10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
8 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
83,246 miles

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problem #14

Aug 292022

Highlander 6-cyl

  • miles
All ABS brake lights on indicating a brake malfunction. Toyota has a customer support program to change out parts for free if vehicle is in USA. This should be a recall as it is a major safety concern and affects vehicles that may also be outside of the USA. If vehicle is outside of USA one can not even buy the updated parts (brake actuator and brake booster) to repair the vehicle because Toyota will not sell the parts to a dealer if the vehicle is not at a U.S.A. dealer so I am rendered with an unusable unreliable unfixable Toyota vehicle.

- Northville, MI, USA

problem #13

Feb 272016

Highlander

  • 730,000 miles
The contact owned a 2013 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving into a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed however, the brakes failed to engage. Due to the failure, the vehicle went over the parking space, traveling down a hill about 40 feet down landing on the front grille of the vehicle. The contact stated that no air bags deployed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown Toyota dealership where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the dealership. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

- La Jolla, CA, USA

problem #12

Mar 122019

Highlander

  • 143,800 miles
ABS system issue. When applying brakes the ABS makes very loud noises like knocking very loud. Local mechanic found that the round drum attached to the ABS was very hot. Vehicle had been driven to mechanic and was stationary when he checked it. Brake fluid level good. ABS will keep running after vehicle is turned off. Trying to keep correct pressure in system, I was told. Checked for recall, but no recall on this VIN

- Angleton, TX, USA

problem #11

Aug 092017

Highlander

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Highlander. While driving approximately 35 mph, the contact T-boned another vehicle on the front driver's side. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the right leg, which required medical attention. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. Furthermore, while the vehicle was stationary and while driving various speeds, the anti-lock brakes failed on more than one occasion in October of 2018. The contact stated that the brakes and wheels seized on three occasions. An independent mechanic was made aware of all the failures, but could not determine the sources. A dealer was not made aware of the failures. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Marysville, CA, USA

problem #10

Jul 102017

Highlander

  • 26,000 miles
I am the one and only, 'original new car owner'. at 25K miles I needed to replace brake pads as well as rotors. Rear pads were less than half worn, however both rear rotor had 0.8 cm, peripheral circular unused rusty rings on both surfaces.both, left + right wheels. I know I am repeating to double emphasis my anxiety for a car my daughter uses. I suspect both rear calipers (brake-cylinders) receive less than adequate pressures + pads are touching only half of expected rotor area. Immediate & thorough inspection of my vehicle is requested.

- Pine Brook, NJ, USA

problem #9

Mar 052018

Highlander

  • 30,000 miles
I have a 2013 Toyota Highlander and recently while driving toward a stop sign, I went to slow my vehicle to stop and my brake pedal was stuck. Also, the brake pedal seemed to be in a higher than normal position because I remember having to raise my leg to reach the height of the pedal. No matter how hard I pressed I couldn't get the brake pedal to the floor and I was unable to stop the car. I was forced to go through the stop sign and into what is often a very busy street in my city. Thank god no cars were coming during the time of my incident. After that the brake pedal went back to performing normally and I got the car back home. Later I had my vehicle flatbed to a very good garage. Mechanics disassembled the entire brake system and drove my vehicle but, they didn't find a problem. Road conditions that day were dry other than a small ice patch I had to go over prior to the stop sign. It had snowed days before so the roads were plowed and very clean except this small ice patch remained. But, because it was on the road my speed was much slower than normal. Months prior to this incident I had a different a issue with these brakes and bought it to the dealer and they didn't find anything and told me my experience was normal. Uncomfortable with their answer a month later I had the brakes checked at a different auto shop and again the mechanic found nothing. However, this latest incident was the most serious one. I'm not convinced it's nothing and have read about other Highlander owners who had similar brake issues with their vehicle. However, I can't seem to find any formal investigations or recalls related to any brake issues regarding Toyota Highlanders. Even so I felt I had to share my story not just to get to the bottom of my situation but, to also alert others of a safety issue that I am experiencing with my Highlander.

- Waterbury, CT, USA

problem #8

Nov 302015

Highlander

  • 36,000 miles
While driving uphill, the brakes malfunctioned and brakes (and the gas) wouldn't work. My car slid backwards down the hill into a street with an oncoming car. Brake function did not return the entire slide down the hill (approx. 65 feet), and the screen on the dashboard said "brake malfunction, contact dealer immediately" it was towed to the dealership over a week ago with no resolution to date from Toyota.

- Berwyn, PA, USA

problem #7

Apr 012015

Highlander 6-cyl

  • 30,500 miles
I turned on my car, put it on drive when I tried to press the gas and turn the wheel to get out of the parking lot the steering wheel locked so hard I could not turn it. I pressed on the brakes but the brakes were not functioning at all as I was pressing on the brake pad the check engine light came on and so did the brake light on the dash board, on the big screen where it shows my info and other fancy gadgets showed "brake malfunction park car in safe zone" as the car drove forward by itself and the brakes were not working the car hit an empty parking space to come to a complete stop. I was at a school parking lot with kids everywhere around me!

- Balch Springs, TX, USA

problem #6

Oct 042014

Highlander 6-cyl

  • 24,000 miles
I pulled into my parking spot art home. I pressed the brakes but the car did not stop, it actually accelerated slightly. I know I pressed the brake and not the gas because I looked down and saw the brake fully depressed and my leg was fully extended. Also if I would have accidentally hit the accelerator, it would have been much worse.

- St. Louis , MO, USA

problem #5

Feb 092014

Highlander

  • 12,030 miles
I was driving down the street and came upon a red light, there were two cars ahead of me, a Lincoln and a Chrysler. I started to slow down at a distance, when I applied the brake, my vehicle accelerated, I looked down to make sure that my foot was on the brake, and it sure was, so I hammered down on the brake and my vehicle did not slow down and continued to run at the same speed of approximately 15 mph. The faulty brake caused a without the deployment of airbags. I knew that I did not accidentally step on the gas pedal because if I had done so, the results would have been more fatal. I would have pushed the cars in front of me onto the on coming traffic. After the incident, I tested out the brakes, and it was as if everything was alright. Even though I had seen the cars in front of me, and the red traffic light, my vehicle did not react to my brakes. The Lincoln and the Chrysler in front of me also didn't have their airbags deployed.

- Oldsmar, FL, USA

problem #4

Dec 282013

Highlander

  • 15 miles
I bought a new 2013 Highlander December 28, 2013 from tom wood Toyota dealership. When I was driving home December 28-31, 2013 click, click, squeaking noise, brakes slipping, dragging, vibrating and a tremendous pulsating against my foot when I stop. When I tried to stop the Highlander the vehicle jumped forward. January 2, 2014 a burnt odor coming through the heater vents, rattling in the right front door, gush sound coming from the brakes, there is also another sound coming from the brakes that I can not identify. I am wondering if a fire is trying to start, because of the burnt odor.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #3

Sep 212013

Highlander 6-cyl

  • 4,600 miles
I started my vehicle, in my garage, to warm it up for its first scheduled maintenance at the dealership. The parking brake was engaged from my last use of the vehicle the night prior (I always apply the parking brake before exiting my car). As my Highlander warmed up, I began removing a few personal items so that they would be out of the vehicle during my service at the dealership. I placed my personal items at the end of my garage, adjacent to the front-end of the vehicle. As I turned for my 3rd trip back to get the last of my personal items out, I see my Highlander starting to roll backwards. I was at the front-end of my vehicle when it started moving in reverse. I was unable to safely enter the vehicle while it was in reverse motion. My vehicle backed up over a curb and made impact with bushes and a building structure. I question if faulty construction of the parking brake allowed it to disengage and independently initiate movement in reverse.

- Redlands, CA, USA

problem #2

Oct 012013

Highlander

  • 24,000 miles
Pulling into parking space - brakes applied - car lurched forward (unintended acceleration) - brakes did not engage - car jumped the curb, crossed the sidewalk and hit a tree - airbag did not deploy.

- Carmel, IN, USA

problem #1

Jun 042013

Highlander 6-cyl

  • 4,500 miles
My wife was maneuvering the SUV into small area parking lot onto a corner space, on the first forward and back motion to maneuver the brake was ok, then on the second maneuver the brake didn't work and the tire went over the concrete parking block then hitting the structure of the doctors office. Early on in the day I went to the Toyota dealership to purchase a hitch and when about to leave the parking brake didn't release completely, told service guy and said to get a clip and he also commented that the dealership where I bought might install wiring on the left panel pushing the plastic panel which block the release of the parking brake. Ordered the clip to hold the plastic. By the way the truck was purchase in January 2013 at a Toyota dealership in sacramento.

- American Canyon, CA, USA