general problems of the 2006 Toyota Highlander

I was on the interstate driving about 72 mph when the car just shut off all the dash lights came on and the dash it said check hybrid system I had no brakes or steering I got it off the road turned it off and back on again it started up and I drove it home but the dash still displayed check hybrid system , a week later I get in it to go to work and there’s an alarm that won’t cut off and the abs , traction control and brake light and warning light and tire pressure light are all on and the brakes are hard and there’s a weird noise coming from somewhere when u push on the brake and it says check vsc system on the dash now.

I can see many complaints similar to mine on line since the car was built in 2006. Driving on a 7hr trip when engine light came on and car overheated. We had to pull over on a busy highway and wait for car to cool down and light to go off. It was scary since I had my child in the car and traffic was moving at 60 mph. The next day I had the Toyota dealer charge me $160. 00 to tell me coolant and oil were leaking from the head gasket and the bolt corroded and listed out causing a sealing issue. We just had the car in their shop doing thousands of dollars of maintenance and had a full inspection done in preparation for this trip. We also had fluid leaks from the engine twice before at 65819 miles and again at 84458 miles. No mention of this issue was ever brought up by dealer. I have full records and always did maint as suggested. So now the dealer says it will need a used engine at a cost of $9,000+. I am now without a car. This car should have been recalled and repaired, now it is totaled it. Thank goodness we were not injured or hit by another car on the interstate. Sorry unable to send a copy of repair estimate done at daytona Toyota 386-255-7475.

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle stalled as the check hybrid system and two other unknown warning lights appeared on the instrument panel. The contact managed to coast the vehicle to the side of the highway; however, the vehicle failed to restart. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic was performed. The mechanic discovered that there was a leak in the invertor cooling system. Upon investigation, the contact discovered a recall(recall unknown) related to her failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but informed her that her vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 280,000.

The vehicle only has 103,000 miles and has functioned flawlessly till recently when it started using oil excessively. That is one quart in 500 miles at freeway speeds.

High engine rpm at idle, the current mileage is 48,000.

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 mph, there was a complete loss of engine power. Additionally, the trac off and vsc warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was coasted into the center median where the contact exited the vehicle. A massive amount of smoke emitted inside of the vehicle and the grassy area underneath the vehicle was on fire. There was no personal injury. The fire department extinguished the flames. The vehicle was completely destroyed and towed to a salvage facility. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000. Updated 05/28/lj updated 06/11/2013.

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander. As soon as the vehicle was started, the vsc light and check engine warning indicator illuminated simultaneously and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but could not be diagnosed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 240,000.

Three months and 6000 miles past the warranty (66,000 miles) our Highlander failed (overheated). I googled the problem and there were many similar occurrences with this engine. Oolant leaked from engine onto floor in large amounts. Our mechanic said threads were stripped and three head gasket bolts had pulled out. Only solution, new engine or possible rebuild by Toyota dealership. Toyota refused to help us. They denied that this problem even existed. But why would Toyota put out a bulletin on how best to repair this problem , if the problem didn't even exist? Toyota dealership did not offer to help. We had our local dependable Toyota mechanic rebuild threads for $2,700. A lot of money to spend on a Toyota with under 70,000 miles. Very disappointed in Toyota's response. They not only lost my future business but also my daughter's. Car works fine now. But I no longer have confidence in the vehicle. That loss of feeling of dependability is the worst part.

I was driving in my Highlander with my daughters in the back seat when suddenly out of no where all the alert lights came on and there was no power at all - the gas pedal was non functional - I was in the far left lane of a an interstate and fortunately I was able to get off the road and pull the car out of traffic as it rolled to a stop. I waited on the crowded interstate for two hours for a tow. I was told that the Highlander hybrid inverter had failed - the dealer replaced the part that week and the car drives normally now. I was advised that in fact this is a known problem. One month later ironically I received in the mail notice from Toyota that my model of Highlander is being recalled for the inverter replacement that had just caused this extremely unsafe vehicle failure just one month prior.

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid (na). While the contact was driving approximately 20 mph attempting to make a left turn, there was a complete loss of the engine power. The vehicle was coasted safely to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer for diagnosis. The technician informed that the failure was attributed to the power inverter. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact expressed concern of the potential safety hazard. The failure mileage was 101,128.

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid (n/a). While the vehicle was parked, the engine compartment suddenly caught fire. The contact stated that the vehicle was routinely maintenanced. The vehicle was destroyed. The contact called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 37,000. Updated 02/17/lj updated 05/02/11.

While attempting to pass a vehicle on interstate 85 nb, my Toyota certified pre-owned 2006 Highlander hybrid completely shutdown resulting in the loss of power steering, power braking, and all engine power. I was able to maintain control of my vehicle despite the failure and coast to the shoulder of the highway from an initial speed of approximately 70 mph. My vehicle was towed to my local Toyota dealership where I was informed that my "power inverter" had failed and would subsequently need to be replaced. I was also told that this was the second instance that day of a 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid having a failure of the power inverter. Upon further research via multiple online forums such as edmunds I discovered that this problem had occurred to several others in the past year resulting in similar consequences (loss of control, power steering, power braking, etc. ). My power inverter was covered under the Toyota warranty and is currently being replaced free of charge. Nonetheless, given the complete failure of the system and subsequent loss of all power braking, steering, and engine use while at speed on an interstate and multiple Toyota owners experiencing the same situation I believe the NHTSA should investigate further.

From a parked position, I started engine on 2006 Toyota Highlander. The car moved forward for a few seconds at slow speed, then very rapidly accelerated so that I could not stop the car. Serious injuries occurred. Car flew through air and onlookers heard engine rev up. We landed in a water canal.