2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid recalls and problems
The 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has 6 safety recalls and 197 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer.
Recalls may cover only some 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. Check your VIN at NHTSA ↗ to see open recalls for your exact car.
2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid recalls
Recall 15V-689: Visibility
Problem: Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
Recall 13V-396: Hybrid Propulsion System
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support and the transistors may be heat damaged by the solder. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel.
Risk: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign.
Recall 12V-491: Visibility
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2007-2009 Camry, Camry Hybrid, RAV4, Corolla, Corolla Matrix, Tundra, Sequoia, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Yaris, Scion xB, Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. The power window master switch assemblies in some of these vehicles were built using a less precise process for lubricating the internal components of the switch assemblies. Irregularities in this lubrication process may cause the power window master switch assemblies to malfunction and overheat.
Risk: If the switch overheats, it may melt, possibly resulting in a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify its owners, and dealers will inspect the switch and apply a special grease that inhibits heat build up or replace any switch damaged by the defect, free of charge. Toyota owners that experience a problem with a switch should not attempt to make repairs, but should contact their Toyota dealer or the Toyota Customer Experience Center at 1-800-331-4331. General Motors will contact the Pontiac Vibe owners affected by this recall and GM dealers will inspect and repair switches as necessary. Those owners may contact Pontiac Customer Care at 1-800-762-2737.
Recall 11V-245: Air Bags
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 highlander, highlander hybrid, and model year 2007-2008 rav4 vehicles. In the curtain shield airbag (Csa) system, there are two sensors in the airbag sensor assembly which are designed to detect vehicle roll angle. If one of these sensors malfunctions, the airbag warning light (Malfunction indicator light: mil) will illuminate and the roll detection system will be suspended; however, the airbag csa remains available in the event of a side crash. If both sensors fail nearly simultaneously after initial airbag system check, the csa and the seat belt pretensioner could be inadvertently activated.
Risk: Inadvertent activation of the csa and/or the seat belt pretensioner can cause injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Toyota will replace the airbag sensor assembly with a new one containing improved roll rate sensors, free of charge. Toyota intends to send an interim owner notification to owners early to mid-may, 2011 when sufficient parts and remedy becomes available. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Recall 09V-223: Equipment
Problem: Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."
Risk: Incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels could result in the vehicle being overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1-888-270-9371.
Recall 08V-181: Seat Belts
Problem: Toyota is recalling 90,189 my 2008 highlander and highlander hybrid passenger vehicles equipped with a third row seat. These vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, "occupant crash protection." the non-driver designated seating positions (Dsp) on these vehicles is equipped with seat belt assemblies that have a feature that converts the retractor from an emergency locking retractor (Elr) to an automatic locking retractor (Alr). The belts convert to the alr mode after the webbing has been fully withdrawn from the retractor. The system is designed so that as the belt is released into the retractor, the system remains in the alr mode so that a child restraint system (Crs) can be tightly secured.
Risk: However, for the two third row dsp's on these vehicles, the alr mode deactivates before the webbing is fully retracted, so that it will not lock when certain rear-facing crs's that have a short seat belt routing path are installed in the vehicle. This can allow the seat belt webbing to spool out during normal driving maneuvers, which could affect the stability of a child restraint installed at those seating positions. As such, this could discourage the use of a child restraint and in the event of a crash, the child may not be adequately protected possibly resulting in injury.
Fix: Dealers will install a newly designed seat belt component free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or about december 18, 2008. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems reported by owners
| Problem area | Reports | |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 94 | |
| Electrical System | 35 | |
| Electronic Stability Control (ESC) | 25 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | |
| Power Train | 11 | |
| Unknown or Other | 10 | |
| Engine | 10 | |
| Tires | 9 | |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 8 | |
| Steering | 6 | |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 6 |
Most reported parts
- Hybrid Propulsion System › Inverter — 7
- Structure › Body — 3
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module — 2
- Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System — 1
- Structure › Frame and Members — 1
- Equipment › Mechanical › Accessory Scissor/Screw/Bottle Jack/Lift — 1
- Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Abs Warning Light — 1
- Electrical System › Instrument Panel › Speedometer/Odometer — 1
Typical mileage at the time of the problem: 110,000 miles (median of owner reports).
Problems that are not covered by a recall are paid repairs; labor rates follow local mechanic pay — see what auto mechanics earn in each state.
Recent 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA, as written (personal details removed). Complaints are not verified by NHTSA.
Other Toyota Highlander Hybrid years
Compare all Toyota Highlander Hybrid years · All Toyota models
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recalls for the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: 15V-689 (visibility), 13V-396 (hybrid propulsion system), 12V-491 (visibility), 11V-245 (air bags), 09V-223 (equipment) and more. Not every vehicle is affected, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
Owners report service brakes problems most often (94 reports), followed by electrical system (35). The typical mileage when problems were reported is about 110,000 miles.
Are Toyota recall repairs free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at authorized Toyota dealers, whether you are the first owner or bought the car used.