Toyota Highlander Complaints

958 consumer complaints on file.

#11735183May 1, 2026
SEATS
Received a safety recall stating "Seat Back Reclinging Assembly May Not Securely Lock". Based on this information, it goes on to state that "a seat back that has not been secured in a locked position may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash at certain speeds." Currently there are no remedies available but it is advised that "no one sit in or use the second-row seats while the vehicle is moving until the remedy is performed on the vehicle." In speaking to headquarters as well as mutliple dealerships, the only "solution" is to provide a rental car in the amount of $42/day and they would reimburse in 6-8 weeks. There is no current remedy date. That would mean there is an out of pocket cost of $1200+ a month, in which these funds are not available to our family. I am the primary caretaker for two small children who are in car seats and required to utilize the back seat/2nd row. Since I have been advised not to use it, my car is currently unsafe to use for its intended purpose. I have been given no other solutions at this time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735118May 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the instrument panel had been inoperable for approximately 5 months. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V595000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 149,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735102May 1, 2026
SUSPENSION
Early failure of front struts on a 2021 Toyota Highlander XLE, leaking fluid at 29,000 miles. Manufacturer does not seem to have any reported issues with these components. Issue discovered just one month after warranty expiration. Given the low daily use and time, this might be a manufacturer defect/concern. Could potentially be a safety concern affecting the vehicle handling and maneuverability.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735085May 1, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Headlight system malfunction, Pre-collision system malfunction and LTA malfunction
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735084May 1, 2026
AIR BAGS, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
PKSB malfunction, LTA system malfunction, SRS system malfunction, Per-Collision system malfunction, Headlight system malfunction and Front camera unavailable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735002April 30, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
My vehicle was parked for about an hr 30 min , and it started smoking from dashboard area and immediately went into flames .
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734915April 30, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT
The power back door struts were not completely operational for about 6 months or more from the date of repair on 2/26/26. Therefore, the back hatch would not close without manipulating it by starting the vehicle and using the inside button to close it. There was also a loud grinding/whining noise each time we opened and closed the hatch. The dealer said it's a common problem and maybe the struts were blown out because we had to open the rear hatch to get a mobility scooter in and out . Since we were concerned that eventually the hatch would be stuck in the upright position permanately, we relented and paid to have the Toyota dealer replace the struts. The dealer said it may become a recall because it's so common.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734639April 29, 2026
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:LOCK
The rear hatchback of my Toyota Highlander fails to open. I tried resetting it and that did not correct the problem. The only way I’m able to open the trunk is by manually crawling into the trunk, removing the back panel on the hatch door and pressing an internal latch release. While no injuries have happened because of this problem, if someone was stuck in this car or if there were an accident and a passenger needed to be accessed through the rear trunk, this would create a problem as it is not accessible from the outside of the car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734371April 28, 2026
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that there was a leak coming from the roof rack of the vehicle. The contact stated that previous model years since 2021 had experienced similar failures, which caused damage to the SRS air bag module. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 155,590.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734132April 27, 2026
POWER TRAIN
2021 Toyota Highalnder UA80F Transmission Whine / Known Defect - Potential for Sudden Failure I own a 2021 Toyota Highlander Platinum V6 AWD (UA80F 8-speed automatic transmisstion) purchased in July 2021. Current milage is 78k. Starting 3 days ago I noticed a faint whine noise coming from the transmission. The pitch changes with speed and when the throttle is depressed (It's louder under load/acceleration). This matches the exact symptoms described in Toyota TSB T-SB-0008-21 for whine/grind noise caused by the front carrier assembly pinion shaft issues in 2021 Highlanders with UA80 transmissions. On April 27, I went to a Toyota dealer to confirm the source of the noise and diagnose. As per their diagnosis report "Tech took vehicle on road test to duplicate concern, after confirming complaint vehicle was then lifted up and inspected while under a load, tech as able to isolate noise to transmission at this time, fluid level and condition was inspected to ensure there were no signs of shavings or discoloration and after inspection tech found nothing abnormal during fluid level check. Tech then ran a health check to ensure there were no DTC present related to transmission concern and found no DTC present. Recommend replacing transmission and torque converter at this time". They provided a quote of $9,392. This condition represents a safety concern because the internal wear can progress to harsher shifting, loss of power, limp mode, or complete transmission failure while driving, potentially causing a crash or stranding the vehicle in traffic. I have audio/vehicle recordings of the whine and service records showing regular Toyota dealer maintenance. I am requesting the the NHTSA investigate this ongoing UA80 transmission issue as it appears to be a known manufacturing or design defect tat continues beyond the narrow TSB applicability and warranty limits.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733929April 27, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Car makes a high pitched whining noise at low speeds of approx. 10-30 mph
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733925April 27, 2026
ENGINE
Goodwill Repair for my 2022 Highlander transmission whine, referencing TSB T-SB-0008-21。”
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733520April 24, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
BRAKING SYSTEM WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, ESPECIALLY WHEN APPLYING DOWNHILL, TEMPORARILY RELEASES AND ACTS AS THOUGH BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED ANY LONGER FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF A FEW SECONDS THEN REAPPLIES. IT DOES SO THAT IT IS VERY OBVIOUS WITHIN THE CAR. THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM AND IT SEEMS THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED IN NEWER MODELS. ASKING NTHSA TO ADDRESS WITH TOYOTA AND GET IT FIXED.Technical Service Bulletin for 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Braking Issue. Some drivers reported a momentary transition from regenerative braking to hydraulic braking, particularly when driving downhill or turning with light brake pedal application. Toyota has provided a software update for the brake actuator control module to improve brake feel.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733514April 24, 2026
SEATS
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V128000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733481April 24, 2026
WHEELS
I was at a gas station and enter car wash, the machine didnt wash my car and distriy my front right tire
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733296April 23, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that there was an abnormal winding sound coming from the vehicle while accelerating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called a transmission shop and was informed that the part to repair the vehicle was on back order. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733272April 23, 2026
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
During very cold tempratures 25 F and below all windows fog up. Defroster is turned on but windows remain fogged. I can turn on rear defroster (electric grid) and clears back window. All windows fog so you cannot see out. With front defroster fan on high it will after a time (starting from the bottm) clear. Side windows on drivers and passenger side will some times clear. Not back passenger windows. Taken to dealer several times. Replaced thermostat. After more complaints dealer said there was no mechanical problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732975April 22, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at 60–65 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into the passenger's side of an oncoming vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. In addition, the contact stated that it was a very hard impact on an older model vehicle. The contact stated that the older model vehicle was made of steel. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The contact was transported to the local medical center. The contact sustained severe sternum bruising, full spine whiplash, severe pain in the neck, both shoulders, and the upper back area. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was not inspected by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,125.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11732875April 21, 2026
POWER TRAIN
2021 Toyota Highlander transmission failure
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732855April 21, 2026
AIR BAGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was in an accident today in this vehicle . Upon impact, traffic was suddenly stopped on the highway. The air bags didn’t deploy and the automatic emergency breaks didn’t engage. Impact was so hard three vehicles were Involved.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0

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