# 2008 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
> NHTSA complaint `1237762` · 2015-11-12 · Toyota Motor Corporation
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 1
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** TOYOTA
- **Model:** HIGHLANDER HYBRID
- **Year:** 2008
- **Manufacturer:** Toyota Motor Corporation
- **Component:** ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
- **Miles at failure:** 115,000
- **Speed:** 45 mph
## Narrative
WHILE DRIVING ABS, VSC AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, I CONTINUED DRIVING (WAS 10 MILES FROM HOME ON FWY).  FIVE MINUTES LATER I ENCOUNTERED TRAFFIC, TRAVELING AT 40-50 MPH I TOOK FOOT OFF GAS AND BEGAN TO APPLY BRAKES.  BRAKES IMMEDIATELY SEIZED AND THE CAR STARTED TO SKID. I RELEASED THE BRAKES, THEN TRIED AGAIN, SAME RESULT.  I PULLED TO SIDE OF FWY AND STOPPED.  I DROVE SURFACE STREETS USING THE PARKING BRAKE WHEN I NEEDED TO STOP, UNTIL I GOT TO MY HOUSE.  THAT EVENING AND THE NEXT MORNING I CHECKED TOE CARS OPERATION, IT DIDN'T MATTER IF I WAS TRAVELING IN FWD OR REVERSE, THE BRAKES IMMEDIATELY GRABBED AT THE SLIGHTEST APPLICATION OF THE PEDAL.  I TOOK THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP, HE WITNESSED THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCE AND DID A COMPUTER DIAGNOSIS, WHICH INDICATED A NEW BRAKE ACTUATOR UNIT WAS NEEDED ($3000).  MY PRIMARY CONCERN (AND MY MECHANIC'S) WAS THAT THERE WAS NO FAIL SAFE, IF THE UNIT MALFUNCTIONED I WOULD EXPECT THE ABS SYSTEM NOT TO WORK, NOT TO MAKE THE BRAKING SYSTEM COMPLETELY INOPERABLE.  I NARROWLY AVOIDED BEING REAR-ENDED WHEN THEY MALFUNCTIONED ON THE FWY.  I REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO TOYOTA MOTOR AS WELL (CASE #1511120583)
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*