man, i haven't been to this forum in while. came back yesterday to check for an online source for OE brake parts & thankfully popped into this thread. my VIN falls into the 'bad' range & i'm @ ~90K now. i don't recall getting any letter regarding the recall, but found it here. it's 'safety recall BOJ'. i'll bring my HH to the dealer monday.

reading the above post, it seems unclear if the IPM replacement was the same 'fix' to toyota performed with the newer inverters in the mid year TSB, but if the recall pertains to only those VINs, then logically this would have been the problem all along, no? i have to think so.

 

dd

 

OK to recap: there is an active recall (BOJ) for the Inverter/IPM. see post #44 to see if your car is within the VIN# break for the affected vehicles, or just make an appt to bring your car into the dealer. don't wait.



if your car is not within the affected VIN# and you are close to the 90K mark, you should change the inverter fluid.

i brought my car in monday for the inverter recall, and had my car back wednesday with a new inverter. i was @ 90K and feel very fortunate that it survived. i don't know what recourse you have if you paid out of pocket for the fix. if someone was reimbursed either partially or in full, post your experience.

 

OK, my situation has taken a turn for the strange. 3 days ago i had what seemed like an inverter failure - dashboard lights up like xmas tree, "check hybrid system" message, complete loss of power.

my immediate thought was that the dealer either made a loose connection when they installed the new inverter, or something worse (use your imagination).

they have been diagnosing my car for 3 days! and claim they had to bring in toyota reps because they can't figure it out. they are telling me they DON'T think it's the inverter, but are leaning toward rear differential electronics. WTF?

has anyone ever heard of this type of failure? this would cause complete loss of power? i can't even get a loaner because they have yet to determine if it's a warantee item. not sure if i should get corporate involved, but something is amiss here...

 

$350 later. toyota wouldn't consider the wiring harness as part of the hybrid system, yet, the system completely failed.

http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complai...e&refurl=email

 

I have a 2007 Toyota Highlander and received a recall notice in or about November 2013. I took it to the Toyota dealer for the fix on 12/9/13 and went on about my business. The recall was a fix for this exact problem which generated the original post. On December 20th 2013 my car just stopped while I was entering the freeway. Thank god I was on an on ramp that allowed me to coast it down hill to a large spot to pull over. It happened around 5:30 PM the weekend before Christmas so the traffic was horrible. All those Vegas bound travelers as I was in Barstow, CA. My nightmare was just beginning. Today; January 14, 2014 I finally got the name of what they think is wrong. INVERTER FAILED

So far I have been without a car for a total of 25 days, I had to spend the night in Barstow when it broke down. Barstow Toyota has the most inept (having or showing no skill; clumsy) crew of service people I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. I finally, after several phone calls to Toyota, had my car towed to Lancaster (at their expense) where at least they know how to use a phone and call me to keep me updated. They have had it a day and at least I have a preliminary assumption of the problem. Now we are trying to figure out if I have a warranty covered problem or just a big problem the estimated fix was around 9000.00 and I said I'm not paying that much to fix the car and we are awaiting the answer from Toyota as what is going to be offered. First we need to determine if it's something that happened when they did the recall or is it something that was going to happen. Up till now all I have ever had to do is routine maintenance and change the struts.

Finding this forum and reading these posts and replies isn't very reassuring and I am afraid I am going to be screwed! 35,0000 for a vehicle I only have gotten to drive 6 years the trouble is my odometer is at 115,000. I hope that what I read here, because I live in California, it's the 150,000 or 10 year I need to go dig out my original paperwork from when I bought it.

 

man the more I research the more this keeps becoming a bad used car option

 

I bought a Camry 2007 Hybrid in 2007 and own the car for 7 years. I loved the car however, if Toyota had told me that replacing an inverter would cost $5,000.00, transmission $5,000.00, Battery $5,000.00. I would have not purchased it. I just got back from the dealer (Bob Baker) and they are asking for $11,000.00 to replace the transmission and an inverter. $11,000.00 for two components, while I paid $34,000.00 brand new. The two component cost me 1/3 of a new car. Since, it at the dealer, they got me and I'm so angry. I would not buy another Hybrid, ever again...

 

Not calling the BS flag yet but you need to get another opinion. I very much doubt the inverter and the power split system went out at the same time....

 

I just paid them 1 installment for $5,214.00 to order the Inverter. Bob Baker Toyota already put in the transmission for $5,786.00 and they said that Toyota Corp would not take the transmission back since it was considered "used". I said what the WTF. Can you remove the transmission and put in the old one back so that I can tow it out of your shop? They told me that they can't do that and they can't return the part. They told me that the only option is to put in the new Inverter. The service manager told me that they have gone through 4 used Inverter and the car did not start. The service manager, I don't want to mention any names, told me that used Inverter would not work... I hate Bob Baker Toyota. I will never do business with them again. I'm really angry.

I owed them a 2nd payment for $5,786.00. I'm trying to borrow money from friends and family to cover the second payment. Bob Baker Toyota of Lemon Grove and Toyota Corporation really toke me to the cleaner. I will be talking to a lawyer after I get the car back. I'm in deep financial trouble. I'm out $11,000 for keeping the car for 7 years with 178,000 miles. For a typical American who earn an hourly wage, I don't have $11,000 for car repair. I will never buy another Hybrid again. I hate how they do business. On top of that, they gave me an option to trade in my Camry for another used car. The sales manager, gave me FIVE- **F**-Hundred Bucks for my car. I told the sales manager that I can sell the new tires for FIVE **F** bucks. They are not good business people. I will write a letter to Bob Baker Toyota President and complain about the BS that's going on there.