NHTSA Complaint #10296019 — 2002 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

WITH ONLY 106,000 MILES ON MY HIGHLANDER, THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED AND NEEDS TO COMPLETELY BE REPLACED. A $4600 REPAIR RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I AM IN TEARS. THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T SEEM VERY SURPRISED THAT THIS WOULD OCCUR. IRONIC? BUT THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST I WENT TO FOR A SECOND OPINION SAID THIS SHOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. HE ADVISED EVEN PROPER MAINTENANCE WOULDN'T HAVE PREVENTED THIS KIND OF FAILURE. IT'S JUST BAD EQUIPMENT. HE REPEATEDLY STATED HOW ABNORMAL THIS WAS AND TOYOTA USED TO HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION ON THE TRANSMISSION AND RELIABILITY. I PURCHASED MY TOYOTA BASED ON THAT REPUTATION. AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS. AT 35,000 MILES I WAS A VICTIM OF THE "SLUDGE ENGINE" ISSUE TOO. BEFORE THE RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THAT. THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. BEFORE THEY WERE WILLING TO FIX IT, I HAD TO PROVE THAT I HAD CHANGED THE OIL REGULARLY. THEY ACCUSED ME OF NOT DOING THIS. TOYOTA KNOWS THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE TRANSMISSION AND FROM WHAT I SEE, THIS IS HAPPENING TO OTHERS. IT IS HAPPENING IN THE RAV4'S TOO. THEY NEED TO STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AND TAKE CARE OF THESE VEHICLES. THIS IS THE FIRST AND LAST TOYOTA I WILL EVER OWN. *TR