NHTSA Complaint #10522976 — 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WHEN THEY HEARD A "POP" NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. THE CAR STALLED ON THE ROAD. BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THEY WERE ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE AND DID NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. NEXT DAY, THE DEALER INFORMED THAT THE ISSUE WAS WITH THE HYBRID SYSTEM - THE INVERSION PART. THE COST FOR REPAIR WOULD BE $11,000! WE LIVE ABOUT AN HOUR FROM OUR WORKPLACES AND THUS PUT A GOOD MANY MILES ON OUR CAR - THE 125,000 MILES ON THE CAR PUT THE DRIVETRAIN OUT OF WARRANTY. WE HAVE HAD ALL RECALL SERVICES PERFORMED AT THE DEALER, AND KEPT REGULAR MAINTENANCE. NOT ONCE WERE WE ADVISED BY TOYOTA THAT THE HYBRID SYSTEM WAS SHOWING WEAR AND MAY BE IN NEED OF SERVICE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION (WARNING LIGHTS, ETC.,) THAT THE HYBRID SYSTEM NEEDED ATTENTION - NO FORE WARNING AT ALL PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. IN DOING RESEARCH, WE REALLY GOT UPSET TO FIND TOYOTA HAD RECALLED 06 AND 07 MODELS FOR THE VERY SAME HYBRID ISSUE. WE ALSO NOTICED THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH COMPLAINTS ON THE SAME ISSUE IN VARIOUS ONLINE FORUMS. TO CAP IT OFF -- AFTER THE DEALER TOLD US THE REPAIR BILL IS $11,000, WE WERE ADVISED TO DISCUSS WITH A TOYOTA CASE MANAGER. WE DID AND THEIR OFFER? $1,500 TOWARD A NEW TOYOTA PURCHASE. WE WERE HIGHLY FRUSTRATED BY THIS RESPONSE. WE FEEL THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND SHOULD PROVIDE BETTER WARNINGS TO USERS AND BETTER RESOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM - AND RECALL ALL EFFECTED HYBRIDS! *TR