8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
11,500 miles
Total Complaints:
4 complaints

Most common solutions:

  1. not sure (4 reports)
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problem #4

Jul 012019

Highlander LE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 7,000 miles

In July 2018 I bought a 2018 Toyota Highlander. A year later I noticed cracks, chips and paint peeling off the hood and roof of the vehicle. I contacted the Toyota dealership who gave me the run arounds until I called the Toyota headquarters. I was assigned a case manager who sent me back to the dealership to have pictures taken. A month later my case manager notified me that the regional manager denied my case because my cracks, chips and peeling paint is cause by “rain….Toyota cannot control what comes out of the clouds….possible acid rain.” To my amazement I was surprised to learn that New York City gets acid rain.

Very disappointed with Toyota and the quality of their vehicle.

- johnsony, Bronx, US

problem #3

Sep 012019

Highlander XLE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 14,000 miles

As others have reported here, the paint is coming off the hood, I first noticed a small crack but once I touched it the paint just came off, this is a $45k car, very unacceptable.

You can see the layer on the paint is very thin. The paint on my previous Ford Focus was a lot thicker than this!

- Moises L., Bronx, NY, US

problem #2

Mar 012019

Highlander LE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles

I notice and pointed the chipping when we 1st purchase our new Highlander. There were 2 chips on the rear tailgate and near the right rear tail light. Eventually chips began to appear all over the hood. I took it in to a AAA paint and body shop where they said the paint was very soft and appears the factory paint was not mixed right. There was not enough hardner in the paint.

I took it to the dealer where we purchased it and they suggested that there paint chip repair guy touch it up. I explained that it would not fix the problem and that it would need a new paint job. An investigation is being done at this time. San Luis Obispo Toyota has no auto body Dept. I had problems with this dealership from day 1 as they had a problem with us paying cash for the car. Good customer service no longer exist. What happened to the days where the customer came 1st and was important.

Bottom line is that the paint is soft and is defective and Toyota will is responsible regardless of what there inexperienced employees tell me. I'm a 60 year young man who's passion has been classic cars and street rods and know a thing or two about paint.

- Larry B., Paso Robles, US

problem #1

Apr 082019

Highlander Limited

  • Automatic transmission
  • 15,000 miles

click to see larger images

paint chipping paint chipping paint chipping paint chipping paint chipping paint chipping

Ever since I bought my new 2018 Toyota Highlander last August I’ve been accumulating an unreasonable amount of paint chips. I ordered Toyota’s touchup paint after my first service visit however, it was too cold to apply at the time. Since then I’ve accumulated over seventy paint chips mostly on the front of my car. The chipping is only on the metal parts not any of the plastic parts. I took my car to the Toyota dealer with my concerns and their Service Manager told me to call corporate Toyota.

My Case Manager there opened a case and then told me to call the Toyota dealer for further instructions. I called their Service Manager and was told to take my car to a body shop and get an estimate. I took it to the closest body shop and they said it appeared the paint was applied “soft” then he gave me an estimate. A couple days later my Toyota Case Manager called again and told me the Dealer should’ve sent me to a specific auto body shop because they needed paint tests done. She sent me to a Toyota certified body shop where the owner took my car into their shop and looked it over. He then walked me over to another Highlander that had 52,000 miles to compare, there weren’t any paint chips on it. The shop owner told me there is an “excessive amount of paint chips for a car of my age and mileage”. Long story short my Toyota Case Manager called and said there is nothing they can do for me because all the paint tests were within a normal range.

My car was purchased in August of 2018 and is only 7 months old and already needs a new paint job. The paint chips started when I bought the car and every day I drive it I accumulate even more paint chips. I now have a seven month old car that already need a new paint job. Despite two separate body shops saying this is not normal Toyota says it is normal and refuses to do anything about it.

- Rob F., Canton, US