Transmission failure of 2022 Toyota Highlander LE at 82,329 miles. Safety compromised due to possible roadside failure.

- Beech Bluff, TN, USA

Transmission failed at 63,000 miles, new transmission was installed.

- Canastota, NY, USA

UA80 Transmission failure @ 3.5 yrs old and 89k miles.

- Cranberry Twp, PA, USA

My 2022 Toyota Highlander experienced transmission-related issues that affected the vehicle-??s performance, reliability, and overall value. These problems caused inconvenience, safety concerns, and additional stress, and in some cases required diagnostic visits, repairs, or time without use of the vehicle. As a consumer who purchased the vehicle with the reasonable expectation of dependable operation, I believe compensation is warranted for the diminished value, disruption, and potential repair costs resulting from this defect.

- Attleboro, MA, USA

I had been driving my 2022 Toyota Highlander XLE with 46k miles that I just got for about two weeks, so about 10 days out of the 14 i actually drove it from home to work and back home. Within those 10 days driving the SUV, 8 mornings and one afternoon the highlander engine had issues accelerating and shifting gears. Basically when pulling out on to a highway from a side street coming down a hill when pressing the gas to enter the highway and flow of traffic the engine stuttered from zero to 20mph causing the entire SUV to jerk repeatedly and the gears would have issues shifting from first to second. I had to let my foot off the gas pedal then press again repeatedly as the SUV kept jerking trying to accelerate forward stuck no more than 20 mph for 30 seconds then started to even out and climb up after a minute. I have caught this on video twice. This has caused me to hold up traffic on the highway behind me with no where to pull off because my particular side street comes out from a gulch cliff side. No check engine lights came on each time. I took it to an auto shop that did a minor test drive and suggested it go directly to Servco Toyota as it should have powertrain warranty on it still and they believed it was a fuel pump issue. The issue did not happen with this auto shop but I showed them the video. I scheduled an appt at Toyota and it is with them now. They did 2 test drive but could not replicate the issue and could not see any codes coming up. I opted to leave the vehicle with them to do more test drives where the issue has happened as I do not feel safe driving it and the manager also said they did not feel safe having their techs drive it so the manager will do it. Without check engine light/code they are saying they cannot check the fuel pump or do anything else but will try to do more test drives to replicate the issue. I have seen numerous Reddit, facebook group posts, and a petition about this same issue but no official recall or word from Toyota.

- Honomu, HI, USA

Transmission failed at 75K with no warning lights or prior evidence.

- Danbury, CT, USA

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and made an unusual whining sound. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's husband, a certified mechanic, diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact related the failure to several unknown TSBs. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. In addition, the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

- Daleville, VA, USA

early transmission failure and whining at 40,000 miles

- Columbia, NJ, USA

Premature transmission failure

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

Car developed a whining noise coming from transmission at 63,000 miles. Known manufacturing defect that will lead to transmission failure. No recall issued and Toyota would not extend warranty. I do not feel safe driving the car pending a transmission failure. Toyota-??s solution is to replace the transmission at a cost of $9000.

- Berlin, CT, USA

AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE WHINING FROM 35MPH-45MPH ACCELERATION. Needs to be replaced this is the third vehicle this week the dealership said had the same issue.

- Geneva, IL, USA

Four days ago, engine started making a whining noise when accelerating, especially in lower gears. No warning signs. 2022 Highlander Platinum is 3 years old, 80K miles, out of warranty; no extended warranty purchased due to historical, stellar Toyota reliability. Toyota service department at Toyota dealership today said whining is due to a bearing issue within the transmission (my personal mechanic inspected and said that is also likely) and cannot be repaired. Transmission could last another 10K-20K miles they said, before it becomes undrivable or just drops, causing a potential safety issue. Net, the entire transmission needs to be replaced to the tune of $9186. Just shocking.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

About 4 weeks a go i started hearing a whining noise from my Highlander. Thinking it was a belt we replaced. Whining continued to get worse only on acceleration. We are at 88,000 miles and it is now at Toyota getting a new transmission. Is there not something that can be done about this" I have read thousands of articles that show the UA 80E/F transmissions that are in the 2021-2022 models are junk. Luckily we bought a Toyota VSA and it is covering it. What about after 100,000 miles. Whats to say after another 80,000 it won't go out again which will cost me the $10,000. When the dealers put new transmissions in these vehicles are they using the same parts for the UA 80 E/F or the upgrade parts that fixed the 2023" If we have a VSA it should extended a year past the 100,000 mile mark because of the issue or they should have to replace them completely to match the 2023 models.

- Dandridge, TN, USA

2022 Toyota Highlander transmission is making a high pitch whining sound and is getting worse. My wife drives 20 miles a day, 6 days a week at 65 mph to work and the transmission noise is getting louder. If the transmission fails and locks up, it could cause an accident. The vehicle was taken into findlay Toyota in prescott AZ. And was told the transmission is definitely failing but would not warranty the issue because she was 2500 miles past the 60K warranty.

- Chino Valley, AZ, USA

Ua80f/e transmission in the 2018-2022 Toyota Highlander are defective. Mine has a loud whistle while accelerating. Problems have been acknowledged by Toyota however they-??re refusing to fix.

- Minot, ME, USA

I own a 2022 Toyota Highlander XLE (UA80E transmission, ~66k mi). The vehicle exhibits a severe transmission defect: uncommanded braking/drag at 35-?"40 mph and sudden loss of power when accelerating from a stop, making merging/crossing intersections dangerous. Two Toyota dealers (Bryan Toyota and Plano Toyota) reproduced the issue, documented the vehicle as unsafe to drive, and recommended full transmission replacement. The failed unit is preserved at the dealer for inspection. (Toyota Corporate Case #250917001779.) This mirrors long-standing defects within Toyota-??s UA80 family that Toyota itself has documented: -?? Customer Support Program ZJC / POL19-04 (4/18/2019)-?"UA80 whine, harsh shifts, reduced power 2019 MC-10159730-9999. -?? T-SB-0160-18 Rev1 (12/17/2018)-?"UA80 whine/harsh shift/MIL/reduced power 2018 MC-10198131-9999. -?? T-SB-0001-18 Rev2 (1/8/2018)-?"ECM/UA80 mismatch causing harsh shifts 2018 MC-10185780-9999. -?? T-SB-0008-21 (2/9/2021)-?"UA80E/F failures in 2021 Highlander (whine/grind, pinion shaft) 2021 MC-10188917-9999. The same safety-critical behavior now recurs in my 2022 model. I request NHTSA investigate this as an ongoing UA80 transmission safety defect trend and consider recall/coverage for affected vehicles.

- Frisco , TX, USA

The transmission on this vehicle has failed - I-??ve been told by Toyota Dealer Maintenance that I need the transmission replaced on this vehicle with under 70,000 miles and just over three years old. I began hearing a whining noise while accelerating, and brought it in for service. No system warnings.

- Somerset, MA, USA

High pitch whining sound when depressing accelerator. Dealer diagnosed the issue and says the transaxle and torque converter has to be replaced. All started happening just after 60000 miles so out of warranty. $8500 repair bill

- Louisville, KY, USA

UA80 transmission failure

- Blackfoot , ID, USA

Complaint Description: The automatic transmission in my 2022 Toyota Highlander failed completely at only 62,800 miles. Toyota Brand Engagement Center offered to cover 50% of the replacement cost, but I was informed that the transmission is on national backorder with an estimated wait time of 4-?"5 months. This leaves me without a safe and reliable vehicle for an extended period of time. The failure is consistent with Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0008-21 (Feb 9, 2021), which acknowledges internal component failures and abnormal noises (whine/grind) in UA80E/UA80F transmissions. A major drivetrain failure at this mileage is unacceptable and raises concerns about safety, reliability, and Toyota-??s handling of known transmission defects. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this issue as it appears to be systemic and affecting many 2021-?"2022 Toyota Highlander owners.

- Holland, PA, USA