2007 Toyota Highlander

I CANNOT BELIEVE TOYOTA IS FINALLY BEING HELD TO TASK. IN 2007 I SENT YOU A COMPLAINT ABOUT TRANSMISSION HESITATION PROBLEMS IN THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. IT WAS SO SEVERE, MY WIFE REFUSED TO DRIVE IT, FEARING A COLLISION ON HIGHWAY ENTRY AS THE CAR HELD BACK AND THEN LURCHED FORWARD. DESPITE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET UNDER TRANSMISSION HESITATION FOR TOYOTA, TOYOTA REFUSED TO ADMIT THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND STILL DOES! WITH OTHER PROBLEMS NOW COMING TO LIGHT, I HOPE YOU WILL RE-LOOK AT THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED BECAUSE OF IT, SINCE THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY THING THAT GENERATES THESE INVESTIGATIONS AS ARE NOW GOING ON. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. A SIMPLE INTERNET SEARCH WILL SHOW YOU HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS AND THEY ARE ALL EXACTLY THE SAME- NOT LIKELY IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T REAL. *TR

2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 6-CYL LIMITED RUNNING UNDER CRUISE CONTROL WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO ACCELERATE WHEN "RESUME" IS PRESSED IN ORDER TO GET BACK UP TO THE CRUISING SPEED. HOWEVER AS THE SPEED NEARS (WITHIN 4-5 MPH) THE CRUISING SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTS RESULTING IN A HAZARDOUS QUICK ACCELERATION THAT REQUIRES BRAKING OR QUICKLY TURNING OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL. THIS OCCURS REGULARLY DURING HIGH SPEED HIGHWAY DRIVING. THE PROBLEM CAN ONLY BE AVOIDED BY MANUALLY RETURNING THE VEHICLE TO CRUISING SPEED BEFORE PRESSING RESUME. THE DEALER STATES THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR

MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED [2007] HAS A PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION. IT IS NOT IN THE CURRENT RECALL. I REPORTED THE PROBLEM 6/5/08. WHEN I AM IN CRUISE CONTROL, THEN BRAKE, THEN PRESS THE CRUISE CONTROL MECHANISM TO RETURN TO CRUISE CONTROL, THE CAR SOMETIMES SURGES AHEAD AT SPEEDS MUCH FASTER THAN THE SET CRUISE CONTROL SPEED. I DO NOT TOUCH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT ALL WHEN THIS HAPPENS. HAS HAPPENED 10 - 15 TIMES. THE CAR CURRENTLY HAS ABOUT 19,500 MILES. THE TOYOTA DEALER WENT ON A TEST DRIVE WITH ME IN JUNE 2008 BUT THE SURGING DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE TEST DRIVE. I MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN BUT SINCE IT WAS NOT HAPPENING AT THE TIME I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE, I WAS NOT WRITTEN UP. HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN I USE CRUISE CONTROL TO RESUME SPEED. ALL INSTANCES HAVE BEEN IN HIGHWAY DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. IT SEEMS ELECTRONIC TO ME. |OCCURRENCE IS ERRATIC. *TR

THIS IS IN FOLLOW-UP TO MY COMPLAINT #10306258 FILED EARLIER THIS MORNING (FEB 5, 2010). I FOUND MY PREVIOUS SERVICE ORDER OF JULY 23, 2008, FROM MY TOYOTA DEALERSHIP, ON WHICH I COMPLAINED ABOUT THE DELAYED ACCELERATION WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL. THEIR RESPONSE, AS DOCUMENTED ON MY REPAIR ORDER WAS 'SCANNED FOR ERROR CODES. NONE PRESENT. CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS TRANSMISSION.' ON MY PREVIOUS REPORT TO YOU REGARDING THIS, I CLASSIFIED THIS AS 'FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE' AND AS 'ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,' IT LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA CLASSIFIED THIS AS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. REGARDLESS, THE FACTS ARE AS I STATED THEM AND I STILL VIEW THIS TO BE A DANGEROUS CONDITION. FOR THE RECORD, MY VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ON JULY 23, 2008 AT WEST ASHLEY TOYOTA, 2100 SAVANNAH HWY, CHARLESTON, SC 29414. THEIR PHONE NUMBER IS 843-556-9110. MY CUSTOMER NBR IS 82921. MY CONCERN WAS ADDRESSED ON THEIR INVOICE # TOCS178222. I HAD MY VEHICLE IN FOR A CHECKUP AT THE ABOVE DEALERSHIP THIS MORNING, AFTER MY POSTING ON YOUR WEB SITE. I AGAIN INQUIRED ABOUT MY PREVIOUSLY REPORTED ACCELERATION PROBLEM. THE MAINTENANCE REPRESENTATIVE, HEATHER, INFORMED ME THAT SHE KNOWS OF NO PROBLEM REGARDING THIS. WHEN I ASKED IF I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM AND QUESTIONED THE FACT THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TO TOYOTA, HEATHER TOLD ME THAT SHE PERSONALLY HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF OTHERS REPORTING THIS. *TR

ACCELERATION & DE-ACCELERATION PROBLEM: WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN FORWARD MOTION, ON A HIGHWAY, AND I PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR TO RAPIDLY SPEED UP, THERE IS AN APPROXIMATELY ONE SECOND TIME DELAY IN THE VEHICLES RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST TO ACCELERATE. FREQUENTLY, THIS DELAY HAS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ON THE OCCASIONS THAT I WANT TO SPEED UP TO PASS A VEHICLE, OR TO CHANGE LANES OR TO AVOID A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SITUATION, THIS DELAY IS VERY STARTLING. BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLES RESPONSE DELAY, I THEN SOMETIMES SUDDENLY TAKE MY FOOT OF THE ACCELERATOR TO CANCEL MY ACCELERATE REQUEST. HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE, AFTER ITS INITIAL ACCELERATION DELAY, WILL THEN ACCELERATE FOR JUST A MOMENT EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOW JUST TAKEN MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR. IN MY ALMOST 50 YEARS OF DRIVING MANY VEHICLES, ACCELERATORS ALWAYS RESPONDED INSTANTLY. THAT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS A LINKAGE CABLE THAT MECHANICALLY CONNECTED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE CARBURETOR. NOW, IN THIS TOYOTA, IT IS COMPUTER CONTROLLED. WHEN I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS DELAY TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER, THEY TESTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED ME THAT EVERYTHING IS OPERATING NORMALLY. HOWEVER, THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE ACCELERATION IS NOW COMPUTER CONTROLLED AND THE COMPUTER IS OPERATING AS INTENDED. I INSISTED THAT THIS WAS A DESIGN FLAW AND THAT THE COMPUTER SHOULD NOT QUESTION MY DECISION TO ACCELERATE WHEN ==> I <== WANT TO ACCELERATE. I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS AND THAT THIS IS HOW IT IS. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE NEW FROM A TOYOTA DEALER. THIS PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS EXISTED. *TR

SINCE THE PURCHASE OF OUR 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WE HAVE HAD BRAKE DECELERATION ISSUES. THE BRAKES SEEM TO OCCASIONALLY SKIP, THEN LURCH FORWARD AS SOON AS THE BRAKING SYSTEM INITIATES. WHILE I HAVE NOT GOTTEN INTO ANY ACCIDENT, I HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO BRAKING EARLY IN PREPARATION FOR STOPPING. IT HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS (BETWEEN 5-45MPH) ALTHOUGH THAT IS WHEN I'M MOST LIKELY TO COME TO A FULL STOP. NOT SURE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AT FULL HIGHWAY SPEED. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO THEM, THOUGH THEY WOULD TAKE A LOOK. AFTER READING POSTS OF IDENTICAL BRAKING ISSUES, AND WITH THE ACCELERATION ISSUES IN CONSIDERATION I FEEL IT BEST TO FILE A COMPLAINT FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN ENTERING A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD WITHOUT INTENTION. CONSEQUENTLY SHE CRASHED INTO A SIGN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN INSTALLED A SECONDARY HOOK TO SECURE THE FLOOR-MAT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50398. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50998.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE ENGINE WOULD OCCASIONALLY REV MAKING BRAKING MORE FORCEFUL. HE SPECULATED THAT THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSTIC TESTING EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE TO DETECT THE MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 42,000. UPDATED 02/1710 *BF UPDATED 02/19/10 UPDATED 03/02/10 THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THE PROBLEM WAS ENGINE IDLE, NOT ACCELERATING OR BRAKING. UPDATED 03/22/10.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WAS NOT DUE TO A STUCK ACCELERATOR, BECAUSE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ALSO RUNS THE HYBRID MOTOR. THE HYBRID MOTOR IS NOT ACCELERATING THE VEHICLE LIKE THE GAS ENGINE. IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS THE PROBLEM, THE VEHICLE WOULD STILL RUN AWAY IN ELECTRIC MOTOR. THEREFORE, IT IS DEFINITELY AN ENGINE PROBLEM, NOT AN ELECTRIC MOTOR OR ELECTRIC GENERATOR. AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT CONTROLS THE ENGINE AND THE HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTOR. UPDATED 04/09/10.*JB THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION AGAIN. UPDATED 05/03/10

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO APPLY THE BRAKES AT 5 MPH THE PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD OVER A STONE LEDGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP , BUT THE TECHNICIANS COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEREFORE THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 18000.