2013 Toyota Highlander VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS SINCE PURCHASING MY 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD WHILE MY FOOT IS FIRMLY PRESSED ON THE BRAKE. ON TWO OCCASIONS I COULD NOT STOP THE LURCHING OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT STANDING UP WITH BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL HAVING HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WHILE MY CAR CONTINUED TO PUSH THEM AGAIN WHILE APPLYING BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS NOT IN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AS IF SOMETHING WAS PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL WHILE I WAS STOPPED. IN BOTH OF THESE ACCIDENTS SITUATIONS I HAD PROGRESSED FORWARD STOPPING AND STARTING. ONCE IN A DRIVE THRU AND THE SECOND TIME IN LINE LEAVING A SHOPPING CENTER. IT IS AS IF THE CAR WANTS TO KEEP GOING FORWARD AFTER MULTIPLE STOPS AND STARTS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS PERSISTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10.....UPDATED 07/05/16 *BF *CN
LETTER FROM CONSTITUENT REGARDING THE ISSUE OF UNINTENDED ACCELERATION IN TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES. *SMD 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONSUMER STATED AS SHE WAS ABOUT TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO REPOSITION THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD WITH THE ENGINE RACING . IT WAS IF THE ACCELERATOR WAS FLOORED. WITHIN A COUPLE OF SECONDS THE VEHICLE JUMPED OVER THE CEMENT PARKING BLOCK AND INTO A POLE. THE VEHICLE HAD SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE BETWEEN $13,000 AND $15,000. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE CARPET FLOOR MAT WAS FOUND TO BE UNATTACHED. *JB
PERIODICALLY HESITATES WHEN ACCELERATING - DOESN'T MOVE, DOESN'T ACCELERATE - NOTHING - ALMOST LIKE CAR NOT RUNNING. DOES IT FROM STOPPED POSITION OR WHILE MOVING. HAPPENED TWICE YESTERDAY, AFTER BEING STOPPED AT RED LIGHT AND WHEN TURNING ACROSS LANE OF TRAFFIC (CITY STREET). HAS DONE IT WHEN PASSING ON INTERSTATE - NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. IT'S SCARY AND BY THE TIME IT KICKS IN, TRAFFIC IS FAST APPROACHING. WORRY THAT ONE DAY IT WILL NOT ENGAGE AND I WILL GET HIT. DOESN'T MATTER IF HOT OR COLD, WET OR DRY, DRIVING SHORT TIME OR LONG TIME. DEFINITELY AN ACCIDENT (AND DEATH) WAITING TO HAPPEN. DEALERSHIP SAID THEY HAVE NOT HEARD COMPLAINT BEFORE AND CAN'T FIX IT UNLESS CODE APPEARS. FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE SINCE OWNER'S WIFE DROVE IT. SENT COMPLAINT TO TOYOTA WITH COPIES OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOUND POSTED ONLINE. WONDER IF IT IS RELATED TO TRANSMISSION BECAUSE I CAN SOMETIMES FEEL BRIEF CHANGES IN RPM (OUTSIDE OF HESITATION ISSUE). PLEASE HELP!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE AT A STOP, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE HESITATED BEFORE ACCELERATING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. UPDATED 1/12/16 *CN
2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HESITATES/STALLS OCCASIONALLY WHEN DRIVING. PRIMARILY OCCURS WHEN TURNING LEFT AFTER STOPPING AT A SIGN/LIGHT. THE HESITATION LAST FOR 5-10 SECONDS. HAVE ASKED DEALERSHIP TO LOOK AT IT 5 TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN JULY 2013 BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM DURING THEIR TEST DRIVES. THEY CONCLUDE THE "VEHICLE IS OPERATING AS DESIGNED." *TR
VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP. IT JUST ROLLED ALONG, ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED TILL ABOUT HALFWAY, THEN IT ACCELERATED RAPIDLY SPINNING THE TIRES, THIS HAS OCCURED 3 TIMES. IT HAS ALSO HESITATED BADLY WHILE ACCELERATING WITH NO RESPONSE TO PEDAL POSITION THEN SUDDEN AND UNEXPECTED RAPID ACCELERATION, THIS HAS OCCURED 5 TIMES. THIS CONDITION HAS BECOME DRAMATICALLY WORSE SINCE IT WAS SERVICED FOR UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION PROBLEMS WHERE THE DEALER CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM. HEADLIGHTS ARE ALSO AIMED WAY TOO HIGH ILLUMINATING THE TREES INSTEAD OF THE ROAD AND BLINDING ONCOMING DRIVERS. THE DEALER CLAIMS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THIS EITHER AND THAT THERE IS NO PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR THESE HAZARDS AT 6006 MILES. WE HAVE STOPPED USING THE CAR SINCE WE FEEL IT IS UNSAFE.
DRIVING UPHILL,SUDDENLY LOST SPEED,HAD NO GAS PEDAL,HAD TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD AND THEN IT CAME BACK.HAS HAPPENED DOZENS OF TIMES AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH IN THE CENTER LANE OF I 95 IN PA, HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE I GOT HOME. TOYOTA HAS TOLD ME IT IS EVERYTHING FROM SLIGHT HESITATION TO MY IMAGINATION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE LESS THAN 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED CAUSING HER TO LUNGE BACKWARD 20 FEET AND CRASHING INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ONLY CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AFTER IT CRASHED INTO A FENCE AND GARDEN. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INJURED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY FACILITY. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,600. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
VEHICLE ACCELERATED SLIGHTLY WHEN BRAKE WAS APPLIED, CRUISE ON, SPEED 60MPH, 1 TIME. HESITATED ON ACCELERATION AFTER DECELERATION, SPEED 60 MPH, CRUISE OFF, 1 TIME; SPEED 40 MPH, CRUISE OFF, 2 TIMES; SPEED 35 MPH, CRUISE OFF, 3 TIMES. HESITATED ON ACCELERATION AFTER COASTING, SPEED 40 MPH, CRUISE OFF, 4 TIMES; SPEED 43 MPH, CRUISE OFF, 1 TIME, SPEED 45 MPH, CRUISE OFF, 2 TIMES; SPEED 35, CRUISE OFF, 3 TIMES. ACCELERATED BY ITSELF INCLUDING DOWNSHIFT ONE GEAR, RPM 1725 CHANGED TO 2225 AND ACCELERATED FROM 60 TO 65 THEN RETURNED TO 60 MPH AFTER A FEW SECONDS, FLAT LEVEL ROADWAY, CRUISE ON, 1 TIME. I HAVE BEEN A MECHANIC OVER 45 YEARS AND A FLEET OWNER, ONCE I EXPERIENCED THE INITIAL SPEED UP I HAVE BEEN KEEPING A LOG OF ALL ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR RELATED TO THIS ISSUE. FIRST ISSUE AT ABOUT 3500 MILES, PRESENT MILEAGE ABOUT 6000. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTED TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES WHEN THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY LUNGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A SUPPORT BEAM, THEN DOWN AN EMBANKMENT BEFORE FINALLY CRASHING INTO A TREE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 14,000.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2013 Toyota Highlander has 13 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL complaints on file. 4 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.