Two problems related to brake fluid leak have been reported for the 2008 Toyota Highlander. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2008 Toyota Highlander based on all problems reported for the 2008 Highlander.
Undetected brake fluid leak while in use. Vehicle undercarriage was checked for leaks but not visible.
Brake failure on 2008 Toyota Highlander: I turned car on & shifted into reverse to back out of parking space. There was no resistance on the brake pedal. Car rolled backward & would not stop. I applied emergency brake and car stopped. When e-brake was on I tested to see if there was pressure on the brake pedal - there was none. At this point I put car into park and turned off engine, waited a few minutes and restarted engine. Still no brake pressure and shifter would not come out of park position. I turned the engine off and then on again and released emergency brake. At this point the car shifted out of park and there was pressure in the brake pedal. I drove vehicle safely to nearest Toyota dealership (where vehicle was purchased). Computer check indicated no problem with brakes. Manual/visual check revealed a gap leaking brake fluid between the master cylinder and the brake booster , both of which were subsequently replaced by the dealership.