ahead of the problem.

- Trumbull, CT, USA

problem #14

Jul 032023

Highlander

  • miles
While driving on the highway at an average speed of 40-60 mph and applying the brakes, I experience a noticeable shaking in the whole car and can also feel the tires shaking. I took my car to the Toyota dealer, and they confirmed that the rotors and brake pads are in good condition. However, I still do not feel safe driving my car at this point.

- Woodbridge , VA, USA

problem #13

Jun 262023

Highlander

  • miles
On June 26 2023 the vehicle didn't stop automatically when another car was in view in the intersection, the automatic breaking system didn't work and the air bags didn't deploy,

- North Augusta, SC, USA

problem #12

Jun 242023

Highlander

  • miles
When I am slowing down to a stop usually when im going down hill the brakes will fail and the car lunges forward. It will fell like I am stepping on air. I have taken ot to the dealership but they have been unable to duplicate the issue so I dont know what else to do. At the begining it was pretty rare but now it is happening more often

- Westminster, CO, USA

problem #11

May 162023

Highlander

  • miles
While driving in town and coming to a stop sign at a four way intersection I applied the brakes at under 15 to 20mph to stop and my vehicle lurched forward and my brakes were unresponsive. The brake peddle got very spongy for a split second and immediately returned to normal. When I finally stopped my Highlander was half way out into the intersection. This is about the third time it has happened since I got the car in April 14, 2022. Each time it has happened I remember the roadway surface being very rough and full of small potholes or a uneven braking surface.

- Hazle Township, PA, USA

problem #10

May 132023

Highlander

  • miles
On multiple occasions the breaks appear to momentarily slip, resulting in the car lunging forward. This tends to happen when slowly decelerating, especially when going down hill. It happens at random, regardless of weather or road conditions. I reported the issue to Toyota two services ago and they stated they were unable to replicate the issue despite driving my car 20 miles. Their best guess was that the ABS system is engaging briefly (Ok. That's an issue. They say there's nothing they can do). Both my husband and I have experienced this issue. It's incredibly unnerving and I'm worried it has potential to cause an accident. I have noticed an increase in occurrence over the past few months. I try to document the date and time of each incident. Additionally, the few times I've needed to brake suddenly (rare because I stay pretty far behind the car in front of me at all times, especially given my concerns) the breaks take a moment to register. When you need to break immediately and press on the breaks firmly to do so, they should respond instantly. That does not happen here. There's a few moments of no response before they finally engage. All in all, the breaks/breaking system on this car really worry me.

- North Bend , WA, USA

problem #9

May 012023

Highlander

  • miles
According to Toyota, the wire harness needs to be replaced due to damages caused by animals (rodents). My main concern is, this vehicle is not safe to drive. Because if a midsize animal could find its way inside the engine compartment and caused so much damages to a car I drive every day, what would happen if a snake or a rat shows up inside the cabin while driving at 65 or 70 mph. Secondly, what types of materials are used to make these wires and other components in the vehicle" Why are these animals attracted to them in the first place? As much as the news was chocking to me because it was the first time that I have heard of that kind of stuff, when I went online in some Toyota owners forums, that issue is prevalent in Toyotas. Even the rep. from Toyota whom I spoke to earlier stated that her cousin who owns a Toyota had to deal with the same issue. Why nothing has been done to fix the problem"

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #8

Jan 132023

Highlander

  • miles
I only have 8500 miles on my car and when driving in when I hit the brakes it vibrates. I went to the dealership to get the brakes checked and they wanted charge an inspection fee when the car is under 36000 miles which should be bumper to bumper warranty. I decided to my car to my mechanic and he told me it was the rotors. The mechanic told me this has to be a faulty rotors because that is not enough miles for normal wear and tear. I have scheduled an appointment tomorrow 1/17/23 at the Toyota dealership in Ontario, CA for inspection. I have extended warranty with -0- deductible and they wanted to charge me $195 inspection fee. I got really mad and they are supposedly doing an exception.

- Mira Loma, CA, USA

problem #7

May 272022

Highlander

  • miles
My mother was killed on 5/27/22 by her brand new 2022 Highlander Platnum with about 2000 miles on it. There wasn-??t anyone inside her car at the time of her wrongful death. No person-??s car should kill it-??s owner in her own driveway at anytime especially when the car was empty. The Police report has not been completed by the local Police department yet. The day before the accident she took her car to her dealership Hansel Toyota Petaluma at 9am where she bought her car only a few weeks earlier bc her front bumper had fallen off on the freeway to ask them to put her bumper back on but Hansel Toyota of Petaluma refused her reasonable request. What they told my parents was to go file a claim with her auto insurance carrier. So they did. The next day my mother was run over and killed by her own car. Why did Hansel Toyota refuse to fix my mother-??s front bumper that day" Isn-??t that their job? Isn-??t that their legal responsibility? Doesn-??t the front bumper affect the safety the vehicle? So why did Hansel Toyota of Petaluma refuse service when the car-??s warranty was in effect" We feel my mother was wrongly killed by a machine that malfunctioned. Her front bumper was dragging on the ground for a few miles on the freeway when it abruptly fell off and hence exposed a metal part of the car. This unfortunate event should never have happened. Our mother would still be alive today had it not been for other peoples irresponsible behavior. We believe the missing bumper played a role in her death. We also believe her car malfunctioned that led to her wrongful death.

- San Bruno, CA, USA

problem #6

Nov 132022

Highlander

  • miles
While driving at a constant speed of approximately 45 mph the vehicle suddenly skidded sideways and launched to the right, causing us to nearly hit a guardrail. I dropped speed to 30 mph and this continued to occur at random for the next 10 miles until destination was reached. Road conditions were patchy snow up to fully covered in snow. Other vehicles passed at 50+ mph with no issues. No warning lights/messages or traction control light turned on. Today the same issue occurred while driving 15mph that caused the vehicle to almost run into a parked car. This has occurred at random over the past two days. All instances occurred while driving at a constant speed, no brakes were being applied and while driving in a straight line. This isn-??t the first time the vehicle has been driven in these road conditions but first time problem has occurred. This is a safety hazard for my wife and child due to the fact the driver looses control at random and vehicle veers off to the side. Putting them at risk of impacting objects near the road or veering into oncoming traffic, putting other drivers at risk. Car was brought to the Toyota dealer 11/14. They plugged it into their computer and no codes were active. No open recalls either. I went for a drive, was given 5 minutes of their time, with the shop manager and the problem didn-??t present itself. They said there was nothing else they could do. There was a recall on the VSC, vehicle stability control, but that was fixed on this vehicle in July 2022. Vehicle acts like a sensor or module isn-??t calibrated correctly and causes either/or braking and acceleration to be applied in a manor that will result in a crash. Vehicle is not safe to drive.

- Great Falls, MT, USA

problem #5

Sep 012022

Highlander

  • miles
1. The engine was on while the 'hold' feature was enabled. I've used this feature numerous times before. This time, the 'hold' feature was on for about 5+ minutes, I heard 3 consecutive beeps out of nowhere followed by the engine restarting on it's own as if the push start button was pressed. At that time, the vehicle lunged forward causing me to brake, missing the vehicle in front of me. This happened while waiting at the school drop off lane. Vehicle also lags during acceleration and stalls especially when getting up to speed on the freeway/highway. 2. My children and I could have rear ended the vehicle in front of us which in turn, could have caused a chain reaction with thr vehicles all in front of us (at least 15+ vehicles before mine). We could have been seriously injured, families / staff walking in and out of the parking lot could have been hurt. Regarding the acceleration lag and stalling, we could potentially be at risk of getting hit waiting for the vehicle to pick up speed. 3. My vehicle is at the dealership currently, waiting to hear back from them as there are other numerous reoccurring issues with this vehicle which the dealership I purchased from failed to fix three times prior. 4. The issues have only been 'looked' by the dealership only. The initial dealership failed to have the Regional Engineer come onsite to investigate. I was told my issues were non concerning. 5. Regarding the vehicle lunging, in that instance, the only warning were the three consecutive beeps, no error lights or errors were observed. Regarding acceleration problems, there are no errors or sounds indicating problems thus far when the issue takes place. I have a list documenting the various issues I have experienced thus far with the first problem starting after owning the vehicle for about 3 months.

- Brown Deer, WI, USA

problem #4

Jul 052022

Highlander

  • miles
When braking, and going down a slight grade, and when there is a slight bump in the road, the brakes seem to cut out for a second or surge. This will only last for a second and then the brakes will engage again. This could cause an accident if the car in front of me stops suddenly. On the lane departure warning, if an on ramp is merging into lanes (truck by passenger lanes on I-5 in Portland), the lane departure gets confused by the merging lane markings and alters the steering. This could cause a crash

- Tigard, OR, USA

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