2009 Toyota Highlander Powertrain & Transmission Problems

T-SB-0201-11 FROM TOYOTA STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS TSB AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE, AND I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE HANDLED AS A RECALL INSTEAD OF A TSB DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE ISSUE IF/WHEN THE PIPE BREAKS. I RECENTLY ELECTED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE REPAIRED ON MY OWN JUST SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS ISSUE HAPPENING TO ME OR MY WIFE, AND THUS BLOWING UP MY HIGHLANDER'S ENGINE CAUSING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES. SEEMS PRETTY BAD THAT A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED FOR FLOOR MATS AND ACCELERATOR ISSUES, BUT NO RECALL IS ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE WHICH CAN DRAIN THE OIL FROM YOUR ENGINE IN A MINUTE, BLOW UP YOUR ENGINE, AND THEN POSSIBLY WRECK YOUR VEHICLE. CONSUMER'S ENGINES ARE NOW BEING DESTROYED, AND THIS IS SHOWING UP IN DIFFERENT ONLINE FORUMS. I FEEL THAT THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE TOYOTA TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES WITH THE NEWER METAL ONES THAT THE TSB ADDRESSES. THEY SHOULD ALSO BE FORCED TO REIMBURSE ALL COSTS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT EITHER NEEDED TO HAVE THE REPAIR DONE, OR DECIDED TO PREVENTATIVELY HAVE THE REPAIR DONE ON THEIR OWN BEFORE THOSE PIPES BURST ON THEIR OWN. *TR

TOYOTA HAS ISSUED A T-SB-0201-11 WHICH STATES "SOME VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 2GR-FE/FXE TOWING PACKAGE ENGINES MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL SEEP FROM THE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES." THIS AFFECTS TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES GOING BACK TO AT LEAST 2008-PRESENT. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED AS A RECALL VS. A T-SB WITH A DEFINED EXPIRATION DATE BECAUSE CONSUMERS ENGINES ARE BEING DESTROYED WHEN THIS 'SEEP' OCCURS. THIS HAPPENS WITH A MINUTE AND ALL OF THE ENGINE OIL IS LEFT ON THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE IS DESTROYED. IMAGINE A FAMILY WHO'S DRIVING ALONG THE HIGHWAY, THEIR ENGINE STOPS WORKING AND AN 18-WHEELER REAR ENDS THEM. THAT IS WHY THE NHTSA NEEDS TO FORCE TOYOTA TO REPLACE ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE OIL COOLER PIPES WITH THE METAL ONES THAT THE T-SB ADDRESSEE. *TR

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. THE FRONT DIFFERENTIAL HAD FAILED DUE TO A LEAK IN THE FRONT OF THE TRANSFER CASE. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL AS WELL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE TURNING AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH IN SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE BECAME STUCK IN THE SNOW. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO REVERSE BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 11,000. UPDATED 11/03/10 *BF UPDATED 11/04/10

MY 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH KEYLESS START ALLOWS THE VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF WHEN NOT IN PARK AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. IT ALSO WILL TURN OFF IN REVERSE, OR NEUTRAL AND WILL TURN BACK ON IN NEUTRAL AND WILL ALSO TURN OFF IN DRIVE. THIS DOES NOT FEEL SAFE AND SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY INVESTIGATED. THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE TO BE IN PARK TO TURN OFF AND START LIKE ALL OTHER CARS WITH KEYS TO START THE VEHICLE. LOCAL DEALER INVESTIGATED BUT SAID ALL KEYLESS START VEHICLES OPERATE THIS WAY AND DIDN'T INDICATE THERE WAS A FIX TO THE SITUATION. *TR

WE BOUGHT A NEW 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER IN JULY,2009. IMMEDIATELY, IT DEMONSTRATED A HUGE VIBRATION IN REVERSE, AND NOW IN DRIVE. WHEN I STOP AT A LIGHT, IT FEELS LIKE IT WILL BOLT WHEN I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. WE WENT THROUGH ARBITRATION, BUT THEY CLAIMED, SINCE WE COULDN'T PROVE IT WAS A SAFETY HAZARD, WE HAD NO CASE. I THINK THESE VEHICLES SHOULD ALSO BE INVESTIGATED. I HAVE READ SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FROM OTHER HIGHLANDER OWNERS. I AM REALLY FEARFUL TO DRIVE MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE. FOR TOYOTA TO TELL ME THAT, YES THERE IS A SEVERE VIBRATION, BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE IS ABSOLUTELY PREPOSTEROUS. TOYOTA SAYS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT, SO THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. OUR OWN MECHANIC SAYS THAT HE BELIEVES IT WILL JOIN THE OTHER RECALLS AT SOME POINT. BUT I REALLY HOPE YOU WILL LOOK INTO IT SOON. THANK YOU. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, IN FEBRUARY 2009. ON JUNE 1, 2009, I WAS NORTHEAST OF ROCKVILLE, INDIANA ON HIGHWAY 47 IN THIS TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. I APPROACHED A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE ON A STRAIGHT SECTION OF ROADWAY AND PASSED THE VEHICLE. AS I WAS PASSING I FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS GOING FASTER THAN I WAS ACCELERATING. WHEN I PULLED BACK INTO THE RIGHT LANE THE CAR WAS GOING EVEN FASTER AND I REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. LUCKILY, I WAS STILL ON A LONG STRAIGHT SECTION OF THE ROAD AND HAD SOME TIME. I FIRST TRIED TO BRAKE BUT THE CAR KEPT GOING EVEN FASTER. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STARTED BRAKING AND LUCKILY FOUND A PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. I WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED THAT THE ENGINE WAS RACING UNCONTROLLABLY. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING WAS PUSHING OR TOUCHING IT. I THEN TURNED OFF THE CAR, PUT THE CAR IN 'PARK', GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND LOOKED AROUND THE ACCELERATOR AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING WAS PUSHING ON IT, THEN WAITED FOR ABOUT A MINUTE AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE CAR STARTED WITH THE ENGINE RACING. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED THE CAR TWO MORE TIMES AND EACH TIME THE ENGINE RACED UNCONTROLLABLY. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, LEFT A MESSAGE FOR MY HUSBAND ON HIS CELL PHONE AND WAITED FOR FIVE MINUTES WITH THE CAR TURNED OFF AS I WAITED FOR MY HUSBAND TO CALL BACK. HE NEVER DID CALL SO I DECIDED TO START THE CAR ONE MORE TIME. WHEN I DID, THE CAR STARTED NORMALLY AND THE ENGINE DID NOT RACE. I TRIED TO CALM DOWN EMOTIONALLY AND DROVE HOME NOT KNOWING WHEN OR IF THE ACCELERATOR WOULD BE A PROBLEM. I TOOK THE HIGHLANDER IN FOR SERVICE TO JORDAN AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, MISHAWAKA, INDIANA ON 6/3/2009 AND THEY INSISTED THAT THE FLOOR MATS WERE THE PROBLEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS BECAUSE I HAD CHECKED EVERYTHING AROUND THE ACCELERATOR WHEN THE ENGINE WAS RACING AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. THE PROBLEM IS ELECTRONIC. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. *TR