2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID Engine Problems

The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact’s son stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 196,000.

CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY AND WAS STATIONARY. WARMING CAR UP TO GET RID OF FROST ON WINDSHIELD. THE CAR STARTED ON FIRE - TOTAL LOST. 3 TO 4 FEET FLAMES COMING OUT OF ENGINE.

DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE RECEIVED A CHECK HYBRID LIGHT THEN THE ENGINE POWERED DOWN AND THEN SHUT DOWN. WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF INTERSTATE WITHOUT CRASHING. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALER WHERE THEY SAID IT WAS THE IVS, INVERTER SYSTEM, WHICH OVERHEATED AND SHUT ENGINE DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED IN 2014 FOR BAD SOLDERING IN THE IVS SYSTEM. CAR HAS ONLY 72,000 MILES ON IT, BUT OVER 8 YEARS ON WARRANTY. SO I AM WAITING ON TOYOTA TO DECIDE IF THEY ARE GOING TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR $9,500 REPAIR. I AM NOW AWARE OF LAWSUITS AND COMPLAINTS ON THE INVERTER SYSTEM OF THE HYBRID HIGHLANDER.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH AND COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED AND IT HAD MULTIPLE UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INCLUDING THE CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM, THE CHECK ENGINE AND THE CHECK CSV WARNING LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INVERTER ASSEMBLY WITH CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

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...

NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : PE11005 EXACT SAME SITUATION. THIS ISSUE KILLS THE CAR IMMEDIATELY WITH NO TIME TO PREPARE. I WAS VERY LUCKY AS I WAS JUST ENTERING ONTO THE FREEWAY. I DRIFTED OVER TO THE RIGHT MEDIAN. IF I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OR FAR LEFT LANE THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. THERE ARE MORE HIGHLANDERS HYBRIDS IN MY VIN RANGE THAT ARE COMING OF AGE AND SHOULD HAVE THESE DEFECTIVE INVERTER ASSEMBLY PARTS REPLACED ASAP. *TR

I WAS EXITING A PARKING LOT ONTO THE STREET. I SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE I WAS WAITING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC. MY CAR WAS IN DRIVE BUT I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE WHEN MY CAR WENT DEAD. THERE WERE WARNINGS FLASHING AT ME FROM MY DASHBOARD. I PUT MY CAR IN PARK. TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED MY CAR BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED PLUS I BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS DO TO THE SLIGHT INCLINE IN THE PARKING LOT EXIT. I QUICKLY PUT MY CAR IN PARK AGAIN, TURNED ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS, AND WAIVED THE CARS BEHIND ME TO GO AROUND. I WAS ABLE TO PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE AND BACK IT UP TO A SAFE AREA IN THE PARKING LOT. I CALLED THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP IN CHARLOTTE WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AT AND CONTINUED HAVING IT SERVICED. THEY TOLD ME TO HAVE IT...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE FAULTY SPARK PLUG COIL PACK CONTRIBUTED TO THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE SERVICE WARRANTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,162. UPDATED 10/19/12 *CN UPDATED 10/23/2012 *JS