NHTSA Complaint #10482662 — 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

WHEN STARTING AFTER STOP AT THE END OF A FREEWAY EXIT RAMP A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN LOST ALL POWER AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM AND CHECK VSC SYSTEM ERROR LIGHTS WERE DISPLAYED AND THE CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSED WITH FAILURE OF THE INVERTER. MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 2011 RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS QUOTED AS $8000 AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH TOYOTA CORPORATE THEY OFFERED A $1500 CUSTOMER APPRECIATION REBATE. BASED ON ONLINE RESEARCH THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. ANOTHER LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER SAID THEY HAVE REPAIRED 4 OF THESE IN THE PAST WEEK. TOYOTA CAN NOT ASSURE US THAT THE PROBLEM WITH THIS INVERTER HAS BEEN SOLVED OR IF THE NEW ONE WILL BE MORE RELIABLE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. THE CAR HAD ALWAYS PERFORMED WELL AND GAVE NO WARNING BEFORE THIS COMPLETE FAILURE. IF MY CAR HAD FAILED 60 SECONDS EARLIER I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON I-81 GOING 70 MPH SURROUNDED BY TRACTOR TRAILERS AND WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD. HAVE NOT DECIDED WHETHER OR NOT TO PROCEED WITH THE REPAIR. *TR