10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 68,202 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
My car has the same problem as described here and in many places online and Toyota refused to include my vehicle for recall. The problem as described by NHTSA as follows report receipt date: Sep 04, 2013 NHTSA campaign number: 13V396000 component(s): Hybrid propulsion system all products associated with this recall expand details close 12 associated documents expand manufacturer: Toyota motor engineering & manufacturing summary: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus rx400H vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The intelligent power module (ipm) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support and the transistors may be heat damaged by the solder. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel. Consequence: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy:
- Santa Clara, CA, USA
Both my wife and I have noticed the steering in our 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid progressively getting worse. We hear knocking and noises coming out of turns and the steering is much looser than when we bought the vehicle. The knocking began about a eight months ago and has become more and more frequent. It first made the strange knock coming out of a slow right hand turn, but now it does it coming out of a turn in either direction. Sometimes it will make the noise during a quick acceleration. Like many of the same complaints, we to can feel the knock is the steering wheel. I am beginning to think this car is unsafe and do not feel comfortable taking it on the highway.
- Chesapeake, VA, USA
The vehicle stalled (lost control of steering and engine ceased to operate) while driving at around 35 mph. "hybrid system warning" was displayed and it advised to pull over and contact dealership immediately.
- Millbrae, CA, USA
I have a 2008 Highlander hybrid and ever since a few hundred miles, there has been a knock in my steering wheel. It is intermittent, but mostly happens when the car is coming out of a turn, usually a right turn. As the wheel comes back to center (turning counter-clockwise) there a momentary knock which is audible and can be felt through the steering wheel. My dealer initially replaced the intermediate steering shaft after I noticed many people on the Toyota forums reporting the same problem. At any rate, the problem came back after 500 miles of the 1st repair. I recently took the car in again, as the problem persisted and I felt had gotten worse. After a week of arguing with the lame service dept manager ( marina del rey Toyota ), I turned up the heat and spoke with the manager of the dealership. The part was replaced again, and after one week, the problem has returned. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle...the steering has become loose and sloppy, and nowtoyota is not willing to go any further to fix this problem.
- Santa Monica, CA, USA
There is a "clicking sound" in the steering column, especially when the car is in motion, and worse if turning the steering wheel while going over a bump. Feels as if something is loose in the steering system. Almost feels like a loose cv joint. This has been going on since I picked the car up from the dealer. The dealer tells me that this is a "characteristic of the vehicle". problem has been persisting, and I showed this to another dealer, who told me that Toyota knows about the problem, and is working on it. Spoke with Toyota, who denied any knowledge, but offered a factory representative to meet with me and to test the car. Awaiting my appointment with Toyota factory representative.
- Denver, CO, USA
- Homestead, FL, USA