Toyota Highlander Complaints (2022)

272 consumer complaints on file.

#11725716March 19, 2026
SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle: 2022 Toyota Highlander Limited Mileage at failure: ~60,000 miles The driver seat began moving rearward without any driver input while the vehicle was being driven. The movement was intermittent and occurred multiple times over several days. In one incident, the seat moved rearward while my wife was driving, causing her to lose proper reach to the brake pedal and nearly lose control of the vehicle. The seat would sometimes move to the full rear position and continue attempting to move past the mechanical stop. The problem also occurred during vehicle startup and shutdown cycles. This condition creates a significant safety risk because the driver’s seating position can change unexpectedly while driving. In attempting to mitigate the problem, I tried to disable the power seat by removing the fuse. However, the power seat fuses on this vehicle are not clearly labeled and are mounted on the side of the interior junction block under the dash, making them inaccessible to the driver without removing interior panels. As a result, the malfunctioning system could not be quickly disabled. The vehicle required replacement of the driver seat control/track assembly at a cost of approximately $1,600. Uncommanded movement of the driver seat while driving appears to be a safety-related defect and should be investigated for potential recall or service campaign
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724894March 17, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while using the rear liftgate with the key fob or the actuator on the liftgate door, the liftgate failed to raise properly and failed to close properly. The contact stated that the liftgate made a beeping sound and then stopped. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer several times and was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer recommended changing both liftgate pistons. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722206March 5, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that the second-row seats had been making an abnormal rattling sound. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormally strong foul odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the car wash, the contact was informed that the foul odor was coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the foul odor was stronger while the steering heater was engaged, causing the contact to suffer from headaches. The contact stated that the foul odor was transferred to the driver's hands, requiring the driver to thoroughly wash his hands. The contact had not received medical assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was only included in the second-row seats recall. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was not yet contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11722246March 5, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
LIFTGATE MALFUNCTION
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719234February 19, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission failure of 2022 Toyota Highlander LE at 82,329 miles. Safety compromised due to possible roadside failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718753February 18, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Component or system that malfunctioned: The braking system on my 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, specifically the transition between regenerative braking and hydraulic friction braking, appears to malfunction intermittently. During braking, the vehicle sometimes lurches or surges forward instead of slowing smoothly, especially at low speeds or when braking downhill. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk: The unexpected forward surge while braking increases stopping distance and creates uncertainty about braking performance, particularly in traffic or parking situations. This creates a risk of rear-end or low-speed collisions and reduces my confidence in the braking system. Problem reproduced or confirmed by dealer or service center: The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota dealership, and a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) software update intended to address braking behavior was performed at approximately 50,000 miles. However, the braking problem continues unchanged after the repair. I had to pay the dealer to perform this TSB update. The dealer was initially reluctant to apply the TSB and did not associate my braking complaint with the known issue. I had to research the TSB myself and request that it be applied. The invoice notes that the dealer reproduced the issue. Vehicle or component inspected by manufacturer or others: The vehicle has been inspected by a Toyota dealership service department. It has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives, as no accident has occurred. Warning lamps or prior symptoms: No warning lights or messages appear when the problem occurs. The issue happens intermittently without warning and has occurred since the vehicle was new. The condition appears to be getting progressively worse. The issue seems more likely to occur when braking while the hybrid battery is near or at full charge, suggesting a possible problem in the transition between regenerative and friction braking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717969February 14, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission failed at 63,000 miles, new transmission was installed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11717264February 11, 2026
POWER TRAIN
UA80 Transmission failure @ 3.5 yrs old and 89k miles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11715269February 3, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Failure of the rear hatch power struts. Door not opening or closing properly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713591January 27, 2026
AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok, LTA malfunction, headlight system malfunction Pre-collision malfunction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713585January 27, 2026
AIR BAGS
Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713582January 27, 2026
AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok. Front camera malfunction, RSA malfunction & Pre-collision malfunction.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713575January 27, 2026
AIR BAGS
Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok,
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713125January 24, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Throttle plate iced up in cold weather, causing computer to put the car in limp mode, creating a dangerous situation. Toyota had a TSB solution for this in 2023, but did not make the software update available until my vehicle failed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711498January 16, 2026
CHILD SEAT
The contact owns an Evenflo Car Seat, Model Number: 368124708, Model Type: Revolve 360 Slim, Manufactured Date: July 11, 2024. The car seat was being used in a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25C010000 (Child Seat). The contact stated that the head rest foam was exposed on the left and right sides of the headrest and that the child was picking out the foam as described in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and provided pictures of the failure. The contact was advised by a representative from the manufacturer that a repair kit would be sent in the mail to repair the car seat. The contact received the repair kit and found an 8-inch-long by 3/12-inch-wide strip of tape. The contact stated that the repair kit was inadequate to complete the repair on the head rest. The contact had not attempted to call the manufacturer back about the repair kit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711367January 16, 2026
POWER TRAIN
My 2022 Toyota Highlander experienced transmission-related issues that affected the vehicle’s performance, reliability, and overall value. These problems caused inconvenience, safety concerns, and additional stress, and in some cases required diagnostic visits, repairs, or time without use of the vehicle. As a consumer who purchased the vehicle with the reasonable expectation of dependable operation, I believe compensation is warranted for the diminished value, disruption, and potential repair costs resulting from this defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710711January 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The entire head unit in the center of the front console went crazy and started going blank, glitching out, and basically made it impossible to use any of the features associated with that screen unit. The 2022 Toyota Highlander's head unit controls infotainment (radio, streaming, navigation, phone) and integrates with vehicle settings for climate (auto AC, seat heaters/ventilators), lighting, door locks, and driver-assist features like Road Sign Assist and Parking Support Brake, with over-the-air updates available for connected models. It manages multimedia, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wi-Fi, and vehicle alerts, offering deep customization for audio, display, and connectivity. We promptly took the car into the Toyota Dealer and they determined it was a bad head unit and I had to pick up the car and they made us drive the car for about 1 1/2 weeks broken, while the part was in transit. After the part arrived, we scheduled visit for that part replacement. They later called and said that it was causing the same issues and had to do a further diagnostic and determined that the integragation control sub assembly computer (the cpu for the head unit?) was actually the bad part. The 2nd part was ordered and installed, and ultimately repaired the issue. We had limited control over the heater and keeping the ice off the windows and other issues with no navigation and other systems during this 1 1/2 week period. This is also the same screen that gives us the backup camera, and the 360 degrees camera views. Wow, not happy that such a major part failed with the car being so new. We bought the car brand new with just a few miles on it, and have bought every service and insurance package that Toyota offered when we purchased the car and have kept and maintained the car in excellent shape doing all maintenance exactly on schedule.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709788January 8, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I had been driving my 2022 Toyota Highlander XLE with 46k miles that I just got for about two weeks, so about 10 days out of the 14 i actually drove it from home to work and back home. Within those 10 days driving the SUV, 8 mornings and one afternoon the highlander engine had issues accelerating and shifting gears. Basically when pulling out on to a highway from a side street coming down a hill when pressing the gas to enter the highway and flow of traffic the engine stuttered from zero to 20mph causing the entire SUV to jerk repeatedly and the gears would have issues shifting from first to second. I had to let my foot off the gas pedal then press again repeatedly as the SUV kept jerking trying to accelerate forward stuck no more than 20 mph for 30 seconds then started to even out and climb up after a minute. I have caught this on video twice. This has caused me to hold up traffic on the highway behind me with no where to pull off because my particular side street comes out from a gulch cliff side. No check engine lights came on each time. I took it to an auto shop that did a minor test drive and suggested it go directly to Servco Toyota as it should have powertrain warranty on it still and they believed it was a fuel pump issue. The issue did not happen with this auto shop but I showed them the video. I scheduled an appt at Toyota and it is with them now. They did 2 test drive but could not replicate the issue and could not see any codes coming up. I opted to leave the vehicle with them to do more test drives where the issue has happened as I do not feel safe driving it and the manager also said they did not feel safe having their techs drive it so the manager will do it. Without check engine light/code they are saying they cannot check the fuel pump or do anything else but will try to do more test drives to replicate the issue. I have seen numerous Reddit, facebook group posts, and a petition about this same issue but no official recall or word from Toyota.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709774January 8, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transmission failed at 75K with no warning lights or prior evidence.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708092December 31, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle Issue Description (Rear Liftgate): The rear power liftgate intermittently fails to operate and presents a safety concern. The liftgate often will not open at all. At other times, it opens only partially (approximately one-quarter of the way) and then stops. When this occurs, the liftgate frequently will not close properly and sometimes fails to latch securely. This issue has been ongoing for approximately two years and has progressively worsened. It has now reached the point where the rear liftgate is no longer usable. If the liftgate does not open in an emergency, occupants may be unable to exit the vehicle through the rear, which could be dangerous in the event of an accident. Additionally, when the liftgate fails to latch securely, there is a risk it could open while driving, potentially causing cargo loss, reduced visibility, or allowing exhaust fumes to enter the cabin. Numerous Toyota Highlander owners report the same issue on public forums such as Reddit, indicating this is a widespread and known problem. According to these reports, dealerships are commonly diagnosing the failure as a failed liftgate strut, with quoted repair costs of approximately $1,500. I reported this issue to Toyota directly today and was told that Toyota does not issue recalls and that concerns should be reported to NHTSA. I am frustrated that this appears to be a known issue that has existed for years without corrective action. Component/System Failed: Rear power liftgate system (including latch and power operation components). Available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Risk of liftgate opening while driving and inability to exit through the rear in an emergency, potentially trapping occupants. Dealer Confirmation: Not formally confirmed. A reset was recommended during a prior service visit, which worked temporarily for one day. Resets no longer resolve the issue. Inspected by Others: No. Warnings Prior to Failure: No warning lamps or messages.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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