2003 Toyota Highlander acceleration problems

Filed Oct 3, 2018 · Acceleration · 185,000 miles · MN

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving 20 MPH, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated at high speeds without warning. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a complete stop and turn off the engine. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.

Filed Jan 5, 2017 · Acceleration, Airbags · 150,000 miles · PA · crash

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 toyota highlander. While the vehicle was in reverse, it accelerated independently. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to effectively slow down the vehicle. The gear shifter button was pushed into drive and the vehicle sped forward and crashed into a tree. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The failure recurred twice prior to the crash. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The vehicle was destroyed.

Filed Jun 28, 2016 · Acceleration · 156,160 miles · CA

Saturday june 18 2016 at 6:40 a.m. Driving on tully road in my 2003 toyota highlander. My speed was 35 miles per hour when the car suddenly accelerated at a high rate of speed. I applied my brakes to slow down the highlander this had no effect on slowing down the highlander. The brakes went into anti locking mode the wheels started to pulsate. While this was happening my foot was not on the accelerator , but on the brakes. The highlander was not slowing down but increasing speed. I down shifted into a lower gear, the engine raced at a high rpms. I then put the car in neutral the rpms still racing at a high rate. I then applied the brakes again to slow down. The highlander started to slow down I then turned off the engine and then came to a stop. I waited for a minute and started the car the engine raced at a high rpms as if my foot was pushed all the way down on the accelerator, but my foot was not on the gas pedal. I waited again a few minutes to start the highlander , the same high rpms happening again. A few minutes later I tried again to start the highlander and this time the highlander idled normal. I turned the highlander around and went home which was half a mile away. The total distance of uncontrolled acceleration was in my estimation over 1,000 yards. I had to highlander towed to stevens creek toyota where it remains now june 27 2016.

Filed Jan 17, 2016 · Acceleration · 95,268 miles · CA · crash

Pulling into a parking space at kaiser hospital as I hit the brake the car unexpectedly accelerated. The car sped forward while my foot was still on the brake. I hit a tree causing damage to the left front area of the car (lights, fender, bumper) had car repaired. At the time I thought that I had accidentally hit the gas pedal;however, one month later while approaching an intersection, as I stopped, the same thing happened. Luckily no car or pedestrian was in the intersection. I was able to stop the car by shifting into park. Took the car to my mechanic. He was unable to replicate the problem. Since this unexpected acceleration occurred in the same way (coming to a stop with foot on brake and gear-shift in drive) , in a five week period, it could be a transmission or accelerater problem. I no longer feel confident driving the car and consider it unsafe.

Filed Jan 13, 2016 · Acceleration · 51,082 miles · CO · crash · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated rapidly without warning causing a crash. The contact sustained injuries to her left foot. Medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,082.

Filed Nov 18, 2013 · Acceleration, Brakes · NM · crash · 1 injury

Grandmother was leaving and drove through a closed wrought iron gate that was over 10' tall and 16' wide. Continued accelerating through a parking lot across the street, drove over a large decorative boulders and came to halt after crashing into a neighbors fence. She said that she attempted to stop in front of her gate to open it but the breaks would not work and the car kept accelerating. Thankfully it ended how it did leaving her with minor injuries. It is also disgusting knowing that it could have been much worse and if a car defect is the reason nothing will be done until deaths begin to occur.

Filed Aug 3, 2013 · Acceleration, Engine · 101,400 miles · OH

On 7-11-13, going at highway speed on route 52 in north carolina, the throttle became stuck wide open causing my car to accelerate beyond my control. I slowed down to get off on the side of the highway, but I could not stop the car, only slow it down, to approximately 10-15 MPH. Got back on the road and took the next exit. Again I could not stop the car, and though I slowed again to about 10-15 MPH, I drifted through the intersection at the stop sign, with traffic approaching from both left and right! I turned sharply left, got off to the side of the road, and turned the key off to stop the car. God was watching, because no collision occurred. When I started the engine again, it roared like I've never heard it before. Somehow, I don't remember how, I got the car about 100 yards down the road to a marathon gas station, to get completely off the road and out of the way. A man stopped and walked over to me, telling me that my throttle was stuck because of a faulty tps (throttle position sensor). He introduced himself as a mechanic, who formerly worked at a toyota dealership, and said that was a ?known? Problem with toyotas. He towed me to his house, replaced the tps, and we tested the car, to the satisfaction of both of us. It ran just fine, so I followed him to the pnc bank to get money to pay him. While there, the lady helping me, in response to my story, told me that her toyota parked outside had the very same problem! Except it cost her a lot more than my tow & repair did. My incident was most definitely a part failure, not an operator error, or a problem due to floor mats, as is alleged in the pending unintended acceleration? Litigation against toyota, and my 2003 highlander is not specifically listed in that litigation information on-line. I am sending a letter to toyota, the ntsb and our local dealership where we purchased the car.

Filed Jan 1, 2013 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 85,000 miles · FL · crash

Car accelerated and chased into house in nov 20011. Car accelerated in parking lot dec. 2012. No damage this time but in 2011 there was 14,000 $ damage to house and car. Car was checked out at toyota twice ,no problem found. Wife will never drive the car again. She is infear of hurting someone.

Filed Feb 18, 2011 · Acceleration · CA · crash · 1 injury

2003 toyota highlander. Consumer submits documentation related to unintended acceleration issues with vehicle *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle accelerated out of control and subsequently, crashed into a concrete divider, struck a palm tree and then a metal light pole. Even after the vehicle came to rest, the engine continued to rev very fast. It finally stopped a few seconds after the impact.

Filed Feb 2, 2011 · Acceleration, Transmission · 90,000 miles · CA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 toyota highlander. While driving approximately 25 MPH, the contact applied to brakes but the vehicle began to accelerate. The contact tried several ways to stop the vehicle (shifting into neutral, using the emergency brake) but the vehicle continued to rev. The tires also were spinning. The contact shifted into neutral again and turned the vehicle off which stopped it. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the transmission dropped and the extra floor mat caused the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 90,000. Updated 03/24/11*lj the consumer stated the floor mat was nowhere near the gas pedal. It was securely in place. Updated 11/16/11