NHTSA Complaint #10362106 — 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

FRONT DIFFERENTIAL CATASTROPHICALLY FAILED ON 2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER (4WD) (65,220 MI) WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE. VEHICLE INSTANTANEOUSLY LOST SPEED (TO 30 MPH) & WE NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING RUN OVER BY SEMITRAILER AT HIGHWAY SPEED. DUE TO CONFIGURATION OF ROAD - ONLY SPORADIC SHOULDERS BECAUSE OF TERRAIN - THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. CAR STUCK IN TRAVEL LANES FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD. FEEL VERY LUCKY THAT NO ONE WAS HURT. REPAIRING DEALER ASSERTED THAT THE PART HAD NO FLUID REMAINING DUE TO SEAL LEAK. VEHICLE WAS LAST SERVICED BY LOCAL DEALER ~2,000 MILES EARLIER (63,226 MI) WITH NO LEAKAGE SEEN. ENTIRE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL / TRANSFER CASE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED (STILL HAVE PART). CAR WAS TOTALLY INSPECTED BY REPAIRING DEALER AT THE TIME (65,220 MI) AND NO OTHER PROBLEMS FOUND. ONE MONTH LATER FOUND FLUID PUDDLE IN DRIVEWAY (66,216 MI). DEALER INVESTIGATED AND REPORTED THAT THE INSPECTION PLUG ON THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS RAPIDLY LEAKING DIFFERENTIAL FLUID. TOLD NOT TO DRIVE VEHICLE TILL PLUG AND GASKET REPLACED. SEEMS TO BE OK NOW. SO, WITHIN A MONTH AND 1,000 MI USE, BOTH THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL AND THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL RAPIDLY LOST FLUIDS. I SUSPECT BAD GASKETS WERE USED IN MANUFACTURE. *TR