general problems of the 2008 Toyota Highlander - part 2

Recently we've got a bunch of warning lights on the dashboard of our car indicating a brake system malfunction and urging us to stop the vehicle in a safe location. The brakes were still working and we were able to carefully and safely drive home. After scanning the car for abs error codes and doing a quick online search, I realized that the brake booster pump assembly and actuator assembly failed in our car.

Brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly (problem known to Toyota for this and other models,) failed, leading to dash messages: master warning, abs warning, brake system warning (brake malfunction: stop the vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact a dealer), slip indicator. Brake pedal function seems limited, and dangerous. All warnings come back upon shutting off and restarting vehicle.

Toyota just denied our claim for the reimbursement for the brake actuator assembly customer support program (malfunction of the break actuator assembly in 2008 Highlander hybrid). Supposedly the repair performed on our vehicle "does not meet the criteria for reimbursement". Interesting. Problem with our vehicle was exactly what the customer support program zkc is for. They have been playing games with us for almost 3 months. We sent them the complete documentation several times (they tried to claim something was always missing). Nothing was missing. We are the original owners of the vehicle and have kept every receipt, every dmv document, every credit card statement. . . We kept re-sending them the documents; some of them as many as 4 times. Interesting, when I called them, they had the documents on file. They just do not want to pay; way too obvious. Toyota reps are horrible actors. . . We are not giving up. We will be calling and e-mailing them until they reimburse us. If they do not, we (and other people in our very extended family) will not buy a Toyota vehicle again. So shortsighted by Toyota: save $3700 but lose several customers. . . The warning light came on in December 2015. It took two trips to Toyota dealer (and $3700) to have this fixed.

I sent a letter to Toyota motor sales USA after being refused service at a local dealer to resolve a safety issue, with no reply. While pressing brake when starting I got a couple of error messages that said to contact a Toyota dealer. I did some very detailed research into this problem and what others had encountered. I found the errors would only show when the 12 volt battery was getting low on charge. The brake booster pump is one of the suspect items draining the battery because it continues to run long after the vehicle is parked. Since I don't have the tools to check the current draw on this or if it is even supposed to run long after the vehicle is shut off, I wanted my Toyota dealer to check this. There is a " customer support program notification - zkc" related to this for the brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly. I specifically requested that they check out the electrical component of the brake booster pump even if not covered by warranty. I also told them about the errors only occurring on a low 12 volt battery charge. Their diagnosis showed an error code of poaa6 and only the warning lights and error message in the car display. They not only decided this was not covered by warranty but also ignored my specific request to test the brake system at my expense. No attempt at checking brakes or 12 volt charging system. I was told they would have to open the inverter to check that with the known outcome that this inverter is not repairable but would have to be replaced at a cost of $10,000. . New 12v battery installed. Computers can malfunction if not given the design operating voltage! I have trouble believing that there is a "hybrid battery voltage system isolation fault" due to the fact that the on board computer does not report this message when operating on a fully charged 12 volt system - in other words operating under normal conditions.

At Toyota, we are dedicated to providing vehicles of outstanding quality and value. As part of our continual efforts to ensure customer satisfaction, Toyota would like to advise you of a voluntary customer support program that has been initiated for your vehicle. Toyota has received reports regarding certain internal malfunctions of the brake actuator assembly in certain 2008-2010 model year Highlander hybrid vehicles. In these reports, customers have noted various brake system related warning lamps are illuminated. This customer support program provides coverage as it applies to the brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly. The specific condition covered by this program is for certain internal malfunctions of the brake actuator assembly. If the condition is verified, the vehicle will be repaired with new brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly under the terms of this customer support program. If the following warning lamps are illuminated, the vehicle may be experiencing a concern with the brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly that is covered by this customer support program. The part is back ordered and they don't know when they will be available. I just picked the vehicle for the dealership and they will notify me when it's available. I'm still driving the vehicle. This has been going on since I first filed 7 months ago. It's funny has the part is available to purchase, but it's on back order for my vehicle. This is not right. Looks like I'm going to have to wait again. Thanks for your assistance in this matter.

I have Toyota Highlander hybrid 2008. My car is giving a sound under the hood whenever I hit the brake. No matter the car is halt or moving. Initially Toyota service guys said that the sound is expected and nothing wrong my car. Yesterday they were telling that the "abs actuator" is bad and has to be replaced now or later. The estimated cost to fix the problem is $3000. I have read online about the similar cases. I request to Toyota to recognize the issue and issue a recall to replace the part "abs actuator assy". . Read more...

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. While driving 45 mph, the brakes completely malfunctioned. The contact had to apply the emergency brakes to stop the vehicle and avoid a crash. The contact also stated that the abs warning indicator illuminated at the time of the failure. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The dealer (Toyota of stamford, 909 e main st, stamford, CT 06902, (203) 348-3751) stated that the brakes were not covered by a recall and the contact would have to pay for the repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 265,000.

I was driving on the street and an error message displayed along with a loud ringing sound. The message on the screen said to pull over immediately and call a dealer because there is a brake malfunction. It also said to check the abs and the vsc. I could feel the my brake pedal wasn't reacting when I pressed on it. I had to press the pedal all the way down really hard to get the car to slow down.

Abs actuator not working. Brake malfunction warning on display screen.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the brake warning indicator illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the accumulator and activator failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure recurred. The manufacturer stated that the repair was not covered by warranty or recall. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

The steering wheel had been adjusted to a setting for a shorter driver, and while in the process of re-setting it for a taller driver, the steering wheel and its housing came completely off of the shaft that reaches into the engine. To safely get off the road, an attempt was made to stick it back on, and it was unable to stay in the correct position. Once the vehicle was pulled over, to try to reattach it, the driver again attempted to seat the housing on the shaft. This maneuver was completed successfully, but upon attempting to drive again, the "slippery when wet" warning light came on and whatever engine mechanism that alerts began to engage, affecting the brakes, accelerator, and steering. This all happened as we were backing out of the driveway, and then attempting to maneuver into the roadway.

While driving down highway 17 south towards santa cruz, California on a raining Wednesday morning, I suddendly felt my vehicle loosing control in a slippery downhill highway and I hit the center divider with the left front of vehichecle and car spunned multiple times and hitting the left rear bumper to the wall facing the oncoming traffic. There are 4 of us in the vehicle all wearing seat beatls and suffed injuries. The airbags did not deploy and the antilock brake system did not activate. My insurance company declared the vehicle total lost. I was advised to contact Toyota dealership in fremont to investigate the reasons why the air bag and abs did not activate. I am about to call the dealership once they open in few minutes.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph and applying the brakes to avoid crashing into a deer, the brakes seized and the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The contact mentioned that none of the air bags deployed. As a result, the driver and a passenger sustained minor injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact was able to drive the vehicle away from the scene. The failure and current mileage was 70,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. While driving approximately 25 mph and applying pressure to the brakes, the contact noticed that the vehicle continued to accelerate. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they performed a diagnostic test which concluded that the brake booster had burst and would need replacing. The dealer performed the repairs and the manufacturer paid fifty percent of the repair costs. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000. Updated 05/03/lj updated 05/11/11.

I was involved in a car accident on 08/17/2010 while driving my 2008 Toyota Highlander that has 23000 miles on it. The accident caused me total damage to my car and put my life in danger due to failure in the break/acceleration system on the car. The car did not stop but accelerated even though when I was pressing the break which caused me to hit a truck that was passing in front of me. I explained to the emergency crew that the accident was because of failure of the break/and acceleration system on the Toyota car and I explained the same thing to the police officer who was presented on the scene. I like to mention here that the Toyota dealer sent me a note of defection about my car prior to the accident and I took the car to the dealer shop and spent 2 hours there to have it fixed. The car now is at the state farm insurance and I can email/send you the car pictures after the accident.

Recently I was involved in a minor rear-end accident. The impact speed was approx 10-15 mph and light to moderate damage was done to my vehicle, which is a 2008 Highlander. Prior to this accident I noticed my anti-skid braking system activated at a point I would consider to be premature. This premature activation limits the braking power of the vehicle when it is needed. This problem was brought to the attention of south county Toyota in costa mesa, CA and they stated the vehicle was operating to specification. I am still concerned about the issue and would like to have it evaluated by a Toyota motors rep while I am present. I do believe this premature activation of the anti-skid system was a contributing factor in my recent accident and it may have been prevented if the full braking power was available. At the time of the accident the streets were dry and it had not rained in several weeks. The vehicle suffered moderate front end damage which has since been repaired. Toyota was notified of the accident and they have failed to correct the issue or admit there is anything wrong with the vehicle. As of right now I can duplicate the brake fade/ issue 100% of the time.

We have a 2008 Toyota Highlander with intermittent failure of the anti-lock brakes and vehicle stability control system (abs/vsc). For no apparent reason, the abs/vsc will malfunction and brakes operate incorrectly. It is an intermittent problem that comes an goes. We have almost had an accident in the snow in ohio. We have had the car into the dealer 4x without resolution since nobody knows what is wrong. It has been an ongoing issue since it started Jan 2010.

Brake pedal spongy at low engine operating speeds.

The right front brake of my 2008 Toyota Highlander popped loudly when I backed up. It sounded and felt like the brake locked up. This problem seemed to have already existed since the day I purchased the brand-new vehicle in December 2008, and it got worse and worse. Therefore, I took the vehicle to a Toyota dealer for insepction and the they said, "there is nothing wrong with the brake. It is normal and is just that the break is shifting. " however, I asked them why the popping sound "only" came from the right front brake. They avoided my question and did not answer. As my concerns over the brake grew more and more, I took my vehicle to the same dealer again, but they said, "my vehicle is out of warranty and I have to pay $45 to have it re-checked. " I told them that when my vehicle was inpected for the problem the first time, it was still under warranty, and the problem never went away; instead, it became even worse. However, they still insisted that I had to pay in order to have it inspected again. I was so disappointed I left the dealership. At the time of this writing, the right front brake still makes a loud, annoying popping sound when I back up my vehicle, which makes me worry that the brake could malfunction anytime when I am on the road.

I have Toyota Highlander 2008 from Aug 2008. This car has a problem with braking. First winter it was unsafe to park car on shopping parking, because of close proximity to other cars. Highlander was not stopping, it continued moving with my leg on the brake pedal. This car was not slowing down. I drove many different suvs from rental companies, like chevy trail blazer, GMC acadia, Jeep two different models, but never had any problems with brakes. I went to the dealership three times and each time they told me they cannot do anything. I'm used to this car now, but braking still not good. It requires deep pressure on the pedal and car is stopping longer.

Noted recently on mycarstats. Com six complaints registered with NHTSA regarding 2008 Highlander brake problems and five complaints registered with NHTSA regarding 2008 highland electric problems that involve brakes and electronic controls. I am submitting the following experiences with my 2008 Highlander because they mirror many of the complaints. The brakes on my Highlander have been an issue from the first weeks of ownership. I have taken the car to a local Toyota dealership and complained about the brakes. The dealership did adjust the emergency brake which they indicated was out of adjustment but have stated that the brakes are working normally. My specific complaint is brake response. There is roughly an inch of pedal travel before the brakes begin to respond. If one must make a hard emergency stop the vsc control will engage. On one occasion, while driving in town a car ran through a traffic light in front of me. I hit the brakes hard - the vsc light came on - and the car slowly stopped. There was no accident but it was extremely close. I have found that if I routinely press on the brake pedal until the vsc light comes on that the pedal travel is reduced. I took the Highlander to aaa auto diagnostics and they confirmed the pedal/vsc. Aaa was unable to read the Highlander computer because they did not have the proprietary Toyota computer interface. The local Toyota dealer has stated that the depressed pedal and vsc light response is normal. I also noted complaints of sudden acceleration when putting the car into gear. I have never experienced a surge to the degree mentioned in the complaints referenced above, however, while putting the car into drive with my foot on the brake I have had the car surge forward. I now always have the emergency brake on while putting the vehicle into drive. The date listed below is that of my first complaint to the local Toyota dealer.

Toyota 2008 Highlander-braking system hesitates like the prius is described. It freezes up and doesn't react as quickly as it is pushed. This is ongoing.

Our 2008 Toyota Highlander has had the same intermittent braking problem since we purchased it in 2008. When we brake for the first second or so of depressing the brake pedal the brakes will either not respond or there will be a slight surge in acceleration. After further depression of the brake pedal, the brakes will engage, but the initial engagement is not smooth. It feels like someone that has braked their vehicle too rapidly. This issue comes and goes. When we take it to the dealer, they say they cannot recreate the issue and say there is nothing wrong with the vehicle.