Problems · by component
2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicle speed control problems
63 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid cite vehicle speed control, 10% of all 603 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
63
10% of all complaints
Crashes
23
Reported by owners
Fires
2
Reported by owners
Injuries
19
Reported by owners
What owners say about the vehicle speed control
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“My 2008 toyota highlander gas pedal must be lose.because I barley push the gas and it takes on fast.i was driving home on the highway and the truck just died .the battery dies I couldn't turn my wheel I could not press the break”
“Slowing down, but the car surged forward colliding into a building. The dealership only ran a .5 hour diagnosis and couldn't find anything. Did not proceed w/further diagnosis as did not want to pay out of pocket.”
“THE BRAKES FEEL LIKE THE PULSATE WGEN YOU START TO PRESS ON THEM. THEN WHILE ENGAGING THE BRAKES IT WILL FEEL LIKES ITS GRABBING THEN IT RELEAES AND THE PEDAL FEELS LIKE IT HAS NO PRESSURE IN IT. THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM, AND NOW IT HAS A LONG HIGH PITCH BEEP WHEN TURNING THE CAR ON OR APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BREAK PEDAL.”
“WHEN ACCELLERATING INTO TRAFFIC AFTER STOPPING FOR A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT THE CAR MOVES INTO THE TRAFFIC BUT DOES NOT ACCELLERATE BUT COASTS DISPITE FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL. AFTER 2 TO 5 SECONDS THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE. THE TECH AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE COMPUTER THROTTLE CONTROL THAT SETS ACCORDING TO DRIVING HABITS. THIS STALL WHEN ACCELLERATION IS NEEDED HAS ALMOST CAUSED MANY COLLISIONS FROM TRAFFIC COMING UP BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THIS STALL HAPPENS ALSO WHEN TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE ON ROADS, PULL OUT FROM BEHIND VEHICLE BEING PASSED, DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND NO ACCELERATION FOR 2 TO 5 SECONDS THEN THE ACCELLERATION HAPPENS. THIS COMPUTER FLAW IS SUCH A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT IF I LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE MY VEHICLE, I HAVE TO WARN THEM ABOUT THE ACCELERATION DELAY AND TO MAKE SURE THERE IS BEYOND NORMAL CLEAR SPACE BEFORE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. I TRY TO DRIVE SMOOTHLY AND AVOID FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL. IN ORDER AVOID A SAFETY ISSUE THIS COMPUTER THROTTLE PROBLEM REQUIRES THE GAS PEDAL TO BE CONSTANTLY FLOORED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN ACCELERATION IS REALLY NEEDED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN. I AM SURE I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER DOING A DRIVING…”
“WHEN ACCELLERATING INTO TRAFFIC AFTER STOPPING FOR A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT THE CAR MOVES INTO THE TRAFFIC BUT DOES NOT ACCELLERATE BUT COASTS DISPITE FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL. AFTER 2 TO 5 SECONDS THE CAR WILL ACCELERATE. THE TECH AT THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE COMPUTER THROTTLE CONTROL THAT SETS ACCORDING TO DRIVING HABITS. THIS STALL WHEN ACCELLERATION IS NEEDED HAS ALMOST CAUSED MANY COLLISIONS FROM TRAFFIC COMING UP BEHIND THE VEHICLE. THIS STALL HAPPENS ALSO WHEN TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE ON ROADS, PULL OUT FROM BEHIND VEHICLE BEING PASSED, DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND NO ACCELERATION FOR 2 TO 5 SECONDS THEN THE ACCELLERATION HAPPENS. THIS COMPUTER FLAW IS SUCH A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT IF I LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE MY VEHICLE, I HAVE TO WARN THEM ABOUT THE ACCELERATION DELAY AND TO MAKE SURE THERE IS BEYOND NORMAL CLEAR SPACE BEFORE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. I TRY TO DRIVE SMOOTHLY AND AVOID FLOORING THE GAS PEDAL. IN ORDER AVOID A SAFETY ISSUE THIS COMPUTER THROTTLE PROBLEM REQUIRES THE GAS PEDAL TO BE CONSTANTLY FLOORED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN ACCELERATION IS REALLY NEEDED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN. I AM SURE I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER DOING A DRIVING…”
“IN AUGUST OF 2017 WE WERE DRIVING OUR 20088 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE DISPLAY WARNED OF ABS VSC MALFUNCTION AND TO PULL OVER OR TAKE CAR TO NEAREST DEALER, THE BRAKE PEDALS LOST COMPRESSION OR PRESSURE AND THE BRAKE WAS NOT WORKING HARDLY. TOOK TO THE MECHANIC SHOP THAT HAS BEEN DOING THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE, THEY PERFORMED DIAGNOSTICS AND STATED ABS MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY ADVISE CAR WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. CHECKED THIS WEBSITE AND CARCOMPLAINTS TO SEE MANY OTHER USERS SAME ISSUE, CONTACTED TOYOTA, THEY STATED THEY HAD NO RECALLS, ITS OUT OF WARRANTY, WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE $4000 TO HAVE FIXED, WE PAID FOR THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET, WHICH WAS A FINANCIAL HIT FOR US. CONTACTED TOYOTA TODAY ABOUT REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR COST, SAID THEY DONT HAVE IT RECALLED OR A CAMPAIGN FOR THE ISSUE, I STATED THIS WEBSITE WITH THE COMPLAINTS AND OTHER SITES, WAS BASICALLY TOLD UNTIL A RECALL IS ON THE ISSUE, WOULDNT BE REFUNDED.”
Showing 6 of 63 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.