ON OUR 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH A 4 CYLINDER ENGINE, AND ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP, LETTING OFF ON THE ACCELERATOR, AND IMMEDIATELY PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR RATHER HARD TO ATTEMPT TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE INCREASES RPM'S, BUT NO POWER GOES TO THE WHEELS. IT IS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION COMPUTER CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT GEAR TO SHIFT INTO. YOU HAVE TO LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR, AND LET THE RPM'S COME BACK DOWN, AND THEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY DETERMINES WHAT GEAR TO SHIFT INTO, AND YOU CAN THEN PRESS DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR TO REGAIN FORWARD MOMENTUM. WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU STEP ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE CAR IS GOING TO SHIFT INTO THE PROPER GEAR, AND MOVE FORWARD ACCORDINGLY. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN MY OPINION. TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THIS LOSS OF TRANSMISSION ACCELERATION HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, NOT JUST ONCE. *NM
2005
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)
PURCHASED A NEW 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 4WD. AFTER 45K MILES THE 4WD TRANSFER CASE BEGAN TO LEAK GEAR OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUID. I NOTICED THIS SINCE I DO ALL MY OWN OIL CHANGES ON THE VEHICLE. NO HARM WAS DONE, BUT I HAVE BROUGHT THE SAME PROBLEM TO THE DEALERSHIP 5 TIMES. EACH TIME THEY STATED THAT THEY HAVE REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, WITHOUT FAIL SEVERAL MONTHS LATER I AM STILL EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. TOYOTA'S CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NOT VERY FRIENDLY OR HELPFUL. ONE REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP REALLY DID NOT HAVE THE TOOLS TO PROPERLY FIX THE TRANSFER CASE SEALS PROPERLY. MY SAFETY ISSUE: IF THIS TRANSFER CASE FAILS AGAIN AND I DO NOT NOTICE IT, THEN I FEAR THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE SENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN OR EVEN WORSE. THUS FAR TOYOTA HAS REPLACED THE TRANSFER CASE TWICE AND THE TRANSMISSION ONCE WITH A RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. *JB