NHTSA Complaint #10875884 — 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID

ON JUNE 15TH, 2016 WHILE OVER 200 MILES FROM HOME ON A FAMILY TRIP WITH MY PREGNANT WIFE AND 2 YEAR OLD SON IN THE CAR DRIVING DOWN A 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH A SEMI TRUCK BEHIND US AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH CONSTANT SPEED OUR 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKES LOCKED UP, A WARNING TONE SOUNDED, SEVERAL LIGHTS LIT UP ON THE DASH INCLUDING BRAKES, ABS, VSC, (((!))), AND /!\, AND THE CAR STOPPED COMPLETELY IN THE HIGHWAY WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING. THE LCD DISPLAYED SEVERAL ALTERNATING MESSAGES ABOUT THE BRAKES, ABS, AND VSC AND ALSO ABOUT NEEDING TO HAVE THE VEHICLE CHECKED BY A DEALER. AS OUR CAR WAS ABOUT TO BE SMASHED BY A SEMI TRUCK I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR. THE BRAKES WERE COMPLETELY LOCKED UP, BUT FORTUNATELY THE CAR INCHED FORWARD AT LESS THAN 5 MPH WITH WIDE OPEN/FULL THROTTLE TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD BEFORE THE SEMI TRUCK COULD HIT US FROM BEHIND. THE SITUATION WAS TERRIFYING. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER. THEY DO NOT KNOW THE REASON FOR THE ISSUE. THEY WANT $500 TO TROUBLE SHOOT AND GENERATE A REPAIR ESTIMATE. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE ABS ACTUATORS ARE COMMONLY $3,000. I HAVE NOTED MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE FOR THE 2008 HIGHLANDER HYBRID AND OTHER TOYOTA HYBRID VEHICLES IN WHICH THE BRAKES, ABS, AND VSC LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AND BRAKING ISSUES OCCUR.