2015 Toyota Highlander

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR END OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE UNKNOWN INJURIES SUSTAINED THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,500. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

DRIVING FORWARD INTO PARKING SPACE. JUST ABOUT STOPPED. PRESSED BREAK. CAR LURCHED FORWARD AT HIGHT SPEED SUDDENLY, CAUSING CAR TO JUMP CURB AT TOP OF PARKING SPOT AND CAREEN DOWN HILL (ONTO SIDE WALK). CAR OUT OF CONTROL FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS. WAS ABLE TO BREAK IN HILL, WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM HITTING CAR PARKED PERPENDICULAR ON STREET BELOW. BOTTOM OF CAR SCRAPED CURB WHEN CAR JUMP CURB AND LURCHED FORWARD. BOTTOM FRONT BUMPER SCRAPED. THERE WAS AN ICY PATCH AT TOP OF PARKING SPACE. IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN WHEELS ROLLED ON TOP OF ICY PATCH, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. CAR MIGHT HAVE ACCIDENTALLY BEEN ON CRUISE CONTROL AT THE TIME.

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE POWER CUT OUT AND A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH STATING THAT THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR WERE BEING DEPRESSED SIMULTANEOUSLY -- BUT THEY WERE NOT. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES IN A ROW. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWARD TO THE TOYOTA DEALER WHERE PURCHASED. THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO "DRIVER ERROR." THE DEALER'S MECHANIC PRODUCED A REPORT INDICATING THAT SIMILAR MALFUNCTIONS HAD OCCURRED IN THE PRIOR TWO MONTHS WITH NO NOTICE TO THE DRIVER. TOYOTA COULD PROVIDE NO EXPLANATION FOR THIS. TOYOTA CLAIMS THAT NOTHING IS WRONG AND REFUSES TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE VEHICLE.

POPPING SOUND COMING FROM RIGHT FRONT SIDE WHEN BREAKING TO A STOP AT ALL SPEEDS. THE PROBLEM WAS FIRST NOTICED AT AROUND 2500 MILES AND THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AT AROUND 2900 MILES. DEALER INSPECTED IT AND COULDN'T FIND WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEN AS INSTRUCTED BY TOYOTA REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT ASSEMBLY BUT THAT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME AND I WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO SAFETY CONCERNS AND THAT TOYOTA WAS SENDING ONE OF THEIR TECHS TO TROUBLESHOOT, BUT THAT MAY TAKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS. IN THE MEAN TIME THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE GETTING WORSE.