RoadVitals

2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Fuel system Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Fuel system reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest May 11, 2015
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 370 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
2
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming fuel system

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed May 11, 2015

ENGINE MECHANICAL ~|~CHECK AND REPORT...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT ON DASH, .FOUND INVERTER PUMP NOT WORKING PROPERLY ~|~REPLACED INVERTER WATER PUMP

NHTSA ID
10715792
Incident
May 9, 2015
Mileage
161,359 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed May 11, 2015

ENGINE MECHANICAL ~|~CHECK AND REPORT...CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND VSC LIGHT ON DASH, ,,CAR LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING, HAD TO PULL OVER AND GET THE VEHICLE TOWED IN TO THE DEALERSHIP... ~|~TECH PULLED CODE P0A05,P0A08,P0A93, ...FOUND INVERTER PUMP NOT WORKING PROPERLY ~|~REPLACED INVERTER WATER PUMP

NHTSA ID
10715789
Incident
Jul 25, 2010
Mileage
71,893 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system+1 more
Filed Jun 5, 2014
Fire reported

THERE WAS FIRE IN THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY. THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THE INVERTER AND THE TRANSMISSION WERE COMPLETELY COOKED AND MELTED. THE PROFESSIONAL OPINION OF A TOYOTA NATIONAL ENGINEER IS THAT THE GENERATOR IN THE TRANS AXLE SURGED AND CAUSED A FIRE MELTING THE COMPONENTS. HOW CAN THIS GO UN-INVESTIGATED WITH SO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. MY FAMILY AND I COULD HAVE BEEN BURNED ALIVE OR IN A FATAL CRASH DUE TO THIS COMPLETELY UNSAFE SYSTEM. HOW CAN TOYOTA CONTINUE TO SAY THEY ARE ALL ABOUT SAFETY WHEN THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT ISSUES LIKE THIS. THEY HAVE SENT ME A $16,000 BILL FOR THIS ISSUE THAT IS COMPLETELY A PRODUCT OF THEIR POOR AND UNSAFE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10596292
Incident
May 14, 2014
Mileage
107,500 mi
ElectricalFuel systemPowertrain (other)
Filed May 21, 2014
Fire reported

I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD POPPING NOISE ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR RECALL WORK. ONCE THE TECHNICIAN OPENED THE INVERTER CASE WE FOUND THE WIRING HARNESS FOR BOTH THE INVERTER AND TRANSMISSION WERE COMPLETELY MELTED AND COOKED DUE TO A FIRE INSIDE THE INVERTER. I AM NOW LOOKING AT A $15000 REPAIR BILL WITH TOYOTA AND LUCKILY MY FAMILY AND I WERE NOT BURNED ALIVE OR IN AN ACCIDENT RESULTING IN FATALITIES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10593095
Incident
May 15, 2014
Mileage
107,500 mi
Driver assistanceEngineFuel system
Filed Nov 24, 2013

THE CASE WAS STOPPED AND PLACED IN PARKING WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING FORWARD AT ABOUT 3 MPH. I ALMOST HIT A CAR 5 FEET IN FRONT OF ME(AT THE TIME I PLACED THE HIGHLANDER IN PARKING GEAR) AND IT ENDED 6 INCHES AWAY FROM THE CAR IN THE FRONT. I HAD TO STEP ON THE BRAKE SHIFT GEARS FROM PARKING TO DRIVE. SHIFT AGAIN TO PARKING AND WHILE KEEPING THE BRAKES ON I PRESSED ON THE PARKING BRAKE AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. THERE WAS NO INCLINE IN THE STREET OR ANY DECLINE OBSERVABLE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ORIGINAL FAILURE. MY WIFE AND MY 1 YEAR OLD CHILD WERE INSIDE THE CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10553576
Incident
Oct 12, 2013
Mileage
60,000 mi
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Aug 27, 2013

MY WIFE WAS BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER TO THE WHEELS AND ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. SHE WAS UNABLE TO MOVE THE CAR FORWARD OR BACKWARD TO GET THE CAR OUT OF THE LANE OF TRAFFIC. WE GOT THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THEY INFORMED US THAT THE INVERTER WAS BAD AND WE NEEDED A NEW ONE. WE HAD RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ABOUT REPLACING AN "INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE" AND HAD THE REPAIRS DONE JAN 9TH 2013. THE REPAIR SHOP HAS SAID THAT THE REPLACED PART IS WORKING AND THAT IT IS THE INVERTER ITSELF THAT HAS GONE BAD. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM ONLINE. I AM JUST THANKFUL THAT SHE WASN'T GOING HIGHWAY SPEED WITH OUR CHILD IN THE CAR WHEN SHE LOST POWER. THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10537610
Incident
Aug 26, 2013
Mileage
105,000 mi
Fuel systemSteering
Filed Jun 22, 2010

I EXPERIENCED TOTAL POWER LOSS TO THE ENGINE AND STEERING OF MY 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. TOYOTA WANTS $7000 TO REPLACE THE HYBRID POWER INVERTER. TOYOTA REFUSES TO DISCLOSE FREQUENCY OF THIS FAILURE. IDENTICAL FAILURES CAN BE FOUND IN ONLINE FORUMS, ALL WITH THE 2006 HIGHLANDER OR WITH THE 2006 LEXUS RX 400H. POTENTIALLY DEADLY FAILURE FOLLOWED BY A PRICE GOUGING REPAIR COSTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10339590
Incident
Jun 14, 2010
Mileage
129,000 mi
Driver assistanceFuel system
Filed Feb 16, 2010

2006 HYBRID TOYOTA HIGHLANDER - ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEEMS TO DEPRESS ON ITS OWN WHEN DRIVER'S FOOT IS ON IT; FEELS LIKE SOMEONE IS STEPPING ON YOUR FOOT AND PUSHING IT DOWN FURTHER. MY WIFE AND I HAVE EACH EXPERIENCED THIS INDEPENDENTLY ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE CAR IS CONTROLLABLE AND THE BREAKS WORK WHEN THIS HAPPENS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10310722
Incident
Jan 15, 2009

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .