NHTSA complaint: 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
COMMENTS: DEAR SIR OR MADAM, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF A PROBLEM WITH OUR 2006 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. IN AUGUST OF 2008 WHILE BACKING OUT OF OUR DRIVEWAY I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER & CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO BRAKE NOR STEERING. I WAS ABLE TO EVENTUALLY STOP THE VEHICLE BEFORE ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS DONE. MY HUSBAND WRESTLED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ALLEYWAY & THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE "ELECTRIC LINK ASSEMBLY" & THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. YESTERDAY MORNING AT 6AM I GOT INTO THE CAR & TURNED THE KEY, THE "READY" LIGHT CAME ON & I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE & PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, AS SOON AS I PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR, THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, THE GAS ENGINE CAME ON FULL POWER & THE CAR FLEW BACKWARD. I TRIED FRANTICALLY TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TRYING TO STOP THE CAR & STEER THE CAR WHILE CAREENING IN REVERSE. THE CAR SLAMMED INTO OUR REAR NEIGHBORS VEHICLE (WHICH IS TO THE BACK & RIGHT OF OUR GARAGE ACROSS THE ALLEY) OUR CAR PUSHED THEIRS OVER 4-6 FEET & CONTINUED TRYING TO REVERSE FULL POWER OVER THEIR BUSHES I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO SO I SLAMMED THE CAR INTO THE "PARK" POSITION. THE CAR STOPPED BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE. I SHUT IT OFF & JUMPED OUT. I WAS NOT INJURED, HOWEVER OUR CAR & OUR NEIGHBORS WAS DAMAGED. THE CAR WAS AGAIN TOWED TO TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. I CONVEYED TO THEM WHAT HAPPENED & THE CAR IS THERE NOW GETTING CHECKED. I CALLED THEM IN THE EVENING TO ASK WHAT THEY HAD FOUND &
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation