2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Power Train Problems

T-SB-0201-11 FROM TOYOTA STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS TSB AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A RECALL INSTEAD OF A TSB DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE IF/WHEN THE PIPE BREAKS. I RECENTLY ELECTED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REPAIRED ON MY OWN JUST SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS ISSUE HAPPENING TO ME OR MY WIFE, AND THUS BLOWING UP MY HIGHLANDER'S ENGINE CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. SEEMS PRETTY BAD THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR ISSUES, BUT NO RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH CAN DRAIN THE OIL FROM YOUR ENGINE IN A MINUTE, BLOW UP YOUR ENGINE, AND THEN POSSIBLY WRECK YOUR VEHICLE....

TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A T-SB-0201-11 WHICH STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED AS A RECALL VS. A T-SB WITH A DEFINED EXPIRATION DATE BECAUSE CONSUMERS ENGINES ARE BEING DESTROYED WHEN THIS 'SEEP' OCCURS. THIS HAPPENS WITH A MINUTE AND ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL IS LEFT ON THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED. IMAGINE A FAMILY WHO'S DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY, THEIR ENGINE STOPS WORKING AND AN 18-WHEELER REAR ENDS THEM. THAT IS WHY THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE TOYOTA TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES WITH THE METAL ONES THAT THE T-SB ADDRESSEE. *TR

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL HAD FAILED DUE TO A LEAK IN THE FRONT OF THE TRANSFER CASE. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL AS WELL. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, IN FEBRUARY 2009. ON JUNE 1, 2009, I WAS NORTHEAST OF ROCKVILLE, INDIANA ON HIGHWAY 47 IN THIS TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I APPROACHED A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF ROADWAY AND PASSED THE VEHICLE. AS I WAS PASSING I FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS GOING FASTER THAN I WAS ACCELERATING. WHEN I PULLED BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE THE CAR WAS GOING EVEN FASTER AND I REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. LUCKILY, I WAS STILL ON A LONG STRAIGHT SECTION OF THE ROAD AND HAD SOME TIME. I FIRST TRIED TO BRAKE BUT THE CAR KEPT GOING EVEN FASTER. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STARTED BRAKING AND LUCKILY FOUND A PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RACING UNCONTROLLABLY. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING WAS PUSHING...