NHTSA Complaint #10553885 — 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

ON THE APPROXIMATE DATE WRITTEN ABOVE, I RECEIVED A NOTICE OF RECALL FROM TOYOTA RELATED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PART NOTED ABOVE [IPM]. THE NOTICE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT MY TOYOTA DEALER AND INDICATED THAT THE IPM "WOULD BE REPLACE." THE NOTICE WENT ON TO SAY "...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE FUSE OF THE POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT COULD BLOW, CAUSING THE HYBRID SYSTEM TO SHUT DOWN AND RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE STOPPING WHILE BEING DRIVEN. THIS CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH." BEING SOMEWHAT RISK ADVERSE, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED AND SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WHICH OCCURRED EARLIER TODAY. AT THAT APPOINTMENT, I WAS TOLD "THE PART WOULD BE INSPECTED TO DETERMINE IF IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED." CLEARLY, THIS INFORMATION WAS DIFFERENT THAN THAT PROVIDED BY THE NOTICE. WORSE, HOWEVER, IS THE FACT THAT THE DEALER, HAVING DETERMINED THAT THE PART DID INDEED NEED TO BE REPLACED, THEN INFORMED ME THAT THE PART WOULD NEED TO BE ORDERED AND SINCE THEY WERE ON BACKORDER THERE WAS NO WAY THEY COULD TELL ME WHEN THE PROMISED REPAIR MIGHT ACTUALLY OCCUR. AS A RESULT OF THE ABOVE, THIS HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION IS BEING ALLOWED TO CONTINUE UNTIL TOYOTA GETS ITS ACT TOGETHER. SOMEHOW, THAT DOESN'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT AND I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT LIKE TO KNOW. *TR