WE HAD JUST PASSED THROUGH A TOLLBOOTH ON A FREEWAY AND WERE ACCELERATING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR SHUDDERED AND SLOWED AND STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. A NUMBER OF WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON TELLING US TO STOP DRIVING THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AND TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE THREE WARNING LIGHTS WHICH WERE SOMETHING LIKE: 'CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM', 'CHECK BRAKES' AND 'CHECK VSC'. WE WERE CLOSE TO THE MEDIAN AND WERE LUCKILY ABLE TO PULL OFF INTO IT AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. WHEN WE TURNED IT BACK ON THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD AND WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME. WE HAVE SINCE HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE TOLD US THAT WE NEED A NEW INVERTER BATTERY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART IN THE PAST FOR THE 2006 AND 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS AND WANTED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OURS IS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. *TR
2007
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE ALL BEGAN FLASHING TO CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. I WAS UNABLE TO USE ANYTHING BUT THE BRAKES AS THE GAS PEDAL WOULD NOT EVEN WORK TO DECELERATE OR ACCELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO VEER OUT OF TRAFFIC TO SAFETY. I HAD ONE OTHER PASSENGER IN THE CAR AND WE WERE SCARED FOR OUR LIVES AS THE WHOLE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN AND COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. EVENTUALLY THE BATTERY ALSO DIED AND WE WERE STUCK ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT WAITING ON A TOW TRUCK. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH TOYOTA AND CORPORATE TOYOTA FOR THE PAST 6 WEEKS ON A RESOLUTION. WE WERE TOLD THE INVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS $9000. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY THE SERVICEMAN AT TOYOTA THAT THE CAR IS NOT WORTH FIXING AS IT STILL WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY AFTER THE PART IS REPLACED AS IT COULD HAVE LEAD TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THIS IS A FAULTY PART THAT WAS RECALLED IN SOME OF THEIR 06 AND 07 HIGHLANDERS BUT NOT OTHERS. WE WERE NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND AM STILL WAITING FOR HELP. THIS PART SHOULD BE FIXED BY TOYOTA COMPLETELY AS IT IS FAULTY OR TOYOTA SHOULD AT LEAST REIMBURSE FOR WHAT THE CAR WAS WORTH BEFORE THE INCIDENT. *TR