NHTSA Complaint #10525250 — 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

WE HAD JUST PASSED THROUGH A TOLLBOOTH ON A FREEWAY AND WERE ACCELERATING TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC WHEN THE CAR SHUDDERED AND SLOWED AND STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT. A NUMBER OF WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON TELLING US TO STOP DRIVING THE CAR IMMEDIATELY AND TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WERE THREE WARNING LIGHTS WHICH WERE SOMETHING LIKE: 'CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM', 'CHECK BRAKES' AND 'CHECK VSC'. WE WERE CLOSE TO THE MEDIAN AND WERE LUCKILY ABLE TO PULL OFF INTO IT AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. WHEN WE TURNED IT BACK ON THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD AND WE HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME. WE HAVE SINCE HAD IT TOWED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE TOLD US THAT WE NEED A NEW INVERTER BATTERY. WE UNDERSTAND THAT TOYOTA HAS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS PART IN THE PAST FOR THE 2006 AND 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS AND WANTED TO REPORT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE OURS IS A 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. *TR