2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Service Brakes Problems
Owners have filed 94 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes problems on the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, 48% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 125,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “brake malfunction” (26% of reports).
- 94service brakes complaints
- 125,500median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 23%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Brake malfunction: mentioned in 24 of 94 complaints (26%)
- ABS actuator: mentioned in 19 of 94 complaints (20%)
- Check vsc: mentioned in 10 of 94 complaints (11%)
- Abnormal leak: mentioned in 7 of 94 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical service brakes repair on the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid at $5,350, and half of them between $4,050 and $6,750.
Based on 34 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2015–2019), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do service brakes problems happen?
Based on 84 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 94 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Toyota Highlander Hybrid service brakes complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 11% | 6,000 |
| 2022 Highlander Hybrid | 2 | 33% | 27,500 |
| 2020 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 11% | — |
| 2016 Highlander Hybrid | 3 | 50% | 52,025 |
| 2013 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 20% | 53,400 |
| 2012 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 11% | 114,000 |
| 2011 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 20% | 153,000 |
| 2010 Highlander Hybrid | 5 | 23% | 35,000 |
| 2009 Highlander Hybrid | 17 | 43% | 125,921 |
| 2008 Highlander Hybrid | 94 | 48% | 125,500 |
| 2007 Highlander Hybrid | 28 | 25% | 112,339 |
| 2006 Highlander Hybrid | 76 | 21% | 136,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes for the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
All warning lights are on to check brakes, abs. Abnormal leak in acumulator - abs brake actuator needs to be replaced. I was sent a recall on this problem with my 2012 prius (although it is fine) but the highlander has the exact problem. When googling this i found many 2008 highlanders with the…
Brake actuator assembly on my 2008 toyota highlander hybrid has been failing. Know issue. I've taken excellent care of this vehicle and had it serviced at the dealership. The manufacturing is replace the previous years, but not the 2008 which is the exact same component. Please let me know why this…
Abs pump and actuator failure. Warning lights on the dash buzzer, and nearly complete loss of stopping power, reduced fuel economy. We own a 2008 toyota highlander hybrid which confirmed by the dealer has a 100% failure rate which is the exact failure previously recalled on 2006-07 highlander…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrids have service brakes problems?
No. NHTSA has 94 owner complaints about service brakes for the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (48% of the 197 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid service brakes?
No recall currently lists service brakes for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes problems start?
The median reported mileage is 125,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix service brakes problems on the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,350 (half paid between $4,050 and $6,750), from 34 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about service brakes problems on the 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
The most frequent phrase is “brake malfunction”, in 24 of 94 complaints, followed by “abs actuator” (19).
See all 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems or service brakes problems across all Highlander Hybrid years.