NHTSA Complaint #10150714 — 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

MULTIPLE TIMES, I HAVE TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE AND THERE HAS BEEN "HESITATION" WHEN I DEPRESSED THE GAS PEDAL--THE CAR SEEMED TO BE IN NEUTRAL, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS/GEARS--IT IS NOT PREDICTABLE. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED ONCE; IN THAT INSTANCE THE CAR ACTUALLY "BUCKED" AND STOPPED. I HAD TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE, RESTART, AND DRIVE A SHORT DISTANCE TO A SAFE PLACE TO STOP. AT OTHER TIMES, I HAVE BEEN ON A RELATIVELY EMPTY STREET AND IT HAS NOT BEEN AS MUCH OF A PROBLEM SINCE NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. HOWEVER, THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN AS I HAVE A LONG COMMUTE TO WORK (AND BOUGHT THIS CAR BECAUSE OF WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ITS SAFETY AND RELIABILITY). ON MY FIRST VISIT TO THE DEALER, TOYOTA MADE A FIX ACCORDING TO A TECHNICAL BULLETIN. ON THE SECOND VISIT, THEY DID NOTHING BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM--EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. ON THIS SECOND VISIT, THEY MERELY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WE WERE TOLD WE COULD RENT A LOANER VEHICLE FROM THEM AT THEIR COST BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. *JB