2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Service Brakes Problems

Toyota’s part number 44050-48190 brake actuator assembly failed, as it has in other models and is very commonly doing in the Highlander model. It is triggering other warning lights issues in the vehicle. Vehicle safety is at risk. Many others have reported the same issue.

I was on the interstate driving about 72 mph when the car just shut off all the dash lights came on and the dash it said check hybrid system I had no brakes or steering I got it off the road turned it off and back on again it started up and I drove it home but the dash still displayed check hybrid system , a week later I get in it to go to work and there’s an alarm that won’t cut off and the abs , traction control and brake light and warning light and tire pressure light are all on and the brakes are hard and there’s a weird noise coming from somewhere when u push on the brake and it says check VSC system on the dash now

The vehicle suffers from an ABS module failure. I've been researching that this is common problem with the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and presents a danger of failing brakes while driving. My brakes partially failed with my [XXX] son in the car. When attempting to stop, I had no hydraulic pressure and luckily was able to get the vehicle stopped after the car had regained some pressure. The vehicle had been running for several minutes, so it wasn't related to a fresh start and the system not having time to pressurize, if that's a thing. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The brakes on my 06 Highlander hybrid AWD have been finicky at best since I’ve owned the vehicle. The car lunges forward when braking, all the way until a complete stop. While driving at around 55 MPH a medium sized dog ran out into the road. I braked hard but the brakes just lunging and trying to stop. At one point feels like it’s not braking anymore and just hope to veer out of the way. This can be fatal not only to the driver but to others driving as well. The fact that people are still having this issue, and Toyota hasn’t come up with a proper long term solution speaks to how much Toyota cares about its customer bases’ safety. It is honestly disgusting that people have had accidents and may have fatal and Toyota continues to not care. Please urge Toyota to look into this further and attempt to fix this permanently!

Car is lunging forward while braking.I just had to put a new abs module and pump on the vehicle which was very expensive.Since I know there was a recall but I was not notified.Is there a way to get toyota to pay for the new pump and module ?

Two problems being reported are severe safety issues, and could result in injury, death, and/or property damage. Problem 1: While driving, the brake pedal suddenly went all the way to the floor, and the car would not stop. To avoid hitting the car in front at a stop sign, I had to turn the wheel, resulting in running through the stop sign and onto the grass and shoulder before the car finally stopped. Multiple dashboard warning lights appeared. After stopping, the brakes momentarily returned but failed again within 2-3 minutes. A loud, high-pitched, piercing whistle sound began, indicating a complete loss of brakes. The car had to be towed 200 miles back home. It is not safe to drive the car without functioning brakes. The OBD scan codes are: C1256 (accumulator low pressure), C1391 (abnormal leak of accumulator pressure), and C1256 (accumulator low pressure). Problem 2: When starting the car, the brakes are applied first, and then the car is placed in gear. The car involuntarily and immediately jumps forward or backward and continues to move, even though the brakes are being applied. Having the foot on the brakes has NO EFFECT on the car moving! The car should not move at all when the brakes are being applied. To stop the movement, I must quickly pump the brakes repeatedly. This occurs every time the car is placed into gear after starting the engine, causing it to jump forward or backward and continue moving despite brake application. Both problems are severe safety issues, and could result in injury, death, or property damage.

The ABS Module on the vehicle continually go bad. A newly never used one was purchased 2yrs 4 months ago. A genuine Toyota part ($1300) and it has already gone bad. This is causing safety issues as the brakes make a loud thumping sound when pressed. The car also starts rolling in reverse when turned on if the engine hasn’t started as yet.

Over 2 year ago our 2006 Highlander Hybrid began making a series of noises when depressing the brake pedal when in park and in motion. Dashboard screen are showing Check ABS, Check VSC System, Check Brake System and Brake Malfunction, and Errors. The noise would get louder and last longer and took longer distance to slow or stop. The shop asked for over $3000 that I don't have to fix so I drive it less and less. Please help if possible.

The past couple months the Brakes have been acting up. Changed brakes and rotors to only find out that my brake pump or actuator are faulty and a known issue for highlanders yet my vehicle had no recalls

The Brake Actuator on many Toyota Hybdrid and Lexus Hybrid models fails prematurely leading to a unsafe situation with virtually no braking. Toyota extedend the warranty on the item however there are many cars which didn't qualify for the repalcement and are still failing. This should have been a recall rather a warranty extension. This Brake Actuator fails because of a design flaw, it has been since redesigned. The part istself is priced by Toyota at about $2000 in addition to installation labor that can run in thouands depending on the Toyota model.

When braking, apparently when the vehicle transitions from regenerative braking to hydraulic braking, there is a brief total loss of braking force and a noticeable sense of acceleration before the hydraulic brakes begin to grab and slow the vehicle resulting in an unanticipated increase in stopping distance and causing a near collision as my vehicle went several feet past the stop line into an active intersection due to this defect.

Power brakes stopped working while driving due to bad brake actuator. Vehicle shut down while driving due to power train system.

My electric brake computer thu a code C1256 & C1391, ABS Brake Actuator Failure. Not regular maintenance item. No code ever thrown til this time. Major people killer when it fails. My experience was during a rain storm, lost all brakes for maybe 1-2 seconds. Felt like you were on ice. No control, No ABS. Then code and lights on dash lit up. I limped home worried I had no brakes or some brakes. Scared me and my family completely. Now car sits in driveway afraid to drive. I went to dealer, they read the codes and found 2 codes present. C1256 and C1391, ABS Brake Actuator FAILURE, needs to be replaced for SAFE Operation of car. Why isn’t this Brake Actuator under warranty? Excessive mileage? How would you know it was bad if you NEVER got the “CODE” as per Toyota Corporation.

Brake Actuator Assembly is a known issue with several Toyota models including my Hylander Hybrid. Toyota tried to address these actuator issues by extending the warranty coverage for the Brake Actuator Assembly on a limited basis, however; there is not an actual recall for this when there obviously should be. Thousands of customers are left with unknowingly driving vehicles that are not safe and for those that have had their brakes fail (and survive) are left with $3,000-$4,500 in repair bills to resolve these issues. In April 2021, I noticed odd purging-like sounds while stopped at stop signs or red lights when the brakes were engaged. This concerned me so, I had our local Toyota dealership check out our highlander but they said there was nothing wrong with the vehicle and we assumed they knew what they were talking about so we went about our business. Unfortunately, some months later while driving hundreds of miles from our home, the Check VSC light, ABS, Brake, and one other dash warning lights came on and the purging sound became much louder. Lucky for us, the brakes still worked enough to stop the vehicle. An official recall would have facilitated our local Toyota Dealer Service Dept in alerting us about these issues before we were put in a dangerous situation. Our Hylander is currently being worked on at our local Toyota Dealership. A guy in the service department is how we found out about the Toyota Customer Support Program that outlines the brake actuator shortcomings/failures. The service dept. manager's exact words were "it's like a recall but it's not an official recall". Here is a video I found on the Toyota Nation website where this gentleman's wife had her brakes fail and hit a car in a parking lot. Thank god she was not injured! https://youtu.be/mn_xs6k8_H4 Ultimately, all Toyota models with these faulty brake components should be recalled!!

I was driving the car then as I hit the brakes it felt like they were not engaging until I applied more pressure. Then as I was almost home the abs and traction control lights came on. Took it to a specialist and they said that the abs module would have to be replaced. There are tons of people apparently with my same year and model with the same concern

ABS Control Module. Yes could be made available for review. A few years ago, a diagnostic showed the ABS Control Module as bad (it started buzzing is what made us get it checked). Toyota replaced it, but there was still buzzing after the service, from a NEW part!? I strongly expressed this to Toyota since it still seemed like an issue to me, but they told me nothing could be done unless the computer said it was bad or if there was a recall. The buzzing continued to get worse and does it almost all the time now, and finally the ABS light came on, sometimes it will make an alert noise, and the vehicle will not brake properly (with the brake pedal feeling very firm), so apparently now that the ABS light is on, a diagnostic showed it bad again. I have researched to find many other people experiencing this same issue with this part going bad AND continuing to quickly go bad even after replacing, and I have been advised the danger of this, for if it goes out while driving, you cannot brake like normal and cause an accident. If a brand new part was making the same buzzing noise when the previous part did not used to make that noise, then something seems very wrong! And this is very much a safety issue if your brakes suddenly stop working like they are supposed to! Please help! I appreciate your time. Thank you!

In the last 4 weeks my 06 Highlander Hybrid has had malfunctions in the brakes and in the power steering. Both issues rendering the car inoperable. The first issue that was to arise was the brake actuator pump. I noticed it was failing when i got in the vehicle to move it out of the driveway and noticed after i put the car in gear that their was no power brake assist. When the car was shifted into drive the car began rolling even while i was pushing hard on the brakes. Luckily the brake assist resumed and i did not run into anything but the car unintentionally moved about 5 feet. I mentioned this to my wife, and she said while driving home one day the car made a high pitched buzz. She was close to home, so she made it home and parked the car and forgot about the noise. After the car was turned back on again no noise was made and no CEL or warnings were displayed. The actuator was replaced, and the car operated fine for about one week and probably 40 miles of driving. I want to mention I had noted a odd feeling in the brakes for years leading up the the failure. The brake pedal would continue to the floor while trying to maintain constant pressure on the brakes. I believe this is due to the actuator losing pressure, but it would cause an uneasy sensation of failing brakes, but no CEL's were ever triggered. The new actuator fixed this. After fixing the car we drove it on a few trips. Yesterday 8/24/21 my wife went to drive the car, and it wouldn't start. She tried about 10 times and it wouldn't turn on. I put a battery charger on the car and the battery looked okay. I tried to start it a few time probably 5 and finally got the READY light, so the car was ready to go, but all of a sudden the car would shut off and the READY light would go out and the P/S light would come on. This light is triggered when something is wrong with the power steering system, and the computer will disable the vehicle. The car immobile now. These are worth recalling.

3 accidents all rear end due to brakes ( brake pump/brake actuator failure) not safe.

The dashboard on my Highlander Hybrid 2006 (AWD) had all its check lights on suddenly. I was not driving then. The car was in my parking lot for a few hours before which it had no signs on. The warning message said: Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). I took it to my nearest Toyota service center for diagnosing the issue. They reported that the ABS systems have started to fail. Specifically, the ABS actuator is losing pressure and should be replaced. They quoted a price of $2700 approx. which includes about $2000 for parts. Turns out that this same part had been replaced in 2016 during a recall - but they cannot attend to this again without charging the customer. What I was never told about was that a whirring sound - which has always been an issue with this car - was always from the ABS actuator. The same service center has checked and diagnosed this car multiple times - so I am surprised that they did not find the ABS actuator noise a problem on earlier occasions. I have been reading about this on this forum and Toyotanation and this seems to be a consistent issue with the older Toyota hybrid highlanders and other hybrids as well - with the same diagnosis and approximately the same price quoted by the service centers. I have not currently fixed this issue since I cannot afford this price. It also seems that I will be paying for manufacturer's or service center's negligence since this actuator seemed to be faulty all along and I was not warned about this.

THE BRAKE ACTUATOR IS FAILING AND IS MAKING LOUD NOISES. THE CAR DOES NOT BRAKE NORMALLY. I HAVE REPORTED BRAKING PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN 2007. WHEN IT HITS A BUMP IT ACCELERATES AND I MUST STAND ON THE BRAKES SO I DO NOT HIT SOMEONE. IT LURCHES FORWARD WHEN IT HITS A POTHOLE OR SOME KIND OF OBSTRUCTION IN THE ROAD. WHEN I WORKED DOWN NEAR THE BUS STATION I WOULD HIT THE AREAS IN THE ROAD WHERE THE BUSES CREATED BUMPS IN THE ROADWAY AND IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD. I REPORTED THIS NUMEROUS TIMES AT NORTH BAKERSFIELD TOYOTA. I RECENTLY WENT IN TO REPORT THE NOISE I WAS HEARING AND THEY FINALLY FIGURED OUT THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR IS FAILING. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT A HAZARD BUT THEY COULD NOT TELL ME WHEN IT WILL TOTALLY FAIL. I BELIEVE IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THERE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE

HAVE HAD BRAKE ACTUATOR MALFUNCTION/FAILURE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. STARTED WITH NOISES AND HAS PROGRESSED TO WARNING LIGHTS AND ALMOST COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE. HAVE CONTACTED LEXUS BC IT A RX400H AND NOT A HIGHLANDER BIT THEY RESPECTFULLY DECLINE TO GET INVOLVED. HAD CALLED OVER A YEAR AGO. HAD CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE THAT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT WITH OTHER MOTORIST AND AM NOW PAYING 3000 TO HAVE THE BRAKE ACTUATOR REPLACED THAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT FOR YEARS AND REFUSED TO FIX AND CONSISTENTLY REMIND ME I DON'T SERVICE MY VEHICLE AT A DEALERSHIP FOR NORMAL MAINTENANCE. THE PREVIOUS OWNER NEVER RECIEVED NOTICE OR A WARRANTY CAMPAIGN AND ULTIMATELY RID THEMSELVES OF IT BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE AND PRICE OF THE BRAKE ACTUATOR TO BE FIXED.

Mileage: 100,000

MY ABS, VSC, (I), AND EMERGENCY BRAKE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON CONTINUOUSLY. IT IS VERY HARD TO STOP THE CAR AS IT FEELS LIKE THE BRAKE ISN'T ENGAGING. WHEN IT DOES ENGAGE YOU ARE JERKED FORWARD.

Mileage: 182,000

THE VSC LIGHT, ABS LIGHT, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND SOUND IS ARE ON. THE CODE IS BACK AS WELL C1391 FOR THIS BRAKE ACTUATOR. IT IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH TOYOTAS . THIS WAS FIXED ONCE ALREADY BY TOYOTA DEALER AND FAILED AFTER 40K MILES AGAIN. HOW CAN A PART HAS FAILED AGAIN IN SUCH A SHORT TIME AND MILES? THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND WE CAN'T GET HELP FROM TOYOTA COMPANY OTHER THAN TO PAY FOR THEIR LACK OF QUALITY ON PARTS? I CAN'T AFFORD $4000 PLUST TO FIX A PART THAT ONLY LASTED 40,000 MILES. WHEN IS TOYOTA GOING TO DO A RECALL ON THIS PART AND FIX IT FOR GOOD?

Mileage: 199,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH DOWN A HILL, WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED AND STARTED MAKING AN ABNORMAL SOUND. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT REGAINED CONTROL AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DCH WAPPINGERS FALLS TOYOTA (1349 U.S. 9, WAPPINGERS FALLS, NY 12590, (845) 288-0892) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE BRAKE ACTUATOR TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 191,000.

Mileage: 191,000

THE VSC LIGHT, ABS LIGHT AND NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. THE CODE COMES BACK TO C1391 WHICH IS THE BRAKE ACTUATOR. IT IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH TOYOTA THAT OCCURS @118,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD IT WAS GOING TO COST $4,000, BUT THEY FINALLY ONLY MADE ME PAY FOR THE LABOR AND TAX. HOWEVER, IT HAS NOW BEEN 30,000 MILES LATER AND THAT PART HAS FAILED AGAIN. I CAN'T AFFORD $2500-$4000 TO FIX A PART THAT ONLY LASTS 30,000 MILES. I HAVE SEEN THIS COMPLAINT OVER AND OVER. CAN WE GET SOME HELP??

Mileage: 149,000

LOUD CONTINUOUS BEEP BEGAN IN CAR WITH NO INDICATION AS TO WHAT IT WAS. WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH, LET OFF GAS TO GET READY FOR TURN, HIT BRAKES AND THERE WEREN'T ANY. WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MERGE BACK INTO TRAFFIC AND DECELERATE ENOUGH TO TURN ONTO THE NEXT STREET. DIAGNOSED AS FAILED BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY.

Mileage: 229,000

BRAKES ARE FAILING AND WHEN I BRAKE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE BRAKES SEEM LIKE THEY ARE NOT ACTIVATING AND ARE DANGEROUS BECAUSE I CANNOT STOP IN TIME. TOYOTA MUST REPLACE THIS OTHERWISE IT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE IF BRAKES FAIL.

Mileage: 200,000

VSC LIGHTS CAME ON. EVENTUALLY LOST ALL BRAKES. THE ABS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY HAD FAILED. I WAS DRIVING SLOW ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED SO MANY TIMES HERE BY DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WHERE IS THE RECALL ON THIS PART?!?! TOYOTA HAD ISSUED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERING THIS PART BECAUSE THEY KNEW THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH IT. THANK GOD THERE WASN'T AN ACCIDENT, GRATEFUL NO ONE WAS HURT. SICKENED I WASTED MY MONEY ON THIS VEHICLE. NEVER BUYING ANOTHER TOYOTA.

Mileage: 153,000

UNLIKE TRADITIONAL VEHICLES WHERE YOU STILL HAVE SOME STOPPING ABILITY WHEN POWER BRAKING FAILS THIS HYBRID HAS NO BRAKES. WHAT HAPPENED? THAT'S PRETTY SIMPLE I WAS DRIVING AND THEN I HAD NO BRAKES WHILE I WAS STILL MOVING. I WAS GOING 25 MILES AN HOUR AND ALL THE OTHER CARS WERE GOING 25 MILES PER HOUR. THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME STOPPED TO LOOK AT THE FLOWERS AND I LAID ON MY HORN LUCKILY THE ONCOMING CAR RECOGNIZED THE SITUATION AND PULLED OVER JUST ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO STRADDLE THE YELLOW LINE AND PASS THE STOPPED CAR WITHOUT CRASHING. THE PARKING BRAKE DIDN'T HELP MUCH BUT EVENTUALLY STOPPED ME ABOUT A QUARTER-MILE LATER DOWN A SLIGHT HILL. DEALER WANTS $3,500 TO REPLACE THE BRAKE ACTUATOR WHICH THEY HAD ORIGINALLY OFFERED TO REPLACE FREE AS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY BUT THE PROBLEM DIDN'T CREEP UP UNTIL THE EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED. I HAVE NO DOUBT PEOPLE ARE DYING BECAUSE OF TOYOTA'S DESIGN FLAW.

Mileage: 163,000

ABS ACCUMATOR STOPPED WORKING

Mileage: 210,000

ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I WAS DRIVING MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2006 AND EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT. ON MONDAY, OUT OF THE SUDDEN THE DASH TURNED TO A CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS + VSC SYSTEM. I WAS TERRIFIED SO I CALLED MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND TOOK AN APPOINTMENT. WENT THERE THE NEXT DAY AND THEY MADE ME WAIT 6 HOURS AND TOLD ME IT HAS BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY PROBLEM AND TO GET IT FIXED, I HAVE TO PAY $2,246. AS A COLLEGE STUDENT THIS IS VERY PRICY. IT PUTS ME IN A MAJOR STRESS. AFTER I TOLD THEM I CAN'T OFFERED IT, I WAS TOLD IT'S SAFE TO DRIVE IT, NOTHING GOING TO HAPPENED BUT A A WEIRD FEELING ON THE BRAKE. AFTER RESEARCHING, I FOUND OUT IT'S VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IT LIKE THAT. I FELT LIKE TOYOTA WANTED ME TO PUT MYSELF IN DANGER. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR RIGHT NOW. I LOST MY FATHER LAST WEEK AND WITH THIS PROBLEM, I FEEL VERY BAD. PLEASE HELP.

THE ABS ACTUATOR MAKES LOUD NOISE ANYTIME YOU STEP ON BRAKES. MAKES SOUND STATIONARY OR IN MOTION.

Mileage: 100

THE BRAKE ACCUMULATOR/ACTUATOR IS A DEFECTIVE PART AND TOYOTA HAS REFUSED TO HONOR THE REPAIR. THEY MANIPULATED OWNERS BY HAVING A WARRENTY SUPPORT PROGRAM WITH END DATES, INSTEAD OF HAVING A RECALL ON IT. WHICH IS WHY WHEN I RESEARCHED BEFORE I BOUGHT, IS NOT LISTED ON CAR FAX. THE WARRANTY SUPPORT WAS BEFORE I PURCHASED VEHICLE AND PREVIOUSLY IT WAS EITHER IGNORED OR MISSED BETWEEN OWNERS. THEY HAVE HAD MANY OF THESE AND GET AWAY WITH IT. RIGHT NOW THERE IS A CLASS ACTION FILED IN OHIO OVER THIS SAME ISSUE WITH OTHER CARS. IT IS A $3000 DOLLAR PART AND NOT A KNOB ON RADIO. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO IT BEING PART OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. I'VE SEEN WHERE THE SUPPORT PROGRAM SAID MILES DIDN'T MATTER BUT WHEN TALKING TO TOYOTA THEY SAY 114,000 MILES. THE CAR IS A 2006, YEAH THAT'S REASONABLE, EVEN FOR 2017/18 LETTER. WHILE DRIVING THE VSC ALARM SYSTEM COMES ON AND THE BRAKING BECOMES DIFFICULT. THE PUMP HAS ALWAYS MADE A SOUND BUT WAS TOLD BY DEALER IT WAS THE SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM MAKING THE NOISE. IT HAPPENED IN 2019 ALSO, THE ALARM, BUT REPAIR SHOP SAID IT WAS CALIPERS, SO PAID $800 TO HAVE THEM REPLACED WITH PADS. ITS ALWAYS MADE NOISE BUT THE ALARM SYSTEM STARTED BACK UP AGAIN LAST MONTH. NOW WITH RESEARCH ON MY OWN, I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS BUT TOYOTA SAID THEY SENT LETTER TO PREVIOUS OWNER AND SORRY ABOUT MY LUCK! THIS HAS RENDERED THIS VEHICLE WORTH $5500, WORTHLESS. CANT TRADE IN A VEHICLE LIKE THIS AND LOST MY INCOME FROM DELIVERY WITH IT. I HAVE CHECKED OFF EVERYTHING THAT WOULD APPLY IF IT WAS A RECALL BUT SINCE THE SUPPORT PROGRAM HAS AN END DATE TO GET OUT OF TOYOTA EVER BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DEFECTIVE PART, THEY PUSH IT OFF ON OWNERS. I'M JUST LUCKY, I HAVE A CDL AND GOOD DRIVER AND HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH IT. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH TOYOTA AND THEY JUST SWIPED ME AWAY AS ANOTHER POOR SUCKER THAT DIDN'T FIGURE IT OUT BEFORE I PURCHASED.

Mileage: 233,000

I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKE ACTUATOR, ABS WHICH FAILED PREMATURELY. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA IN JULY 2019 AND WAS TOLD THE EXTENDER WARRANTY CAMPAIGN EXPIRED IN DEC 2018. THE REFUSED TO COVERED THE COST OF THE REPAIR. $1,186.19 FOR THE PART PLUS $653. 00 FRO THE INSTALLATION. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS DONE THE NEW BRAKE ACTUATOR PUMP STILL DOESNT WORK PROPERLY. WHEN TRYING TO BRAKE ON UNEVEN ROAD , MANHOLE COVERS OR OVER BUMPS FEELS LIKE WHEN I BRAKE I AM HITTING ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE TAKES TIME TO KICK IN..I HAVE FOUND MYSELF IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. THIS CAR WAS PURCHASE FOR MY 16 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND I DONT FEEL COMFORTABLE LETTING HER DRIVE THIS CAR.

Mileage: 115,231

BRAKE ACTUATOR WENT OUT, I HAD READ THIS IS AM ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE. I TRIED TO SEE IF I QUALIFIED FOR A COVERED REPAIR AND WAS TOLD IT HAD ENDED.

THE BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY HAS GONE OUT AT 135000 MILES. IT INTERFERS WITH BRAKING. THE BRAKES LOCK UP FREQUENTLY AND CAR WILL ALMOST HOP TO A HALT. IT IS QUITE CONCERNING AND SCARY WHEN IT OCCURS.

Mileage: 135,000

MY 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND HAD NO BRAKES. TOOK TO A MECHANIC WHO CLEARED THE CODES AND AFTER 24 HOURS THEY CAME BACK ON. CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THE WARRANTY EXPIRED IN 2017 FOR THAT EXTENDED WARRANTY. I WAS QUOTED ALMOST $2500.00 TO GET IT FIXED. TOYOTA SAID THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PRICE. NOW I HAVE A VEHICLE I AM MAKING PAYMENTS ON THAT ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE CAUSE I HAVE NO BRAKES. *TR

Mileage: 166,791

WHEN DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY AND NEEDING TO SUDDENLY BRAKE, ABS LIGHT AND CHECK VSC SYSTEM LIGHTS CAME ON, THE CAR DID BRAKE IN TIME. HOWEVER, SOON AFTERWARDS THE BRAKES DID NOT IMMEDIATELY ENGAGE WHEN REVERSING OUT OF PARKING SPACE OR ANYTIME WHEN PRESSING BRAKES WHILE REVERSING.

Mileage: 150,000

THE ABS PUMP AND MODULE ARE DEFECTIVE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WITH THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE BRAKE FAILURE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO (RICE TOYOTA 2630 BATTLEGROUND AVE, GREENSBORO, NC 27408) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE ASSENTURA NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE 150,000 MILES HAD BEEN EXCEEDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS THE VEHICLE MADE AN ABNORMAL SOUND AND WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SOUND WAS PRESENT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WITH THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER IN THE PARK POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CERTIFIED TOYOTA MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A FAILED BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

Mileage: 65,000

ONGOING ISSUE WITH GENERATION 1 HIGHLANDER HYBRIDS AND PRIUS FROM SAME DATE RANGES. A WARRANTY ADJUSTMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED AND ENDED. THE ABS BRAKE ACCUMULATOR GETS AN INTERNAL LEAK CODE C1391. REDUCED BRAKING, ESC, BRAKE AND OTHER LIGHTS COME ON. MANY OF THOSE REPAIRED UNDER WARRANTY ARE ALREADY FAILING A SECOND TIME. VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE SINCE IT CAN BE DRIVING PERFECTLY AND FAIL WHILE IN MOTION CAUSING DANGEROUS BRAKING CONDITIONS.

Mileage: 177,000

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE USED CAR LOT. THEY TOLD ME ALL SERVICE WAS COMPLETED THROUGH TOYOTA SO I HAD FAITH IN TOYOTA REPAIRING ANY PROBLEMS, WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR THE ABS SYSTEM STARTED MAKEING STRAINGE NOICES AND THE BREAKS WERE NOT VERY EFFEECTIVE, I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO CONTINUE DRIVING SINCE THIS IS MY FAMILY PRIMARY VEHICLE AS A RETIRED DISABLE VET, I CALLED TOYOTA AND THEY TOLD ME TOO BAD THAT THE PREVIOUS OWNER COULD OF HAD THE EXTENDED WARENTIY BUT THEY DIDNT DO IT, NOW IM STUCK DRIVING A DANGERIOUS VEHICLE WITH MY FAMILY WHICH INCLUDES 2 BOYS THAT ARE SPECIAL NEEDS AND MYSELF A 100% DISABLED VET. NOT HAPPY WITH TOYOTA.

Mileage: 153,000

I WAS DRIVING STRAIGHT ON THE MAIN ROAD COMING TO A STOP LIGHT.THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AFTER PRESSING ON THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES. THERE ARE SEVERAL LIGHTS ON THE DASH:BRAKES,TRACTION CONTROL, 2 YELLOW EXCLAMATION MARKS ONE INSIDE A TRIANGLE AND THE ,ABS. THE MECHANIC IS SAYING THE BRAKE ACTUATOR IS FAULTY AND NEEDS TO REPLACED.

Mileage: 15

BRAKE ACTUATOR. ON SEPTEMBER 2016 I HAD MY CAR SELF BRAKE AT 45 MPH. NO INJURIES OCCURRED, BUT I HAD CAR TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER SHIP IN ORLANDO FLORIDA. AFTER LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND CORPORATE INSPECTOR DIAGNOSIS. THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER I RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN JUNE OF 2016 TOYOTA DID ISSUE A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION WARRANTY ISSUE WITH MY CARS BRAKING ACTUATOR. I WAS NEVER INFORMED. IN NOVEMBER OF 2018 I REPORTED A ISSUE WITH BRAKES. DEALER CONFIRMED IT WAS ACTUATOR. TOYOTA REFUSED OT ASSIST WITH REPAIR. IN JANUARY OF 2019, MY BRAES FAILED WHILE DRIVING. AGAIN NO INJURIES. IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE ACTUATOR. TOYOTA AGAIN REFUSED TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY.

Mileage: 232,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF CLEVELAND (3560 VILLAGE N BLVD, MCDONALD, TN 37353) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ABS ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 259,294.

Mileage: 259,294

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE MAKING A TURN AT 5 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE STRUCK A PEDESTRIAN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE PEDESTRIAN SUFFERED INJURIES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS REQUIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. *JS

TWO MONTHS AGO, MY CAR SYSTEM NOTED ABS SYSTEM PROBLEM: ABS LIGHT, BRAKE LIGHT, AND OTHER LIGHTS ON. I TOOK MY CAR TO TOYOTA PLACE IN GARDEN GROVE, CA DEALER, THEY TOLD ME ABS SYSTEM FAILED, IT WOULD BE REPLACED AS POSSIBLE, THE COST IS FROM $2500 TO 3500. THEY ALSO SAID THE CAR I CAN DRIVE BUT THE ABS DIDN'T WORK. THE PROBLEM IS THE COST IS TOO HIGH AND I CAN'T AFFORD FOR IT. ON LAST MONDAY 04/16/2018, AROUND 7:30AM ON THE WAY DRIVING TO THE WORK PLACE, I STEPPED ON BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKE SYSTEM DID NOTHING, MY CAR RAN OUT OF CONTROL. LUCKILY, I WAS FIRST IN THE LINE, THEN I DROVE THE CAR WITH NO STEP ON GAS PEDAL, HIT EMERGENCY LIGHTS ON, AND USED THE LEG BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR. AFTER THAT, MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALER, THEY SAID ABS ACTUATOR STOPPED WORKING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THEY CHARGED ME $2,642.32; THE PART COST IS $1,834.94, BRAKE FLUID IS $7.04, THE LABOR IS $650 (FROM THE ARRIVING TIME 9:36AM TO THE CALLING TIME TO NOTE MY CAR TO BE DONE AROUND 3:40PM) AND SALES TAX IS $143.30. YOU SHOULD KNOW MY CAR IS PERMANENTLY CHANGED OIL AND MAINTENANCE AT THE SAME DEALER FROM 2011, THE YEAR I BOUGHT THE CAR AS A PRE-OWNER CAR. IN THIS PERIOD TIME, MY CAR IS ALWAYS INSPECTED BY THE DEALER WITH NOTHING BIG PROBLEM AND SPECIFICALLY WITH NO WARNING ABOUT ABS SYSTEM. IN ADDITION, IN OWNER'S MANUAL AND SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE GUIDE THE MANUFACTORY KEEPS SILENT RECOMMENDATION ABOUT ABS SYSTEM REPLACEMENT. TODAY, I AM FILING A COMPLAIN ABOUT THE ABS SYSTEM PROBLEM OF TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2006 BECAUSE IT IS VERY, VERY DANGEROUS FOR ITS CUSTOMERS WHEN DRIVING ON IT. I ALSO READ MORE THE SAME PROBLEM FROM ITS CUSTOMERS ON ONLINE. THEY MAY OR MAY NOT OPEN A FILE, BUT IT IS VITAL OF THE CONSUMER AND ALSO THE BUDGET OF EACH FAMILY. I HOPE YOU HAVE TO HELP TO SAVE THE LIFE OF PEOPLE ON THE ROAD AND SAVE THEIR MONEY ALSO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

PLEASE DISREGARD COMPLAIN NUMBER 10994017. THE AGENT DIDN'T PUT CORRECT DESCRIPTION. THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS SUDDENLY ON ON 6/4/2017. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS LOW. THE VEHICLE HAD BRAKE WORK DONE IN LATE APRIL WITH TOYOTA OF NASHUA AND REPLACED THE BRAKE FLUID. THE NEXT MORNING THE BRAKE WAS NOT EFFECTIVE (MAKING NOISE WHEN PRESSING BRAKE PADDLE AND DID NOT EFFECTIVELY STOP). BROUGHT TO THE TOYOTA DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE SEAL BROKE, CAUSED BRAKE FLUID GET TO MASTER CYLINDER, THUS FAILURE, AND THE BRAKE FLUID ALSO LEAKED TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER AND BOTH PARTS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. WE FOUND TOYOTA HAD A RECALL ON OCT 21 2010, WHICH DESCRIBED THE EXACTLY THE SAME CAUSE AS HAPPENED TO THIS CAR. FILE A CASE WITH TOYOTA CORP AND THE RESPONSE WAS ANY PART CAN FAIL AT ANY TIME. THE VEHICLE PASSED 1 YEAR WARRANTY OF RECALL WORK. SO TOYOTA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR. NOTE, IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL, WHICH WAS 2010 FOR HIGHLANDER MANUFACTURED IN 2004-2006, WHICH IS AS LONG AS 6 YEARS LATER, TOYOTA MADE THIS RECALL AND STATED THAT THEY REIMBURSED THE REPAIR COST OF MASTER CYLINDER AND BRAKE BOOSTER IF DAMAGED. THERE WAS NO MILEAGE RESTRICTION. WITH TOYOTA'S RESPONSE, WHY EVEN BOTHER RECALL? THIS RAISED SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S VERY LIKELY TO CRASH WITH SUCH DAMAGE DUE TO THE SEAL LEAK. IF THIS CONTINUED TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE, TOYOTA SHOULD PUT THIS CHECK INTO THEIR REGULAR MAINTENANCE CHECK AND REPLACEMENT. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW REPORTED PROBLEMS WITH THIS ISSUE: HTTP://WWW.CARPROBLEMZOO.COM/TOYOTA/HIGHLANDER/BRAKE-MASTER-CYLINDER-PROBLEMS.PHP. TOYOTA'S RESPONSE SHOWS INDIFFERENCE TO THE CONSUMERS AND SAFETY OF THEIR LIVES. I HOPE THIS BRINGS TOYOTA MORE ATTENTION TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO THE DEFECT AS APPARENTLY THIS IS NOT THE SINGLE OCCURRENCE. WITH SUCH CONDITION OF THE BRAKE, IT IS HIGHLY LIKELY TO CAUSE CRASH. I HOPE SOMEONE CAN DO FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK AND THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (TOYOTA OF NASHUA; 10 MARMON DR, NASHUA, NH 03060; (603) 689-1500) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 800-331-4331 AND STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: [XXX]. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 08/03/17*LJ INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE BRAKES ON OUR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID RANDOMLY GET MUSHY (SLIP) AND DON'T ENGAGE FOR A SECOND, THEN WILL ENGAGE. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS THE VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP AS INTENDED AND WHEN NEEDED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE AT OTHER TIMES WILL SURGE WHEN THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED AND YOU ATTEMPTING TO COME TO A STOP. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN WELL-DOCUMENTED AT THE FOLLOWING SITE. WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES AS NOTED BY OTHERS WITH OUR VEHICLE. HTTP://FORUMS.EDMUNDS.COM/DISCUSSION/5357/TOYOTA/HIGHLANDER-HYBRID/HIGHLANDER-HYBRID-BRAKE-PROBLEMS

VEHICLE IS LEAKING BRAKE FLUID THROUGH THE VACUUM LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER TO THE INTAKE AND THEN OUT THE EXHAUST. BRAKES ARE NOW SPONGY AND DO NOT OPERATE AS REQUIRED FOR SAFE DRIVING. TOYOTA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS RECALL STATING MY VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL NOTICE. THE BRAKE FLUID SLOW LEAK HAPPENS BOTH WHEN STATIONARY AND IN USE. THE RECALL WAS ISSUED ON OCTOBER 21, 2010. BRAKE FLUID TRAVELLING DOWN THIS PATH ALSO AFFECTS OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE ENGINE; SUCH AS, VACUUM LINES, FUEL AIR SENSORS BOTH PRIOR TO AND AFTER THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER ITSELF.

Mileage: 186,000

THE "BRAKE ACTUATOR" BECAME DEFECTIVE, AND WAS NOT ABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE PART WAS VERY EXPENSIVE AND SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED WIDE SPREAD ENOUGH THAT IT SHOULD BE "RECALLED".

Mileage: 165,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE BRAKE LIGHT, ANTILOCK BRAKE LIGHT, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE AND THE ANTILOCK BRAKES DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE COMPUTER CORE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 90,000. ..UPDATED 05/02/16 *BF *TR

Mileage: 90,000

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE IS A NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE BRAKES AND IT FEELS LIKE THE BRAKES ARE FAILING SO I WENT TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THAT THE BRAKE ACTUATOR WAS BAD AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT WAS QUOTED AT $3200.00. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND THAT THIS HAS OCCURRED NOT JUST ONCE BUT MANY TIMES ON NUMEROUS TOYOTA VEHICLES OVER MANY YEARS. I ALSO DETERMINED THAT EVEN IF I WERE TO PAY TO REPAIR THIS CONDITION THAT IT WOULD REOCCUR DO TO THE DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THIS PART OF THE BRAKING SYSTEM. WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN ADDRESSED AND A RECALL ISSUED?

Mileage: 90,270

DRIVING VEHICLE WHEN WARNING LIGHTS FOR ABS AND SKID CONTROL CAME ON. CHECK VSC SYSTEM IN DASH. WHEN BRAKE IS APPLIED RIGHT FRONT TIRE LOCKS AND CAUSES VEHICLE TO SPIN. SLOW SPEED IS THE ONLY REASON FOR NO ACCIDENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD "BRAKE ACCUATOR " ELECTRONICS HAD FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR $3800. RESEARCH SHOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE ON THE HIGHLANDER, THE LEXUS AND THE CAMRY SO WHY HAVE THE HIGHLANDERS NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE RECALL?

Mileage: 75,000

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE TRAFFIC CAME TO A SLOW AS I WAS BRAKING TO SLOW DOWN I NOTICED ALL THE LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD SUDDENLY LIT UP, ALL THE FOLLOWING ENGINE, ABS, BRAKES AND CHECK VSC LIGHTS CAME ON. I TOOK TO A DEALERSHIP, PIERCEY TOYOTA AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC AND CAME BACK WITH CODES C1391 AND B1281.

Mileage: 169,563

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DISPLAYED A "VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL" ERROR MESSAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM ACCUMULATOR PUMP REMAINED ACTIVATED AND DRAINED THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

Mileage: 122,000

AFTER AN SYNTHETIC OIL CHANGE AND REAR BRAKE JOB AT FIRESTONE A FEW DAYS EARLIER IN ATLANTA, I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND MY CHECK VSC SYSTEM LIGHT CAME ON. I THEN TOOK IT BACK TO FIRESTONE AND THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND THERE WERE NO CODES; SUBSEQUENTLY THEY SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DIAGNOSIS AT THE DEALER REVEALED THAT I NEEDED A NEW ABS ACCUMULATOR AND THIS COULD BE REPAIRED FOR $3,118. I WAS NOT INTERESTED IN SPENDING THIS AMOUNT SINCE THE PART HAS A KNOW DESIGN MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON CLEARING THE CHECK VSC SYSTEM LIGHT AND FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND THE CODE CLEARED FOR ABOUT 9 DAYS AND REAPPEARED ON YESTERDAY FOR SOME REASON. WHAT CAN I DO? *TR

Mileage: 151,247

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE BRAKES FAILED. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED. PER TOYOTA, THE VIN # FOR THE CAR IS NOT IN THE "BATCH" INVOLVED IN A RECALL IN 2010 INVOLVING THE MASTER CYLINDERS FOR HIGHLANDERS, AND THEY REFUSE TO HONOR THE RECALL FOR THIS CAR. *TR

Mileage: 103,362

WAS DRIVING IN TRAFFIC WHEN AN ALARM SOUNDED AND SEVERAL DASHBOARD LIGHTS LIT UP. CENTER DISPLAY SAID "CHECK VSC SYSTEM". I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO SAID THE ABS MODULE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST $2,800. OTHER THAN A VIBRATION UNDER THE HOOD WHILE SLOWING DOWN THE CAR APPEARS TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT IS ON WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THE ABS MAYBE DISABLED. I WAS ABLE TO RUN A VSC DIAGNOSTIC AND PULLED CODE 45. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF REPORTED INCIDENTS FOR THIS FAILURE IT APPEARS TO BE A WIDE SPREAD PROBLEM. *TR

Mileage: 150,500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYBRID WAS CALIBRATING AND WAS PERFORMING NORMALLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VSC AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACTUATOR AND THE HYBRID PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

Mileage: 60,000

COMPLAINT: 2006 BASE HIGHLANDER, FWD, 4 CYLINDERS. BRAKE SYSTEM (VSC, TRAC OFF, ABS & BRAKE) AND TPMS LIGHTS ON, DISABLING SAFETY FEATURES. 1)TPMS FLASHING LIGHT. ISSUE MAY HAVE BEEN IN-PROCESS SINCE DAY 1. IT REGULARLY CAME ON, RESET BY DEALERS AND EVENTUALLY SHOWED US HOW TO RESET OURSELVES. 2)BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHTS. ALL (4) CAME ON, DIAGNOSED AS LEFT REAR WHEEL SENSOR. DEALER QUOTED COST: $1000. REPLACEMENT DIDN'T WORK, WOUND UP REPLACING WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY PIGTAIL. LASTED TWO (2) WEEKS, RE-DIAGNOSED AS ABS PUMP/CONTROL MODULE ASSEMBLY. DEALER QUOTED COST: $2500. WHILE THIS ITSELF IS RIDICULOUS, THE REPAIR COSTS WOULD EXCEED 1/8TH (13%) THE COST OF THE VEHICLE NEW! NOW, IN 2014, IT'S APPROXIMATELY (50%) OF THE CURRENT VEHICLES VALUE. THIS ISSUE HAS RECENTLY RESULTED IN SCREECHING TO A HALT IN DANGEROUS TRAFFIC. IT ESSENTIALLY NEGATES THE STAR SAFETY SYSTEM FEATURES, FOR VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AND DRIVING CONDITIONS. THIS ISSUE CANNOT BE IGNORED ANY LONGER, SINCE IT'S THE TOPIC ON NUMEROUS WEB SITE FORUMS AND INQUIRIES AND EVEN SALVAGED USED PARTS ARE BEING SOLD BY MANY SITES FOR THIS PROBLEM. RECOMPENSE: REMUNERATION OF EXPENSES TO DATE AND FUTURE REPAIRS TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS REQUESTED. REVIEW OF TSB AND/OR INVESTIGATION INTO RECALL CAMPAIGN TO FIX ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES. *TR

Mileage: 85,000

AFTER THE DATE OF THE CRASH THE CAR IS FAILING TO STOP PROPERLY. THE CAR WILL BUMP CONSTANTLY BEFORE A COMPLETE STOP. IT IS UNSAFE TO USE THE CAR AT HIGHER SPEED OR IN SUDDEN STOP SITUATIONS. IT IS ALSO MAKING A CONSTANT NOISE WHEN THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL HYBRID SHOP AND THE DIAGNOSTIC WAS QUICK IN JUST MINUTES. THEY SAID IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH ALL TOYOTA HYBRIDS. TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS BUT NOT ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITY. THEY SAID THAT PART SHOULD LAST FOR THE LIFE OF EVERY CAR BUT NOT FOR THE HYBRIDS. IT WAS A BAD DESIGN AND TOYOTA HAS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR JUST DIAGNOSE BUT NOT REPAIR OR PREVENT. THE PART COST $2400 INCLUDING LABOR. I CALLED TOYOTA PR AND MAKE A COMPLAINT. THEY HAVE FAILED TO HELP ME NEITHER THEY PROVIDE STATUS ON THE COMPLAINT.

Mileage: 81,130

THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE PEDAL SUDDENLY FELT 'SOFT' AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. AFTER STOMPING ON THE BRAKE AGAIN THE VEHICLES' BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED WITH A JERK AND BEGAN WORKING NORMALLY AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW DAYS BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE INTO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. DEALERSHIP IDENTIFIED A FAULTY MASTER CYLINDER AND BOOSTER ASSEMBLY - BOTH OF WHICH ARE COVERED UNDER A LIMITED RECALL ON 2004 - 2006 HIGHLANDERS. UNFORTUNATELY NOT ALL 2006 HIGHLANDERS ARE COVERED EVEN THOUGH THEY EXPERIENCE THE EXACT SAME MALFUNCTION. *TR

Mileage: 76,725

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE BRAKE AND ABS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED BUT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE BRAKE SWITCH WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE BRAKE SWITCH WAS REPLACED, THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND WOULD HAVE TO DIAGNOSED A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,100.

Mileage: 29,100