Toyota Highlander Complaints

958 consumer complaints on file.

#11552496October 29, 2023
STEERING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The steering technology in this vehicle reads lines on the road that are not correct or valid lanes and almost caused several accidents during the 2 years I had the vehicle. Luckily, I was paying attention and had to jerk the wheel to the correct lane but the steering wheel will force itself to the other false lane. This is extremely dangerous and this is a huge safety issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552184October 27, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving in rain, I noticed drops of water coming into the car near the sunroof. I immediately drove to Jim Norton Toyota. The service technician told me that sunroofs are not waterproof. I went to Bob Howard Toyota for another inspection/more details. They informed me that it was a new design flaw. The sunroof sealant and gasket to do not align with the sunroof perfectly as older models do. Small drops of water will occur when it is raining. The "drip pain" underneath the back part of the sunroof will catch the water and the drain tubes will remove those from the car. They said drain tube cleanings are needed to not damage car from leaks. I had a 2009 Highlander Hybrid - same car, different year. It NEVER leaked or had water droplets anywhere. The seal and gasket met tightly against the car. I have never had any car that leaked. I would not have purchased a vehicle that purposely leaks water into a car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11552162October 27, 2023
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
The lane assist will not stay turned off, even when it is done manually each time I get in the car. The steering pulls me back when I'm trying to change lanes, making it unsafe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11551911October 25, 2023
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The highlander has been having starting issue where the dash reads that the hybrid system is not functioning and won’t turn over. There is a consumer report program instead of a recall. This is deceiving. This morning the TPMS was reading that all tired were at 32 pounds of air when in fact the right front passenger was complete flat to the rim. Clearly the computer was malfunctioning with not just one aspect of the car but multiple. The local dealership isn’t helpful in that they charge $185 for diagnostic tests.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11550315October 16, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle has accelerated suddenly when I apply the brakes. It has happened on multiple occasions in different circumstances. I was heading up a hill into a slow stop at a stop sign and once I applied the brakes it suddenly jolted forward for a second until I slammed on the brakes more over riding it. I have had the car for a week and thought it could be just happen stance but it has happened multiple times. The first time there was a car in front of me as I applied the breaks and it is terrifying as I almost crashed into them.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11550108October 16, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES
My 2021 Toyota highlander hybrid is having seemingly random issues when braking. I notice it most of the time when the vehicle is going downhill. The vehicle will lose braking briefly, and I have to depress the brake harder to slow the vehicle. In that moment when it loses the brake, the vehicle gives the feeling it is lurching forward, which can cause unpredictable stopping distance. It creates a hazard for the driver, the vehicles in front, and the vehicles behind.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11549688October 12, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Passenger rear tire burst automatically today around 8 AM morning. Unsure if this automatic burst is part of any recall or not but it was a scary burst with big noise with no warnings of low air pressure. A lot of time was wasted today and spent money to fix a new tire.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11547626October 1, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
The Front bumper came loose on the interstate, creating a loud noise as it slid under the tires. Once safely pulled over on the side of the road the car appeared to have spontaneously dropped the front bumper, we did not encounter any debris in the road, the weather is good and clear, there was no prior damage to the vehicle. The clips that hold the bumper in place seemed to be broken.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546874September 27, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Vehicle windshield glass has a distorted and wavy quality that impacts visibility for the driver. I have contacted the dealership about this issue and there is not a current recall for the windshield. The windshield says Toyota Pilkington laminated acoustic heated [XXX] , DOT15. I purchased this vehicle in the last week and did not notice the distortion on the short test drive. At first, I thought it was a reflection issue from the dash, but it is not. This should be investigated and remedied. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11546245September 24, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Picked up my Toyota Highlander in April 2023 I have had to return it to the dealer on two occasions for check engine light and secondary Break failure I'm at the fourth check engine light and secondary brake failure report now it has been inspected by the dealer and tried to remedy it too times already currently getting ready to return to the dealer with the third check engine light secondary brake failure message
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545936September 21, 2023
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I've had the car for 6 months. After a few months we noticed a "bucking" during acceleration and a "hesitation" when pressing the accelerator. Under medium to hard acceleration the car will exhibit these traits almost consistantly and now after 3500 miles it has become so noticeable that it is dangerous! The hesitation is "off the line" from a dead stop. There is at least a couple second delay sometimes when leaving a stop. And then as the car climbs in RPM's you can feel the engine struggling almost like a car with bad spark plug wires. It tends to "spit and buck" as it is accelerating. We have tried different fuels, fuel cleaners, different octanes, and nothing seems to curb the problem. We took the car to our local dealer and they confirm the problem but have stated that there is nothing they can do as it appears to be a software issue with the car. I have requested from Toyota using their "Brand engagement center" to provide an engineer to evaluate the car and so far have not heard back from them in almost a week.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11545051September 17, 2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Toyota 2022 Highlander XLE AWD has a safety issue with the drivers side mirror. The issue is that the mirror vibrates when driving over small bumps or imperfections in the road. It is especially hazardous when driving at night and the following vehicles headlights flicker the reflection back in your face. It is very distracting to the driver. Toyota has similar vehicles (Rav4) that have TSB's for the same problem. Also many Lexus vehicles have similar TSB. I hope NHSTA will convince Toyota that the Highlander with mirror vibration problems need to be addressed similar to the Rav4 and Lexus models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11544680September 15, 2023
ENGINE
The vehicle hesitates and stutters upon light to moderate acceleration. This can happen either from a dead stop or while moving in traffic. The concern was present when vehicle was purchased new in Feb 2023. Initially the dealership thought the symptoms were related to the transmission learning algorithm, but this was later determined not to be the case and the dealership was able to reproduce the drivability concern. The dealership was also advised that running 91 octane fuel eliminated the symptoms, however the engine is designed to run on 87 octane. Subsequently, the dealership was advised by Toyota to replace several parts associated with the VVT (variable valve timing) on the exhaust camshaft which did not resolve the concern. Toyota subsequently agreed to replace the vehicle after filing a lemon law complaint with NCDS. This drivability concern is a safety concern as the hesitation and stutter could occur during a traffic maneuver and cause an accident due to the engine not properly responding to driver input. No check engine or other warning lamps present when this occurs, which is most of the time though more pronounced when ambient temperatures are above 75F degrees.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11543904September 11, 2023
SERVICE BRAKES, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unexpected brake failure; While driving at a slow 20 to 30 mph speed lightly braking anticipating a stop at a stop sign my car will unexpectedly surge and jolt the car forward while I'm applying maximum brake force to the peddle. I took it to the local Toyota dealer they checked it out and couldn't find or replicate the problem. I was told that possibly my driving habits or I may have my foot on the brake while still on the accelerator?? When this happens there are NO warning indicators or audible sounds either lit on the instrument panel prior to or after the event. This event on this day propelled my car approximately 6 ft past the crosswalk into the intersection of a four way stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542958September 6, 2023
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Upon acceleration, car hesitates then surges. Started after approximately 2000 miles. Occurs most frequently from a dead start. However, continues upon acceleration up to 50 mph. Took to Toyota Dealer, but they were unable to diagnose. Others report similar problems on Toyota Nation Form. Concerned about pulling out into traffic safely
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542582September 5, 2023
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
My new Highlander has had issues that I can describe as "power surging" when accelerating from a stop. The car frequently does not respond to accelerator being pushed down for a second or two and then surges from a stop to accelerating with very inconsistent results. The acceleration is not consistent and unreliable. When crossing traffic from a stop I need to think twice and do not have confidence the car will do what I want.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542444September 4, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
No problem with my car
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542442September 4, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
No
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11542344September 3, 2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
The sunroof on my 2021 Toyota Highlander spontaneously exploded. I was merging onto a highway but just started to accelerate normally - was going approximately 20-30 mph. The entrance ramp was a merge lane, and there was a semi truck with no load, so intentionally accelerated slowly to allow the truck driver easy access to the highway. The temperature outside was approximately 80 degrees, clear skies, no construction around me. No object from the truck in front flew backwards to hit my Highlander. It sounded like a gunshot, but felt no impact to the Highlander. I slightly opened the sunroof liner, because the loud noise seem to come from directly overhead. I saw that the sunroof was shattered, so quickly closed the sunroof liner to prevent any glass from falling down. I exited the first exit and drove to the dealership. Ironically, I already had an appointment for routine maintenance. When I arrived at the dealer - I saw that an approximate 6" x 2" section of glass was missing, and the rest of the sunroof was completely shattered. There is no visible damage to any other part of the Highlander. The service advisor looked and it looked like the glass looked like it was pushed up, in his words "looked like it was pressure induced from the inside". My friend searched - and found this is a common problem in 2020-2021 Toyota Highlanders.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11541493August 29, 2023
ENGINE
Vehicle hesitates when accelerating. Very noticable when accelerating from stop. Also when passing a vehicle and accelerating to pass there is hesitation and the vehicle stutters at times also.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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