NHTSA Complaint #10266309 — 2003 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

GENTLEMEN: I AM WRITING YOU THIS E-MAIL BECAUSE THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR THAT IS NOT ONLY IRRITATING, BUT IS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS TO ALL WHO OWN A FULL TIME FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. MY HIGHLANDER IS A 2003, AND ALTHOUGH WE WERE PROMISED FULL TIME FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE WHEN WE BOUGHT IT, WE FOUND OUT LATER TO OUR HORROR THAT IT IS NOT. WHEN DRIVING DOWN A PAVED HIGHWAY, ALL FOUR WHEELS ARE DRIVING. THIS IS A TIME WHEN FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE IS NOT NEEDED. HOWEVER, A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE DROVE OFF THE PAVEMENT INTO SAND ON A PICNIC TRIP, BUT DID NOT WORRY BECAUSE THE 'FULL TIME' FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE WOULD PULL US OUT. IT DID NOT! ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS BEGAN TO SPIN IN THE SAND AND THE OTHER THREE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED DRIVING. WE WERE STUCK! THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR WHEELS IS NOT ANTI-SLIP, BUT THE STANDARD DIFFERENTIAL THAT WILL STOP ALL WHEELS FROM DRIVING WHEN ONE LOOSES TRACTION. THIS IS HARDLY FULL-TIME FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE NO MATTER HOW YOU DEFINE IT. WE WERE SOLD A CAR WE PAID FOR BUT DID NOT GET, AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO RECTIFY THIS SITUATION. WHO KNOWS HOW MANY CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN BILKED BY TOYOTA WITH THIS CAR, AND WILL GET THEM INTO TROUBLE THINKING THEY HAD A CAR THAT WOULD PULL THEM OUT. I WOULD LIKE TO START A CLASS ACTION LAW SUIT TO GET OUR MONEY BACK OR GET A FREE CAR THAT IS INDEED THE FULL TIME FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WE PAID FOR AND DESERVE. *TR