8.7

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
28,400 miles
Total Complaints:
3 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (2 reports)
  2. replace power struts per toyota t-sb-0027-15 (1 reports)
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This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Toyota dealer.

problem #3

Dec 142018

Highlander Limited 3.5L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 7,000 miles

I ask about gate intermittently not opening. I was told it was because of cold weather (I live in northern UT). This happened 6 months after buying vehicle new. This problem has occurred off and on for 4 years now. About 7000 miles (2016) before warranty up took it in to Toyota to resolve problem. They could not recreate problem and again told me it was due to cold weather.

Fast forward to 06/15/18 (60,000 on vehicle now) the gate beeps once when opening and unlatches but that is it, I had to lift gate to open it. Never took videos (my fault). Finally took it in 10/08/18 to the dealer and told them about the problem. They (Karl Malone Toyota) told me since it was out of warranty that I would have to pay for problem to be fixed (around $2500). I told them that car had been brought in for this problem and they did not fix it. I pointed out the Service Bulletin concerning this exact problem and that they were aware of this problem. Again the service manager told me they only have documentation for one instance and that was 2 years ago and that was a long time ago. I told them I have been dealing with this problem for 4 years and that has been a much longer time. Service Mgr again told me since the car was out of warranty there was nothing they could do other than get me a cost to fix it. I went to Sales Mgr and was basically told the same thing. He told me had I bought the extended warranty that it would be covered.

Now I had other issues with Karl Malone Toyota while buying the car. Won't get into that other than I copied 25 emails and filed a complaint with Toyota. This has been the worst experience I have had in my life buying car with from a dealer. If you are buying a Toyota from Karl Malone Toyota, buyer beware - The Mailman Did Not Deliver.

- Frank S., Park City, UT, US

problem #2

Oct 302017

Highlander Limited 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 66,000 miles

Just bought a used 2014 Toyota Highlander (2 weeks ago) and the power lift on the trunk is not opening all the way all of the time, and 9 times has not opened at all. We can after 10 minutes of fiddling with opening, shutting, turning the Highlander off then back on, get it to open, but it never opens all of the way.

- wirthit612jw, Nixa, US

problem #1

Nov 222015

Highlander Limited 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 12,087 miles

power rear hatch intermittently hangs on open or close

Quite often the rear power liftgate will not fully open or close without some manual assist. it wil either open about 1/4 of the way and stop on opening or stop just about anywhere on closing and the go back to the fully open position if the button is pressed again. Only way to get the damn thing to open or close completely is to "hellp" it past whatever spot it stops. Really annoying for this feature to not function reliably and am waiting for the day when it will not close at all.

Update from Dec 23, 2015: Taken to dealer for warranty repair. Parts ordered ($1500.00) power actuator pair. Of course only one in stock other back ordered! Another KNOWN lift gate problem that Toyota will not address until a complaint is made. Heaven help you if it happens after warranty period. I say known because service person told me they had an upgraded replacement part for those actuators because they had so many failures. Makes you wonder what other KNOWN problems Toyota is sitting on.

Update from Jan 4, 2016: Both struts on rear lift gate replaced today under warranty. This condition is addressed in Toyota technical service bulletin T-SB-0027-15. New struts are much quieter and of course smoother in operation. Hope these hold out longer than the originals.

- Keith B., Alamogordo, NM, US