2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Owner Complaints

THE HYBRID INVERTER FAILED WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A RED LIGHT. A LOUD CLUNK WAS HEARD AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF THE ROAD. "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM" WARNING FLASHED. CAR WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AT 9 YEARS, 117K MILES (WARRANTY IS 8 YEARS, 110K MILES). THE PREVIOUS RECALLS FOR THE HYBRID INVERTER HAD BEEN COMPLETED ~3 YEARS AGO AND SO THE RECALL ALSO WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIR. THE QUOTED COST OF THE REPAIR IS ~$11K.

NHTSA ID

11228964

Incident

Jun 23, 2019

Mileage

117,000 mi

ALL DOORS AND HATCH DO NOT LOCK WITH THE KEY FOB OR WITH THE POWER LOCKS ON BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE DOORS.

NHTSA ID

11191154

Incident

Feb 11, 2019

Mileage

120,000 mi

ABS - CODE -1391,THIS IS SECOND TIME,FIRST TIME(2016) WAS CHANGED THIS PART -44510-48080

NHTSA ID

11145191

Incident

Oct 24, 2018

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE USING THE TAILGATE CLOSE BUTTON ON THE KEY FOB,CAR SHUT OFF AND PARKED, A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD WHILE THE DOOR WAS CLOSING AND THE DOOR JAMMED, SLIGHTLY OPENED AND IMMOVABLE. HAD TO TAKE THE CAR TO A CERTIFIED TOYOTA REPAIR FACILITY TO GET THE CLOSING SERVO DISCONNECTED SO THE DOOR WOULD SHUT. MANUAL OPERATION OF THE DOOR IS THE ONLY WAY TO OPEN AND CLOSE AT THIS TIME. NOTHING WAS BLOCKING THE DOOR AS IT WAS CLOSING AND COMPLETE REPAIR APPEARS TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE. BACK DOOR HINGES APPEAR TO BE SLIGHTLY OUT OF LINE BUT DOOR WILL CLOSE MANUALLY. T-SB-0038-15 ADDRESSES A PROBLEM SIMILAR TO THIS BUT THE DOOR WOULD OPEN - IN THIS CASE IT WOULD NOT UNTIL THE TOYOTA SERVICEMAN REMOVED THE SERVO.

NHTSA ID

11142413

Incident

Oct 23, 2018

Mileage

61,050 mi

I ALMOST GOT IN TO AN ACCIDENT ON 5/11/2018 DUE TO THE ABS SYSTEM NOT STOPPING THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN I-95. I GOT A WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH AS I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKES, LATER THE CAR DID NOT WANTED TO STOP, BUT IT DID NOT PREVENT ME FROM HITTING THE OTHER CAR. I PRESS ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR. LATER, I TOOK THE CAR TO GET DIAGNOSE AND PUT ERROR CODES C1391, ABS ACCUMULATOR LEAK OR MALFUNCTION. CONTACTED DELRAY TOYOTA IN DELRAY BEACH, FL AND THEY DENY TO DO A RECALL WHEN THERE IS AN EXTENTED WARRANTY RECALL ON CAMRY AND PRIUS MODEL LINE FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. CALLED TOYOTA CORP. AND THEY ARE DENYING TO DO ANYTHING TO FIX THE SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THEY STATED THAT SINCE THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH BUYERS FOR THIS MODEL, THEY WILL NOT COVER OR MAKE A RECALL ON SAFETY FOR THE PUBLIC. I HAVE FOUND OVER ALL THE INTERNET COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. I AM LOOKING FOR A RESOLUTION. A PICTURE OF THE ERRORS CODES ON THE VEHICLE IS INCLUDED ON THE COMPLAINT.

NHTSA ID

11098111

Incident

May 11, 2018

Mileage

15 mi

DEFECTIVE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. CLUNKING, ETC. SEEMS DANGEROUS, NO RECALL.... THIS IS ONE COMPLAINT TO ADD TO THE NUMEROUS OTHERS. TOYOTA, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?

NHTSA ID

11084019

Incident

Feb 1, 2018

Mileage

112,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING TO PICK UP MY SON WHEN A BRAKE MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH ABS SYSTEM. AFTER PICKING UP MY SON I WENT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER AND THE FOUND THE PROBLEM WAS GIVEN BY CODE C1391, A BRAKE ACCUMULATOR VACUUM LEAK. WAS TOLD VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITHOUT REPAIR, INTERNAL PRESSURE LOSS COULD PREVENT CAR FROM STOPPING IN A PANIC SITUATION. ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS THIS IS COVERED BY WARRANTY EXTENSION FOR SOME MODEL YEARS OF HIGHLANDER, CAMRY AND PRIUS, TOYOTA WOULD NOT EXTEND SAME COURTESY TO ME, NOR WAS DEALER ABLE TO OFFER ME A GOODWILL ADJUSTMENT. PUMP ASSEMBLY AND ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY PARTS AND REPAIR COST ABOUT $5300.00. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW FROM THE DEALER, HAD ALL RECOMMENDED AND NECESSARY MAINTENANCE AT DEALER ON DEALER SCHEDULE. *BF *TR

NHTSA ID

11060726

Incident

Nov 25, 2017

Mileage

90,000 mi

VERY COMMON PROBLEM IS BEING REPORTED IN ALL OF THE HIGHLANDERS OF 2008 FORWARD. AT LOW MILEAGE, THE STEERING COLUMN HAS A BEARING IN IT CALLED A STUB SHAFT BUT APPARENTLY GETS LOOSE LEAVING TO A CLUNK AND LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING. IT IS SO COMMON THAT OUR DEALER HAS TO KEEP MULTIPLE REPLACEMENT PARTS IN STOCK. PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THIS WITHIN THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY, MY CAR BEGAN TO DO IT AT ABOUT 60,000 MILES. IT IS A $700 REPAIR. LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS POSSIBLE.

NHTSA ID

10840076

Incident

Feb 23, 2016

Mileage

60 mi

ACCELERATOR MOVED TO FULL SPEED AS BACKING UP BEGAN. AUTO PLOWED 110 FEET FULL SPEED THROUGH PLANTS AND TREES, COMING TO A STOP BY SOME TREES. CAR WAS PARKED ON PRIVATE DRIVEWAY. DRIVER SLIGHTLY INJURED. REAR END CAR DAMAGE IS $6,000+.

NHTSA ID

10819165

Incident

Nov 13, 2015

Mileage

52,000 mi

DOOR LOCKS ON PASSENGER FRONT AND REAR, DRIVER FRONT AND REAR, HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED OR REPAIRED AT LEAST TWICE DUE TO MALFUNCTIONS. AS OF DECEMBER 2015, THE LOCKS ARE FAILING AGAIN FOR A THIRD TIME, CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. LOCKS DON'T WORK. THEY WILL EITHER STAY LOCKED, FAILING TO OPEN, OR NOW, THEY WILL NOT LOCK AT ALL. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT HAS NEVER BEEN FIXED PROPERLY. KEEPS RECURRING.

NHTSA ID

10811502

Incident

Dec 20, 2015

Mileage

30,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A ROAD WITHOUT WARNING ONE OF THE IGNITION COILS FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE AND THE CAR TO IMMEDIATELY STOP IN TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY, WE WERE ON A RURAL ROAD AND GOING LESS THAN 30 MPH, BUT ON A FREEWAY AT SPEED WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID UNLIKE MOST CARS WILL NOT RUN AT ALL WITH AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE. THUS, THERE IS A RISK OF A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE TOYOTA DEALER WAS UNABLE TO OFFER ANY EXPLANATION OTHER THAN THEE THINGS HAPPEN. THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY 80,000 MILES, HAD BEEN MAINTAINED BY TOYOTA DEALERS ON A REGULAR BASIS AND IS FIVE YEARS OLD. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR 58 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED AN IGNITION COIL FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

10786138

Incident

Oct 2, 2015

Mileage

81,000 mi

WHEN I DEPRESS THE BRAKE TO MAKE A CONSISTENT SMOOTH STOP IF THE VEHICLE HITS BUMPS THE CAR SEEMS TO LOOSE ITS BRAKING POWER AND ALMOST FEELS LIKE IT SLIPS OUT FROM UNDER ME AS IT LURCHES AHEAD. THIS PROBLEM IS CONSISTENT IN THAT IT HAPPENS IN THE SAME SPOTS UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH IT COULD BE HAZARDOUS IN CERTAIN CONDITIONS. *JS

NHTSA ID

10598052

Incident

Jun 13, 2014

Mileage

35,000 mi

2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND RECALL PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *SMD AFTER THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONSUMER CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. FOUR DAY LATER, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT TURN ON AFTER AN EXTREMELY COLD DAY. THE CONSUMER CALLED FOR A JUMP, THINKING IT WAS THE BATTERY. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN CAME OUT AND IT WAS DISCOVERED, THE BATTERY WAS NOT THE ISSUE, BUT MAYBE SOME OTHER TYPE OF ELECTRICAL ISSUE, AS THE VEHICLE SOUNDED AS IF IT WERE TRYING TO TURN OVER, BUT WOULDN'T. ALSO, THE CAR ALARM WAS GOING OFF INTERMITTENTLY FOR HOURS FOR NO REASON. THE CONSUMER CALLED ANOTHER DEALER, ABOUT GETTING THE VEHICLE FIXED, BUT WAS INFORMED THE PART WAS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. *JB

NHTSA ID

10567320

Incident

Jan 19, 2014

THE INVERTER FAILED AND THE CAR STALLED ON A BUSY FREEWAY (I-5) DURING A DARK, RAINY EVENING. THE CAR COULD NOT MAKE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE SIDE OF THE SHOULDER AND STOPPED PARTIALLY BLOCKING A LANE. IT WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND THE DRIVER, MY WIFE, WAS LUCKY NOT TO BE INJURED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10565942

Incident

Feb 23, 2014

Mileage

62,000 mi

MY TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAS EXTREMELY POOR BRAKING IN SNOW / ICY CONDITIONS. EVEN AT EXTREMELY LOW SPEEDS (10 TO 15 MPH), THE CAR SKIDS FOR TENS OF FEET BEFORE COMING TO A HALT. THREE TIMES SO FAR, IT CAUSED DANGEROUS SITUATIONS BECAUSE THE CAR KEPT GOING DESPITE FULL ENGAGEMENT OF THE BRAKES. ONCE, I NARROWLY MISSED BEING HIT BY A 53' TRUCK BECAUSE MY CAR ROLLED INTO A MAJOR STREET, JUST BARELY GETTING BY BEFORE THE TRUCK CAME THROUGH. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO TALK WITH THE DEALER - THE RESPONSE IS THAT HYBRID CARS BRAKE DIFFERENTLY. I HAVE DRIVEN CARS FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND I KNOW THERE IS A DEFECT IN HOW THE CAR'S HYBRID SYSTEM IS ENGAGING THE BRAKING FUNCTIONALITY. ITS A SHAME THAT A CAR THAT COST 50K ON THE ROAD HAS SUCH A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER AND ITS DEALERS REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10558524

Incident

Jan 5, 2014

Mileage

34,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE WHEEL BEARING SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME FAILURE ON THREE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,000. *TR

NHTSA ID

10514848

Incident

Apr 10, 2013

Mileage

77,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT TOWED THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE TEST SHOWED A DEFECTIVE COIL PACK WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE COIL AS WELL AS THE BATTERY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,400.

NHTSA ID

10496728

Incident

Feb 1, 2013

Mileage

25,400 mi

MULTIPLE BATTERY FAILURES REQUIRING JUMP STARTS: SEVEN (7) TIMES SINCE I BOUGHT THIS SUV IN FEB 2011. THREE TIMES THERE WAS A POSSIBLE KNOWN CAUSE FOR THE BATTERY DRAIN: THE PASSENGER VANITY MIRROR LIGHT WAS LEFT ON FOR 15 MINUTES, 2 HOURS, AND AN UNKNOWN LENGTH OF TIME. NONE OF THESE THREE EPISODES WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO CAUSE A COMPLETELY DEAD BATTERY IN ONE THAT HAS BEEN EVALUATED AS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. I DRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS ALL WINTER. GETTING STRANDED IN AN ISOLATED PLACE CAN BE DEADLY DUE TOO EXPOSURE, RISK OF COLLISION ON SINGLE LANE SNOW-OCCLUDED ROADS WITH 2-WAY TRAFFIC AND FAST SNOW PLOWS. OTHER TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. TWICE NOW THE DEALER HAS SAID THERE IS "NO PROBLEM" WITH THE BATTERY. I AM PURSUING CORRECTION THROUGH THE LOCAL TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS MANAGER AND WILL FOLLOW THROUGH WITH TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CENTER AND THE CALIFORNIA DISPUTE SETTLEMENT CENTER IF A PROMPT LOCAL SOLUTION IS NOT ACHIEVED. HTTP://ANSWERS.EDMUNDS.COM/QUESTION-WE-HAVE-A-2010-TOYOTA-HIGHLANDER-HYBRID-THE-BATTERY-IS-CONSTANTLY-DYING-ON-IT-EXAMPLE-LEAVE-DOOR-OPEN-10-MINUTES-AND-IT-S-DEAD-144840.ASPX *JS

NHTSA ID

10462357

Incident

Apr 20, 2011

Mileage

21,000 mi

KEYLESS FOB RESULTED IN CAR BEING LEFT ON ALL NIGHT IN ENCLOSED GARAGE. THE DESIGN DEFECT IN NOT AUTOMATICALLY TURNING THE ENGINE OFF WHEN THE FOB LEAVES THE IMMEDIATE AREA IS WELL-KNOWN. THE ADDITIONAL PROBLEM IN THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID IS THAT THE GREEN POWER LIGHT GOES ON WHEN YOU TURN OFF THE CAR, LEADING THE DRIVER TO BELIEVE THAT THE POWER IS NOW ON, WHEN IN FACT IT IS OFF. THE DRIVER THEN STEPS ON THE BRAKE AND PRESSES POWER AGAIN, THINKING THAT THEY ARE NOW TURNING THE CAR OFF BECAUSE THE POWER BUTTON IS NO LONGER GREEN. THE HYBRID ENGINE IS SILENT WHEN THE CAR STARTS, SO THE DRIVER LEAVES THE AREA WITH THE FOB THINKING THE CAR IS OFF, WHEN IN FACT IT IS ON ALL NIGHT IN A CLOSED GARAGE, AS HAPPENED WITH US. *TR

NHTSA ID

10383059

Incident

Feb 12, 2011

Mileage

1,000 mi

2010 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE IS SUPPOSE TO BE ALL WHEEL DRIVE, HOWEVER THE HYBRID SYSTEM IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD SLIDE, THE HYBRID SYSTEM SHUT DOWN THE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM BECAUSE THE COMPUTER WAS TRYING TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE GENERATOR WHICH IS A PART OF THE HYBRID SYSTEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10382014

Incident

Feb 1, 2011

HYBIRD SYSTEM OVERRIDES ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM WHEN TIRES SLIP DISABLING THE SYSTEM, IN EFFECT RENDERING IT NONFUNCTIONAL, SO THAT THE GENERATOR IS NOT DAMAGED. COMBUSTION ENGINE WILL NOT TURN ON AND WHEN YOU HIT GAS NOTHING HAPPENS. I HAD TO BE TOWED OUT. SERVICE QUOTED AFTER EXAMINING "DID EXPERIENCE CONCERN TRAC/VCS CUTS POWER TO WHEEL WHEN SLIPPAGE OCCURS. UNFORTUNATLY, THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE THIS. EVERYTHING WORKS AS DESIGNED." MY 2006 HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAD SIMILAR INCIDENT ALMOST CAUSING ME TO BE RUN OVER AS POWER CUT OFF ON HIGHWAY AND I WAS TOLD THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO BE RESET AND IT WAS FINE. A CAR EQUIPPED WITH ALL WHEEL DRIVE SHOULD FUNCTION AS A ALL WHEEL DRIVE NOT BE DESIGNED TO BE NON FUNCTIONAL WHEN IT IS NEEDED. THE FIRST TIME A BARELY SURVIVED GETTING TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS TIME I HAD TO BE TOWED ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN TWO HOURS FROM ANYWHERE IN SNOWSHOE WEST VIRGINIA. SERVICE ANTICIPATES NO WAY TO CORRECT.

NHTSA ID

10377307

Incident

Dec 17, 2009

Mileage

17,000 mi

TL* 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.

NHTSA ID

10331551

Incident

Feb 8, 2010

Mileage

1,000 mi