Car Accelerates On Its Own Problems of Toyota Highlander - part 2

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, she attempted to brake but the vehicle accelerated rapidly instead. She attempted to apply the brake however the brake pedal had become very stiff. She had to apply extreme pressure to the brake and the vehicle stopped 15 feet later. She shifted into neutral and turned the vehicle off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where the contact was informed that there was an idle up clutch defect, which occurred at low speeds and when the air conditioner was activated. The dealer would not repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 6,200 and current mileage was 6,800. Updated 08/28/lj the consumer stated the vehicle began to move forward and the engine reached 1600 rpm even though she was only driving 10 mph. The brake pedal became hard and the vehicle would not stop. She shifted into neutral and applied the brakes again and the vehicle stopped. She then shut off the ignition and waited about 7-10 minutes.

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The following email/report was sent to the Toyota dealership from whom I had purchased this new vehicle: I am writing to report an abnormal incident, which may or may not be related to the stall problem I had encountered, and which you inspected during my last visit. In this incident, I was very gently trying to move the car into my garage from a stationary position (there is a small 10 to 15 degree grade over a 3 ft distance before the garage floor became level again). As I slowly pressed down on the accelerator, the car started to move slowly in a normal fashion, but after moving half way into the garage, it suddenly accelerated, almost at full throttle. . . I had to slam on the brake as hard as I could react, missing a crash by only a few inches. As I tried to analyze what happened, the only thing that I can think of is that as I was moving slowly enough where most likely only the electric motor was moving the car, but then very suddenly that electric motor sourced its absolute full power to accelerate the wheels ---almost as if the sw decided to ignore my very soft pressure on the gas pedal and source maximum power. Please advise when your Toyota engineers will be visiting you again so that they may review this latest abnormality. I am also forwarding this message to the national auto safety department, since I am now quite concerned about safety.

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While pulling into a parking stall in a private parking lot, my Highlander suddenly accelerated and I had no brakes at all! my Highlander went up over the curb which caused the vehicle to slow. I had brakes again and was able to apply the brake, coming to a safe stop. Not before slashing my left front tire and bending my tire rim. Thankfully no one was injured.

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 mph, there was an excessive vibration. The contact then engaged the brake pedal which was unresponsive. The engine rmps increased up to 3,000. The brake pedal was applied repeatedly and the gear was shifted into neutral and then back into drive. The vehicle began to unintendedly accelerate. The vehicle eventually came to a stop. The contact was able to resume driving to the destination at a reduced speed. The manufacturer was not notified of the unintended acceleration. The approximate failure mileage was 4,000.

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The failure occurred while attempting to park with the brake depressed. The vehicle crashed into the cement wall of a garage. The manufacturer took a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileages were 8,700.

The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own and crashed into the vehicle stopped in front of the contact. There were no damages to either vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic test, but the manufacturer would not allow a technician to inspect it. The manufacturer stated that they would send an engineer to examine the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet examined or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000.

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While pulling into parking space in private shopping mall at slow rate of speed the vehicle suddenly and without warning rapidly accelerated forward into vehicle parked directly in front of my vehicle. My vehicle went up and over parked vehicle causing damage to both vehicles. No one was hurt in this accident and no police report was made as it was on private property. Complaint was made to Toyota who investigated and Toyota determined that no vehicle defect or design existed and refused to offer any assistance. My wife who was driving the vehicle has never had an accident and swears as to the facts. She did not contribute at all to this accident. Toyota is marketing a defective vehicle which will eventually and unfortunately result in death or serious injury if they are not now held accountable.

Date of incident: Saturday, July 17, 2010 at approximately 12:45 p. M. Incident description: coming from a complete stop, turned the steering wheel to park a 2004 Toyota Highlander into a parking spot. The driver gently/minimally touched the accelerator pedal to pull into the parking spot. The vehicle suddenly accelerated without any additional force placed on the accelerator pedal. The driver immediately applied the brakes in an attempt to stop the vehicle. Prior to the vehicle coming to a complete stop, the front of the vehicle struck the metal part of a sign. This is the first occurrence of sudden acceleration since purchasing the vehicle used from a dealership. The vehicle has not been scheduled for repair at this time. Updated 10/20/10 updated 10/22/10.

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On July 8 2010, my 2010 Toyota Highlander had sudden acceleration problem when I stopped and braked for the traffic light. This Highlander has only about 6,600 miles on it and it never had the sudden acceleration problem before. The dealer had installed the recall fixes. Updated 07/19/bf updated ivoq 07/21/10.

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The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at approximately 15 mph, the vehicle rapidly accelerated without driver intent. The contact shifted into neutral and depressed the brakes until he was able to stop the vehicle. There was no warning prior to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and advised an investigator would further assess the failure. The manufacturer stated also that the vehicle would be towed to the nearest dealer for diagnostic repairs. The vehicle was not yet repaired or diagnosed. The failure and current mileages were approximately 30,000.

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On may 22, 2010 my Toyota Highlander sudden accelerated. I was at a full stop (red light) on 14th street at the intersection of castro heading west uphill. My foot was on the brake when my truck suddenly accelerated. The truck jerked forward even though my foot was on the brake. I reported it to san francisco Toyota service representative when I brought in my truck for the recall service on may 29, 2010. They completed the recall as required, but he dismissed my comment about the above incident. I believe the real issue is the electronic or software programming of vehicle controls and wish to have this documented if a more serious problem occurs.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Highlander. While driving at 5 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. To stop the vehicle, the contact shifted into neutral and turned off the ignition. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 1,700.

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander. The contact was driving at approximately 50 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle did not slow down. She swerved left to right in an attempt to stop the vehicle; instead, the vehicle flipped over. The contact climbed out the front window and sustained head injuries as none of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were approximately 55,000.

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The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander. While depressing the brake pedal from speeds of 5 mph, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact attempted to stop the vehicle by depressing the brakes however, the brake pedal fell onto the floor board and did not engage. The vehicle proceeded to crash into a concrete statue. The vehicle did not come to a stop and proceeded to crash into a vehicle. The contact did not report any injuries. The police arrived to the scene but a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic. No repairs were made to the vehicle. The VIN was not available when the complaint was filed. The approximate current and failure mileages were 5,000.

Hello, I would like to file a safety complaint on my 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid, I had this car for the past four months and I experienced sudden acceleration, it happens 3- 4 times a week, or may be even more since I share the car with my husband I am not sure how often he gets it. The last time the sudden acceleration happened is today, luckily we were not driving close to another car. It feels like as if some one pushed the car from behind. Thanks for considering this issue seriously and this is not a panic request after the recall, it is a real and serious issue.

Sudden acceleration of a 2006 Toyota Highlander while in reverse resulting in death. Updated 04/22/10 updated 07/12/10.

I own a 2005 Toyota Highlander and was trying to park in front of my home between two cars when the car suddenly accelerated and hit the side of my house. I am not 100% sure what happened, whether I accidentally pressed the accelerator or there was a malfunction of some kind. I had to make a 90 degree left turn between two other parked cars, so I am sure I was not driving fast at the time of the accident.

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I have a 2010 Toyota Highlander base model. When cruiser control is activated and when the vehicle is moving slightly uphill, the vehicle usually accelerates to a speed that is much higher (over 5 mi/hr higher) than the set speed. This situation happened several times and was worrisome, especially when my wife was driving. I purchased the vehicle on December 28th, 2009. I guess that the local dealer (heiser Toyota, milwaukee) must be aware of the problem at the time of my purchase but pretended to not know the problem, because the specific salesperson (art stamos) told me and my wife during vehicle delivery that, in case of uncontrolled acceleration, we should put gear to neutral and firmly press brake pedal. I suggest that your office request Toyota to not only recall but buy-back all Toyota vehicles that were sold during the Toyota's most recent promotion period (toyotathione) in which Toyota was aware of the problem but decided to do nothing.

The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that on at least four occasions, the vehicle suddenly accelerated when the driver would depress the pedal gently after a stop. The vehicle also accelerated when the vehicle was shifted into reverse. The contact took the vehicle to the dealership but the dealer could not find what the cause for the failure was. He called the manufacturer and the representative instructed him to take the vehicle to the dealership. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was approximately 7,000. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

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I am leasing two Toyota vehicles . . . A 2008 Toyota Highlander and a 2009 Toyota camry. During December 2009 I experienced problems with the 2008 Toyota Highlander transmission and sudden acceleration while braking. Details include a transmission noise rattle while driving on a California freeway at about 60 mph. This transmission noise continued for 3-4 minutes, sounding louder as if a part was loose inside of the transmission. I shifted the transmission on the 2008 Highlander between gears and the noise eventually stopped. The second complaint on the 2008 Toyota Highlander occurred on December 5, 2009, while I was parking the vehicle. As I approached the parking place, with my foot covering the brake pedal, I experienced unexpected acceleration while braking. The 2008 Toyota Highlander suddenly lurched without warning and would have continued to accelerate through a plate glass window at the bank if I didn't apply full force of the brake! I was able to apply the brake firmly enough to overcome the sudden acceleration in order to stop the vehicle in time. Carlsbad, California Toyota of carlsbad was notified on December 9, 2009 in writing regarding these two issues. I had personally delivered a two page document detailing both of these complaints to the Toyota of carlsbad service department. I have not received any response from my complaint by Toyota of carlsbad or the Toyota motor corporation.

Accident occurred in charlottesville va. Sudden acceleration while car was in reverse. Right car side damaged along with 2 other cars. Model of car is 2005 Toyota Highlander vs awd limited. Total cost to repair the Toyota was $6,900.

On bumpy roads or ditches, my 2006 Toyota Highlander hybrid vehicle does not brake or the brake slips. It feels like it suddenly accelerates with braking becoming ineffective.

Toyota Highlander 2005. Peterboro , nh. 11 am. Driver was reported to pass vehicle on right in break down lane, then tried to pass another car by going into left lane and hit oncoming vehicle. Four people killed. Driver was very experienced --excellent safety record. I had been in his car with him hundreds of times. Very safe driver --no cowboy. Believe car had uncontrolled acceleration. Updated 05/10/10 updated 10/04/10.

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The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander hybrid. When applying pressure to the brake pedal, the engine would occasionally rev making braking more forceful. He speculated that the engine control system failed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician stated there was no diagnostic testing equipment available to detect the malfunction. The failure mileage was 40,000. The current mileage is 42,000. Updated 02/1710 updated 02/19/10 updated 03/02/10 the consumer believed the problem was engine idle, not accelerating or braking. Updated 03/22/10. The consumer stated the problem he experienced was not due to a stuck accelerator, because the accelerator pedal also runs the hybrid motor. The hybrid motor is not accelerating the vehicle like the gas engine. If the gas pedal was the problem, the vehicle would still run away in electric motor. Therefore, it is definitely an engine problem, not an electric motor or electric generator. And it is something that controls the engine and the hybrid electric motor. Updated 04/09/10. The consumer stated he experienced sudden acceleration again. Updated 05/03/10.

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The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander. The contact was driving approximately 55 mph on normal road conditions. There was pressure applied to the accelerator pedal in which an increase of unintended acceleration occurred without warning. The vehicle was able to continue in normal operation. This was a one time failure occurrence and the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be inspected. The failure mileage was 18,000.

2005 Toyota Highlander. Consumer states unintended acceleration caused a crash. The consumer stated as she was about to pull into a parking space, she heard a surging sound and suddenly the vehicle quickly accelerated forward and crashed into a brick column in front of the store and then it went backwards and stopped.

On August 13, 2009 my wife was driving our 2008 Toyota Highlander limited, 4wd SUV when she suddenly lost control and crashed into a wooden telephone pole, totaling the car. According to her, the car suddenly accelerated and she couldn't stop the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2001 Toyota Highlander. While driving 10 mph the vehicle began to rapidly accelerate. After repeated brake application the vehicle would not stop. Consequently she crashed into a sign. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and they installed a secondary hook to the floor-mat. Also she was advised that in April 2010 they would install a newly designed accelerator pedal. The failure mileage was 169,794.

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander. While driving 5 mph, pulling into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, struck a curb, crossed the median, and crashed into two parked vehicles. There were no injuries. The air bags failed to deploy. The front passenger side bumper and drivers side of the vehicle were damaged. The manufacturer stated that they would inspect the vehicle within 30 days. The insurance company was notified. The failure occurred without warning. The failure mileage was 29,000. Updated 12/15/08. The consumer the poilce were not called. Updated 12/15/08.

The contact owns a 2002 Toyota Highlander. The driver stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a wall of his garage while driving approximately 5 mph. There were no injuries. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to the dealership who was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The current mileage was approximately 48,690. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

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.

On Monday, April 28, 2008 at approximately 7:45 a. M. Cdt, I drove my 2003 Toyota Highlander on to the employee parking lot at unigroup, inc. As I always did, I pulled up past my assigned parking spot, stopped, and put the vehicle in reverse to back into my space. When I moved my foot from the brake to the accelerator and turned the steering wheel to back into space 304, the SUV suddenly accelerated at a tremendous speed, hit and bounced off the Ford explorer parked in space 305 and then hit the Subaru legacy wagon parked in space 317 immediately behind space 304. One witness who was in the parking lot at the time later told me that while he did not see the crash, he heard a huge roar of a motor and the crashing noise of the impact. The owner of the Subaru also did not see the initial acceleration of the SUV, but heard the tires screeching and turned in time to see my SUV hit his Subaru. Both of the two witnesses helped me load the back bumper of my Highlander into the cargo area. Prior to going into the office, I checked the floor mat under the steering wheel, but could not see any indication that it in any way had moved. I am convinced that the only thing that stopped my Highlander was the fact that it hit the two vehicles in spaces 305 and 317. Later that day (4. 28. 2008), I called Toyota to report the incident. I was told by a representative by the name of barbara that there were no problems or recalls on the Highlander, only the camry (this according to the NHTSA. ) my report was given . There was extensive damage to my SUV and the two other vehicles that were hit. Thus far, Toyota has not acknowledged that my vehicle (2003 Highlander) is included in the recall and since the VIN # begins with a j, I am told that there is no problem with any vehicle made in japan. Therefore, I cannot even take it to a dealership for repairs. I am left in limbo with a defective Toyota.

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In feburary 2008, I purchased a 2008 Toyota Highlander. On two separate occasions since purchasing the vehicle, when slowly pulling into a parking space the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. On the first occasion (April 2008), the incident ended in an accident as the vehicle slammed into a wall. The second incidence occurred approximately 3 months later and nearly caused another accident. Again, as I was pulling into a parking space the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. However, the vehicle was stopped by a parking pylon before hitting a wall. I have had the vehicle inspected by the local dealership and they claim that they can not find any issues with vehicle. Based on my research, this does not appear to be an isolated problem as other Toyota vehicles are noted as having the same issue. I feel that this vehicle is threat not only to the safety of my family, but to others on the road. Updated 08/08/08.

While attempting to park my 2003 Toyota Highlander at a mcdonald's, as I was applying the brake and almost parked, the car suddenly accelerated, jumped the curb and crashed through the entrance of the mcdonald's. I continued to apply the brake when this happened, and it would not stop.

On may 9, 2007 we purchased a new 2007 Toyota Highlander. About a month later it unexpectedly accelerated and ran through the end of our carport while being driven in to park. Luckily no one was in front of it. The auto sustained about $650 in damages and the carport received similar monetary damages. About a month later we had a similar incident while parking in a parking lot. At first we attributed the incidents to my wife's foot someway slipping off the brakes and on to the accelerator. Now, after the recent national publicity, we are not so sure. Perhaps the accelerator mechanisim or software in this vehicle is defective in this model Toyota also. In the mean time, I now wonder if this model vehicle is safe to drive. I will bring this issue up to our Toyota dealer in the near future. I hope this information will be useful in helping the government and Toyota to solve this important issue.