NHTSA Complaint #10456197 — 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE ON RT 138 IN NEWPORT RI, I WAS ACCELERATING AND SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AND WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE TRAVEL PORTION OF THE ROADWAY. VEHICLE REQUIRED A FLATBED TOW TRUCK TO BRING IT TO BALISE TOYOTA IN WARWICK RI. SERVICE DEPARTMENT INFORMED ME THAT THE INVERTER HAD FAILED AND THAT THE REPAIR ESTIMATE WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $9400. AFTER RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET I FOUND THAT THIS WAS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2006 AND 2007 MODELS AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR CERTAIN MODELS. MY VEHICLE'S VIN DOES NOT FALL UNDER THE RECALL AND THE INVERTER. I HAVE CONTACTED TOYOTA'S CORPORATE OFFICE REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, NEITHER CORPORATE NOR THE DEALER OFFERED UP THE INFORMATION THAT NEARLY 100,000 OF THESE VEHICLES HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE. I ASKED THE PEOPLE IN SERVICE IF THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. THEY LOOKED UP THE PART NUMBER FOR MY INVERTER P/N G9200-48031 S/N PH09YM084 AND TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM. THE FAILURE MODE RESEMBLES THE MULTITUDE OF FAILURES THAT WERE COVERED UNDER THE RECALL WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE RECALL WAS NOT BROAD ENOUGH IN ITS SCOPE. I HAVE YET TO HEAR BACK FROM TOYOTA ON WHAT IF ANYTHING THEY ARE GOING TO DO TO ABSORB THIS OUT OF CONTROL REPAIR COST. *TR