2002 Toyota Highlander

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AN ADDITIONAL 10 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THE FIRST FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY FOUR TO FIVE YEARS AGO AND HAS RECURRED WITHIN THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS. THE DEALER ADVISER HER THAT THERE ARE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 03/30/10 *BF UPDATED 08/30/10*JB

I BOUGHT A 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED IN MAY 2008. THE CAR HAD JUST UNDER 60,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. THIS CAR IS MY SECOND CAR, MAINLY TO BE USED TO TOW MY HORSE TRAILER. WITHIN A MONTH OF OWNING THE CAR IT SHOWED THE SUDDEN UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION. THIS WAS NOT UNFAMILIAR TO ME BECAUSE I ALSO OWN A 2002 TOYOTA CAMRY. I HAVE OWNED THE HIGHLANDER NOW FOR 1 AND 3/4 YEAR AND THE CAR HAS SHOWED THE DESCRIBED BEHAVIOR OFF AND ON. IT HAPPENS MOSTLY ON THE FREEWAY AND MOSTLY WHEN I AM NOT TOWING. IT DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH FLOORMATS OR STICKY GASPEDALS. SINCE THE SAME BEHAVIOR HAPPENS IN BOTH TOYOTA'S I OWN, IT IS TIME THAT TOYOTA STARTS LOOKING AT SOMETHING ELSE THAN THE SILLY EXPLANATIONS OF FLOORMATS AND STICKY GASPEDALS. IT IS THE ENGINE WHICH RUNS AWAY, LEAVING THE DRIVER NO CONTROL OVER THE SPEED. I HAD NOT EXPECT THIS FROM TOYOTA. I BOUGHT TOYOTAS BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIABILITY AND BECAUSE I TRUSTED THE COMPANY (AS OPPOSED TO FORD, WHICH I ALSO OWNED AND EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WHICH TURNED OUT THE COMPANY KNEW A LONG TIME ABOUT AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT). I GUESS TOYOTA IS NOT DIFFERENT. ALSO, IT IS TIME THAT THE RECALL GOES FURTHER BACK THEN THE 3-4 YEARS. I EVEN HAVE A COPY OF A PROFESSIONAL CAR REVIEW OF THE CAMRY WHO EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM IN 2002. *TR

TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2005. PETERBORO , NH. 11 AM. DRIVER WAS REPORTED TO PASS VEHICLE ON RIGHT IN BREAK DOWN LANE, THEN TRIED TO PASS ANOTHER CAR BY GOING INTO LEFT LANE AND HIT ONCOMING VEHICLE. FOUR PEOPLE KILLED. DRIVER WAS VERY EXPERIENCED --EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORD. I HAD BEEN IN HIS CAR WITH HIM HUNDREDS OF TIMES. VERY SAFE DRIVER --NO COWBOY. BELIEVE CAR HAD UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION. *CN UPDATED 05/10/10 *BF UPDATED 10/04/10 UPDATED 9/27/11*CW THE INVESTIGATING POLICE OFFICER INSPECTED THE INTERIOR OF THE TOYOTA AND NOTED THE DRIVER'S CARPETED FLOOR MAT WAS OUT OF POSITION FORWARD UNDER THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT 10 MPH, UPON APPLYING BRAKE PRESSURE, THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING, AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, AND NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. THERE WAS MODERATE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE POLICE WERE ALERTED, BUT A REPORT WAS NOT TAKEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION OF THE BODY DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED. UPDATED 12/12/06. *JB

DRIVER MADE A LEFT TURN WITH FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL AND ROLLED INTO A PARKING SPOT WITHIN A PARKING LOT, ESTIMATED SPEED TO BE 2 MPH. THE ENGINE SURGED AND THE CAR RAN OVER 3 SMALL TREES, WENT UP AN INCLINE APPROXIMATELY 3 FT. HIGHER THAN THE PARKING LOT, THEN PROCEEDED APPROXIMATELY 8 FEET INTO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY THEN STRUCK THE BRICK CHIMNEY OF A HOUSE AND BOUNCED BACK INTO THE PARKING LOT. THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED DURING THIS OCCURRENCE BUT DID NOT STOP THE CAR. *LA

CONSUMER TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE VEHICLE CRUISE CONTROL, AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AT A HIGH SPEED WHEN CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, CONSUMER HAD TO TURN THE KEYS IN THE ACCESSORY POSITION, AND ALLOWED THE VEHICLE TO COAST TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE DEALERSHIP HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. PH THE DEALERSHIP STATED THE VEHICLE WAS FINE AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO PROBLEMS SINCE.*JB