Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Toyota Highlander Hybrid - part 2

There's an engine surge, slight but still can be felt, when applying the brakes. The surge is intermittent but the surge is felt often. Example: after take off from a stop the next time the brakes are applied there'll be a slight bump, as if the accelerator is stepped on at the same time the brakes are applied. There's no high rev, just a bump.

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2006 Toyota highlander. Consumer states design flaw in vehicle the consumer stated as he was trying to make turn, he applied the accelerator with force when suddenly a pop and a shudder came from the vehicle, and then the dashboard lights illuminated and the vehicle began to coast. The consumer was able to pull off to the side of the road safely. Attempts to get the vehicle going again were unsuccessful and ultimately the vehicle was towed to the dealer. A day later, the dealer stated the hybrid inverter had blown and that no replacement parts were available in the region. The repairs were eventually made under warranty a week later.

Driving in 6 lanes of heavy traffic we heard a 'thunk' and lost all power. I wrestled the vehicle to get it to coast off of the road. Car was towed to Toyota dealer where it was found that the inverter needed to be replaced. Cost was $7600, after a substantial discount from the dealer, who was obviously embarrassed about charging so much for a single part. The incident could have caused an accident, since all power and electrically assisted driving functions failed simultaneously. Fortunately it didn't. Subsequently I found that Toyota had upgraded their inverters beginning in 2007. We have also received in 2011 from Toyota an "interim safety recall notice" for the inverter, but have heard nothing since.

My wife was driving our 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid on a turnpike. As she drove on exit ramp the car lost power and warning lights signaled a problem with hybrid system. The car was towed to Toyota dealer. We were told part would cost $8,200 and $800 for labor. Repair is not covered by warranty since car has 130,000 miles. Problem has not yet been repaired.

I was backing out of our driveway into the middle of the street & the vehicle died. It couldn't be started & the gearshift could not be moved into any other gear, therefore it remained in reverse. Nothing electrical would work either & the car's interior is fully electric , (windows, door locks, nav, seats, radio ect). The "check engine" message was on. At first we thought it was the battery, as per tow truck driver . The car had to be towed. First towed the car to get a new battery but after installation of the newly purchased battery, the car still was inoperable & had to be towed again to the Toyota dealer. This was an additional out of pocket expense. The dealer replaced the "inverter" & something listed on the receipt as "super long life c".

The contact owns a 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. While driving at 30 mph, the contact stated the hybrid converter failed causing the vehicle to lose power. The vehicle was no longer operational. The contact spoke with the dealer who advised the repair would be at his expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated he had experienced some difficulty in trying to get the dealer to make repairs. The current and failure mileages were 129,000.

The inverter ( a very expensive electrical component) on my 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid failed resulting in a complete loss of power on the highway. The car was towed to dealer. It took a week to diagnose and repair. Repair was covered under the extended warranty that applies to hybrid components. I have asked, but Toyota can/will not tell me how often this type of failure has occurred; the internet has stories from others who experienced this type of failure. Complete loss of power on the highway is clearly a safety issue. With Toyota's reputation, I can't help but wonder if this is an issue that they don't want discussed.

The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact was driving approximately 20 mph, during braking there was a delay in the response time. The failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was able to continue in operation. Additionally, when in an idling position the vehicle would shake causing a jerking motion to occur. The authorized dealer was notified of the malfunctions which there were no resolutions. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 1,000.

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Comments: dear sir or madam, I would like to make you aware of a problem with our 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. In August of 2008 while backing out of our driveway I suddenly lost all power & control of the vehicle, there was no brake nor steering. I was able to eventually stop the vehicle before any property damage was done. My husband wrestled the vehicle off the alleyway & the car was towed to the dealership. They said there was a problem with the "electric link assembly" & they said the problem was fixed. Yesterday morning at 6am I got into the car & turned the key, the "ready" light came on & I put my foot on the brake & put the car into reverse, as soon as I put the car into gear, the brake pedal went to the floor, the gas engine came on full power & the car flew backward. I tried frantically to depress the brake pedal trying to stop the car & steer the car while careening in reverse. The car slammed into our rear neighbors vehicle (which is to the back & right of our garage across the alley) our car pushed theirs over 4-6 feet & continued trying to reverse full power over their bushes I didn't know what to do so I slammed the car into the "park" position. The car stopped but the engine continued to race. I shut it off & jumped out. I was not injured, however our car & our neighbors was damaged. The car was again towed to Toyota dealership. I conveyed to them what happened & the car is there now getting checked. I called them in the evening to ask what they had found & they stated they were trying to "reenact" what happened. They must find what it is in this cars computer that continues to cause these catastrophic malfunctions. Had I been at a school or shopping lot someone could have been killed. I am a person who believes in accountability & ownership of responsibility & if this were my fault in any way I would not be writing you today. I feel you need to be aware of this problem so no one in the future is seriously injured or killed.

Dash board dwscription: check hybrid system. Check vsc system the car would not restart. Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2006 hybrid failure. SUV just stopped causing me to have whip lash. Very dangerous. Email below explains more. . . Email: yesterday 08/04/08 around 05:17 pm, my Highlander Hybrid SUV hybrid system failed. It happened while I was driving around 30 mph. The car just halted. It acted like if you went from 5th gear to 2nd gear, a big jolt; causing me to have a whip lash. My left side of my neck really hurts and I cannot turn my head to my right. . . . My question to Toyota is why didn't the system default to the gas engine instead of just stopping? you know if this happened to me on the highway, I may have been seriously hurt or even killed. I think this is a very dangerous failure. What will Toyota do to make me feel safe driving this car with my family? I do not want this to happen to me again, because who knows if I will survive it or not.