On March 26, 2021 when we started the vehicle, there were several indicators and messages that there was a problem with the braking system and that it needed to be serviced by a Toyota dealer immediately. Upon doing some research it became clear that Toyota is fully aware of malfunctions of the brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump on this vehicle and communicated it to owners in a customer support program notification-zkc in 2019. In that voluntary communication, Toyota identified the malfunctions of the brake system components and stated that the cost of repairs was covered through December 31, 2020. However, since this problem did not become apparent until March 26, 2021 Toyota did not fully cover the cost of repairs. It is unclear why this known defect and malfunction have not been treated as a recall. There are numerous cases that have been documented online of brake failure on this vehicle as a result of the malfunctions of the brake actuator and booster pump some with catastrophic consequences. No one at Toyota has been able to explain why repairs are not covered after December 31, 2020 and indicate that it was apparently an arbitrary date. My assumption is that this was a deliberate effort by Toyota to limit their financial exposure with no regard for the safety of drivers and passengers. Hopefully the NHTSA will investigate this issue and require Toyota to notify all owners of this vehicle of the defect and potential danger associated with braking system failure and have Toyota recall the vehicle and make the appropriate repairs. The estimated cost for the repair is $2,700.

- Cary, NC, USA

I have a 2008 Highlander hybrid limited edition. The ABS actuator assembly needs to be replaced. There was a recall on this same part in 06 and 07. If the 08's are having the same problem, why is not covered under a recall as well? when I called Toyota they said that they had extended the warranty until Dec 2020, but can't do anything now as the extended warranty is expired. It appears that Toyota acknowledges the problem, but did not issue a recall like they did in other years for the same issue. Further they said that a notice was mailed informing me of the issue and warranty extension, but I never received it.

- Washington, DC, USA

The ABS on our 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid limited went out several days before we had planned a long trip. We heard a noise and took it to our mechanic, who diagnosed it. Thankfully we were not hurt or in an accident.the 2006 and 2007 Highlanders have recalls on them for this problem. The 2008 has the same brake components, per our mechanic, but there is no recall on the 2008. We would like to know why, as it uses the same parts that already have a recall on them.

- Loveland, CO, USA

My 2008 Highlander hybrid came up with the following lights in the dashboard and information display: Brake system malfunction, check brake system, check ABS and check vsc system. The brakes got hard to press all the sudden after the lights came on, I was lucky I wasn't driving the car when it happened. I received a letter from Toyota back in 2019 stating there was a problem with my model's brake actuator and that if my vehicle had these symptoms, they would repair it for free, but I had to wait until the problem presented itself. The primary coverage for this was until December 31st, 2020 and the secondary coverage was until the car had 10 years or 150,000 miles on it. They told me I don't qualify for either coverages since the warranty extension was until 2020 and my car already has 12 years (first date of use may, 2009), even though it only has 80,280 miles on it. My local dealer's estimate for this problem totals $3,873.55 which is absolutely ridiculous for a problem they recognized happens to every model in my category, and a problem they would've fixed for free less than 4 months ago. Even my service advisor told me to be careful and not drive the car as this is a safety issue. This should've been a recall, not a warranty extension.

- Toa Alta, PR, USA

Vehicle drained the new 12 volt battery recently installed. I delivered the battery to the vendor who charged it and ran an analysis and found that the battery was in proper working order. They indicated something in the vehicle caused the drain. Upon replacing the fully charged battery the vehicle did not start. There were three warning messages: Check brake system, check vsc system, and check 4WD system. The braking system issue seems to be a common one in this make, model, and year and I received a customer support program notification letter from the manufacturer indicating coverage for the brake actuator assembly which causes these warnings. When I had this checked prior to the coverage expiration date of December 31, 2020, the dealership indicated that this was not the issue. The cost to repair this issue seems prohibitive at over $3,000.

- Charlottesville, VA, USA

The car keeps lunging forward as the brake is being pressed at times. This is particularly dangerous in snowy and slippery conditions. I was forced onto oncoming traffic as the car lunged forward when I attempted to stop at a stop. The car brake stopped working briefly and the car instead jerk forward. I called Toyota on 3/1/2021 who claimed it is part a customer support program to repair as of December 31, 2021 and not classified as a recall and will they will not make the necessary repairs. This is a definite recall and should be addressed asap. I was driving on a local road, snowy conditions, and attempted to stop going downhill when the car jerked forward as the brake was being applied.

- Maplewood, NJ, USA

Steering went out all of asudden without notice, almost causing me to crash, ,my speed was legal speed in Texas 80mph, ,,also a the ABS light came on and felt like brakes were going to be applied, ,turned engine off, restarted car and ABS brake light went off

- Houston, TX, USA

The brakes feel like the pulsate wgen you start to press on them. Then while engaging the brakes it will feel likes its grabbing then it releaes and the pedal feels like it has no pressure in it. The cruise control stopped working, all the lights are on for the brake system, and now it has a long high pitch beep when turning the car on or applying pressure to the break pedal.

- West Plains, MO, USA

I have Toyota Highlander hybrid 2008. My car is making noise under the hood whenever I hit the brake regardless of if the car is moving or halt. Initially Toyota service guys said that the sound is expected and nothing is wrong with my car but during my last visit to them they mentioned my ABS actuator and motor has gone bad and needs to be replaced. The estimate cost to fix the problem is around $3200. I have read online about the similar cases and I request Toyota to recognize the problem and issue a recall to replace the pat 'ABS actuator and motor'. prior models were recalled for the same issue and although 2008 uses the same components, it has not been re-called.

- Saint Charles, IL, USA

Recently all the brake lights came on the dash as I was driving the car. The warning note on the screen said to take it immediately to the dealer to fix. After their diagnostic the dealership found that both the brake booster pump and ABS actuator needed to be replaced at a cost of $3,064 including the 3-4 hours labor cost after researching this issue apparently it is a very common complaint with these vehicles.for something as serious as this I'm surprised that there has never been a recall on this issue.

- Aldie, VA, USA

ABS failure, which seems to be an issue with this model based on an online search. Prior models were recalled for the same issue, and although the 2008 uses the same components, it has not been recalled. This is a safety issue given that the brakes can fail. Fixing the issue before it becomes a disaster costs $4000 +

- Fairfield, CA, USA

I have Toyota Highlander hybrid 2008. My car is giving a sound under the hood whenever I hit the brake. No matter the car is halt or moving. Initially Toyota service guys said that the sound is expected and nothing wrong my car. Yesterday they were telling that the "ABS actuator" is bad and has to be replaced now or later. The estimated cost to fix the problem is $3000. I have read online about the similar cases. I request to Toyota to recognize the issue and issue a recall to replace the part "ABS actuator assy". the attached url describe the similar issue and at you can hear the sound in the youtube url: Https://www.youtube.com/watch?V=wvfumdzle4Y&feature=youtu.be

- San Antonio, TX, USA

Recently we've got a bunch of warning lights on the dashboard of our car indicating a brake system malfunction and urging us to stop the vehicle in a safe location. The brakes were still working and we were able to carefully and safely drive home. After scanning the car for ABS error codes and doing a quick online search, I realized that the brake booster pump assembly and actuator assembly failed in our car.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

Brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly (problem known to Toyota for this and other models, ) failed, leading to dash messages: Master warning, ABS warning, brake system warning (brake malfunction: Stop the vehicle in a safe place immediately and contact a dealer), slip indicator. Brake pedal function seems limited, and dangerous. All warnings come back upon shutting off and restarting vehicle.

- Galesburg, IL, USA

I sent a letter to Toyota motor sales usa after being refused service at a local dealer to resolve a safety issue, with no reply. While pressing brake when starting I got a couple of error messages that said to contact a Toyota dealer. I did some very detailed research into this problem and what others had encountered. I found the errors would only show when the 12 volt battery was getting low on charge. The brake booster pump is one of the suspect items draining the battery because it continues to run long after the vehicle is parked. Since I don't have the tools to check the current draw on this or if it is even supposed to run long after the vehicle is shut off, I wanted my Toyota dealer to check this. There is a " customer support program notification - zkc" related to this for the brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly. I specifically requested that they check out the electrical component of the brake booster pump even if not covered by warranty. I also told them about the errors only occurring on a low 12 volt battery charge. Their diagnosis showed an error code of poaa6 and only the warning lights and error message in the car display. They not only decided this was not covered by warranty but also ignored my specific request to test the brake system at my expense. No attempt at checking brakes or 12 volt charging system. I was told they would have to open the inverter to check that with the known outcome that this inverter is not repairable but would have to be replaced at a cost of $10,000.. new 12V battery installed. Computers can malfunction if not given the design operating voltage! I have trouble believing that there is a "hybrid battery voltage system isolation fault" due to the fact that the on board computer does not report this message when operating on a fully charged 12 volt system - in other words operating under normal conditions.

- Antioch, CA, USA

Toyota just denied our claim for the reimbursement for the brake actuator assembly customer support program (malfunction of the break actuator assembly in 2008 Highlander hybrid). Supposedly the repair performed on our vehicle "does not meet the criteria for reimbursement". interesting. Problem with our vehicle was exactly what the customer support program zkc is for. They have been playing games with us for almost 3 months. We sent them the complete documentation several times (they tried to claim something was always missing). Nothing was missing. We are the original owners of the vehicle and have kept every receipt, every dmv document, every credit card statement... we kept re-sending them the documents; some of them as many as 4 times. Interesting, when I called them, they had the documents on file. They just do not want to pay; way too obvious. Toyota reps are horrible actors... we are not giving up. We will be calling and E-mailing them until they reimburse us. If they do not, we (and other people in our very extended family) will not buy a Toyota vehicle again. So shortsighted by Toyota: Save $3700 but lose several customers... the warning light came on in December 2015. It took two trips to Toyota dealer (and $3700) to have this fixed.

- Cameron Park, CA, USA

While driving approximately 25 mph on a city street, the brake system failed entirely when attempting to stop at a red light. There was no previous warning that the brakes were not functioning. In the moment of failure, the ABS warning system alert showed on the dashboard display. Eventually, the brakes began to work again, and I pulled to the side of the street and turned off the vehicle. No warning lights or indicators showed after restarting the vehicle, and the braking system appeared to be somewhat functional again. The mechanic we brought it to was able to replicate the problem in the same conditions, but is as yet unclear on what is causing the failure.

- St. Paul, MN, USA

ABS and vsc system warning lights came on suddenly for the first time while I was driving. I parked the car and it would not start. I was stranded and suddenly had a critical brake failure with no prior warning. My vehicle has low mileage at approx. 70,000. This is a dangerous failure which has been covered by warranty in previous models and is still a problem.

- Lynnwood, WA, USA

At Toyota, we are dedicated to providing vehicles of outstanding quality and value. As part of our continual efforts to ensure customer satisfaction, Toyota would like to advise you of a voluntary customer support program that has been initiated for your vehicle. Toyota has received reports regarding certain internal malfunctions of the brake actuator assembly in certain 2008-2010 model year Highlander hybrid vehicles. In these reports, customers have noted various brake system related warning lamps are illuminated. This customer support program provides coverage as it applies to the brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly. The specific condition covered by this program is for certain internal malfunctions of the brake actuator assembly. If the condition is verified, the vehicle will be repaired with new brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly under the terms of this customer support program. If the following warning lamps are illuminated, the vehicle may be experiencing a concern with the brake actuator assembly and brake booster pump assembly that is covered by this customer support program. The part is back ordered and they don't know when they will be available. I just picked the vehicle for the dealership and they will notify me when it's available. I'm still driving the vehicle. This has been going on since I first filed 7 months ago. It's funny has the part is available to purchase, but it's on back order for my vehicle. This is not right. Looks like I'm going to have to wait again. Thanks for your assistance in this matter.

- Camarillo, CA, USA

When applying pressure to the breaks there is a chirping sound. Toyota has deemed this an ABS actuator failing issue; which is an issue I have seen repeatedly online posted by other hy hi drivers. I am also seeing 2 years previous have been recalled for this very issue. Why is the recall not extended and is there any way for it to be" the cost of the vehicle to the cost of repair is so great and unfortunately, this is not a normal failure that is to be expected. Its to my understanding that a complete failure can cause a very unavoidable fatal crash as the breaking system failure would lock up all break function. This has occurred in the past too with vehicles under further deterioration of the ABS actuator. Would you please give heavy thought to an extension of the warranty to cover this issue for the 2008 models" its a great risk to Highlander drivers and those around us.

- Baltimore, MD, USA