Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options

Toyota Highlander Hybrid - Hybrid System Problems

12357

Comments

  • Options
    marc1956marc1956 Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2011
    This is interesting! My 2006 HH is in the local Toyota dealership since my inverter and ECU failed pulling into my driveway on October 1. They still have it because they could not get all of the warning lights to go out. Today, they tell me that the lights are on because MY power steering ECU is bad and so is my 12 volt battery! The battery was installed by the same dealer in February of this year. So, how can your vehicle have the identical problems INCLUDING the power steering ECU and battery? My dealership has explained it this way: It was struck by lightning! Honestly, that is what they said must have happened. They want me to pay for the power steering ECU replacement but I am arguing that I am convinced that when the hybrid inverter and ECU failed, that sent a surge through the system that fried the power steering ECU and it should be covered under the hybrid warranty. Is it a coincidence that your 2006 HH with 89,000 miles and my 2006 HH with 92,000 miles have the identical repair issues? I may want to talk with you if you don't mind. Maybe we can BOTH get some satisfaction out of this! I have sent a voicemail and an email to the service manager so maybe he will consider my request. Very interesting. I should add that the vehicle is a Georgia vehicle, excellent shape and no corrosion for the power steering ECU.

    #138 of 228 On Our 3rd Inverter-Converter by dnvr_co_john May 12, 2011 (6:33 pm)

    Our 2006 HH Limited is now on its 3rd Inverter Converter assembly. The first one failed at 7200 miles as we were driving down from the mountains on I-70 into Denver. We were in the right lane & the Error stated flashing and the vehicle shut down with heavy traffic we had enough speed to get off at an exit. Three weeks ago we were headed up hill accelerating and at just over 40 MPH ther was a loud 'Bang" the Engine shut off and we got over to the shoulder. The VSC, Hybrid & AWD System Failures where all flashing. This time the Engine would restart but the throttle had no affect & shifting into Reverse or Drive did nothing. Luckily we only have 88,900 miles so the Warranty covered it again ($11000 here in CO).
    We also had a Power-steering ECU failure (due to corrosion ???) & a mysterious 12V battery failure that were not covered by Warranty. I am trying to convince my wife we need to dump this garbage before we have a failure that is not covered & the repairs are more than the trade-in value.
  • Options
    tekwiztekwiz Member Posts: 3
    Hello All,

    Note: My HH is fully loaded, name the option and I have it, feel like a SUCKER. :(

    I'm new on this forum and I felt I have missed out on so much on Hybrid education after reading HH postings for about an hour this morning...

    My HH just crapped out on me on the highway @~55mph wabbling and then showing VSC and Brake Warning. Had it towed to dealer where they diagnose an HInverter replacement of ~$8500, found replacement part online for <$4000. I called Toyota, opened case#1111291497 and have a case manager (CM) look at my options but came back with no help. I believe Recall Number 11V342000 applied to my repair but CM claims that was only for inverter manufactured in US and mine was in Japan, my VIN is not included. My mileage of ~194250 is not helpful neither. I have logged a complaint with USDOT-NHTSA (My ODI Number is: 10437944
    ) and I hope all HH owner on this forum have done the same or should log complaints right a way to increase the NOISE to force Toyota to live up to a minimum expectation of accepting responsibility. I'm also looking into having a TV/Radio stations like NPR/CNN/FOX :) get involved. On a sad note, the dealer offered to give ~$3500 on the HH for another purchase. Your advice on my course of action to repair or JUNK the HH is welcome and appreciated, I'm in a tough financial position.

    Regards and good luck to all !!!
  • Options
    stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    Don't let them screw with you over the VIN #.
    That problem should be covered by a recall.
    We have a 2007. It is a [non-permissible content removed] car!
    I love my 2004 Prius but the HH was and is still
    a looser.
  • Options
    tekwiztekwiz Member Posts: 3
    Hey Steve,

    You and I in same boat, my 06 Prius with Package 5 is still going at 196k no issue except the water pump and pedal recals I fixed this past November.

    How do I stop them from screwing me with the HH? I'm about run out of options :(
  • Options
    schnabeljsschnabeljs Member Posts: 3
    I was at a stop light when it turned green and pressed on the accelerator. The car died, dash board cycles through a sequence of Check Hybrid System, Check AWD, Check VSC. The engine light is on, the VSC light is on (the one with the car followed by squiggly line), the circle with the exclamation point is on.

    Turned the vehicle off and then on, engine seems to start for about 3 seconds then cuts off and never comes back on. Light sequence starts again. Nothing to do but get it towed. I'm at 74,000 miles, so out of the drive train warranty, but still in the Hybrid warranty. Service tech at local shop put it on a battery check for the start battery and it said it was too low to hold a charge. Lights are very low in the cabine, headlights still seem to show some juice though.

    He put another device on the terminals to act as a battery to see if it would start. Engine seems like it wants to kick in, but makes a rather loud rattling sound, then dies. He put the diagnostic leads on the car and it shows multiple failures, including the Hybrid system, but it also shows other failures, so he's thinking it's something other than the Hybrid batteries failing.

    Is the above indicative of the inverter failure?

    Thanks,

    Jeffrey
  • Options
    marc1956marc1956 Member Posts: 2
    My 2006 died with an inverter failure a few months ago and your experience sounds like mine. Beware of multiple failures as a result of this event! Once Toyota replaced my inverter and Hybrid ECU, there were still multiple error messages. They told me that my power steering ECU had also died and needed to be replaced for $1,000! I told them that I felt the Hybrid failure had cause this and they told me, with a straight face, that my vehicle must have been struck by lightning and that is why I had multiple failures. They replace the power steering ECU and then discovered that the ECU for my climate control was ALSO bad! Another $1,000 repair at that! I did not have it repaired and traded it for a non-hybrid Highlander at a different dealer. The service writer at my Toyota dealer actually told me that I should get rid of it, after he told me that it had been struck by lightning! No evidence of a lightning strike, but they stuck to their version.

    I would say that you need to get your vehicle to a Toyota dealer and have them replace the inverter and likely the Hybrid ECU. Any other problems are likely caused by a lightning strike! No kidding! Good luck.
  • Options
    stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    Depending upon the VIN number, it might fall into the recall batch. Even if it doesn't it's the same problem and they should fix it at no cost. I believe, the printed circuit board that controls the inverter fails due to improper soldering.
    When that happens the entire inverter is ruined. You might be able to find out on the internet. There definatley was a TSB that you should be able to find.
  • Options
    kenduffkenduff Member Posts: 19
    Had the same problems as you, read past posts....Toyota will not help you, we tried everything with them. They told us the reason the inverter went out was because we did not maintain good service, we did, and have the records to show...Only thing left to do was to file a class action law suit, which we did, Thalberg v Toyota. Might take a while but hang in there... :lemon:
  • Options
    schnabeljsschnabeljs Member Posts: 3
    Thanks for those that replied. Reputable mechanic (D&K Automotive Repair) in Leander, TX towed the car for me, tested the engine start battery and found it to be bad (would not hold a charge). They replaced it with the 3-year replacement battery for only $85, but said the remainder of the issues appeared to be related to the Hybrid system, which they could fix, but recommended I have the vehicle towed to Toyota instead, as they should fix this under warranty, cover the towing charge, and pay for a rental vehicle.

    First and foremost is finding a shop like D&K that will be honest with you. They could have taken me to the cleaners, but did the right thing.

    Vehicle is now at Champion Toyota in South Austin. Looking forward to tomorrow's diagnosis and a serious discussion with the head of the service department. Doesn't hurt that one of their master Hybrid technician's was the coach of my son's soccer team. Will fill y'all in once I talk with them.

    Jeffrey
  • Options
    leftstrandedleftstranded Member Posts: 2
    Had the same set of circumstances as most of the other posts. We were stranded at night in a rural area with no street lights around. While we were standing away from the car (because we couldn't get it totally off the road) someone who couldn't see us in the dark actually tried to break into my car. Dealership says that the diagnostic indicated failure in all 6 ignition coils, but they offered to try to fix it by replacing one coil??? They also indicated that they had "checked" the inverter and it was fine. Anyone else hear this?
  • Options
    schnabeljsschnabeljs Member Posts: 3
    edited December 2011
    As it turns out, my circumstances ended up with the exact same result. They said the the ignition coil on one cylinder needed to be replaced, but they didn't have any in stock. Had to order and wait a day. When they replaced the ignition coil and told me the car was fixed and ready for pickup, it then ran like the engine was miss firing. Took it back and they told me that coincidentally, on a different cylinder, a fuel injector had debris in it and that I must have gotten bad gas. Curious huh? After everything was working totally fine before the incident, now all of a sudden after replacing a coil, a fuel injector starts acting up. Total bill was just under $600 including a $140 towing charge, and $90 for a rental car.

    They admitted that they have started to see coils go bad around 90K miles, but not this early (around 75K miles). So are the coils all going to go bad at 90K miles?
    Fingers crossed this doesn't happen again!!!!
  • Options
    leftstrandedleftstranded Member Posts: 2
    My car as 56K, not near 90K yet. At this rate, it'll never make 90! It is still at the dealer so I have no resolution yet. I would be happy if changing one coil fixes the problem, but I'm certainly not confident that it will. I'm still wondering the explanation for ALL coils failing at the same time if it's NOT the inverter???
  • Options
    hanknumhanknum Member Posts: 1
    Hi All,

    I just registered on this site and am trying to catch up on this thread.

    I bought a '06 Toyota HH a couple months ago with 113k on it. The inverter had been replaced under warranty in 08/10 (83k). Everything was well until the "Check VSC System" and "Check Hybrid System" popped up last w/e. The dealer said that there is no remaining warranty and wanted $550 to diagnose the HV battery. It appears that hybrid system is covered under a 8/100 but the battery is 10/150, maybe. It is a CA car. I spoke to Toyota directly and was told the battery was 10/150 and they were going to FAX me the documentation. She then called me back and said that she had made a mistake and it is not covered (Prius and Camry are, but not the HH). She apologized and said that she would open a case, esculate it, and assist however possible. I am awaiting a call from the case manager.

    Anyone have any suggestions?

    Thank in advance.

    Henry in Santa Barbara
  • Options
    ytallentytallent Member Posts: 11
    Paid over $500 last year to have one ignition coil replaced - just had another go out while driving. Have now paid over $1000 to replace all coils since both went out while driving and could cause a fatal crash. GM of dealership told me I should have bought an extended warranty - what a crock - split the cost of replacing all coils with me. I am reporting this to Nat. Trans. Safety Board as this is a dangerous defect. Of course, my car was just out of warranty when the first coil went out-go figure.
  • Options
    s_weavers_weaver Member Posts: 8
    I have a 2006 model. We received the recall notice in June stating that the inverter would need replaced once they had enough parts to do a full recall. Sure enough the car died last night. The dealer says that although the VIN matches the recall, the serial number on the inverter is not within the recall. Was advised to call Toyota and was referred to case management team. Waiting for a call back. Dealer said replacement cost is $9,000! Toyota needs to replace this for us! This is my first toyota and may be my last.
  • Options
    s_weavers_weaver Member Posts: 8
    Would love to know what happened!?
  • Options
    dorenescardorenescar Member Posts: 28
    Our 2012 HiHy has stalled 3 times at stop lights. Brought it in today, awaiting diagnostics; anyone else have this happen recently? We only have 16k miles on it, and otherwise has been a fantastic vehicle... :confuse:
  • Options
    dorenescardorenescar Member Posts: 28
    Of course, our car didn't stall out at the dealership, so they wanted us to take it home. I asked for the manager, who then got involved, but all the data had been lost from the stall on Sunday, so they are keeping for one more day, then want me to bring it in asap when it stalls again - aarghhh!! Go news is that they started a case with Toyota. They said I am the only one to report a newer model with the same problem that has been reported here, so would love to hear from anyone else who might have had this. BTW, I meant 2011, not 12; just seems way too new to have a problem like this!! Thanks for any info...
  • Options
    robflashrobflash Member Posts: 1
    Thursday, on my way back to the office, I had to swerve to avoid someone coming into my road thinking he really didn't have to stop at the stop sign. I slammed on the brake. My car's dash lit up and I couldn't move the car at all. There I was in the middle of a two lane road. Once I was towed to the dealership, they said the brake accuator was stuck open, continuously sending brake fluid into the wheels. Thursday night I did some research online and found on the NTSB website that the inverter had been recalled and that the customer letters were supposed to be sent out beginning 1/5/12. I hadn't gotten a letter. I mentioned this to the asst. service manager assisting me and she said that she was going to mention this. Well, the accuator costs over $1700 and with labor the cost will be just over $2000. The inverter is being replaced at Toyot's cost because of the recall. I asked if the inverter problem was related to the accuator because there was a note on my estimate saying the problem was also electrical, and they said no, that the two were unrelated. Anyone know about this? I was given the regional rep. number for my area (NC). Thanks!
  • Options
    gawdfathergawdfather Member Posts: 1
    I've been considering buying a used Highlander Hybrid with the intention of getting a low mileage unit, save a few bucks off new, and keeping it for the long haul. I have a young son, and another one on the way. Wife will stop working for Maternity leave, and with a single income, I can't afford to have something like what's been described in these posts happen to me. I live in Calgary, Alberta, so it gets cold here, which probably makes it even harder on Hybrids. (I'm guessing)

    After reading what many of you people have gone through, (and I feel very bad for many of you) I'm definitely going to have to stay away from these Highlander Hybrids. I usually do all my own tooling, but if I have to replace a $10,000 part, it won't matter how much of the labor I do on my own. I won't be able to afford the parts. BTW, I have an 07 Tundra, and an 09 Matrix, and both have been very reliable. Tundra is awful on gas even with the 4.7, but their reliability has been great. Its a shame the Highlander Hybrids have these problems. I appreciate people taking the time to post about their problems. Thank you all for probably saving me some money and time!
  • Options
    monte8monte8 Member Posts: 75
    Consumer Reports reliability ratings find that the Highlander Hybrid is also very reliable. There are going to be some failures on any car. Some of the whining on this site is from people who have run their cars very hard (exceeding 100k miles in less than 3 years), and find a large repair after the warranty has run out.

    I live in North Dakota, very cold winters. My 2008 HiHy has been very reliable in the cold. :shades:
  • Options
    eh2k6eh2k6 Member Posts: 6
    We have a 2006 Highlander Hybrid Limited since new and it has been nothing but reliable and fantastic in the Canadian winter. There have been a couple of recalls but to address potential problems, which have not surfaced with our car. We calculated that the premium we paid in 2006 for the hybrid system vs the V6 4WD model has been paid off by the gas we saved. From this point on, any savings in gas will be a gain. The cost of the replacement HV battery is also coming down so it is looking very good. Having said all these things, we are still waiting for Toyota to call us in for the inverter replacement, they are probably dealing with the dead inverters first then the "recalled" customers like us.
  • Options
    stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    The 2006 recall is to replace an inexpensive, faulty circuit board before some poorly soldered components come loose and cause very expensive inverter damage and possibly create a dangerous failure while driving. The recall information is available by VIN number for 2006 and 2007 HH's.
    My HH is not on the list which I guess is good. We have not had the problem.
    This is something you should check. The people who had the problem had to pay $10,000-15,000 to have it towed and repaired. They eventually got a full or partial refund if they had not sold or junked the car.
  • Options
    eh2k6eh2k6 Member Posts: 6
    Just to clarify, we have not had the problem either but our HiHy is within the VIN recall. We received the pre-notice and waiting for the main notice to bring in the car for them to address the recall (i.e. replace the faulty circuit board?) Has anyone actually had the circuit board replaced under the recall (i.e. there is nothing wrong with the car but the 2006 VIN is within the recall)?
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    Car is part of VIN recall. Inverter failed once already, but was replaced with old style inverter, not one of the re-engineered ones. Dealership says mine doesn't need replacing, but won't prove to me that this is a re-engineered inverter. What serial numbers were recalled, and which are the new ones? I opened a case with Toyota corp., and the case manager said that she believed that they were supposed to replace mine. Will call back tomorrow following more research. Initial contact with Toyota was customer service rep who repeatedly asked if I am having problems, and if not, then why am I concerned? Elevated this, and explained that my dealership managed to screw up all the items I needed doing yesterday, and that I had no faith in their decision that my inverter didn't need replacing. Will insist that they show me or photograph the serial number on the inverter that is in it. There was no inverter number listed on paperwork from last replacement, and the corp. didn't even have a record that my inverter had ever been replaced.Am totally disappointed with Toyota, and will contact the class action suit if they don't replace this one. If anyone knows more about the
    serial number/part numbers, let me know. I'll post when I have a resolution. Thanks.
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    I also have the 2006 model. The whole inverter went out and was replaced last year under extended warranty (78,000 miles), before the recall. I was told that my VIN was within the recall. Went in to have the new control panel replaced (recall) and was told my inverter serial number (TJ01WM002) does not require replacement, even though it wasn't replaced by one of the re-engineered ones. Failure of the control panel destroys the inverter. Toyota won't prove to me what my inverter model number is, and it wasn't listed on my invoice from last year. They also won't tell me what inverter numbers are the new ones, and won't give me a clear picture of the label (which they are able to see). My dealer is incompetent (whole other story). Toyota corp. said that I have to deal with this through the dealer. What is your serial number?
  • Options
    s_weavers_weaver Member Posts: 8
    So to update: after filing a claim with Toyota and working with the case manager assigned, we requested that a Toyota field tech go to see our car. The dealer had given us the same story, that even though the vin matched, our inverter serial number was not within the recall of "bad" parts. They ended up fixing our car for free. We traded it three days later because we just do not trust this would not happen again.
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    Toyota corp. case number rep called, and said I had to work it out with the dealership. Was rather snippy this time, although she was really nice the day before. Called customer rep at dealer, a rep called back, listened to my story, and agreed with me (wish I had recorded that discussion) and is supposed to call back today. Curious about something called a secret warranty, whereby if you complain enough (maybe "Call Curtis" TV station complaint reporter) they will do the repair as good faith action. What dealer fixed yours? Even if it is in another state, I may be able to use it as leverage. My dealer is in CA, Maita Toyota, and I will post for others what action occurs. They are hoping that even though my control panel isn't being replaced, my current inverter will survive until past the 8/100,000 warranty, and past the extended warranty, and past the end date of the recall, and I'll be forced to pay for the replacement myself. We'll see. I plan on being a total nightmare if they don't replace this, or somehow prove conclusively that my control panel isn't one of the faulty soldered ones(in writing).Wish me luck, and thanks for the help. So glad you got yours replaced (did you get more for it because of the new parts?)
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    Check NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE11005
  • Options
    nylove64nylove64 Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2012
    I don't know what the hold up is, after my Hylander sat in Toyota's parking lot for 14 months, I finally received a recall notice and it was fixed as of Sept 2010. I don't know my vin#, and I was out of my warranty. I just wrote to every and anybody and out of the blue I got the recall notice in July of 2010 . It still don't help how I fell about that day on 95 when it stopped on me. It sits in my driveway, Don't care to drive it, and it will be a trade as soon as I find something I like.
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    edited February 2012
    Update: took off front plastic cover for inverter, verified serial number and part number of the inverter they installed last year when mine went out. Oddly enough has a part number G9200-48080, inverter assembly, manufactured between 3-2005 and 7-2007, that was replaced by Toyota part number G92A0-48080, inverter assembly, manufactured between 8-2007 and 12-2008. This means that Maita Toyota installed part number G9200-48080 on 19Jan2011, but listed part number G92A0-48080 on the invoice. Ask about your part number and serial number. This seems hinky, so I will be including this in my complaint process. Why would they mislead me into thinking that the new inverter was, indeed, a new re-engineered inverter instead of the older, obsolete model? Also was told by the service manager that they were repairing the control module and not replacing it. The recall states that it will be replaced. See if you can get/see the old module.
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    Do you mean it was repaired in Sept 2011? The recall notice came out in July 2011 for the inverter. VIN# is on annual licensing or registration paperwork or on strip on dashboard near window. Inverter serial number should be on invoice, dealer can take off cover in 2 minutes(had my nephew do it in my driveway-he's a mechanic). See if it's the old model or new model. Might be important to see if they are trying to pull one over on you.
  • Options
    s_weavers_weaver Member Posts: 8
    Ours was fixed at rancho Santa margarita, Penske Toyota. Good luck! We were still "upside down" on the highlander but glad we do not need to worry any longer.
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    You are awesome! Any ammunition I can get is sooo helpful! Glad your issue was resolved!
  • Options
    1xgijane1xgijane Member Posts: 8
    Just be careful of auto-fraud on being upside-down. Negative Equity/Over-Allowance: Arises in a transaction that includes a trade-in vehicle. Generally, the customer is led to believe that the dealership is valuing the trade-in vehicle at the same amount that&#146;s owed (so that the customer doesn&#146;t appear to owe anything on the trade-in). In reality, however, the actual cash value given by the dealership is less than the amount owed, and the difference is added to the cash price of the vehicle being purchased. If this is done it is illegal, even if the customer knows and agrees to it. The extra amount cannot be added to the vehicle line 1(a) 1 per precedent-setting case of Thompson v. 10,000 RV&#146;s. Believe this covered by Lemon Law.Automobile Sales Finance Act (ASFA) (Civ.Code,1 § 2981 et seq.), the Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA) (§ 1750 et seq.), California's unfair competition law (UCL) (Bus. & Prof.Code, § 17200 et seq.) I don't trust Toyota to be fair in any way.
  • Options
    eriweneriwen Member Posts: 15
    I just finished reading through all of the posts since I last posted. I did have the inverter replaced under the recall. My Toyota service dept is so weird: I made an appointment to get the oil changed and so forth in December and I asked about replacing the inverter at the same time. "No, of course not," they say -- the part is not yet available. When I am there for the oil change, they tell me I have to wait further because it will take half an hour to VERIFY the VIN on my car to see if my inverter is really part of the recall. That is odd, I say, since I got the letter. I complain about the length of time; miraculously, it takes less time to determine I need the replacement. They will contact me in January. The VERY NEXT DAY the service guy calls to tell me the part is in! What is up with that? Of course, he goes around in circles. I go in the next weekend and have the inverter replaced.
    You would think that is it. A month or so later I see something on my garage floor and it is coolant. I take the car in and now they tell me the radiator has a crack in it! I leave with a new radiator at almost $600. Unbelievable. Now I just feel I am driving it into the ground and then replacing it. Another Toyota? Hard to imagine. Could they have damaged the radiator when they had my entire engine apart to fix it when the steel spring "broke" to bits and damaged all of the heads in July/August? That thought would never cross their mind.
    Now I am reading about some other item that may go bad -- extremely scary. I hope that part was replaced with the inverter. I, too, am thinking about when I will have to replace the hybrid battery.
    I love my car, but this stress and expense is not what I thought I was purchasing with a Toyota.
  • Options
    eh2k6eh2k6 Member Posts: 6
    I have just received the second notice to bring in the car for an inspection and if necessary replace the Intelligent Power Module (IPM). Since my HiHy is probably one of the earliest VIN sold in Canada, I am just bringing this up to let Canadians on this forum know that they have just started to get to us. Just to be clear, I have no problem so far with the inverter. The Hihy has been driving like a dream.
  • Options
    wayupnorthwayupnorth Member Posts: 1
    After reading many of your posts on here, i see that i am not the only one that has been driving when all of a sudden the car just doesnt go anymore. I had our 2007 HH towed to the dealership after no power and the check hybrid system and check VSC system light came on. They ran a diagnostic on it this morning and said one of the coils went bad. We do have about 98k on the car, so im not too disappointed that something went bad after so many miles, but i cant grasp the fact that the car just doesnt move. If i threw a piston or a bearing, i could understand this,but this is a major safety hazard. We live in AK and thankfully i wasnt going up or down a huge hill or out in the middle of nowhere or better yet if my wife was driving with the kids. Im guessing this wont be cheap, but what major engine repair is? If you ever feel like complaining about hourly wages from your dealer,try $99/hr in AK! I cant wait to get this thing fixed so i can trade it in
  • Options
    eh2k6eh2k6 Member Posts: 6
    Just to follow up on my recall notice. Toyota has just finished the service call. They replaced the "Transister power module", the service rep showed me the part cost alone was $3000. I did not noticed anything different driving the HiHy home. All is well, for now.
  • Options
    nflores930nflores930 Member Posts: 1
    A few days ago I was backing out of my driveway and the inverter blew on my 2006 Highlander Hybrid. After reading all of these posts, I am furious that my '06 is not considered part of the "recall" - if my car had lasted only 3 more miles, I would have been in the middle of the freeway with my two little kids in the car - talk about huge safety concern...and knowing that Toyota knows about it and tried to bandaid it with this limited recall has me livid. So far Toyota won't even give me a loner car - I have been told I am out of warranty at 113k miles and that I am not part of the recall. (Doesn't a recall need to cover a known PROBLEM...not a VIN number?!? - clearly an attempt by Toyota to cover the situation and still save some dough) I always service my vehicle at the dealer and about 2 mos ago I had it serviced and they checked the inverter for recall/problems. If they had fixed it then, it would have saved them and me and whole lot of hassle.

    Right now they have said fix will be between $9500-$10500 - depending on how bad the damage is. They have offered that I pay for the inverter "at cost + 15%", plus labor ($400), plus tax ($513) - then they are offering me a $2500 rebate (I pay and they reimburse me - which I am doubtful about considering the number of complaints I have now seen online about how they don't actually reimburse) - total: $5040 - plus another $800 if the electronic control unit is broken

    My case manager contacted the district service and parts manager to come up with this "offer". I am holding out for the entire thing to be taken care of (at the advice of my attorney)...I have put in a complaint with NHTSA and if this is not taken care of by tomorrow, I will complain to BBB and the Attorney General - and if that still doesn't escalate it enough...I will pursue legal action.

    I am shocked at the number of people this has happened to (same problem, but outside the recall) and that Toyota is trying to bandaid the situation. And I just gave my endorsement for this vehicle 2 weeks ago to a poor woman about to buy one...I will never endorse Toyota again. An interesting sidenote - all Lexus owners with this problem have had it promptly taken care of - no money out of pocket.
  • Options
    meganshaymeganshay Member Posts: 1
    We recently shipped a Brand new highlander hybrid from Canada to Switzerland. My husband picked it up from the dealer and drove it home without a problem. The next day we tried to drive it the battery was dead, so we jumped it figuring it was a long time in shipping and needed time to get the battery charged up. Unfortunately it has been a month and the problem is only getting worse. I have to jump the car every or every other time I drive it, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day. We bought an external battery/ trickle charger and left it on the car overnight and then for 36 hours straight. Both times it didn't start on its own, it had to be plugged back in to the battery to start it. We are taking it in monday but so far not impressed. It makes me sad too because I really love everything else about this car.
  • Options
    89fj6289fj62 Member Posts: 20
    The hybrid keeps the brakes charged up electrically and this occurs even when the car is off. It sounds like you may have a bad battery. Let Toyota take care of it. My hybrid goes months without being driven as I have never driven it during winter on our salt covered roads. I do keep a trickle charger on when It won't be used for a while. Good luck. Let us know if it is anything besides battery
  • Options
    rsrobins53rsrobins53 Member Posts: 2
    Took my HH to dealer for 90,000 service; they also performed inverter recall check. Mine was not affected by the recall, but dealer did not replace timeing belt/water pump as recommended.
    Decided to use highly recommended neigborhood shop intead of dealer for 100,000 oil change, and to replace timing belt. also finally needed replacement front brake pads--first time, 100,000 miles.
    After repairs, local shop got the same error message lights---ABS failure, hybrid failure, etc, consistent with inverter failure. they called another toyota dealer who was able to "wipe clean" the ECU and reload it for $200. seems to have fixed problem.
    does this make sense to anyone?
    I think I was lucky...not stuck on the road, and it only cost $200 for that failure. Is there another failure imminent? should I be worried? this car has been absolutely trouble free until now and I don't want to trade. I have bragging on this car for six years. Comments?
  • Options
    eh2k6eh2k6 Member Posts: 6
    Lots of people had the Check VSC and other warning lights come on after a brake job. The ABS system is tied to the VSC system so they all light up. Your system is most likely fine.

    There was a manual procedure to reset the warning lights that would have saved you from taking your HiHy to Mr. T.

    I use the steps in the following links and it cleared the warning lights after I did my brakes.

    http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/highlander/157343-check-vsc-system-after-b- rake-pad/

    http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/63-toyota-highlander-hybrid/341699-how-reset-c- heck-engine-vsc-warning-lights.html
  • Options
    rsrobins53rsrobins53 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, that s a relief to know. the neighborhood shop is very good, but not up to date with the latest electronical gadgets.
  • Options
    mirakmirak Member Posts: 2
    Sounds like I had the same problem as some others on here. Our 2006 HH died while my wife was driving it down the road. Thank God she wasn't on the highway, and it happened after she dropped off the kids at daycare.

    My car had 107k miles on it - out of warranty - so I towed it to a local mechanic. He read error code POA78. He also pulled up TSB 0386-08 concerning the "Power Inverter Failure." Quoted me a price of $8,500.00!

    I called the Toyota dealership, and they asked that I have it towed to them, so they could verify the problem. A few days later, he called me back with semi-good news: Toyota has recalled the "Intelligent Power Supply Module" on these vehicles, and that may fix the problem. He replaced the module free of charge, and it fixed the problem. Thank God for that.

    BUT - this recall of the "Intelligent Power Supply Module" is NOT the same issue as the "Power Inverter Failure" noted in TSB 386-08. So, while Toyota has issued a recall to fix one problem, Toyota has not issued a recall to address the issue in TSB 386-08.

    This means that while my car works, for now, it has a known defect which is both unsafe and quite costly because my car is out of warranty.

    What should I do? Sell the car? I bought the car new with the expectation that I would own it for at least 10-12 years and save a lot of money on gas. If I sell now, I've lost all that potential value - I've essentially leased this car for a huge amount of money.

    I suppose I could buy an extended warranty, but that will cost me $2-3k for an extra 24 months of coverage.

    My e-mail is b . mira kian @ gmail.com (without any spaces)
  • Options
    eh2k6eh2k6 Member Posts: 6
    Here in Canada, my Toyota dealer replaced the IPS module to address the Power Inverter Failure recall. I think you are good to go. Wouldn't worry about it.
  • Options
    xpatt9xpatt9 Member Posts: 2
    edited September 2012
    Well add one more to the list. My 2007 HH limited failed on the highway at 55mph while my wife was driving with my daughter. Scary stuff. It only has 40k miles and under warranty so Toyota fixed it without charge. But claimed it was the #6 coil pack. I don't believe it. I'm an engineer. I know auto design and engines. on a non-hybrid, if one cylinder goes out the car continues to run, rough but runs. In this case, like all of you, without warning the car went dead. Toyota swears it was a coil, but I don't believe it. I have owned Toyota cars for 25 years and until now swore by them, indeed sold hundred over the years to friends, relatives and business associates. NOW, because of how toyota is handling this problem, I want nothing to do with toyota products, hybid or non-hybrids. This is a design flaw that toyota needs to live up to. even if the coil on my car was the problem, the car has 2 drive systems, electric motors, one on each rear wheel, and a gas engine driving the front wheels. If the electric system on the electric side has a failure, the gas engine should still work. If the gas engine has a failure the electric motors should still work to bring the car to a safe place. If an engine coil pack causes the entire system, or systems to fail, Toyota should fire all the design engineers who worked on this, number one, and number two, redesign so one system failure does not kill the other. Right now these cars are a death trap and the NHTSA should compell toyota to recall ALL HH from 2006 to 2012 and fix this flaw. If I had known about this I would never had bought the car in the first place, who in their right mind buys a death trap. I searched when I bought the car and never found any of this on the internet. I think the word has to get out so others don't by these cars, soon or later when this happens, someone is going to get hurt or be killed. TOYOTA IS GUILTY OF FRAUD AND SHOULD BE HELD CRIMINALLY LIABLE IF SOMEONE IS HURT. They know and have known for a few years now and choose to do nothing. I just can't believe the dollar is their God. I was so foolish to think they actually cared about people. My other toyotas have gone 200k without any major problems, thats why I continued to buy the cars. With this, I'm done with toyota.
  • Options
    ytallentytallent Member Posts: 11
    Thanks for your info. I paid to have all coils replaced after I had two fail- one at a time on a 2008 HH which had 55,000 miles on it-a negotiated price $1000. I agree, Toyota is notorious for failure to act or acknowledge serious problems. I am ditching this car before another failure kills me. I have been a loyal Toyota owner for 30 years-too bad the one time I buy a lemon from Toyota, they fail to care about my safety and step up. It is when you have a life threatening problem that you find out what kind of company you are dealing with!
  • Options
    xpatt9xpatt9 Member Posts: 2
    I am curious, did the car shut down completely when the coil failed. Any warning, lights, etc. You said you had 2 failed coils, at different times? Did the car act the same each time.

    Thanks
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles