NHTSA Complaint #11074214 — 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

4 WEEKS AGO THERE WAS A NOTICEABLE HIGH PITCHED WHINE DURING ACCELERATION FROM 40 MPH AND UP. THE WHINE'S PITCH WOULD CHANGE UP OR DOWN WHEN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CHANGED GEARS AND THE VEHICLE'S SPEED CHANGED. ON 2/12/2018, THE TRANSMISSION LET GO (THE ENGINE WOULD REV, BUT NO POWER TO THE WHEELS) WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY 45 MPH STREET. FORTUNATELY, THE PERSON BEHIND HERE DIDN'T REAR-END HER AND MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE INTO A TURNING LANE AND STOP WITH FLASHERS ON. SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND ON. THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED AND SHE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. RIGHT BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION LET GO, SHE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. WHEN I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE WHINE WAS GONE ON ACCELERATION, BUT NOW IT WOULD WHINE ON DECELERATION! THE MECHANIC AT THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO AN INTERNAL CLIP THAT BECOMES UNSEATED. THE CLIP CAN CAUSE INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THEY WERE WORKING ON ANOTHER HIGHLANDER WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. THERE IS A CONVERSATION PUBLISHED ON EDMUNDS.COM WITH OTHER PEOPLE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUE I HAD WITH MY HIGHLANDER'S 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. MY HIGHLANDER HAD 13.200 MILES ON IT WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP. IT TOOK 9 CALENDAR DAYS TO GET THE VEHICLE FIXED DUE TO LIMITED AVAILABILITY OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME MY REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE COUNTRY (USA) WHEN THEY ORDERED IT! IF THIS IS HAPPENING WITH SO MANY HIGHLANDERS WITH THIS 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT RESULTS FROM THE TRANSMISSION FAILING ON SOMEONE ELSE.