This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Approximately two weeks ago, my brakes began to fail. When i press the brakes, I receive a warning message on the steering wheel portion of the dashboard that says "breaking power low" and an orange triangle with an exclamation point illuminates. The extremely weakened brakes almost made me rear end a vehicle traveling in front of me. Since then, I have taken my vehicle to a local mechanic/autobody and also to a Toyota dealership in Hackensack, NJ. The local mechanic advised me that he could not find anything physically wrong with the vehicle that would be causing the problem, which he also experienced. Hackensack Toyota, after having my vehicle for over two hours, could not make a diagnosis of what was wrong with my vehicle and also wanted to charge me a substantial amount of money for something that should be an immediate hazard and saftey concern. This issue also sounds like a manufacturer defect that should be treated as a recall since there was no action or incident that led to or caused this brake failure. Since this is my only vehicle, it forces me and my family to take significant risks by traveling in it.
While I am driving my Toyota Highlander XLE 2019 in a parking lot to park my car, I stopped to yield to people crossing and I slowed down and applied brake, but my car stopped and unable to restart as car display showing an error - Braking Power Low I unable to star the car and ended up towing to Toyota Dealer ship in Plano, TX I am still waiting for Dealer to check on and advise on the issue I feel this is huge safety issue as car can stop in middle of traffic or on busy highway with out any warning and can cause a serious accident I am really pissed off at Toyota quality
Vehicle check engine turned on to check AWD system after about 2 days when filling with gas the engine wouldn't start and had Low brake power message on dashboard. Checked code and got P0171 and P0174 which mean engine's air/fuel mixture becomes too lean for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to correct within its normal operating range there are many posts and threads about same issue on highlanders as old as 2017 please look into this issue that could potentially cause a hazard. will take vehicle in for inspection 06/13/23 at Toyota of Naperville
- Aurora, IL, USA
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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY. Yes, both parts will be available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Brakes either lock up or won't stop short without skidding. The vehicle's hybrid system also shuts down. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Dealership only at this point. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" Before the brakes locked up, warning lamp said Hybrid System Stopped. BSM not available.
There is a -??squeak-?? type noise that sounds like fluid or air is being forced through a crack when the brakes are applied. It is intermittent as brakes remain applied, however it happens every time the brakes are applied and lasts until they are released. The local Toyota dealer diagnosed it as a failed brake master cylinder. After repair, the same noise continues. The dealers -??master technician-?? was able to hear and reproduce the noise, but claim that it is from pressure building to help breaking. The young -??master technician-?? stated that he works feel safe in the vehicle, but they don-??t know why it-??s making that sound. The sound began 1 year after I purchased the vehicle (I bought it v used in 2022). Warning lamps flashed very briefly indicating something about brakes, although it was difficult to read, as it happened very quickly and has not happened since.
Suddenly very difficult to use the breaks. Car then stalls and can-??t be started. Had happened twice. Dealer said it was the battery but I don-??t believe
While driving threw a construction zone the car upfront of me stopped. Upon applying the brakes nothing happened. There was a tractor trailer beside us and I was at the reR and another car was at the front plenty of time to stop. Brakes didn't activate until right before impact and the nose dove down. ABS never activated and the collision avoidance never activated. I was traveling with my wife and two young kids lucky no one was hurt and I had no avenue of escape due to cement barriers and 18 wheeler.
While driving onto an exit ramp I applied my brakes to my 2019 Toyota Highlander but the engine just roared up, took my foot off the brake and applied both feet to the brakes and the engine roared up again, I then came up right behind a car at the intersection and the front end collision did not stop me so I survived to the left lane but then I was headed into the highway and was T-boned by another Toyota Highlander and came to a stop on the right side of the highway. All the air bags deployed in the other SUV but none deployed in mine. The fireman had to use the jaws of life to get me out of the SUV. My wife and I were very shook up but had no serious injuries. But my brakes, the front-end collision, and the airbags all failed in the Toyota. My Highlander was totaled by my insurance company but they will not investigate the failures.
When trying to coast to a stop at around 4 mph the car will slam to a stop. Does not always do this but it's sometimes very hard to come to a smooth stop as the cars braking system (regenerative braking?) will kick in by itself. Can be dangerous if a car is tailing very close to me as it will seem like I'm driving unpredictably. Took the car to a dealer but they could not replicate the problem at the time. Although the problem is intermittent it is more likely to do this when the car is still warming up.
We started the vehicle that is parked in front of our house at around 8am to get some groceries. The vehicle started and everything seemed normal. Shifted to D and started moving and as I was leaving the spot, I pushed the break to make a left turn and it won't stop. Pushed the break pad several times and the car won't stop. Finally moved the gear to P and it stopped and the engine turned off. I started the engine again and tried to reverse it, it won't reverse and only going forward. I called autonation Toyota of leesburg, they towed the vehicle. The vehicle was purchased on 11/30/19 with only 45 miles in it. It was a frightening because my neighbor was putting something to his car and I was about to run at him.
Me and my family were leaving a hotel in tarrytown NY. I parked the car: Toyota Highlander 2019 outside, helped my wife and 21-month baby into the back seat and had to put something in the trunk but it was locked. In that moment the car was in park with the engine running; the ground was not steep at all: 5-10 degrees the most. I took out the key from ignition to go open the trunk with the button from the remote. Suddenly the car started rolling backwards with my wife and kid in the back seat. There was a slope few feet away from where I parked and the angle became about 40 degrees and it picked up speed quickly. I rushed in (drivers door was lucky open and flapping around), at the last moment was able to press the break but we still hit another car with people inside. I am the only one with visual scars and bruises on my left leg from trying to climb in the car, but my wife felt pain in her lower back the day after the crash. There were witnesses and most likely a camera, since it was by the front entrance of a major hotel. From reading and researching on this matter I suspect it is a defect in the parking pawl (the piece inside the transmission that holds the car in park). This is an absolute manufacturers defect. I saw here on the NHTSA website that a person from NJ filed a complaint about the exact same matter with the same car: Toyota Highlander 2019 (NHTSA id number: 11245263), just a month ago so this is definitely not an isolated case. Please take action. This vehicle should be recalled asap before someone gets seriously injured or worse!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Houston, TX, USA