2011 Toyota Highlander acceleration problems

Filed Dec 11, 2019 · Acceleration, Brakes · 158,298 miles · CA

Driving on a city street at about 35 miles per hour I was heading home with my kids (5 y.o. And 7 y.o.) when the vehicle decelerated and lost power while I was driving in traffic, I was fortunate that the care rolled long enough to pull over to a safe spot with my children and call for a tow. Lights that came on check hybrid system, check brake system, check 4wd system, and the check engine light came on. After the vehicle was inspected at toyota of cerritos I was informed that the master mechanic had to place a ticket with toyota motor company to figure out the issue due to all the codes that were logged after the diagnostic. Toyota motor informed mechanic it was hybrid inverter failure. This could of been a horrible situation had I been driving on the freeway and my car suddenly stopped function like it did on the evening of 11/05/2019.

Filed Aug 24, 2019 · Acceleration, Airbags · 64,000 miles · PR

Front passenger airbag light off. Even when a person is sitting on the seat. Cruise control also stopped working, light wouldn't even come on. Power locking system also ceased working.

Filed Feb 20, 2017 · Acceleration · 59,000 miles · MO · crash

January 16, 2017 was slowly pulling into parking space when vehicle suddenly accelerated and jumped concrete stop and slammed into retaining wall. Seat belt held me and airbag did not deploy. Car was driveable and was taken immediately to toyota dealer to investigate. Vehicle sustained $10,000 in damage and is being repaired and then investigated by toyota. Vehicle has always been serviced by dealer and had 59,000 miles.

Filed Jan 11, 2017 · Acceleration, Brakes · 100,900 miles · CT

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 toyota highlander. When the brake pedal was depressed at 20 MPH, the vehicle unintentionally accelerated without warning. The vehicle eventually stopped after the brake pedal was depressed with extreme force. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 100,900. The VIN was not available.

Filed Oct 5, 2014 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 59,000 miles · GA

I had my car in for it's 60,000 mile service on friday, oct 3rd, 2014 at cherokee toyota, canton, ga. My wife drove it for only the third time since the service and encountered a dangerous situation. The highlander started to accelerate on it's own. My wife stepped on the brakes then the engine cutoff in the middle of the road. I meet up with her and tried to start the car. The engine tachometer rapidly increased then the engine shutoff. Towed to cherokee toyota for evaluation.

Filed Aug 1, 2012 · Acceleration, Transmission · 8,500 miles · VA

At low speed, the auto has a serious delay when you press down on the gas pedal to enter a lane of traffic such as entering an interstate from an entrance ramp. After the delay the auto then surges into the traffic lane. Toyota officials claim it is caused by a communication problem between the computer and the transmission. They told me that it cannot be corrected. I feel that the delay and surge is not safe.

Filed May 3, 2012 · Acceleration, Transmission · 5,930 miles · AZ

The following email/report was sent to the toyota dealership from whom I had purchased this new vehicle: I am writing to report an abnormal incident, which may or may not be related to the stall problem I had encountered, and which you inspected during my last visit. In this incident, I was very gently trying to move the car into my garage from a stationary position (there is a small 10 to 15 degree grade over a 3 ft distance before the garage floor became level again). As I slowly pressed down on the accelerator, the car started to move slowly in a normal fashion, but after moving half way into the garage, it suddenly accelerated, almost at full throttle... I had to slam on the brake as hard as I could react, missing a crash by only a few inches. As I tried to analyze what happened, the only thing that I can think of is that as I was moving slowly enough where most likely only the electric motor was moving the car, but then very suddenly that electric motor sourced its absolute full power to accelerate the wheels ---almost as if the sw decided to ignore my very soft pressure on the gas pedal and source maximum power. Please advise when your toyota engineers will be visiting you again so that they may review this latest abnormality. I am also forwarding this message to the national auto safety department, since I am now quite concerned about safety.

Filed Apr 10, 2012 · Acceleration · 8,700 miles · CA · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. The failure occurred while attempting to park with the brake depressed. The vehicle crashed into the cement wall of a garage. The manufacturer took a complaint. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileages were 8,700.

Filed Apr 2, 2012 · Acceleration · 21,000 miles · ME · crash

Pulled into employers parking lot to park when I placed my vehicle into reverse and began backing up the vehicle gained speed, hit another vehicle with my passenger side coming against his driver side, climbed an approximate 10 foot steep embankment, hit a warehouse wall causing a large dent in wall and breaking a 6x6 support post, then sliding down the embankment into same parked vehicle I had hit before, then came to rest. Totaled the vehicle that was hit adjacent mine, $8600.00 damage to my highlander, and not sure yet of cost of building damage.

Filed Feb 18, 2012 · Acceleration · 8,000 miles · VA

Occasionally, after coming to a stop and then when beginning to accelerate again while turning either right or left, the engine appears to stall for 3 or 4 seconds, then resumes normal acceleration. The engine does not quit or die, it just goes back down to a little above idle speed, then speeds back up again and resumes normal acceleration operation. This has happened to both my wife and me on more than a few occasions beginning about 8,000 miles on odometer. I erroneously posted this complaint earlier under the 2012 highlander, however, my vehicle is a 2011.