Check for Recalls, "Secret Warranties" Before Paying for Major Car Repairs

Asking your car mechanic the right questions may save thousands.

ByABC News
January 23, 2012, 7:47 AM

Jan. 23, 2012— -- Once again, you, the readers, have done my work for me! I love when people write to me with intriguing consumer questions that will help others as well. Here's a great example.

Q: I purchased a 2006 Toyota Highlander SUV Hybrid in Dec 2005 first Generation. My car has 166,000 miles on it. The SUV stop running without any warning as I proceeded on a Sunday morning going to volunteer for the Avon breast Cancer Walk. I conduct regular maintenance checks on my vehicle. I was quite surprised to learn that the part cost over $9,000 to replace --not including labor. The part to replace is called the "inverter assembly." I proceeded to conduct research and found a class action lawsuit against Toyota for the same make, model and year as mine. I was quite surprised to see this is a common problem with this part once you reach more than 100,000 miles. I seek help with getting Toyota to pay for the part. ~YW, Maryland

A: Soon after I received this question, I learned that Toyota had done the right thing and recalled these and other Toyota vehicles to repair the problem. Here are the key parts of the recall notice, filed with NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to give you an idea what they look like:

Vehicle Make / Model:

LEXUS / RX400H, Model Year(s): 2006-2007

TOYOTA / HIGHLANDER HYBRID, Model Year(s): 2006-2007

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 11V342000

NHTSA Action Number: PE11005

Potential Number of Units Affected: 82,273

Summary: TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2007 HIGHLANDER HYBRID AND LEXUS RX400H PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM FEBRUARY 16, 2005, THROUGH AUGUST 30, 2006. A MODULE INSIDE THE INVERTER MODULE MAY CONTAIN INADEQUATELY SOLDERED TRANSISTORS THAT DURING HIGH-LOAD DRIVING, MAY BE DAMAGED BY HEAT CAUSED BY THE LARGE CURRENT. 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.

Consequence: 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.

Remedy: TOYOTA/LEXUS MAILED AN INTERIM OWNER NOTIFICATION ON JULY 19, 2011 TO ADVISE OWNERS OF THIS RECALL AND THE FACT THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE A FUTURE NOTICE WHEN PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE TO COMPLETE REPAIRS. TOYOTA DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE HYBRID INVERTER PRODUCTION NUMBER TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE INVERTER CONTAINS SUSPECT TRANSISTORS AND REPLACE THE MODULE FREE OF CHARGE.

The recall process is not perfect. There is an understandable lag time during which manufacturers try to figure out whether there really is a systemic problem with all vehicles of this make and model in a particular year. During that time, vehicle owners faced with big bills can get frustrated, as this Maryland consumer did.