NHTSA Complaint #10315985 — 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER V6 - AUTO (2WD) SINCE WE'VE PURCHASED THE T-HIGHLANDER, THE CAR WILL OCCASIONALLY SUDDENLY JERK FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR AND WHEN THE SHIFT TAKES PLACE BETWEEN 2,000 AND 2,500 RPM WHEN IN 2ND GEAR. WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS IN TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ONLY TO BE TOLD THIS IS A "PROGRAMMING" ISSUE AND THE CAR IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SHIFT BASED ON DIFFERENT DRIVERS. I'VE LOOKED ONLINE AND ON FORUMS AND OTHER OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. I THINK IT'S TOYOTA TRYING TO SAVE $$. MY CONCERN SINCE WE'VE BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS IS THE SAME CONCERN THAT I WANT THE NHTSA TO BE AWARE OF NOW AND THAT IS, THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT HERE DUE TO SOMETHING THAT IS CLEARLY DEFECTIVE WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND/OR THE "PROGRAMMING" OF HOW THE COMPUTER SHIFTS. THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING FILED BECAUSE ALL OF THE OTHER TOYOTA PROBLEMS THAT HAVE SURFACED HAVE REAFFIRMED WHAT I'VE KNOWN ALL ALONG, THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH TOYOTAS AND IN OUR CASE, NOT HAVING COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING. HOWEVER, I WAS MADE TO FEEL THAT I HAD NO BASIS FOR MY COMPLAINTS WHEN IN FACT, I DO. I HOPE THAT EVEN IF NOTHING IS DONE TO FIX MY T-HIGHLANDER AS I HAVE GIVEN UP ON IT (SHORT OF LEGAL ACTION, WHICH MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE NOW) THAT THE NHTSA DOES DO SOMETHING TO ENSURE THAT NO ONE IS INJURED AS A RESULT OF THIS "PROGRAMMING" ISSUE. *TR