Toyota Highlander Hybrid Brakes

I was wondering if anybody has experienced similar high pitch braking noise on the Prius? I don't know about highlander although I've heard of this on the highlander before but I'm experiencing something kind of similar on the Prius. Its a very high pitch noise that happens during brake and sometimes it appears to happen when I first accerlate in the morning.

Has anyone else had a problem with the brakes not stopping the car? We only have a few hundred miles on ours. My wife says she noticed that she tended to get too close to other cars and had to apply heavy pressure to stop the car. She didn't think much of it until she could not stop the car and rear ended someone on Saturday. Thinking back on the few times I drove it, I did notice inconsistent brake effort when the brakes were applied lightly.

As a 2005 Prius owner I know the hybrid braking system is a combination of electric and conventional hydraulic braking action. Light braking uses the electric motor as a generator to slow the car until it is slowed to around 5 mph, it then transfers over to the hydraulic system and there is a slight "coasting" effect as this happens. As an engineer I find it is nothing that bothers me now that I understand it and expect it in light braking situations, although I was caught off guard the first few times it happened.
In situations where the brakes are applied harder the hydraulic system is called to suppliment the electric braking immediately and the coasting effect is not as noticable as you reach the last few feet of your stop.
It is a new type of car and has new responses, and overall I find it quite advanced and outstanding.
I drive hard (turnpike) and each tank of gas ends up averaging 42+ mpg.

Elliott Benson, a Sacramento based marketing research firm, is currently conducting interviews with Northern California residents who own hybrid vehicles. Specifically looking for those who own Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Ford Escape, Toyota Highlander or Lexus 400h Hybrid vehicles. Call us at 916.325.1670

WE HAVE THE HIGHLANDER, NOT THE HYBRID BUT HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE SAME CONDITIONS REPORTED HERE, AS WELL AS AS THE BRAKES FREEZING UP WHEN WET. THE DOT DOES NOT REPORT A RECALL FOR THESE CONDITIONS, SO THEY MAY BE ISOLATED INCIDENTS, BUT SHOULD BE REPORTED TO TOYOTA. THE LOCAL DEALER IS NO HELP. SIGNED -- THE CHIPS

http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1001

I visited this forum for the first time today after abandoning my highlander hybrid at a local coffee shop due to severe problems rendering the car undrivable (will look for the appropriate thread to post on that--look out!). I have had the exact problems with the brakes grabbing, then letting go for a (terrifying) second, then grabbing again. I thought it was just me. Luckily I have not rear-ended anyone. I don't care if it is a predictable consequence of the dual braking system or not--this is totally unacceptable, and I would think Toyota would want to fix it before they get sued!

The Highlander (I have an 06) is a *really* heavy car. Remember, its really an SUV. When the regen braking is active, this hides a lot of the braking force needed. On downhill drives, I've been able to max out the battery (combo of "B" mode and regn braking downhill). Once the battery is full, the regen system stops, and you can really feel the weight of the car. It is MUCH harder to stop. I often use "B" mode for long downhill to at least add some engine braking to keep speeds down. Arguably this charges the battery even faster. Though I would bet the brakes are "properly designed" to stop without the regen system, they are certainly much weaker that the combined system, and different enough to require significant adjustment to how you brake (and more space).

My 2006 hybrid toyota highlander did not stop a few weeks ago when I applied the brakes on a high way. The lack of brakes forced me into the next lane. My son drove the car a week later. He was cut off. He applied the brakes, again the car did not stop. He hit the cement guard rail incurring $4,000 in damages. We are truly thankful he is ok. I don't know what to do with this car now. I do not want to drive it again.

Hi,
This is an issue with 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid braking, the braking system doesn't work properly and and vehicle moves forward and this is intermittent. It been recurring for some time and the dealership(Toyota of Hackensack) won't acknowledge the issue. when you brake st times the vehicle continues forward like the brakes are not holding or no brakes being applied. AS you can see from the links below its not an isolated issue.

http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/toyota-highlander-hybrid-t404.html
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f0d8058/3
http://www.hybridcars.com/forums/brake-failure-2007-t1013.html
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/09/prius_accelerate.html

Has anyone resolved this issue?

Thanks
Manoj Das

I have a 2006 Highlander non-hybrid that we've had some braking issues with over this winter. I have Yokahama Geolanders that are rated excellent by Tire Rack and still have 3/4 tread but the SUV doesn't want to stop on snow covered roads, When braking you get the antilock brake noise when you stomp on the brakes which is normal but the cars just keeps moving forward until you pull the emergency brake. I did't believe it until i experienced it myself. Sounds like the highlander has a antilock brakie system issue if you ask me.

I have a 2006 Hi Hy Limited that I bought pre certified in 2008 with 38K on it. First let me say I LOVE THIS CAR!! I would buy it again in a second!! I have experienced the brake "coasting" slightly when I step on it lightly but I believe this to be less a defect and more of an after effect of the regen brakes. You simply have to learn to brake differently? The brakes are drive by wire as is the gas pedal. NO LINKAGE!! This is a radically different driving concept and you really need to treat it as such. I've always tried to follow other cars at a safe distance and when the coasting effect does occur, simply pressing the brakes slightly harder corrects this and stops the car on a dime!! I am amazed at how well this car does stop!! Follow at a safe distance proportionate to your speed!!! This more then your Hi Hy's brakes is probably the bigger problem?? Hope this helps???

I just wrote to the NHSA and Toyota. I have a 2008 Hybrid Hylander. I have experienced the same issue as the Preius with what they call "lag time" when breaking. The breaks work but it is a scary sensation. It is scary and feels like when I brake I am hitting accelerator and brake at the same time. It was happening before the recall and only at slow speed as I am braking to slow down at 35 mph or lower speeds.
They havent recalled the car but I know it is the same problem.. One thing I am certian of is when Toyota developes technology they will use it in all vehicles. Why reinvent the "wheel"/ I wrote to Toyota as well but have not heard from them.

Steve

To me, the occasional momentary slip from regen brake to friction brake is a trivial effect of the blending the two braking actions. It doesn't add even a foot to braking distance - maybe 8 inches.

IMO anyone claiming that this slip is responsible for their rear-ending someone, is trifling. Just posturing to cover lousy driving and habitually late, hard braking. And they should not be driving ANY car in the first place. They should focus on drinking the latte and finish the cell conversation.

It's unfortunate to have to reach out to Highlander Hybrid owners after the fact but I just had a terrible accident as a result of the Highlander Hybrid braking problem and thought every owner should know right away. I'm going to re-post what I put on Edmunds.com

Here's what happened:

I was traveling home from business and was heading northbound on NY State Thruway 87 with traffic more to the heavy side but moving smoothly, weather conditions were excellent. Well apparently a goat had wandered onto the Thruway and a tractor trailer driver locked up the brakes to stop for it. The few cars between myself and the tractor trailer quickly moved over to the left lane with the last one swerving almost at the last second. I moved my foot over to the brake seeing that there was probably slow moving traffic ahead and when I saw the truck, it didn't have brake lights or flashers on so it took me a moment to process that he was standing still. Well I had to make a quick decision: the left lane was blocked for me because everyone else had swerved to it, the right shoulder had a guard rail from the underpass I had just went under; I thought I could try to get through the small gap between the truck and the guard rail but I thought I might flip if I hit the rail too hard so I chose to square up on the truck's bumper and stood on the brake pedal and that was at about 90 to 100 yards till impact. Well the anti-locks started out well and I felt 5 to 10 pulses of the brake then (just as all of you have described and we all know happens with this vehicle) the brakes stop and the vehicle is coasting but doing it at 50+mph. The Highlander continues coasting for 40+ yards (1 to 2 seconds as I recall) before the anti-locks start working again but at this time it was too late and I hit the tractor trailers rear bumper at about 50mph and stopped dead (the bumper on the trailer was too high for the Highlander's frame so the bulk of the deceleration occurred at the motor and passenger compartment, 50mph to 0 in about 3 or 4 inches.) The collision guys couldn't believe I walked away from the accident, they told me that 'high hits' at that speed against tractor trailers are almost always deaths or paralysis at best. I am messed up for sure, hands and feet are numb and back and neck are incredibly painful. I have bruises that run from my ankle right up to my knee from the dash board and my right knee split open also from the dash. I had a large goose egg on the crown of my head from where the high hit of the trucks bumper drove the vehicle down. All in all, I shouldn't be here writing this post but could easily be in a funeral home somewhere waiting from my family to have me buried.

I called Toyota several times about this and no one has ever called me back. Last year, after the Prius recall, I wrote an email to the US Department of Transportation telling them that the Toyota 2007 Highlander Hybrid has the very same failure mode (I.e., brakes not functioning consistently during rough driving conditions.)

Reading through the previous posts here, my vehicle did the exact same thing as the rest of yours does. I know of at least three failure modes on my Highlander Hybrid and they have been described here previously but here they are as I know them: 1) the low speed surge while the regenerative braking system switches to friction braking, 2) stopping on slippery roads especially ice and slush, the anti-lock brakes stop functioning and don't work again till the vehicle is almost at rest 3) under rough driving conditions the brakes will stop working for 1 to 2 seconds before re-engaging ... which was the one that resulted in such a bad collision for me.

My advice to those of you who still have Highlander Hybrids is don't except any excuses from Toyota or the dealership. This is Toyota not doing the right thing because I'm sure they are aware of the problem. I had learned to live with the failure modes in the braking system like the rest of you have but one day you might be faced with the same situation as I just was and have to watch a stationary object (like a tractor trailer) come at you like a freight train and know there is nothing you can do about it.

Pictures:

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx223/bryankm_bucket/IMG00011-2010052...

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx223/bryankm_bucket/IMG00015-2010052...

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx223/bryankm_bucket/Highlander2.jpg

I just leased a new 2010 Lexus RX450 hybrid on 7/11/10, (and a Prius on the same day). I love the car (RX) so far, the hybrid drivetrain is amazing, seamless, and all of the components are in great synergy with each other. The high-frequency noise that many of the HiHy (highlander hybrid) drivers are experiencing are the regenerative brakes in action. The brakes work as generators storing kinetic energy gained from wheels while braking until around 7MPH where the regular carbon brakes take effect to bring the car to a complete stop. The high-frequency noise is caused by the brakes recapturing the kinetic energy from the wheels and transferring the energy into the battery, which is how your battery magically increases in power after breaking to stop at a red light. This is what essentially allows you to ghost around parking lots and creep around stop and go traffic using only electricity at lower speeds and moderate throttle pressure, and is also what allows you to blast your A/C (thanks to an electric A/C pump for hybrids) and have the car running without operating the combustion engine in traffic and at stop lights without the need to plug your car in at night.

The high-frequency noise is normal, and you will observe it when you see other hybrids driving around. The high-frequency noise is also made when driving in EV mode at 25MPH (max speed for EV mode) speed, thus being heavily demanding on the electric motor. You may also hear this when flooring the car, as the electric motor assists he gasoline motor in the boost or "power" mode.

I also find the brakes to be unreliable, especially when hitting big bumps/potholes in the road while braking. I have come close to rear ending the driver in front of me due to the brakes. Now that I know how they work, I am well prepared to jam the brakes incase I hit a pothole as I am slowing down which ultimately makes the brakes very moody and spongy. I do not experience this in my 2010 Prius, however the RX is a much much heavier car. It can be a bit bothersome, but if you keep good distance, like a good hybrid driver should, there shouldn't be any problems. Coast until a stop as often as possible and DO NOT TAILGATE! (its inefficient anyway!)

If you are going to pay a premium for a hybrid car, you might as well utilize all of its capabilities and squeeze every damn mile you can get out of each gallon/tank/barrel and BP oil spill of gasoline that you possibly can.

Hello from cailfornia,I don't have a brake problem a lot of us highlander hybrid owners have a hybrid electrical inverter problem,this is where the whole electric hybrid shuts down even when you are going 70 mph ,i almost got killed the other day on highway trying to steer my 2006 hh over to the side with no power,there is a blog search toyota hh inverta defects, and i have the name of the ores and chief operating officer of toyota motor sales u.s.a.,his name is james lentz and the his office is in torrance calif,just an hour away from me,o by the way toyota gave me an estimate to repair my vechicle ,14,000 dollars and i just have1000 mils over warranty,nice guys these toyota people,well there are a bunch of us that are talking class action with the lawyer who won class action against toyota with the pedal acceleration class action that killed a family of 8 in san diego ,i think all of use should hold toyota responsible,if u would like to contact me further my email is .P.S. googlesearch james lentz at press release toyota u.s.a.and you will get all the names of the executives at toyota u.s.a. my personal e mailmyraferrante@gmail.com,no pranks please,good luck

Hi. I am thinking of buying the 2011 HH. Should I buy it? Thanks.

I have had three toyota products. I loved my Lexus ES300 but the brakes were nearly worthless in ice and snow. I recently was test driving a Camry hybrid and took it out onto some snow covered roads. They were used vehicles and I found the one 2007 had the same problem as my Lexus. I then went to a different dealer (because the salesman pooh-poohed the obvious problem) and tried a 2008 Camry Hybrid. It worked great - just like it is suppose to. Bought a 2008 from a private party after trying it on the snowy roads but now I'm wondering if I'm going to have problems with the brakes in the near future. It has 74,000+ miles on it and the party took very good care of it and had no compliants or problems. Should I be looking at an extended warranty?

I have an '06 Highlander Hybrid which I love! I have not noticed any problems with braking. Maybe once I had to hit them really hard, but they held.
What just happened to me is I got out of my car and looked back to see the rear bumper hanging off on the driver side! It's been raining here but I have not driven through any high puddles. There is absolutely no damage to the bumper so I don't know what happened. It was fine when I got into the car after work and after the grocery store.
I am wondering if anyone else has experienced this? I am stopping at Toyota on my way to work in the morning; my neighbor helped me push it in to hold a bit.

Today, I had to stop quickly to avoid hitting a car that was coming out from a side street. My car stopped on a dime, but every light came on and I could not get the car to move. Long story short, I had it towed to the dealer I use for maintenance, and they said it was the brake accuator. This is a very expensive part! FtinessX3 reported a similar problem about a year ago (see above). Has anyone had the same problem recently? Have you filed a claim? What did your Toyota dealership do?