NHTSA Complaint #10491777 — 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE LIGHTS IN THE VEHICLE ALL BEGAN FLASHING TO CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. I WAS UNABLE TO USE ANYTHING BUT THE BRAKES AS THE GAS PEDAL WOULD NOT EVEN WORK TO DECELERATE OR ACCELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO VEER OUT OF TRAFFIC TO SAFETY. I HAD ONE OTHER PASSENGER IN THE CAR AND WE WERE SCARED FOR OUR LIVES AS THE WHOLE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN AND COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. EVENTUALLY THE BATTERY ALSO DIED AND WE WERE STUCK ON THE ROAD AT NIGHT WAITING ON A TOW TRUCK. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH TOYOTA AND CORPORATE TOYOTA FOR THE PAST 6 WEEKS ON A RESOLUTION. WE WERE TOLD THE INVERTER NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THE COST IS $9000. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY THE SERVICEMAN AT TOYOTA THAT THE CAR IS NOT WORTH FIXING AS IT STILL WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY AFTER THE PART IS REPLACED AS IT COULD HAVE LEAD TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THIS IS A FAULTY PART THAT WAS RECALLED IN SOME OF THEIR 06 AND 07 HIGHLANDERS BUT NOT OTHERS. WE WERE NOT PART OF THE RECALL. I AM WITHOUT A VEHICLE AND AM STILL WAITING FOR HELP. THIS PART SHOULD BE FIXED BY TOYOTA COMPLETELY AS IT IS FAULTY OR TOYOTA SHOULD AT LEAST REIMBURSE FOR WHAT THE CAR WAS WORTH BEFORE THE INCIDENT. *TR