NHTSA Complaint #10142579 — 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

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