The brakes started making a weird "burping / barking" noise and then the dreaded c1391 code popped up. There was a recall for the ABS actuators on the 2005-7 years but yet here we are with people reporting this failure on the 2008-11 years in droves. Clearly there is the same manufacturing issue. Ironically I had my highlander into a toyota dealership for weird brake noises a year previously and they told me they were normal.
2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid brakes complaints
Page 2 of 5: complaints 11 to 40 of 113, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I recently had a number of service lights appear on the dashboard of my 2008 toyota highlander hybrid, including the brake,vsc, and ABS. There was a message stating that I should take it to a dealer for service immediately. When I took it to the dealership, they determined it was an open circuit in the brake actuator (ABS). To my surprise this is a $3,000 plus fix and when I researched the problem online o found out there was a recall for the same part for the 2008 toyota camery hybrid and many complaint posters suggesting that I voice my concern here.
I was driving slowly in traffic when several dashboard lights came on and error message began rotating through the center screen. "brake malfunction - stop the vehicle in a safe place immediately, and contact a dealer,' "check ABS - have your vehicle checked by a dealer," and "check vsc system - have your vehicle checked by a dealer." after researching this issue and having the car scanned by a mechanic, the problem appears to be the brake actuator assembly, and this appears to be a well-documented problem for toyota. They have this exact issue covered under a warranty enhancement program for the 2006-2007 models of this car, but for some reason have failed to include the 2008 model despite the same issue with those. I have found several examples of others with the same vehicle and same issues online. Clearly toyota knows this is a faulty part and yet they continue to use it and drew an arbitrary line in the sand on which ones they would fix. This part is not functioning as it should, they know it is bad and should be held accountable to fix it. I am very concerned by the safety factors this malfunction represents.
Car has been kept on a garage and well taken care of. We have followed the maintenance schedule on it meticulously. However, today we found out that the brake actuator is leaking and could cause catastrophic failure. This seems to be a problem on many cars from this year, and obviously from previous years since a recall was already ordered for years 2007 and 2006. This seems to be an obvious problem with this component.
My 2008 highlander ABS is failed and that put our family and others in danger because of the ABS is not working properly. The lights keep staying on, doesn't matter what you do, reset it or not. The brakes stopped working, the siren inside the vehicle making buzzy noise when opening the door or attempting to start the vehicle. I've done a lot of research online regarding to the toyota hybrid models and found many disappointed customer reviews, they all point to the ABS platform design flaws by toyota just like the ABS on camry hybrids & other hybrid models that have been recalled. I took my vehicle to a local toyota dealer as suggest by toyota representative, the same toyota dealership where I bought my two camrys from; paid $125 to have them checked out. My highlander ABS and the results tuned out to be both ABS actuator (47070-48010) and ABS pump (44510-48080) are failed and the costs to have both fix is $9000 while the vehicle is only worth between $6000 (now $0) which is more than half of the vehicle's value, for just a few small defective parts made by toyota. I do believe that the cost is ridiculously high and because of the manufacture design flaws & not from end users fault. I've called toyota twice to bring it to their attention but I got disappointing results instead. We, toyota highlander hybrid owners need to unite and contact toyota and or smart attorneys to connect all the dots and sue toyota for the above problems. Our life and others is in danger due to toyota's defective parts.
My 2008 highlander hybrid has been making a 'barking' sound each time I depress or release the brake. I took it into the dealership to find out that it's not a recall item. The same brake actuator part is covered by a recall by toyota up to 2007 and lexus up to 2012. I've been told that it's not a 'safety' issue so not covered by toyota, however I've read pages of complaints on this website for this exact problem, and I do not feel safe driving this car knowing that I may have a problem that could cause an accident. Toyota says it's not a safety problem so not covered by a recall. The car is meticulously maintained, in beautiful condition, and it is current on all of the recall notices from toyota. It's a fairly expensive repair that I think toyota should step up to make, especially considering how many cars are having the same problem and worse.
I have a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid . Has 200k miles and the ABS light came twice in one week while vehicle was in motion before applying the brakes. After resetting ABS light, had pulled c1252, c1256, c1319 & c1391 for ABS accumulator/actuator leak.very unsafe to drive due to my vehicle is braking only on base brakes and my ABS and vsc system has been deactivated due to fault present. Not sure why its not covered on extended warranty like other 2006 and 07 models. Over 200 complaints with the same issue. Repairs around $4,500 and up. Recall urgently needed!
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. While driving 60 MPH, an internal alarm sounded. Also, the brakes were inoperable and the ABS warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ABS actuator failed and failure codes: c1241, c1380, c1256, and c1391 were located. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.
I have a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid . Has 110k miles and the ABS light came twise in one week while vehicle was in motion before applying the brakes.what would happens happened their is a need for a hard stop . Atter resetting ABS light. Had pulled c1391 for ABS accumulator leak.very unsafe to drive due to my vehicle is braking only on base brakes and my ABS and vsc system has been deactivated due to fault present. Not sure why its not covered on extended warranty like other 2006 and 07 models. Same system up to 2010. What is the purpose of having ABS if it doesn't work when you need it the most.
The ABS actuator is leaking fluid and needs to be replaced. Luckily, I noticed a noise from the slipping ABS while idling at traffic lights, and brought it in for service before a warning light came on, or my brakes failed. Though many online accounts of this same fluid leak issue on this vehicle make, model, and year, describe dangerous brake failures. The repair cost is over $4,000 at the toyota dealership. According to a cars.com article from july 1, 2016, there has been a free replacement service bulletin for the brake actuators on toyota prius 2004-2009, and highlander hybrid 2006-2007. The 2008 highlander hybrid has the same issue, with at least 75 identical complaints on www.carcomplaints.com. This important safety issue needs to be addressed by toyota: please include the 2008 toyota highlander hybrid to the service bulliten to replace the brake actuator assembly, free of charge at a toyota dealership.
My 2008 highlander ABS is failed and that put our family and others in danger because of the ABS is not working properly. The lights keep staying on, doesn't matter what you do, reset it or not. The brakes stopped working, the siren inside the vehicle making buzzy noise when opening the door or attempting to start the vehicle. I've done a lot of research online regarding to the toyota hybrid models and found many disappointed customer reviews, they all point to the ABS platform design flaws by toyota just like the ABS on camry hybrids & other hybrid models that have been recalled. I took my vehicle to a local toyota dealer as suggest by toyota representative, the same toyota dealership where I bought my two camrys from; paid $125 to have them checked out. My highlander ABS and the results tuned out to be both ABS actuator (47070-48010) and ABS pump (44510-48080) are failed and the costs to have both fix is $9000 while the vehicle is only worth between $6000 (now $0) which is more than half of the vehicle's value, for just a few small defective parts made by toyota. I do believe that the cost is ridiculously high and because of the manufacture design flaws & not from end users fault. I've called toyota twice to bring it to their attention but I got disappointing results instead. We, toyota highlander hybrid owners need to unite and contact toyota and or smart attorneys to connect all the dots and sue toyota for the above problems. Our life and others is in danger due to toyota's defective parts.
Failure of brake accuator and accumulator
Lost all braking ability due to a ABS brake acuator internal leak on hybrid vehicle
Abs brake system failure driving down the highway leaving the car 100% with no brakes as driving down the highway in heavy traffic nearly causing a major accident and potential risk of life. Car regularly maintained and well cared for. Dealer calling for $5,200 repair with no alternative. Parts required are ABS modulator p/n 44050-48320 @ $2,700 and ABS pump assembly p/n 47070-48020 @ $1,010 plus approximatdely $1,200 in labor. Had this system fixed over a year ago with the correct parts and the system has failed once again, parts are now out of warranty. Car is unsafe to drive using oem parts.
Braking power assist failure caused fender bender in parking lot, leaking brake fluid found at brake pump. Dash warning lights appeared the next day.
This is the second failure warning about the brake system (ABS warning) since we purchased the vehicle new. Repairs cost us in excess of $5000.00 the first time the system failed. I placed a phone call to toyota's national customer support and was told they have no records of any repairs to the braking system on our vehicle matching this warning message. We have all the repair and service records since the car was purchased new from toyota, including the mentioned brake system failure repairs. The toyota representative was no help, and said we need to get the car diagnosed by a toyota dealer.
Lights appeared on dash "brake malfunction", "check brake system", "check vsc system". Took my 2008 toyota highlander hybrid to my local toyota dealership. They said that it was the ABS brake system and it would cost $6000 to repair. I had the exact same problem in my 2007 toyota highlander hybrid. In that case, toyota issued a warranty extension and the brakes were fixed by the local dealership. I had not yet decided what to do about my current brake problem. I had just gotten all four tires replaced as they were getting bald. I was on a trip back from va to sc with my family on I-95 south. It was raining. I was in the left lane and there was heavy traffic. There was suddenly a large traffic accident ahead of me and cars came to an abrupt stop in both lanes. I hit the brakes and began to skid. I do not think that there was enough water on the road that I was hydroplaning...I was simply skidding on the wet pavement. I could not stop in time to keep from hitting the car in front of me, so I steered into the emergency lane, still skidding. Another car swerved into the emergency lane so I turned the wheel again to skid into the grass on the left side of the highway. I was now skidding sideways down a grassy embankment towards trees at the bottom of the embankment. Luckily the car finally skidded to a stop and came slowly to rest against a tree. There was body damage to the vehicle, but nobody was injured. I am sure that the ABS brakes were not functioning and this is why the car locked up and skidded so far. It was skidding as if we were on ice.
I was driving on the highway and the brake light and ABS came on and started beeping. When the brake is engaged, it's hard to stop and very hard to depress the pedal, inspection for the operation of the braking system- fail. The mechanic stated we have to replace power brake booster and the ABS actuator assembly. $6,000
I have a 2008 toyota higlander hybrid. Dash warnings appeared suddenly: check vsc system, check ABS, brake malfunction. I took the vehicle to my local dealer and was told that the repair would cost $6000. I previously owned a 2007 toyota highlander hybrid. Same thing happened in that vehicle. Toyota issued a warranty extension and the problem was solved. Looks like the same issue in the 2008 toyota highlander hybrid.
Brake malfunction warning and ABS warning lights came on unexpectedly while driving. Upon inspection at the toyota dealership, I was told that the vehicle has a major system failure, the ABS actuator had failed and would need to be replaced at a cost of over $4000. It appears that, like with the 2006-2007 models for which warranty coverage has been extended, this is a common problem. This is an unsafe, sudden failure putting lives at risk!
Brake system malfunction lights came on, check ABS system lights came on while driving on the freeway and I lost function of my antilock brakes which felt very unsafe at high speeds. Brought it to the mechanic who told me the brake accumulator was leaking internally and will not hold pressure and the actuator has internal nitrogen contamination. They recommend I replace both parts and quoted me $5400! There was a recall on the 2007 mode for the same issue that is currently happening with my 2008 model. I believe there should be a recall on this model as well, as losing your brakes while driving.
Brake actuator problem causing need to replace entire breaking system. Many similar complaints being reported. Similar recall on 2006 and 2007 models.
Brake malfuntion warning indicator lights, ABS ,vsc(sliip indicatorl) light),emergency brake light and master warning lights illuminate on instrument panel. I,ve been dealing with this for 2 weeks now. The first time I took it in to the dealership, the diagonistic test showed nothing, , but, possibly could be low voltage from a perfectly good 18months and 20 day old battery bought from the dealership. I had a new battery put in for fear of doing anything to harm the hybrid system. May I also add that the dealership offered no prorate on the battery. . About 200 miles, less than 4 days , everything lit up again. Fearing what I had researched on line, they quoted me a price of $5129.00 for this repair of ABS pump/brake actuator.. Really?? Who has that kind of money for a defect that should be taken care of by toyota? I asked them to return the battery taken from my car a few days earlier since that wasn't the problem . I told them I would have to look at my options about the ridiculous repair. I was offered $6000.00 at the dealership or possibly more for a trade in for my vehicle.. Nice, right?? Still in shock,, I pull all the maintenance records of which this vehicle with 113,400 miles has been meticulously maintained.since it was bought at that dealership now, I am wondering if they even know how to do diagionistic testing since one week it didn't show up and a few days later it did! Now, I research more and and find a recall 13v396000 of 09/04/13 for the hybrid propulsion system,inverter component which explicitly describes what happened to my highlander. I am wondering if my car was in that group and if I was. Toyota needs to step up and make it right. I have no problem paying for normal wear and tear of a vehicle,....but this is clearly a toyota defect!!
We purchased a 2008 highlander hybrid in 2016. The car was practically maintenance free until last week. All service except oil changes have been done by the local toyota dealer. My wife was pulling out of the driveway when the ABS/vsc lights came on and the console said to pull over. A code scan said it was c1391, internal acc pressure leak. Took it to the dealer. They said it needed a new brake accumulator and a new brake booster for a total of over $5000! Researching the issue, I found it is a fairly common issue for these cars. When I called toyota to ask if the cost of this repair, equal to 1/3 the cost of the vehicle, could be mitigated, I eventually got a woman who told me that since I didn't take the car in to the dealer for nearly a year in 2015, I was not a loyal toyota customer and they have chosen not to help me. Really!!?? The car didn't need any service during that time! I own 5 other cars including a couple of bmws and I have never had a repair this expensive and have never been admonished by an automobile company representative for not getting a car serviced when it didn't need it. This was our first toyota and will be out last.
3 weeks after we purchased our 2008 highlander hybrid with only 115,000 miles on it, the whole dashboard lit up with warning lights. The lights indicated that the ABS had malfunctioned. It said to pull over and get it checked by the toyota dealership immediately. We took it to the dealership and were told that there was an abnormal leak in the accumulator and that it will cost $4693.46 to repair. This is after we had just purchased the vehicle for $15,000. We are a family with 6 kids and obviously do not have that kind of money. We continued driving the highlander until it became completely unsafe. The brakes stopped working while I was driving it one day with my kids. The brakes would go all the way to the floor and barely even stopped me. I managed to make it home without being in a wreck, but we feel that it is totally unsafe to drive. It is the only vehicle that we have to transport all of our family, and we aren't sure what to do. My husband has researched and discovered that the ABS has been recalled in the 2006 and 2007 toyota highlanders. We have also discovered that there are numerous complaints similar to ours with the 2008 highlander. We really hope that you consider the safety issue that is at stake with the brakes going out in these vehicles. This part needs to be recalled and this issue needs to be taken care of to ensure the safety of many americans.
A bunch of lights came on including my ABS and warnings flashed.. I brought it to a toyota dealership in ga and they tried to charge me like 4000 to replace it.. They told my wife if it wasn't replaced she may die when she left the dealership. She was praying and completely scared out of her mind. It's still not fixed.. She drive it with all the lights on to colorado and I still have no idea how I can fix this problem. Apparently I'm not the only one.. I love toyota and really hope some one reaches out soon.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid. While driving 35 MPH, the brake pedal pulsated. Also, the brake malfunction, ABS, bsb, check brake system, and emergency brake warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to toyota of clermont (16851 state road 50, clermont, fl 34711) where it was diagnosed that the brake actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The failure mileage was 141,565.
In august of 2017 we were driving our 20088 toyota highlander hybrid and all of sudden the display warned of ABS vsc malfunction and to pull over or take car to nearest dealer, the brake pedals lost compression or pressure and the brake was not working hardly. Took to the mechanic shop that has been doing the regular maintenance, they performed diagnostics and stated ABS module needed to be replaced. They advise car was not safe to drive. Checked this website and carcomplaints to see many other users same issue, contacted toyota, they stated they had no recalls, its out of warranty, we would have to pay the $4000 to have fixed, we paid for the repair out of pocket, which was a financial hit for us. Contacted toyota today about reimbursement for repair cost, said they dont have it recalled or a campaign for the issue, I stated this website with the complaints and other sites, was basically told until a recall is on the issue, wouldnt be refunded.
While driving under normal conditions, vehicle warning lights for ABS brakes, parking brake, vsc and brake malfunction all illuminated with message to stop vehicle immediately in a safe location and contact dealer. Dealer diagnostic discovered code c1391 "accumulator leak", which is an internal leak and not visible from external inspection - I had just brought the vehicle in to the dealer for regularly scheduled maintenance 3 weeks prior. Dealer service dept said ABS system had failed and recommended removing and replacing brake actuator assembly at a cost of $4,622! After researching online, I learned ABS braking system failures are a widespread and common problem for the highlander. Toyota issued recalls for 2006, 2007 models for ABS brake actuator, but not for 2008 highlander. Toyota knows this is a safety issue (servco service dept in hawaii stated they have seen multiple instances of this brake actuator failure). Note my 2008 highlander is under 80k miles. Toyota needs to do the right thing and add the 2008 highlander model to the current brake actuator recall so that this safety concern is fixed.
Abs, vsc lights came on while on a bridge on at highway at 70 MPH; pulled over safely to check function; brakes still worked, ABS did not; took to a dealer next day; dealer advised the ABS accumulator was defective and other error codes (over power) indicated a leak in the ABS network. Dealer advised parts alone would exceed 4800 usd not including labor.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history