2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

I WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT ONTO THE STREET. I SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE I WAS WAITING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. MY CAR WAS IN DRIVE BUT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN MY CAR WENT DEAD. THERE WERE WARNINGS FLASHING AT ME FROM MY DASHBOARD. I PUT MY CAR IN PARK. TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED MY CAR BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED PLUS I BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS DO TO THE SLIGHT INCLINE IN THE PARKING LOT EXIT. I QUICKLY PUT MY CAR IN PARK AGAIN, TURNED ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS, AND WAIVED THE CARS BEHIND ME TO GO AROUND. I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE AND BACK IT UP TO A SAFE AREA IN THE PARKING LOT. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN CHARLOTTE WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AT AND CONTINUED HAVING IT SERVICED. THEY TOLD ME TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT TEAM TOYOTA MALL OF GA TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS BRINGING IT IN. AFTER THEIR MECHANIC DETERMINED IT WAS THE FAULTY INVERTER IN THE TRANSMISSION, I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ME $8,000 TO FIX IT. I STILL OWED $15,000 ON THE CAR. I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE RECALL ON 2006-2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS FOR THE SAME FAULTY INVERTER. THE DEALERSHIP SAID MY CAR WAS INELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL SINCE THE VIN WAS NOT LISTED. I CALLED TOYOTA AS ADVISED AND OPENED A CASE NUMBER. I RECEIVED THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CONSTANT RUN AROUND FROM TOYOTA. THEY OFFERED TO GIVE ME $1,000 TOWARDS THE REPAIRS OR $2,500 FOR A NEW OR TOYOTA CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE. I'M STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT WHY MY CAR WASN'T INCLUDED ON THE LIST THOUGH IT MET THE CRITERIA. I AM TRULY SHOCKED BY THE DISMISSIVE ATTITUDE I'M CURRENTLY GETTING FROM TOYOTA AS IF THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE FAULTY INVERTER. MY CAR BROKE DOWN ON MY WAY HOME TO NORTH CAROLINA. NOW I'M TRAPPED IN GEORGIA WITH NO WAY OF GETTING HOME TO MY HUSBAND AND CHILDREN. I'M STILL WAITING ON TOYOTA'S DECISION ABOUT MY CASE, IN GA. *TR

WHEN STARTING AFTER STOP AT THE END OF A FREEWAY EXIT RAMP A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN LOST ALL POWER AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM AND CHECK VSC SYSTEM ERROR LIGHTS WERE DISPLAYED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSED WITH FAILURE OF THE INVERTER. MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2011 RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS QUOTED AS $8000 AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE THEY OFFERED A $1500 CUSTOMER APPRECIATION REBATE. BASED ON ONLINE RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. ANOTHER LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SAID THEY HAVE REPAIRED 4 OF THESE IN THE PAST WEEK. TOYOTA CAN NOT ASSURE US THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THIS INVERTER HAS BEEN SOLVED OR IF THE NEW ONE WILL BE MORE RELIABLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. THE CAR HAD ALWAYS PERFORMED WELL AND GAVE NO WARNING BEFORE THIS COMPLETE FAILURE. IF MY CAR HAD FAILED 60 SECONDS EARLIER I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON I-81 GOING 70 MPH SURROUNDED BY TRACTOR TRAILERS AND WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD. HAVE NOT DECIDED WHETHER OR NOT TO PROCEED WITH THE REPAIR. *TR

TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID INVERTER, ELECTRONIC UNIT, ELECTRICAL WIRING, CIRCUIT BOARDS AND OTHER COMPONENTS HAVE OR MAY HAVE MALFUNCTIONED (BURNED OUT/OVERHEATED). I WAS PREPARING TO BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE OR "POP" FROM UNDER MY CAR. I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING AND IMMEDIATELY ASKED MY DAUGHTER TO GET MY GRAND DAUGHTER OUT OF THE BACK SEAT AND WAIT UNTIL I COULD DETERMINE WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START IT BUT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR, YET THE ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING. THE ELECTRIC MOTOR WOULD NOT ENGAGE. SEVERAL ERROR CODES FLASHED ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY BEFORE I TURNED IT OFF. A FRIEND AND I PUSHED THE CAR BACK INTO THE PARKING SPACE WHERE I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START IT UNSUCCESSFULLY. WHEN THE AAA TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. HE IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE CAR AND REFUSED TO TRY TO START IT AGAIN. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO POWAY TOYOTA, IT WAS DETERMINED, VIA ERROR CODES, THAT THE INVERTER HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND MUST BE REPLACED. INVERTER SERVICE DONE JAN 02,2010. CAR HAS REMAINED AT POWAY TOYOTA FOR 6 WEEKS. THE INVERTER PART COSTS $4,000.00 AND THE LABOR CHARGES TOTAL AN $6,000-$8,000, I'M TOLD. IT IS NOT DETERMINED IF THE EU NEEDS REPLACEMENT OR WHAT OTHER PARTS MAY ALSO BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. TOTAL REPAIRS ESTIMATED BETWEEN 10,000 - 15,000 IF THE HYBRID BATTERY SYSTEM IS ALSO DAMAGED. TOYOTA CORP. HAS OFFERED TO "PARTICIPATE" IN 50% REPLACEMENT COST OF THE PART. 1 YR WARRANTY ON PARTS ONLY. THE DEALERSHIP HAS OFFERED TO BUY MY CAR FOR 6,000.00 AND WILL EITHER REPAIR / SELL IT OR SELL IT AT AUCTION. IT IS A 2007, PURCHASED IN JAN 2008 - 125,000 MILES, IN EXCELLENT CONDITION OTHERWISE. WAS BLACK BOOK VALUED AT $12,000 BEFORE THE INVERTER MALFUNCTION. SEEKING TO BE ADDED TO RECALL-DEALER STATED MY CAR'S VIN IS 2 WEEKS OUT FROM THE 2006 RECALL. *TR