general problems of the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid - part 1

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the master, brake system, abs warning, and traction control warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the message "brake system malfunction - stop in safe place immediately”, check abs/vsc system, and check braking system" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times, but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 227,000.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the brake malfunction and abs warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that when she started the vehicle, she was unable to depress on the brake pedal to the floor and started to hear an abnormal noise. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact took the vehicle to independent mechanic and was informed that the brake booster pump assembly and brake actuator assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 162,000.

All warning lights are on to check brakes, abs. Abnormal leak in acumulator - abs brake actuator needs to be replaced. I was sent a recall on this problem with my 2012 prius (although it is fine) but the highlander has the exact problem. When googling this I found many 2008 highlanders with the exact same problem. Toyota wants $3600 to replace the abs acumulator yet they will replace the same part in the prius as a recall.

Brake actuator assembly on my 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has been failing. Know issue. I've taken excellent care of this vehicle and had it serviced at the dealership. The manufacturing is replace the previous years, but not the 2008 which is the exact same component. Please let me know why this is happening. Not just to me, but others too. Please help us. Thanks.

I am told I need to replace the brake actuator assembly on my 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. My research indicates that this component failure was a known problem for years and was actually covered in a recall for 2006-7 models. For reasons unknown the recall does not cover 2008 even though it is the exact same component. This is a serious safety issue and Toyota seems to be passing the cost off to the consumer.

Takata recall . . My car start getting an error light in my dashboard. . It says brake malfunction , vsc system and abs system . . My car runs fine but sometime when I press the phrase pedal car doesn't break right away and making noise.

Abs pump and actuator failure. Warning lights on the dash buzzer, and nearly complete loss of stopping power, reduced fuel economy. We own a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid which confirmed by the dealer has a 100% failure rate which is the exact failure previously recalled on 2006-07 Highlander Hybrids, and 08-09 camry hybrids. This failure throws the same code, same symptoms, same parts as recalled on previous years, and same years in other models however Toyota some how got away with not recalling 2008 highlander models. This is well documented on this site, consumer affairs and tons of other sites on the internet. I would like to see the government step in and force Toyota to extend there warranty and recall these models. Toyota, there dealers and the public are very much aware of how shady Toyota has been not honoring different years with the same part. This repair is on average $3k dollars.

I recently had a number of service lights appear on the dashboard of my 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, including the brake,vsc, and abs. There was a message stating that I should take it to a dealer for service immediately. When I took it to the dealership, they determined it was an open circuit in the brake actuator (abs). To my surprise this is a $3,000 plus fix and when I researched the problem online o found out there was a recall for the same part for the 2008 Toyota camery hybrid and many complaint posters suggesting that I voice my concern here.

I was driving slowly in traffic when several dashboard lights came on and error message began rotating through the center screen. "brake malfunction - stop the vehicle in a safe place immediately, and contact a dealer,' "check abs - have your vehicle checked by a dealer," and "check vsc system - have your vehicle checked by a dealer. " after researching this issue and having the car scanned by a mechanic, the problem appears to be the brake actuator assembly, and this appears to be a well-documented problem for Toyota. They have this exact issue covered under a warranty enhancement program for the 2006-2007 models of this car, but for some reason have failed to include the 2008 model despite the same issue with those. I have found several examples of others with the same vehicle and same issues online. Clearly Toyota knows this is a faulty part and yet they continue to use it and drew an arbitrary line in the sand on which ones they would fix. This part is not functioning as it should, they know it is bad and should be held accountable to fix it. I am very concerned by the safety factors this malfunction represents.

Car has been kept on a garage and well taken care of. We have followed the maintenance schedule on it meticulously. However, today we found out that the brake actuator is leaking and could cause catastrophic failure. This seems to be a problem on many cars from this year, and obviously from previous years since a recall was already ordered for years 2007 and 2006. This seems to be an obvious problem with this component.

The brakes started making a weird "burping / barking" noise and then the dreaded c1391 code popped up. There was a recall for the abs actuators on the 2005-7 years but yet here we are with people reporting this failure on the 2008-11 years in droves. Clearly there is the same manufacturing issue. Ironically I had my highlander into a Toyota dealership for weird brake noises a year previously and they told me they were normal.

My 2008 Highlander Hybrid has been making a �barking� sound each time I depress or release the brake. I took it into the dealership to find out that it's not a recall item. The same brake actuator part is covered by a recall by Toyota up to 2007 and Lexus up to 2012. I've been told that it's not a �safety� issue so not covered by Toyota, however I've read pages of complaints on this website for this exact problem, and I do not feel safe driving this car knowing that I may have a problem that could cause an accident. Toyota says it's not a safety problem so not covered by a recall. The car is meticulously maintained, in beautiful condition, and it is current on all of the recall notices from Toyota. It's a fairly expensive repair that I think Toyota should step up to make, especially considering how many cars are having the same problem and worse.

Failure of brake accuator and accumulator.

Lights appeared on dash "brake malfunction", "check brake system", "check vsc system". Took my 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid to my local Toyota dealership. They said that it was the abs brake system and it would cost $6000 to repair. I had the exact same problem in my 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. In that case, Toyota issued a warranty extension and the brakes were fixed by the local dealership. I had not yet decided what to do about my current brake problem. I had just gotten all four tires replaced as they were getting bald. I was on a trip back from va to SC with my family on I-95 south. It was raining. I was in the left lane and there was heavy traffic. There was suddenly a large traffic accident ahead of me and cars came to an abrupt stop in both lanes. I hit the brakes and began to skid. I do not think that there was enough water on the road that I was hydroplaning. . . I was simply skidding on the wet pavement. I could not stop in time to keep from hitting the car in front of me, so I steered into the emergency lane, still skidding. Another car swerved into the emergency lane so I turned the wheel again to skid into the grass on the left side of the highway. I was now skidding sideways down a grassy embankment towards trees at the bottom of the embankment. Luckily the car finally skidded to a stop and came slowly to rest against a tree. There was body damage to the vehicle, but nobody was injured. I am sure that the abs brakes were not functioning and this is why the car locked up and skidded so far. It was skidding as if we were on ice.

Brake actuator problem causing need to replace entire breaking system. Many similar complaints being reported. Similar recall on 2006 and 2007 models.

Lost all braking ability due to a abs brake acuator internal leak on hybrid vehicle.

A bunch of lights came on including my abs and warnings flashed. . I brought it to a Toyota dealership in GA and they tried to charge me like 4000 to replace it. . They told my wife if it wasn't replaced she may die when she left the dealership. She was praying and completely scared out of her mind. It's still not fixed. . She drive it with all the lights on to colorado and I still have no idea how I can fix this problem. Apparently I'm not the only one. . I love Toyota and really hope some one reaches out soon.

I have a 2008 Toyota higlander hybrid. Dash warnings appeared suddenly: check vsc system, check abs, brake malfunction. I took the vehicle to my local dealer and was told that the repair would cost $6000. I previously owned a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Same thing happened in that vehicle. Toyota issued a warranty extension and the problem was solved. Looks like the same issue in the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

We purchased a 2008 Highlander Hybrid in 2016. The car was practically maintenance free until last week. All service except oil changes have been done by the local Toyota dealer. My wife was pulling out of the driveway when the abs/vsc lights came on and the console said to pull over. A code scan said it was c1391, internal acc pressure leak. Took it to the dealer. They said it needed a new brake accumulator and a new brake booster for a total of over $5000! researching the issue, I found it is a fairly common issue for these cars. When I called Toyota to ask if the cost of this repair, equal to 1/3 the cost of the vehicle, could be mitigated, I eventually got a woman who told me that since I didn't take the car in to the dealer for nearly a year in 2015, I was not a loyal Toyota customer and they have chosen not to help me. Really!!?? the car didn't need any service during that time! I own 5 other cars including a couple of bmws and I have never had a repair this expensive and have never been admonished by an automobile company representative for not getting a car serviced when it didn't need it. This was our first Toyota and will be out last.

Tl the contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. While driving 35 mph, the brake pedal pulsated. Also, the brake malfunction, abs, bsb, check brake system, and emergency brake warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Toyota of clermont (16851 state road 50, clermont, FL 34711) where it was diagnosed that the brake actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was 141,565.

Abs, vsc lights came on while on a bridge on at highway at 70 mph; pulled over safely to check function; brakes still worked, abs did not; took to a dealer next day; dealer advised the abs accumulator was defective and other error codes (over power) indicated a leak in the abs network. Dealer advised parts alone would exceed 4800 usd not including labor.

Abs module went out during ice storm making car unsafe to drive. Looking online, I see that this has been a fairly common problem with this year and model of my particular car. I was lucky that I live in houston which rarely has icy roads.

Brakes stopped working with lights coming on requesting to take it to dealership. Dealership says it is the abs actuator which is malfunctioning and requesting me to replace it at 3500$. Toyota has been making this part defective and has been recalling this for similar model years. 2007 has a recall. 2008 camry hybrid has a recall. They should just recall this part across the board.

3 weeks after we purchased our 2008 Highlander Hybrid with only 115,000 miles on it, the whole dashboard lit up with warning lights. The lights indicated that the abs had malfunctioned. It said to pull over and get it checked by the Toyota dealership immediately. We took it to the dealership and were told that there was an abnormal leak in the accumulator and that it will cost $4693. 46 to repair. This is after we had just purchased the vehicle for $15,000. We are a family with 6 kids and obviously do not have that kind of money. We continued driving the highlander until it became completely unsafe. The brakes stopped working while I was driving it one day with my kids. The brakes would go all the way to the floor and barely even stopped me. I managed to make it home without being in a wreck, but we feel that it is totally unsafe to drive. It is the only vehicle that we have to transport all of our family, and we aren't sure what to do. My husband has researched and discovered that the abs has been recalled in the 2006 and 2007 Toyota highlanders. We have also discovered that there are numerous complaints similar to ours with the 2008 highlander. We really hope that you consider the safety issue that is at stake with the brakes going out in these vehicles. This part needs to be recalled and this issue needs to be taken care of to ensure the safety of many americans.

I was driving in 295 I hearing a sound coming from the daskboard and a light appeared stated need to check abs break system by dealer. I said to myself I'll have it check when I got home. I was doing 65 miles per hour, I was pressing break there were no break, pump the break several times, no break, I pressed the emergency break and thanks to the lord the car slow down and eventually stop. Apparently dealer asked me $5,500. To fix this issue and I don't have this type of money, and I'm still making payment on this vehicle can't even drive; I believe this type of issue should be a recall. I need help please!!!!! ribertm@yahoo. Com.

Driving approximately 30k / hr on September 22, around 6pm. Little traffic as the road leads deep to the country. No rain, great visibility. We'd just stopped to follow someone to a remote location and had not gotten out of the car at that time as the friend came to the driver's side door. A few minutes later, an alarm sounded and the indicator displayed "brake malfunction". The brakes were not working and at the same moment, smoke began filling the vehicle from the front vents. At this time you could also see small flames from the front hood of the vehicle. We immediately exited the car once it came to a complete stop (forced to park position). Flames could be seen falling from the passenger side front end. My husband shut off the vehicle. We ran around a ned in the road to get to safety. Within minutes (5-7 max) the car was engulfed in flames. The gentleman we were following turned around to see where we were when he realized that the car was in flames. Toyota ces has been contacted as we were hoping for help with an investigation. We are a military family, stationed overseas. The vehicle was shipped here 2. 5 years ago at government expense once we received new orders. Toyota has been less than accommodating with providing any information. This happened with little time to get to safety. My hope is information can be gathered from other consumers that may have experienced similar situations. Lives could potentially be saved if we work together to get facts documented. Stateside number provided. We can be reached at +34 642 47 0598.

The contact owns a 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. While reversing at 5 mph, the vsc, check traction control, abs, and brake malfunction warning indicators illuminated. The contact was still able to drive to drive to his destination, but the indicators remained illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted or made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 147,200.

In August of 2017 we were driving our 20088 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and all of sudden the display warned of abs vsc malfunction and to pull over or take car to nearest dealer, the brake pedals lost compression or pressure and the brake was not working hardly. Took to the mechanic shop that has been doing the regular maintenance, they performed diagnostics and stated abs module needed to be replaced. They advise car was not safe to drive. Checked this website and carcomplaints to see many other users same issue, contacted Toyota, they stated they had no recalls, its out of warranty, we would have to pay the $4000 to have fixed, we paid for the repair out of pocket, which was a financial hit for us. Contacted Toyota today about reimbursement for repair cost, said they dont have it recalled or a campaign for the issue, I stated this website with the complaints and other sites, was basically told until a recall is on the issue, wouldnt be refunded.

Brake malfunction warning stop the vehicle and contact a dealer, check brake system, check vsc (vehicle stability system).

Check brake systems, check vsc lights, brake malfunction etc lights have come on. This same part was already covered under a warranty extension for the camry hybrid, and they were built from the same platform!!!!.

My 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has been making noise every 5 seconds and the noise last for 3 seconds. This happens when the car is stationary whether the engine is on or off. It might have happened when it is running (as many others have reported online) but I have not heard of it when the car is on the move. I was concerned and checked online to find out that it is the abs accumulator pump and there are plenty of highlander owners that have or are experiencing the same problem. Toyota has recently issued an extension of warranty on its 2006/2007 model but, unfortunately, not on 2008. I have also read from a forum that the same part on camry hybrid has been recalled. It is a very expensive part and critical to the lives of Highlander Hybrid owners. Toyota should act on it by issuing a warranty extension on the 2008 Highlander Hybrid model.

While operating at highway speeds, we had the abrupt onset of a high-pitched, constant sound. When attempting to decelerate to exit the highway, we found that the brakes were no longer functioning and had to apply the parking/emergency brake to get off of the highway without causing an accident. We were towed to a Toyota dealership who reported failure of the abs actuator assembly and the brake pump resulting in complete loss of brake function. Repair quoted at ~$3000. This is a repeat failure of these parts in this vehicle, which the dealer does not believe is due to the first replacement parts being faulty.

My 2008 Highlander Hybrid has a c1391 abs accumulator trouble light close to a $5000. 00 repair. I have noticed the prior 2 years have had same issue with recalls and numerous complaints for this year. Will the NHTSA be looking into this?.

The brakes have been making a chirping noise while stopped for the last few months. Starting yesterday the car info screen started displaying warnings such as check abs, brake malfunction, etc. The brakes can be difficult to press sometimes, like it is losing pressure. I took the vehicle to a local mechanic and they said the brake actuator/modulator needs to be replaced. They said they are seeing this on a lot of Toyota/Lexus built suvs. From what I have read today, it looks like many people are having this problem.

Abs system malfunction,stationary,went online found numerous accounts.