general problems of the 2020 Toyota Highlander

In my 2020 Highlander I approached a stop sign at a "t" intersection behind 4 other cars. After stopping and looking to see road was clear of oncoming traffic, I pulled out and started my left turn. As I was turning into my lane the car engine turned off and the steering wheel was locked in the left position. There was no power for the brakes, which left me jamming on the brake pedal as hard as I could only slowing the car slightly. The steering wheel was locked left and I thought I was going to break it trying to force it back. With no ability to move the steering wheel or brake, I braced myself as the Highlander continued turning in the left direction into the other lane. The result was a head on collision with a Mini cooper, both cars totaled, and injuring both myself and the other driver. Highlander was investigated by forensic company in the employ of the insurance company, but they could not find any error in the cars cdr (crash data retrieval) system.

Fuel gauge is inaccurate, leading to potential safety issues. The fuel gauge does not show as full, when the car is refueled, and likewise shows as empty when there is enough fuel to drive hundreds of miles. This has led to situations where the fuel light is on, and car is indicating no remaining miles left, but there is plenty of fuel. Toyota knows there is a problem. I started a lemon law claim with the washington state attorney's general office and notified Toyota. They have offered to replace my vehicle, which is currently in process.

Vehicle will not start without a jump after 3-5 hours. The battery stays charged less than one day, but typically starts again without a jump if driven again within a 3-5 hour period. The vehicle stays running once jumped. Dealer service department indicates a software update may be required. This has happened since purchase on June 7, 2020. Date below is the most recent date it occurred.

Vehicle went into limp mode reieved code p0300 reduced engine power on highway when accelerating.

Since purchasing this vehicle I began to notice that the fuel gauge is inaccurate. This issue is sporadic. Often after filling the gas tank completely, the gauge will only register as 3/4 full. Like wise, it is inaccurate when the tank gets low, showing that there is 1/4 tank, when in fact it is nearly empty. The "remaining miles" indicator that displays is likewise inaccurate and often the low fuel indicator light comes on when it shouldn't, and doesn't display when it should. I have had it to the deal 4 times now for repair. Initially they told me nothing was wrong, then indicated that a software update was necessary. When that didn't fix it, I returned the vehicle and they indicated an instrument panel sensor chip needed to be replaced. I waited a month for that to happen and it didn't fix the issue. I then opened a trouble incident with Toyota USA and after several weeks received a call back from the dealer indicating this is a known (presumably still developing) issue and has something to do with a faulty gas tank that causes the readings to be inaccurate. The dealer indicated that they know this will require the gas tank to be replaced but that they don't have parts to do this and will contact me at some point in the future. This is a serious safety issue, as it could lead to the vehicle running out of gas while driving, without any indication that the fuel is low. The only way to have any certainty regarding the fuel level is to do a calculation each time you drive based on the estimated fuel economy and # of miles driven since the last fill up.