2020 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    transmission automatic

    6 stranded, 97 unsafe, 3 broken, 4 annoyance

    110
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=15, median 78,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at 35 MPH, depressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle to respond as intended and the contact could smell smoke while stopped. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a deale…"~41,800 mi, complaint #2205394
    • "The contact's wife owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that soon after purchasing a new set of tires, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound upon acceleration. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for an oil change and tire rotation, and the co…"~55,000 mi, complaint #2161870
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving to the dealer for a service appointment, the vehicle made an abnormally high-pitched sound. The vehicle was diagnosed with a UA80 transmission failure. No further information was…"~71,233 mi, complaint #2213865
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the de…"~100,100 mi, complaint #1951857
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, there was abnormal whining sound coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to…"~129,000 mi, complaint #2106221
  2. #2

    brake hydraulics

    20 unsafe

    20
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "I HAVE BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH THE BRAKES WHEN TURNING ON MY CAR AND GOING IN REVERSE. ON ONE OCCASION, AFTER TURNING ON THE VEHICLE AND PUTTING IT IN REVERSE, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE DESPITE BEING ON LEVEL GROUND. I HAD TO APPLY PRESSURE ON THE…"~2,000 mi, complaint #1699975
  3. #3

    other

    9 unsafe, 9 annoyance

    18
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander equipped with a Tekonsha Prodigy RF Electronic Brake Control with Bluetooth kits, part number 902501. The contact purchased the unit to use for towing a trailer. The contact purchased the part at an independent mechani…"complaint #1754436
    • "While making a legal left turn on a green arrow, we were struck on the passenger side of our vehicle by a vehicle that did not stop at the red light."complaint #1768390
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V239000 (Electronic Stability Control) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The contact…"complaint #1813882
    • "While driving on the freeway, with no prior damage, the front bumper came lose and dragged under vehicle."complaint #1845076
    • "Driving at highway speeds of 75 mph (posted speed), front bumper fell off of car. Outside temperature was 107 degrees. Bumper was lodged under car and all insulation peeled off of wheels. Had to pull all parts from under car and around wheel openings and wa…"complaint #1919542
  4. #4

    fuel tank and lines

    5 unsafe, 9 annoyance

    14
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "TOYOTA ADVERTISES AND REPRESENTS THAT THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID′S FUEL TANK CAPACITY IS 17.1 GALLONS, AND BASED ON ITS 35 MPG RATING, THE RANGE SHOULD BE ABOUT 600 MILES. HOWEVER, I AM NOT ABLE TO FILL THE TANK BY MORE THAN 12 GALLONS THUS REDUCING MY RANGE…"~700 mi, complaint #1659975
    • "EACH TIME I FILL UP THE CAR WITH GAS I AM UNABLE TO FILL THE TANK TO ITS LISTED CAPACITY. THE VEHICLE HAS A 17 GALLON TANK, BUT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NEAR EMPTY (1-2 GALLONS REMAINING) I CAN PUMP IN ONLY 12-13 GALLONS OF GAS. THIS GREATLY IMPACTS THE RANGE OF…"~4,100 mi, complaint #1737706
    • "WHEN RE-FUELING THE VEHICLE WITH DTE OF LESS THAN 30 MILES, THE FUEL SHUTS OFF AROUND 12 GAL. 2ND CLICK FOR FUEL STOPPAGE MAY YIELD ANOTHER 0.5 GAL. NOTHING ADDS UP TO 17.1 GAL OF FUEL IN THE TANK. GOING BEYOND THE 1ST CLICK IS BAD FOR THE SYSTEM, YET ONLY FIL…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1722244
    • "2020 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID AWD. WHEN FILLING FROM ALMOST EMPTY (PER LOW FUEL WARNING LIGHT AND DISTANCE TO EMPTY READING ALMOST 0), TANK ONLY ACCEPTS ~12.5 GALLONS BEFORE GAS STATION FUEL NOZZLE AUTO CLICKS OFF. THE FUEL GAGE AT THIS POINT INDICATES THAT T…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1725127
    • "UNABLE TO COMPLETELY FILL FUEL TANK. WHEN FUEL LIGHT COMES ON AND I GO TO FILL IT, I GET NO MORE THAN 13 GALLONS IN MY TANK. THE FUEL GAUGE ONLY READS 3/4 FULL. NEVER COMPLETELY FULL."~9,000 mi, complaint #1728385
  5. #5

    sunroof

    12 unsafe

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WE WERE DRIVING IN THE FREEWAY AND SUDDENLY WE HEARD LIKE A "BANG" SOUND, LIKE AN EXPLOSION. WE LOOKED AROUND US AND WONDERED WHAT IT WAS. THEN WE HEARD THE AIR FROM THE ROOF SEEPING THROUGH AND WE TOOK AN EXIT, IT WAS A SHATTERED SUNROOF. SINCE THE RAIN IS I…"~9,000 mi, complaint #1712959
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 55 mph the sunroof exploded without warning or impact. There were no reported injuries. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or re…"~15,600 mi, complaint #1753827
  6. #6

    airbag system

    9 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "Air bags didn’t deploy in severe accident. Vehicle is available for inspection. Air bags not deploying in accident could have led to injuries. No service or dealerships has seen the vehicle. Police didn’t inspect the vehicle. Insurance company is going to…"complaint #1871433
    • "The SRS airbag system malfunction went off and the seat keeps beeping for a long time before finally stopping I’ve taken it in to get fixed to the Stockton dealership but they said there’s no available fix yet, but then when I went to pick it up after my oil s…"complaint #2020757
    • "NHTSA, I mentioned to the service tech that I did have an error code appeared in my front dashboard display area momentarily and disappeared several times within the last 10 months. I was told that this would be address at this inspection of OCS (Occupant Cla…"complaint #2045294
    • "Toyota sent a letter in mid-2024 that there was a safety recall for airbag issue with 2020 Toyota Highlander. The letter stated that a remedy would be available by the third quarter of 2024. As of January 21, 2025, they still have not provided a remedy for th…"complaint #2057500
    • "There was a safety recall for this airbag issue, and Toyota estimated the remedy can be available in Quarter 3, 2024, however, till date nothing was completed. Toyota failed to resolve this matter in a timely manner. Every time I ask the dealer, they say no re…"complaint #2070149
  7. #7

    engine stall or no start

    7 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=14, median 6,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "WE RECENTLY PURCHASED OUR HIGHLANDER AND IT HAS A LITTLE OVER 4,000 MILES. TODAY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT ABOUT 45 MPH, THE CAR JUST LOST POWER AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. 1. CHECK ENGINE - REDUCED ENGINE POWER 2. SECONDARY COLLISION BRAKE S…"~4,000 mi, complaint #1715156
    • "THE ENGINE DIED WHEN STOPPED AT STOP SIGN. AND THEN RESTARTED WHILE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE."~8,000 mi, complaint #1726770
    • "I WAS AT A STOP SIGN IN MY 2020 HIGHLANDER WAITING TO TURN LEFT ONTO A BUSY ROAD. UPON TURNING LEFT ONTO PA STATE HIGHWAY 999, THE HIGHLANDER ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS "LOCKED" INTO A LEFT POSITION. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO CONTINUE TURNING…"~15,592 mi, complaint #1742101
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact was able to jumpstart the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The contact had taken to the vehicle…"~57,000 mi, complaint #1946637
  8. #8

    glass and windshield

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY ON A HOT TEXAS DAY WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE VICINITY AND NO DEBRIS ON THE ROAD AND THE MOON/SUN ROOF EXPLODED (SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT IN THE CAR). THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAD 4,000 MILES ON IT. THE…"~4,000 mi, complaint #1672951
  9. #9

    mirror

    4 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, there was a sudden explosion and the passenger’s side mirror casing dislodged from the vehicle causing damage to the passenger’s side window trim and the hood of…"~30,000 mi, complaint #1778850
  10. #10

    abs module

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "When going downhill and applying the brakes slightly. You keep your foot constant on the brake pedal. Braking some. The car would suddenly release the brakes for a second or two at speed about 35-40 mph. Then it catches up the brakes again. This looks really d…"complaint #1798711
    • "On numerous occasions when applying the brakes on my vehicle there is a very noticeable "surge" when the vehicle slows to a near stop. It feels like there is a momentary loss of braking before the brakes re-engage. I have had the vehicle since new and it seems…"complaint #1985510
    • "While steering to the right to exit a parallel parking spot, the ABS sensor cable came into contact with a suspension bolt, snapping the sensor wire. This triggered the Check Engine Light and caused a malfunction in the braking systems."complaint #2024884
    • "Coming to a stop or slowing down the vehicle has a spot where it feels like the brakes fail then come back on. Especially if going down a grade. This happens around 15 to 20 mph. Started off a slight moment when you are sure the brakes quit working for jus…"complaint #2236303
  11. #11

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Rear AC lines are defective and are failing on vehicles releasing gas under the vehicle. Dealer has confirmed this is a known design issue caused by dissimilar metals between the vehicle, bracket and rear AC lines. Toyota has stopped supply of the defective…"complaint #2000075
    • "This is in reference to a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The Air Conditioner is not functional. Upon inspection by a mechanic, and $300 of freon wasted, it was determined that the lines that carry the AC to the rear of the vehicle are defective. Freon immediately dra…"complaint #2012094
    • "So there was a service bulletin put out by Toyota in December 2020, about its AC repair. Well no notice was given to Toyota owners about this. Well fast forward to yesterday May 21, 2025, my mechanic told me that the AC lines to the rear were leaking and neede…"complaint #2094197
    • "Air conditioning has leaked after only 60,000 miles, costing me thousands in repairs. This is a recall on other models, but not this one. Mine and my baby’s safety is put at risk by being forced to drive around in the heat of summer without air conditioning. T…"complaint #2218265
  12. #12

    hv system fault reduced power

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "DRIVING 50 MILES/ HOUR VEHCLE STARTED LOOSING POWER AND STARTED TO SHAKE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND TWO DIFFERENT MESSAGES IN DASHBOARD POP OUT. ONE ABOUT HYBRID MALFUNCTION AND THE OTHER OUTPUT POWER REDUCED. "~1,960 mi, complaint #1717083
    • "VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE REIEVED CODE P0300 REDUCED ENGINE POWER ON HIGHWAY WHEN ACCELERATING"~12,995 mi, complaint #1719417
  13. #13

    control module

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "OCCUPANCY SENSOR FOR DRIVER SEAT, 2ND ROW BENCH, AND 3RD ROW BENCH MALFUNCTION. VEHICLE DISPLAY SHOWS SEATS ARE OCCUPIED AND SEAT BELTS NOT ENGAGED WHEN SEATS ARE NOT OCCUPIED. ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYS UNTIL VEHICLE IS IN MOTION."~7,000 mi, complaint #1674371
  14. #14

    door latch and hinge

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Went to close the right rear passenger door and heard splashing. Door is leaking from somewhere and running down to the bottom of the door filling it with water on the inside."complaint #2131459
    • "We own a 2020 Toyota Highlander, and both of the exterior door handles for the backseat have broken. The first in Jan 2025 and the second a few days ago. When the first was repaired (a different door) I was told this happens often on Toyota doors and is to b…"complaint #2141194
    • "The rear hatch door will not close or open and just sit there.And dings, you have to manually close it and open it most times and it never fully sucks up and latches fully and it doesnt notify you on the hood display of the car , so when we were driving down t…"complaint #2157230
  15. #15

    infotainment head unit

    1 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Nav Search and Voice message dictate disabled. Highlander 4th Generation (2020+) Has anyone experienced a DCM failure? My 2020 Highlander LTD hit 70K and 3yr mark; all of a sudden my Nav won't search while driving and I cannot dictate a response to a msg. Ot…"complaint #1953244
    • "Loud screeching noise from stereo speakers. Very loud. "complaint #1991940
    • "While driving my navigation system/screen/radio screen goes completely black! Which is dangerous when I’m using gps on the interstate! It does not come back on until I restart the car. "complaint #2220351
  16. #16

    noise or vibration unspecified

    1 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "SUSPENSION IS VERY LOUD AND TIGHT, THE CABIN NOISE IS VERY NOISY IT CAN HIT 95 DECIBELS ON SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL METER. THE NOISE IS SO BAD THAT I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLES ANY MORE UNLESS I TURN THE RADIO VOLUME UP AND I CAN NOT HEAR EMERGENCY VEHICLES…"complaint #1657548
    • "THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION IS VERY TIGHT AND CABIN NOISE IS VERY LOUD.ICAN HIT 95 DECIBELS ON MY SOUND PRESSURE METER. HAVE TO TURN THE RADIO UP SO I DO NOT HEAR IT . CANNOT HEAR EMERGENCY VEHICLES. WONDER IT IS DOING TO MY HEARING. THIS A NEW VEHICLE TOOK IT TO…"complaint #1657550
    • "The driver side mirror shakes and vibrates while driving. This is distracting and makes it difficult to concentrate on surroundings. This happens at all speeds. My dealership said that it is normal, but I see many other people on forums have similar complaints…"complaint #1873717
  17. #17

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. the contact stated that while driving, the back driver side , the minor child occupant expressed an issue with the seatbelt which began to tighten, The vehicle was stopped to assist the minor child occupant, the sea…"~59,000 mi, complaint #2212972
  18. #18

    transfer case awd

    1 stranded, 2 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Complete transmission and transfer assembly failure at 72,000. Just outside manufacturer warranty. Toyota Dealership and Corporate refused to acknowledge responsibility, stating that the transmission and transfer assembly met warranty requirements, and that th…"complaint #2069000
    • "TRANSFER CASE MAKING ROTATIONAL BEARING NOISE FLUID HAVE LOTS OF METAL DEBRI"complaint #2152993
    • "Road noise was very loud. I thought it was a bearing and I took it to the shop and found out that the 'transfer box' on the side of the transmission had to be replaced. I was told that not replacing it could lead to major transmission failure. This cost $6000.…"complaint #2153116
  19. #19

    adas collision warning

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection is a good thing, but there's a problem. It stops the car too abruptly on the highway, leading to rear-end collisions. When you release the brake pedal, the car remains stationary. To get it moving, you need to…"complaint #2201694
    • "Incident: [XXX] Conditions: Clear daylight, dry pavement, normal highway conditions Crash/Injuries: Allstate Claim #[XXX]; several people injured At approximately [XXX], I was driving my 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid at about 55 mph in the slow/right lane. Th…"complaint #2240052
  20. #20

    alignment and pull

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Excessive tire wear was noted at 18,000 miles requirement replacement of tires. 25,000 miles later, the same tire wear problem has occurred on a set of tires rated at 65,000 miles. The west is much more predominant on the passengers side. Toyota has been infor…"complaint #1829209
    • "The vehicle continues to place excessive wear on the right rear tire despite the auto dealership service department stating there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. My tires have been replaced 4 times with 89,000 miles on the vehicle. The dealership service de…"complaint #1982866
  21. #21

    battery and charging

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "VEHICLE WILL NOT START WITHOUT A JUMP AFTER 3-5 HOURS. THE BATTERY STAYS CHARGED LESS THAN ONE DAY, BUT TYPICALLY STARTS AGAIN WITHOUT A JUMP IF DRIVEN AGAIN WITHIN A 3-5 HOUR PERIOD. THE VEHICLE STAYS RUNNING ONCE JUMPED. DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATES A…"complaint #1726091
    • "I was in a school line waiting for my children. I went to hit the gas to move and the car said “maintenance required” and then flashed other warning lights “low power steering fluid and engine light.” Then the car turned off and screens were flashing. I tried…"complaint #2042659
  22. #22

    ev drive unit or inverter

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My Toyota Highlander is a hybrid and there is an ongoing problem with the brakes under certain conditions. When you are slowing the vehicle down, with your foot on the the brakes, there is a point under 10 miles an hour, where the brakes appear to let go and y…"complaint #1752113
    • "Random loss of braking feeling and jolting forward when stopping due to regenerative braking letting off. Happened randomly since purchase. Happens around 20mph mark"complaint #1926406
  23. #23

    instrument cluster

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "GAS WILL NOT FILL UP TO THE ADVERTISED AMOUNT. DISTANCE TO EMPTY METER IS NOT CALIBRATED CORRECTLY. OTHERS ON TOYOTA FORUMS EXPERIENCE THE SAME ISSUE."complaint #1745337
    • "Since purchasing this vehicle I began to notice that the fuel gauge is inaccurate. This issue is sporadic. Often after filling the gas tank completely, the gauge will only register as 3/4 full. Like wise, it is inaccurate when the tank gets low, showing that t…"complaint #1778554
  24. #24

    power windows and locks

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I pulled my vehicle into the driveway and stopped outside of the garage. I stepped out to fold my mirrors on both sides of the vehicle as the garage is very narrow. I also need to unload my belongings from the rear hatch. I walked around to the Right side mirr…"complaint #1872742
    • "DOOR LOCKS DO NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK WITH THE CAR FOB, NOW ONLY THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK WITH THE FOB, YOU HAVE TO UNLOCK FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE"complaint #2138793
  25. #25

    suspension struts shocks

    1 unsafe, 1 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Front strut leaking fluid. Needs replacement. Seals worn out below 36,000 miles."complaint #1887825
    • "Both front struts and bearing plates failed at 75k miles. They were leaking oil before that mileage. Approximate date of failure was 1/5/24. No parts were available until now. Parts were on back-order for upwards of a year for this model of Highlander in the F…"complaint #2106127
  26. #26

    tire failure

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander equipped with Bridgestone Tires, Tire line: Alenza Sport, Tire Size: 235/55/R20, DOT Number: 1W28AALA15019. The contact stated that the four tires cracked, due to a discrepancy between the stated weight capacity for th…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1859591
  27. #27

    trunk or liftgate

    2 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Lift gate not closing Car gas a whining noise upon acceleration"complaint #2152846
    • "Lift gate does not close and it just beeps. Needs to be closed manually. Toyota has known this issue for a long time but failed to address. Repairs are costly and reduces my cars value "complaint #2156978
  28. #28

    unintended acceleration

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that upon the depression of the brake pedal, the vehicle would intermittently surge forward without warning. The contact stated that he would shift the vehicle into neutral to stop the vehicle from…"~21,000 mi, complaint #1788877
  29. #29

    adas blind spot

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "BLIND SPOT MONITORING IS NOT WORKING. TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP THY SAID IT NEEDED RE-CALIBRATION BUT IT STILL DOESN'T SEE SEMI TRUCKS. MY WIFE ACCIDENTALLY RAN ANOTHER WOMEN OFF ROAD BECAUSE SHE TRUSTED THIS TOYOTA SYSTEM. SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY STILL WORKING INTE…"~4,800 mi, complaint #1706758
  30. #30

    adas lane keeping

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The lane keeping assist does not work properly on my vehicle. The lane keeping assist does not keep my car in the center of the lane as intended. For instance, it very forcefully makes the car drift to the left and right of the lane and frequently pulls it i…"complaint #1759297
  31. #31

    backup camera

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera screen displayed a black screen. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic o…"~153,000 mi, complaint #2167009
  32. #32

    climate control module

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "1. Climate control system failure to defrost windows during cold weather/winter conditions caused all windows to fog resulting 0 visibility while driving. 2. Occupants including myself, spouse, adult child and toddler grandchild , surrounding vehicles and t…"complaint #1930793
  33. #33

    engine head gasket

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On September 2, 2025, the vehicle’s Hybrid System shut down on cold start and the vehicle would not start. A dealer inspection reported coolant had entered cylinder #4, allegedly causing the engine block to warp, the cylinder head to crack, and the head gasket…"complaint #2134459
  34. #34

    fuel pump

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I am having fuel pump issues and my VIN was excluded from the recall from Toyota for similar issues. Toyota’s low-pressure fuel pump recall (originally announced Jan 2020, expanded multiple times through Jan 2025) covers vehicles across several model years, wh…"complaint #2233565
  35. #35

    heater core and blower

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact's wife owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, his wife noticed that the front passenger's side carpeting was extremely wet. Upon investigating the failure, both the contact and his wife noticed that the carp…"~12,300 mi, complaint #1856973
  36. #36

    key fob and immobilizer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that upon turning off the vehicle and locking the vehicle with the key fob, the doors were intermittently unlocked upon returning to the vehicle. The contact stated that over the years, the failure…"~11,000 mi, complaint #2109798
  37. #37

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF AND IN THE PARK POSITION IN ORDER FOR THEIR MOTHER TO UNLOAD THE TRUNK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ROLLED AWAY IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OVER THEIR MOTHER. O…"~500 mi, complaint #1707127
  38. #38

    seat mechanism

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The driver seat started making a motorized noise 2-3 days after I purchased the vehicle. Over the few months from my oil change the noise got louder and louder as we moved the seat back and forth. When I took my vehicle in for its first oil change I addressed…"complaint #1765254
  39. #39

    stability and traction control

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "HIGHLANDER LE 2020 CAR HAS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE.WHEN I TURN OFF ENGINE WITH GEAR CHANGER IN D POSITION THE GEAR GOES IN N NEUTRAL POSITION WHILE STILL IN D POSITION WITHOUT GIVING ANY ALERT NOISE.I PARKED MY CAR IN 3RD FLOOR OF A PUBLIC PARKING WHERE THE FLOOR H…"complaint #1679804
  40. #40

    steering rack mechanical

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "SO WHEN I WAS DRIVING AROUND SPEEDS OF 70MPH THE HIGHLANDER STARTS TO WOBBLE AND THE DRIVER MIRROR SHAKING I WENT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE A RECALL IN FUTURE AND DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. HAD IT FOR LESS THEN ONE YEAR"~4,190 mi, complaint #1722440
  41. #41

    throttle and pedal

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "my wife was pulling into a driveway slowly approximately 5 mph when she went to stop the Toyota Highlander sped up to full speed and smash the tree while my wife was depressing the brake. All airbags were deployed and it looks like they are going to total the…"complaint #2045431
  42. #42

    torque converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "At approximately 120,000 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting a pronounced shudder or vibration between 40–50 mph under light acceleration or steady cruising. The condition progressed to delayed shifting and intermittent loss of acceleration response. The most…"complaint #2179152

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for TOYOTA HIGHLANDER directly.