Toyota Highlander Hybrid - Hybrid System Problems

pratprat Member Posts: 1
in Toyota
I was on highway and suddenly my 06 highlander hybride stalled and i saw the msg as "Hybride failed"and "VCF failed, I towed my car to dealer and staying in Motel, and I need help, why this happen and how should I deal with Toyota, Help me.. , I am stuck on the road 400 miles away from home.
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Comments

  • soaringsistersoaringsister Member Posts: 1
    I hope you were able to get rescued! This exact same thing happened to us with our 2006 Hybrid Highlander. We were on the way to the airport, so that was a problem. We only bought the car last April, and it came with a warranty, so everything was paid for, including the towing, the rental car, etc. It's my understanding that the Hybrid battery is warrantied for the first 150,000 to 200,000 miles, so yours should all be covered, too. Hope things have gotten better for you!
  • charlespcharlesp Member Posts: 10
    About two months ago, my failure was not so dramatic.

    I had driven to work early in the cool AM and had parked at work in open air, Summer LV Sun and temperatures, and on going home up untilI the instant I accelerated to get on freeway, all had been fine. Just as I accelerated without the car feeling weird at all, warning of "Hybrid Failure go to service" popped up on display. Thankfully, just in time for me to avoid the freeway.

    All this happened earily enough in day for me to get to Toyota Dealer and spend 2 1/2 hr as they trouble shot and enabled the car to be driven. Cause was confirmed as Hybrid ECU failure. Was assurred I could drive with no problem while the Hybrid ECU was ordered. Truth was mileage sucked, but they were right -- I could drive.

    Bit of fiasco as Toyota couldn't decide where ECU was in supply chain, but after two-1/2 weeks I was given repair appointment. All parts and labor covered under warranty (me with 60,400 miles on 2006 HH) and now my car drives better than ever before. All the ECU reprogramming needs have gone away. No surging, smooth running at 40mph and 70mph, excellent engineering upgrade by Toyota.

    I had heard 206 HH Hybrid System warranty was only 100K Miles, I would be interested to know if it is confirmed to be ractually longer than that (outside CA.)

    Chuck
  • tompkinstomtompkinstom Member Posts: 3
    Regarding the batery pack Toyota has told me in no uncertain terms they will only warranty to 100,000 miles.
    I had a similar warning lite come on while traveling and after renting a car found it was a malfunction of some kind.
  • monte8monte8 Member Posts: 75
    The minimum warranty on the hybrid components is required by Federal regulations (8 years/100,000 miles). But a car company will not sell a car with this warranty (unless they really want to go broke) if they do not think the 100K mark is well under the "mean time between failure" (mbtf). Mbtf is the point when half of the units would be expected to stop working as required. It is hard to know what the mbtf for the batter pack is, but it is probably more like 200K.

    In other words, the life of the car.
  • danm65danm65 Member Posts: 1
    My 2006 Toyota Highlander shut off, with the message CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM on the way north on Interstate 95 between Richmond and Wash DC. Luckily or unluckily I coasted to a stop on the side of this busy highway. I had always bragged about my Highlander it was one of my favorite cars that I ever owned. I had to get it towed to the local dealer and after three days and $365 they diagnosed that they hybrid computer was dead. The service guy then told me it would cost $11,000 dollars to repair this issue. I am a road salesperson I bought the Toyota because the Ford Escape Hybrid was too noisy. It had 150K miles on it but i serviced the car regularly. I paid $40,000 dollars for the car, now they were telling me I had to spend $11,000 to repair a part that can not be maintained by servicing the car on a scheduled bases. I had not even paid off the loan for the car. I had just put struts, tires and a new timing belt on the car and now it wouldn't move. I called Toyota Customer Care and after several conversations
    they offered me $1000 toward the repair or a new Toyota. The dealership offered me 10% off the repair bill also. Thanks Toyota. NOT. I am selling it as scrap right now. Toyota's final say was that I had driven the car longer than the life of the part. If I would of known that I would have never bought a $40000 car with a life expectancy of only 4 years. I talk to thousands of people each year and everyone of them are going to know how bad Toyota treats their customers. I will never own another Toyota!
  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    Similar story. 2006 Highlander V6 4x4 Ltd. Complete power failure while driving. Thank god it wasn't my 16 year old daughter on the freeway! Internal failure of the hybrid inverter. 9K+ to fix. I feel duped. Toyota will not tell me how many fail. Dealer plays the game that everything is out of their control. Toyota just launched a television campaign bragging about spending $1 million/hour on safety. Yet apparently 2006 Highlander owners are rolling down the road in potential death traps, which if you survive, will cost you a quarter of the purchase price to fix. Anyone have time to picket dealers. I'll be back with the nastiest politician that is after Toyota already so we can get some satisfaction.
  • mellowyellow12mellowyellow12 Member Posts: 1
    do you still have the Highlander and is it for sale?
    my email is whodenez@aol.com (Anthony)
  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    Please report your invert failure to the NHTSA (888)327-4236. Only takes a few minutes and multiple complaints hopefully will lead to an investigation. Please file a complaint even if your inverter is replaced under warranty.

    The NHSTA rep that took my compliant suggested filing complaints with both the FTC (877)382-4357 and your state's Attorney General.
  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    Hey Dan,

    Can you email me so I can discuss your situation with you?

    Thanks!

    John

    hybridscam@gmail.com
  • toddwinestoddwines Member Posts: 3
    edited June 2010
    Similar story here. I was driving down the interstate. My 06 Toyota Highlander Highbred died. I had it towed to the dealer. They said the power inverter needs to be replaced. The part alone costs $9,000.00. I have 144,000 miles on it. So, now I have a piece of scrap, that I still owe 8 payments on. I put $15,000 dollars down on it when I bought it. Toyota was of no help at all. I'm so disappointed. If anybody has a similar experience or recommendations please e-mail me. Thank You so much.

    todd.wines@gmail.com
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,217
    we really prefer that information and similar stories be posted here - that's why we host the forums. It allows ALL of our members to benefit from the information posted, whereas exchanging the info privately by email results in other members being deprived of potential solutions, or info on resolution from Toyota. Thanks!

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

  • toddwinestoddwines Member Posts: 3
    Sorry Kirstie, I didn't mean to break protocal. This was my first post to this blog...(actually my first post to any blog).
  • ntvtxnntvtxn Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2010
    A friend had same issue on highway last weekend. At 111,000 miles, his '06 highlander hybrid completely shut down and had to be towed to Toyota. The cost was $10k, just as you say. My '06 highlander hybrid is at 93,000 miles and has had all its scheduled maintenances, but I'm seriously considering a trade-in and a 'swap my ride' for something other than Toyota. I'll keep checking this forum, as I feel like my time is running out on the '06 HH.
  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    My purchasing dealer stepped up to help in my situation, bringing my $9,000 repair down to $1200, partially because they aim to please and partially because I've been up and down the food chain for the dealership and Mid-Atlantic Toyota based out of Glen Burnie, MD. Kirstie, I understand the point of wanting the information posted here, but we need to contact each other to organize. These cars are death traps with another example surfacing in some forum every few days. I would suggest people create an alternate email (yahoo, gmail, etc) that would be safe to have public here. The plan for Toyota is obviously to keep these problems isolated and to have each owner eat whatever they dish up. I say no to that. Their arrogance of advertising expenditures of $1 million per hour on safety makes me sick.

    FYI, the inverter replacement has a new part number and actually says New and Improved in the Toyota service system. I was concerned about driving my family in this car even if I had received the repair free if it was the identical defective part.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,217
    The prohibition against organizing lawsuits within the Forums is non-negotiable. It's not a matter of what I want - it's a matter of adhering to our Terms. The need to do so does not negate those terms.
    Thank you for your cooperation.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    I've have found the VIN break for the change from the defective inverter to the new part. Before the break you may experience total power failure, engine, steering and brakes. After the break the new part does not have any failures I can find.
    Toyota 06 Highlander Hybrid 2wd - Ending in 60009725
    Toyota 06 Highlander Hybrid 4wd - Ending in 60019910
    Lexus 06 Rx 400h 2wd - Ending in 60002207
    Lexus 06 Rx 400h 4wd - Ending in 60036526
  • ntvtxnntvtxn Member Posts: 4
    I'm curious as to how you you go that info on the VIN break. At any rate, mine falls BEFORE the break so trade-in is looking better & better. I'm going to check w/my friend that had the failure (and he now owns a new car) & see what his VIN was. Thanks.
  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    justanswers.com, a fee based "ask the expert" site. My expert was a active Toyota service technician that was able to get the information from I believe a mid 2007 service bulletin in their system. My dealer didn't seemed surprised when I brought it up. I'm still trying to gather owners to force compensation from Toyota. If you are interested let me know.
  • easternguy2easternguy2 Member Posts: 14
    Considering buying a 07 HH. Rethinking the idea after reading all these posts about inverters. It looks like the part was corrected in 07. Are there other replacement parts that are this expensive to replace? Or is eveything else in line with average repair costs? I cannot believe a part could cost that much to replace. Also guessing resale of the car as it approaches 100k will be difficult. Are there any other issues you have experienced or heard of regarding the hybrid system? Every dealer I call keeps saying these are better running than the gas engines. Very trouble free and they havent replaced a battery yet.
  • stevegoldstevegold Member Posts: 185
    Skip the HH.. We have a 2004 Prius which I love and a 2007 HH which I would not recommend. There is no reason to spend the extra money over a regular Highlander. The mileage is just fair. Later models may be better.
  • easternguy2easternguy2 Member Posts: 14
    Ok thanks. Was considering it because there are some really great deals on used HH. Way below book. But your correct, it only saves a few mpg vs 4 cyl or 6 cyl non hybrid. I averaged 25 mpg overall on my 02 Highlander 4x2 4cyl. That is not bad at all. Thanks
  • siriusdocsiriusdoc Member Posts: 2
    I had complete loss of power as I was making a left hand turn into two lanes of traffic; I had plenty of time to clear the two lanes , at least with power. The car just died and I coasted to the other side. Luckily the sports car coming toward me swerved out of the way to avoid me. I saw my children's (age 4 and 2) lives flash in front of my eyes as we were almost t-boned by the sports car going 45 miles an hour or more. My HH has 79000 miles. What to do? Luckily it restarted and I pulledi nto a parking lot and said my prayers and kissed my children. I plan on taking it to the dealer tomorrow and demanding a trade-in.... I will file a report with the NTSB to.
  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    I'm wondering if this might be a different problem. All the other power inverter problems I've found resulted in a dead car, unable to restart?? Please post back what they find. If it is the hybrid system you should be covered under 100,000 miles, but I'm with you about not keeping an unsafe car regardless of cost. My 06 HH was repaired with the updated part, so I'm hoping for the best. Good luck.
  • woodfamily20woodfamily20 Member Posts: 7
    I was doing 65 mph on the turnpike in rush hour in the passing lane when my '06 HH began to decelerate and the dashboard lit up with VSC, check engine, hybrid, and ABS. Somehow I managed to coast into the shoulder, and feel lucky to be alive. It's been in the shop for a week and we just heard back from Toyota that the Inverter failed. They said they filed it with Toyota HQ and are going to go to bat for us. We'll see. The Service manager wouldn't even quote us the repairs because they are so costly (more than the car is worth). It has 115,000 miles on it, so warranty has run out. Still have 8 more lease payments to make and then the buyout. We heard the '06 have the Prius inverter, but they realized it couldn't carry the weight, so in '07 they switched them out. I will be calling the NHTSA as suggested on this forum. This is a very dangerous issue and Toyota should do the responsible thing and address it. If you are having the same issue, please feel free to send me an email woodfamily20@verizon.net
    Angela :sick:
  • woodfamily20woodfamily20 Member Posts: 7
    Finally we have some resolution! My husband got in touch with the dealership owner and told him he wants the regional rep name/number/address, and his boss' name/number/address so he can send legal correspondence. That definitely got their attention because he was on the phone for over an hour with Toyota trying to get it resolved. We now only have to pay $965 for labor and the part is being given by Toyota as "goodwill". Now the inverter part is on backorder (go figure!) I am so glad this got resolved, but still won't buy another hybrid!
  • shelbybudshelbybud Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone had the "Check Hybrid System" message come on the display of a 2008 Highlander Hybrid Limited when driving at high altitudes (mountains)? We've had it twice while driving in Colorado in high elevations (near the summit of Pike's Peak and another mountain). Is this normal for a hybrid? It doesn't seem to do this in Denver metro area when driving around.
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    I have been reading your hh complaints,i just had my 2006 towed home unfixed,my hh has been in and out of my dealership since i had 6000 miles on it for not starting and having the hybrid system failure lights come on after i tried starting it thru out my ownership,bought it new and now have 108,000 miles and it died on the freeway in so cali doing 70 miles an hour i 'm lucky to be alive,had the car towed to toyota dealership and almost fainted when i got a bill for ,r u ready for this 14,000 smackaroos,the f--fing thing is only worth 9000.i 'm contacting a lawyer because i have had inverter problems and hybrid system problems since i bought the car new,I am going to look up my vin any way ,the inverter was cahanged at 86,000 by the dealer but i don't know if i recieved a new verison of inverter,now the say my coolant hose leaked and damaged the inverter,i was wondering if the hybrid system can be disconnected and just have the car run on the gasoline engine onyl,anyone out there know something about disconnecting the hybrid electrical system and convert the car to total gasoline
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    Hi Everyone with highlander hybrid problems,I have the name of the presendent and ceo of toyota motor sales usa,If you would like to get in touch with me we can all write him letters about our auto problems,that may get his attention,my personal e mail is myraferrante@gmail.com,no pranks please
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    Hi Maryland john,can you e mail me the new and improved paper work on the inverter,my dealer just quoted me 14,000 dollars to fix my hh,only have 108,000 miles on it,just past the warrenty,my e mail is myraferrante@gmail.com thanks
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    Hi ,i am having the same problem with toyota,all of us are trying to get together to hold toyota responsible,my email is myraferrante@gmail.com please get in touch with me,i have the pres and ceo of toyota motors usa name and address
  • johnmikeswearjohnmikeswear Member Posts: 8
    Phoenix AZ I was so happy with my HH that my friends bought one and my sister bought the new Rav 4. I have a 2006 HH and bought extended warranties because I have learned not to trust any car. On Friday my biggest fear happened. I work at another hospital 61 miles from my home. I have 1 1/2 hour drive in traffic. I try to get out of the traffic by leaving early. I made it to the I-10, 51, 202 and McDowell intersection and the Air Port exit and went to the middle lane in very High Density traffic with large trucks, trucks with trailors, and drivers who are doing 60 to 70 miles an hour. I pulled the the middle and the car just died. I had no power and was stuck in the middle. The dash lite up with all alerts and the message was CVA service. I tried to put the car in park and in neutral to start it. Nothing. I turned on the flashers, called 911 and the Department of public safety was alerted then I braced for impact with my cell phone in hand. I called my Toyota Service and asked a service person what to do and he said "What do you want me to do" I said I am going to get killed here I need to know how to start the car. He said the alert was a traction alert and he could not help.
    The DPS officers three of them with two miles of back up, blocked traffic and one pushed me out of the way to the side. I called AAA for towing. I waited for over an hour was almost hit by three cars on the side of the road.
    I have an extended warranty, the car has 113,500 miles on it. I have taken the car to the dealer for all service and new tires and any work. The dealer has been calling to get me to trade the car in and get a new one.
    The regular battery was changed in May 2010 just wanted to change it.
    I have been told it was a faulty battery and it would be replaced and when it was replaced the car still didn't start. The dealer waited to 4:30 to tell me " I have bad news it is the inverter that went out". My extended Warranty refused to pay. I was told there is no one else who can fix this, and the cost was $7900.
    They are going to talk to the Owner of the dealership on Monday.
    I am so satisfied to have found this website and read the stories. This car is a danger on the road, I have already seen my friends and told them what happened that drive the HH. I have taken all weekend thinking about how I could have caused a major wreck and someone could have died and the delay to get help and sitting there with all the cars and tractor trailors buzzing, and diving around me. I work in an emergency room and I thought I would be a patient in my own hospital trauma center.
    These cars need to be recalled. This is so dangerous. I will talk to the manager today. They made me wait all weekend and think this out. I do not want this car back on the road fixed so it can happen again. I am afraid of Toyota hybrids on the road now. I have to say how I would like to put a sign on the car and park it in a public place explaining what happened until the safety issue is bought to the public. I am so lucky to be able to write this experience. I will contact the NHSTA this morning 888-327-4236, and could be calling a lawyer, the news paper and local advocates. I was truely looking in the rear view mirror thinking, this could be my last day.
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    Dear John, there are a lot of people with our, problem search hybrid problems and you will find honda's hybrid and other first generation hybrids are having problems' ,we first generation hybrid owners are the pigs for the industry,the sacrificed lambs,my personal e mail is myra ferrante@gmail.com , my mobile # is 9519739167 i have free mobile to mobile and i would like to talk to you further ,we need to band together and make federal state and local officials aware of this problem,we need to contact everyone on the internet who are having hybrid problems.,there is an auto safety hotline,search it,and we need to get in touch with consumer reports magazine and make formal complaints to all these agency. also have the name of the president and ceo of toyota motors of u.s.a. and there address,they are here in torrance calif,which is near long beach calif ,there executive offices are off the 5 fwy in southern california,please let's be in touch I'm talking to people in new jersey and new york who are talking class action,i also have the lawyer's name that sued toyota in a class action because of acceleration problems that killed a family of 8 in san diego that brought toyota to it's knees,also won a class action against a major tire mfg ,he is in newport bch also so calif, his name is mark p robinson jr,read about him on the internet,i have the names and tel# and emails of others,lets all get together before one of us gets killed.I also would like to sue toyota for deceptive sales practices,not fully informing the consumer know of existing hybrid problems and the costly repairs involve (into the the thorsands and in some cases ten's of thousands of dollars after warranty's expire.Just got back from the highway dept and the officer recommended that i report my problem to the bureau of automobile repairs,it's called B.A.R. here in the state of calif,maybe your state has one,also the state consumer affairs dept,better business dept and the attorney general's office in your state.Good luck and please call me.I think the least touota can do is give us fair market fallur
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    in scientificcommons.org there is an article about the voltage distortion can cause problems in all electrical equipment in hybrids,i was never this when i bought my vehicle,were you misleading and deceptive sales practices, advertising is misleading,read all about,there are more surfacing,
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    PLEASE REPORT YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH YOUR LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL AUTO SAFETY AGENCY,THESE TOY HH FIRST GENERATION NEED TO BE RECALLED,THEY ARE DEATH TRAPS
  • johnmikeswearjohnmikeswear Member Posts: 8
    After a week the service person called and told me that the situation was under review. I called may mechanic who have their own shop and Toyota parts told them the cost for an inverter is $500 and the Power Converter is $4800 with a new battery. The big battery. The next day since I did not call them I had another call and they was offered for them to fix the inverter for $7200 if I would pay for the Labor $720. I still don't know what the out come is going to be and what the warranty will say. I want to see what happens. I think the Nissan recall of 2.1 million late models that stall and die while driving and cannot be restarted could be a sign that Toyota is next to recall. The BMW fuel pump causing stalling and loss of power was quick on their recall.
    That may help to get something done. From what I understand on the Nissan recall it is cars 2004, 2005, and 2006. I am wondering if there is any connection to the parts manufacturer and suppliers of the electronics.
    I have reported my experience to the Attorney General office, The Federal Agencies, and Toyota.
    I am still having anxiety when I drive through the area where the car stalled. I am writing a thank you letter to the Department of Public Safety and The Traffic reporter Detour Dan in Phoenix. He Saves Lives. I will respond and continue the fight but I want complete the process. My friends and family come first and our road ways need to be as safe a they can be with all the budget cuts and highways not being maintained and so many people driving old unmaintained cars it is not safe really. People drive so fast and out of control. I am so lucky I did not have a accident and get hit. I really don't know how I was missed.
  • maryland_johnmaryland_john Member Posts: 12
    I'm sure you read my story. I eventually reached a settlement with my purchasing dealer to replace the inverter (with the new part!) for $1200, but not until threatening (and preparing to) to picket the dealership. I also kept calling the Toyota regional rep until they finally took my call. They threatened to take back their original contribution of $2000 (out of $9000) if I continued to act in "bad faith" by insisting on statistics concerning Highlander '06 inverter failures. The would say nothing other than, "we have no knowledge of a problem with that vehicle". I think the dual pressure of pitting the dealership against Toyota helped in my situation.

    Everyone needs to return the paper work sent out by the feds after filing your complaint. The process of pressure is slow and I feel bad for those owners who are still stuck or even those who have moved on without resolution. However, I think it is only a matter of time before Toyota will answer for this. The service bulletin alone points an ugly finger to one batch of cars, but how many? Toyota is willing to roll the dice with the lives of their customers.

    I think it might be time for a newspaper ad. Start small and local, but send links to bigger news outlets.

    Stay tuned Toyota.
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    i'm with you ,i think we should look to run a newspaper ad in the wall st journal or new york times,,lets get in ,what newspaper and reporters exposed watergate we can call this toyotagate ,hey i like that,we need to expose the dangers involved with these hybrids,even if toyota fixed my problem i 'am scared to death to drive one of these hybrids because of my near death experience,someone has to get kill in order for the fed's to do something ,there is a federal motor vehicle safety standards-code of federal regulations auto safety hotline,it is the office of defects investigation within the nhtsn(odi) www.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov ,we need to fine someone in the media,i keep asking everyone i know,let's all keep in touch at least once a week and up date each other regards myra
  • johnmikeswearjohnmikeswear Member Posts: 8
    I was called by a different service rep to tell me the car was ready. I had the flash back of all the cars flashing by me in the car. I went and secured new financing to go and get a new car just in case the dealer and Toyota said no. I talked to many friends who said "the car had not been a lemon so if they fix it why not drive it". Last night I saw myself behind the wheel and my family and the cars flashing by and I have never had anxiety but the incident really affected my thought of what the experience was like to have your car stop in a busy highway and being helpless. You react but any minute a huge truck with pipes on it could have hit me and rolled over into many cars. I saw the cars flash by as I was calling 911,
    Even my wife changed her mind to the thought of buying a new car and she had said MY and the family safety comes first no matter what the cost. Then when she talks to her co workers and discuss what happened and the willingness of the dealership to fix the car and financial issues she now has started to say " if they warranty for one year and they will fix it and the car is not a lemon, to by a new car would only give us a warranty for 36,000 miles or 3 years or a purchase of a extended warranty and increase car insurance she says now we should keep the car and drive it". This is about safety and the ads that Toyota spends $1 million an hour on safety. So what are they finding out for their investment.
    I will get my car and I am taking it to a mechanic I know and trust. I am lucky to have someone I can trust. He can also be helpful to answer questions. He is able to work on Toyota cars and when he called about parts he was given a different price for this repair. Who is telling the truth. What is the cost, why is it so different for $7900 to as much as $14000. I have not been asked not to go public and if they do I am going to my lawyer and the news paper. There or so many issues and the bottom line is Safety. I could have killed other people and affected so many lives and my own. I made the drive again this Friday one week after the incident and when I was coming home there were 18 car accidents on the Phoenix Highways and I drove my rental a Nissan Altima Hybrid and was very scared all the way home in heavy Friday night traffic. I will keep posting my experience and next steps
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    h joihn,i know what you are going threw,i have the same fears,i'm scared to death of these vehicles.Are you fixing the car,the dealer told me my car was only worth 9,000 if it was running as a trade-in so why shouldi fix it for14,000 dollars ,when i bought it new for 49,000 with up grades,it doesn't math out,throwing good money after bad,i won't ever feel safe in a hybrid again,my life is worth more than 14,000 dollars.I'am in the processof writing the president and ceo of toyota motor corp here in southern california,if you and i and others would like to set up a meeting please contact me,maybe we can all see him at the same time with our concerns,the executive officers are here in torrance calif,contact me if interested myra
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    i don't listen to others when it comes to my and my family's safety,these vehicles may not be lemons but there is a bunch of us that got defective hybrid components.and also we were never told at least i was never told of the un-godly expense involved in repairing these vehicles,there should have been a disclosure some where in the paper work ,deceptive sales practices indeed,car salesmen are one step above a snake.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "i was wondering if the hybrid system can be disconnected and just have the car run on the gasoline engine onyl,anyone out there know something about disconnecting the hybrid electrical system and convert the car to total gasoline "

    The Toyota HSD requires the battery and hybrid system be operational or the vehicle won't move. There is no "gas only" mode.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Plus you would not have a "no move" option other than shifting into neutral or "holding" the brakes.

    Minor issue, that.
  • krazykidskrazykids Member Posts: 1
    Hi All
    Came across your site as the same thing happened to me last week! I was driving
    to get on a busy three lane bridge in downtown Cleveland. My 06 HH just died as I was entering the ramp for the bridge. Needless to say it was pretty horrible. It was 745am with very busy traffic and I was stuck on a far left hand lane with the same thing coming up on my dash. Check Hybrid System. After a tow to the dealership, I found my bill to be 7500.00. Unfortunately, I had 102,000 miles on my car! Of course the warranty expires at 100,000. After contacting the Customer Service for Toyota, which was completely worthless with a rude customer service rep who questioned my loyalty ? if you can believe that, my dealer negotiated 3500 on his part and I am paying tomorrow, 3700! They acted like they were doing me such a favor! I still owe 14,000.00 on the car!
    I wanted to make sure that my incident was on record here so that any new customers may be deterred from purchasing also.

    I would be more than happy to join in a group complaint to Toyota!
  • johnmikeswearjohnmikeswear Member Posts: 8
    It has been two weeks since I wrote what the out come was. I went and to my credit union and paid the car off which was hard to do and took a big chunk out of the safety fund. The dealership paid for the inverter $7000 and half of the labor $900 . They replaced the new battery purchases in May for free because it had been affected in the incident. The dealership gave a yellow service and one year warranty and unlimited miles. I understand how anxiety and Post Trauma Syndrome works and as I drove it to work and passed the spot where I was stuck, I could not believe someone didn't get hurt or all those cars and trucks missed me. The car is driving like new. The gas millage is back up. The Supervisor handled the final sign off, and he said since they did this repair it was done because I was such a good Toyota customer. This is about safety. I have received a letter from the AG office and they are looking into the incident. I really have been stressed and worried about the car and it is easy to say they did me right. Did they? So they have not tried to tell me not to comment or have a gag clause. This is a serious problem. Bottom line all dealerships and all customers need to be treated the same when the car almost kills you. I will continue to share what the next action will be. I read these experiences and I know why we bought this car and my friend who are enviormentally concerned and we paid the extra to break start breaking away from cars the affect the enviorment Honda, and Toyota Prius and Camry's and Highlanders. The word must get out and the Truth needs to be known.
  • myrafmyraf Member Posts: 32
    The are many of us that are experencing the same problems with our hybrids,we are getting in touch with our state consumer affairs ,or state and federal representives,and i also have the name and address of toyota of america president and ceo,i,m in the process of writing him a letter and may seek legal representation,there may be a class action here,i paid 49,000 for my toy hh 4 years ago and it only has 108,000 miles and needs 14,000 dollars worth of work,this is outragious,not to mention i almost got killed,,here is my telephone #call me or i will call you 951 973 9167 ,i get free moble to mobile and nights and weekends,spread the word about these hybrids they are death traps
  • irina2irina2 Member Posts: 23
    edited November 2010
    Just read your message from June 2010. Same problem with us. 2006 Highlander Hybrid died due to invertor failure. Now Toyota wants $9300 to fix. Is anyone keeping track of how many of us are out there--2006 Toyota Highlander inverter failures, after warranty runs out? Maybe Toyota will listen if there's enough of us and compensate us for the costly repair...especially now that we know about the production break down in VIN numbers. I have a complaint in to NTHSA also and waiting to hear back from their office which is deciding whether to launch a safety invetigation. I now know this forum prohibits organizing folks for a legal action, but is it also prohibited to organize people to go to the media? If not, I would love to have people respond back to me who would like to give me their contact info so we can have a group of 'real people' to contact the media.
  • irina2irina2 Member Posts: 23
    I'm in the same boat as you...inverter failure at over 100,000 miles in 2006 HiHy. I see that some folks on this forum have been able to 'sway' Toyota to pay for the repair at the regional level...yet I can't seem to get anywhere. I, too, am in So Cal. Do you think maybe you can email me and we can discuss how to approach the So Cal regional reps and get what the others seem to be getting?

    Irina
    igaal@csudh.edu
  • woodfamily20woodfamily20 Member Posts: 7
    Hi Irina – I just sent you an email and copied the other owners who've reached out with the same issue. Our inverter issue happened in September. The car sat at Toyota for almost a month and my husband finally got in touch with the Dealer owner who then escalated up through Toyota. We negotiated to only pay for the cost of labor, which was $990 and then Toyota agreed to give the dealership the part as “good will”. I believe we only got a 1 year warranty on parts/labor. Our car had 115,000 miles when it happened. My husband left a voicemail for the dealer and said he wanted to get the regional reps name, phone, address, his supervisor and so on, all the way up the chain, so that he could tell our attorney where to send legal correspondence. I think that’s what finally got their attention because the next day we had resolution. It was frustrating and the worst part is that I didn’t feel safe driving it after that.

    If you haven’t already done so make sure you call the the Customer Experience Center @1-800-331-4331 to start a case. I think this helped everyone track the issue once the dealer got involved. Also, please file a report with national highway traffic safety administration (tel # 888-327-4236). I filed the report in September and just yesterday received a letter confirming my incident.

    I’m happy to report that we just traded our Highlander in this weekend for a new Cadillac SRX crossover, which was only a few thousand dollars more than what we originally bought the Toyota for 5 years ago, and I couldn’t be happier! Good luck with the situation and keep us posted. We need to ban together though to make something happen!
  • irina2irina2 Member Posts: 23
    John,
    same story with us. inverter failure almost killed my husband when his car stalled on a busy LA freeway. difference is the CA toyota corporate doesn't seem to care and is sticking us with the bill of $6700 (after giving us the generous $2500 towards our repair). I'm planning to contact Myra...hopefully she can help me. Can you please email me back at my direct email: igaal@csudh.edu. Perhaps you can give me your phone number and I can call you to talk about a few things...and some advice.
    Irina
  • johnmikeswearjohnmikeswear Member Posts: 8
    I see all these messages and the danger out there and the safety. I am still driving my care because it is fixed. Could it happen again? I think so. Yes I would love to be a part of any action that makes our roads safer. I work in a trauma center and see all the effects of car accidents. My experience is still so real and when I drive by the spot where the car stalled. I don't know how I did not get hit, hurt or killed or kill someone. I did call my wife and told her to go to work she is a nurse and I told her I could be a trauma in my own hospital. She did not think it was funny and there was nothing funny about it. I cannot express what it was like to be sitting in the middle of freeway, cars, trucks, semi, going by at 65 to 75 mph. You cannot do anything as they flash, dart and weave around you. I felt better when the traffic started to stake up and slow down. Two miles back cars were having to stop and I don't know what accidents the car caused behind me.
    Yes I would be willing to participate and tell my story. Where are the Lawyers. Where are the advocates. What is up with the difference of repair quotes. Mine was $7.900 and many have reported up to $14.000. Are they crazy? Where is all the safety money for resource going.
    You have my email and I will be watching. I have not heard any more from the AG office or Toyota.
    They fixed it but did not tell me to shut up about the experience.
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