10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
19,140 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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problem #18

May 152023

Highlander

  • miles
Water leak at sun roof caused by rubber seal failure in sun roof frame due to faulty material and or installation. Water damage to side air bag so tat it does not deploy properly & is a safety hazard. Mold carpet which is a health hazard & impedes drivers ability to drive.

- The Woodlands, TX, USA

problem #17

Nov 152022

Highlander

  • miles
The rear tail gate seal for lamps on both the left and right side have failed and the lamp assemblies condense and fill with water. I have read other reports on your website of the same problem with the highlander. In your other reports the a person was told Toyota will not warranty the lamps because of moisture in them because it is not a safety issue. While it is because the moisture blocks the light for the vehicle behind to see and thus rear end. I live in Massachusetts and there is a yearly vehicle inspection and when I went to get it done I was told it would not pass safety inspection with moisture in the lamp so I had to get the left hand one replaced to pass. Now 6 months later my righthand tailgate lamp is full of moisture and will not pass my upcoming Massachusetts safety inspection. The cost was $205.44 now another of the same. It is definitely a safety issue in Massachusetts and in my opinin should also be treated as such by the NHTSA for Toyota recall and reimbursement.

- Danvers, MA, USA

problem #16

Jul 082020

Highlander

  • miles
Blizzard pearl paint is peeling off the roof leading to rust and damaged structural integrity. Toyota has a recall for all blizzard pearl paint vehicles EXCEPT the highlander. They inspected it and said its wasn't in the recall even though the paint has a known problem and they would not fix the problem as it would be a legal admission of guilt that the recall is incomplete.

- Vero Beach, FL, USA

problem #15

Mar 012021

Highlander

  • miles
The door locks have stopped working one by one. First I noticed the driver door not unlocking or locking with the key fob, with the touch system on the door handle, or with the button on the inside panel. Then I noticed my back door on the driver side not locking or unlocking with the key fob OR with the button on the inside panel. Both of these locks are now manual only. And the front passenger door lock only works sometimes, so I imagine it will stop working altogether soon as well. This puts the safety of my belongings, myself, and my children at risk. I don't know how long this had been happening before I noticed it, so I very easily could have been unknowingly leaving my car unlocked all over town. I am unable to enter my car quickly because I have to take the key fob apart and use the manual key to enter the driver door, and then my son has to wait for me to manually unlock his door before he can get in. My daughter sits on the other side so he can't just switch to the side that works. Well he could but then my daughter would have the same issue. If it was an emergency situation and we had to get into the car quickly it's just not possible. Also in traffic or in parking lots when we are inside the car I feel like we are left vulnerable with the doors unlocked and I can't lock them without reaching and manually doing this for each door. Which I do, but shouldn't have to. A quick internet search has made it clear that I am FAR from the first person this has happened to with these vehicles. It is clearly an extremely common issue with Highlanders and other Toyota vehicles and it 100% should be a recall.

- Buhl, AL, USA

problem #14

Jan 202018

Highlander

  • miles
Back stop light get rain water! passenger side front break always wearing out before others breaks ! trunk door automatic broken! 3 row sit under need get rushed! seat belt mounted on the floor if you put mats pull you back all time ! ac went U turn on not working right away take 5-10 min to cool down !

- Toms River, NJ, USA

problem #13

Mar 192021

Highlander

  • 70,000 miles
[xxx]. 2015 Toyota Highlander, 70,000 miles. While parked, vehicle was stationary. Driver side door will not open from outside when unlocked via keyfob or the manual key. Occurred several times with 2 different key fobs on several occasions this month. Opens fine from the inside after crawling across the seats to activate door latch from inside handle. Parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #12

Jul 122020

Highlander

  • 37,260 miles
Rear boot lid not operational. Tried using.my keys and also the dash button but the gate wont open or close. Had to open fron the window to load my shopping. On my way on free way, the door opened and lost a bit of my bottled stuff and shopping as it tossed away. So lucky to be on a line with limited traffic. Had no accident

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #11

Jul 012019

Highlander

  • 70,000 miles
The driver's side door check stop has failed twice through normal use (of opening and closing the door). I have never had a car where this part has failed even once. First time was in Feb of 2017.

- Berkeley, CA, USA

problem #10

Jul 252018

Highlander

  • 0 miles
Both front door actuators failed at the same time with 34K miles on the vehicle. Electric locks will not operate on either door. Vehicle was parked and had to entered through the rear doors or by using the hidden key.

- Cranberry Twp, PA, USA

problem #9

Apr 012018

Highlander

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. While attempting to open the rear driver's door to remove his daughter from the car seat, the contact stated that the door would not open. The contact had to go around and open the rear passenger door in order to get the infant out of the seat. Additionally, during the second week of February of 2018, the front driver's side door actuator had to be replaced because it did not open. At the end of February, the front passenger door actuator had to be replaced. The contact stated that this would be the third door that experienced actuator failure. The dealer (lugoff Toyota in lugoff, North Carolina) diagnosed the vehicle with door lock actuator failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was repaired by the owner the first two times. The vehicle had not been repaired a third time. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

- Lexington, NC, USA

problem #8

Sep 012016

Highlander

  • 17,400 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the rear door failed to properly open and close. The contact had to apply force or the door would remain open. The vehilce was taken to the dealer (furiel Toyota ponce, industrial san rafael, 00731, calle navarra, ponce, puerto rico, 1-787-284-2020) for diagnostic testing. The dealer indicated that the warranty expired on November 1, 2017. In addition, the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V144000 (electrical system). The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The approximate failure mileage was 17,400. Parts distribution disconnect.

- Coamo, PR, USA

problem #7

Jul 162017

Highlander

  • 17,000 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. While the vehicle was stationary, the rear hatch malfunctioned and would not lift up when prompted. In addition, the contact heard a constant beeping noise coming from the driver's side panel. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 17,000.

- Enfield, NH, USA

problem #6

Apr 092017

Highlander

  • 11,000 miles
Sun roof glass shattered while driving on the freeway at 70 mph. Vehicle was not struck by any objects. The glass failed and shattered while driving at the interstate speed limit.

- Redmond, WA, USA

problem #5

Sep 012016

Highlander

  • 15,000 miles
Intermittent closing problems with automatic rear hatch. More often than not the rear hatch will begin to close but stop about 8 inches from fully closing. The door must then be closed manually which requires effort. This issue happens both inside our garage and outside in numerous locations. It happens when the vehicle is on a level surface as well as an incline.

- Green Valley, AZ, USA

problem #4

Aug 042016

Highlander

  • 14,600 miles
While driving on a lightly traveled highway, we heard a loud explosion and our sunroof exploded. There were no other cars near by and no overpasses. The temp was 85. The sound was so loud I almost lost control. Fortunately the visor was shut.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #3

Mar 042016

Highlander

  • 15,000 miles
Vehicle was in motion on a city straight going through a green light when a vehicle traveling the opposite direction attempted to make left-hand turn and struck the front of the Toyota Highlander 2015. Both cars were in motion when the collision occurred. When the Toyota Highlander 2015 was brought to the body shop to be repaired the appraiser indicated that the air bags should have deployed and they needed to be investigated for defects.

- Savannah, GA, USA

problem #2

Dec 292015

Highlander

  • Automatic transmission
  • 11,562 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. While driving approximately 40 mph, the subframe fractured due to the rear bolts on the frame being too tight. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rear bolts were not properly installed from the factory associated with the torque. The dealer inspected the subframe and stated that it did not need to be replaced. The dealer replaced the rear hybrid drive motor, rear differential, the entire exhaust system from the motor to the muffler, and the driver side suspension control arm. The contact stated that the subframe needed to be further inspected and replaced. The contact also waited longer than two weeks for the parts to receive the repairs due to the failure. The vehicle was repaired and the contact took the vehicle to another dealer who inspected the frame. The second dealer, a manufacturer's technician, further inspected the vehicle and stated that the subframe was cracked. The technician stated that the contact had the option of receiving a repair of the frame being welded or various parts would need to be removed to replace the subframe, which was an extensive repair. The contact was uncertain of the best course of action to permanently repair the condition. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 11,562. Updated 06/14/16

- Boise, ID, USA

problem #1

Dec 012014

Highlander 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 700 miles
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that during inclement weather, water leaked inside the vehicle through the molding on the front driver and passenger doors. The contact stated that the molding was not sealed properly to prevent water from leaking in. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the technician stated that the vehicle was working up to specifications. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 700.....updated 07/22/15 updated 9/21/2015

- Elmhurst, IL, USA