i own a 2013 highlander hybrid with 44k miles on it- the inverter just failed. I was driving down the road and it just crapped out- no power brakes, no steering and no transmission- with about a 1 second warning. it could easily have killed me, my family or anyone else on the road. i towed it to toyota- the replacement under warranty was $7700... on what planet does toyota think this is a winning strategy- selling potentially lethal cars? I didnt do my research and bought the hype on this car- had i known i would not have gone within 100 miles of it. The dealership said they dont know why it failed- they cant guarantee it wont go again- its like a hairdryer that just stops working. I have read various forums and the 2006-2010 recall clearly didnt 'fix' the problem. I will be selling this car with the next two weeks- probably buying a honda or nissan- im done with toyota after this. Any comments? any class action law suits flying around that i can join?

 

Dealerships are populated by incompetent jacka$$es. They have only one goal - extract as much money as possible from the customer. Period. They have zero interest in providing value or being helpful.


Have you called Toyota Corporate to appeal your situation?


800-331-4331, option 4


Given the problem with the component itself, the previous extended warranties and the fact that you're not that far out of warranty, should get you some significant concessions. Be polite, but be firm.


It's also important to maintain a reasonable perspective. Yes, you've gotten a raw deal, but your experience is an incredibly rare case. Even the cars with defective inverters failed at a VERY low rate. They were able to determine that there was an actual defect in the inverters, so they get covered.


Every car from every manufacturer has experienced catastrophically expensive failures with many creating a life-threatening situation. This is the automotive industry. It's inevitable.


So, get yourself to a healthy state of mind and give Toyota a call. Again, be polite, express your concerns very clearly, and be firm. Don't make threats. Appeal your case to their emotions... What if it were a member of their family in this situation? How would they feel if it were their child, parent or sibling?