2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (16) · Service Brakes, Electric (7) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (5)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Highlander Hybrid model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
34 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls 2015-10-22 · campaign 15V689000 · 1,814,284 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
Hybrid Propulsion System: Inverter 2013-09-04 · campaign 13V396000 · 133,081 vehicles
Defect: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support and the transistors may be heat damaged by the solder. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the
Risk: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign.
Seats 2013-01-16 · campaign 13V014000 · 3,235 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Service bulletins (117)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0009-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on ni-mh high voltage (hv) batteries. this bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year repair manual while performing a rescue charge. the grx-5100 should be used wherever the repair manual ref
Engine 2026-02-13 · T-SB-0119-15 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice february 13, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0009-26.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Showing the 6 most recent of 117 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2019-06-18 · Service Brakes · 124,842 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota highlander hybrid. while driving up a hill at 20 mph, the vehicle stalled and the abs, traction control, steering system, and battery warning indicators illuminated. in addition, "stop vehicle in a safe place immediately" appeared on the instrument panel. the contact had to depress the brake pedal with excessive f…”
2019-03-06 · Service Brakes · 215,000 mi“brakes failed shortly after the abs warning light went off. dealer diagnosed this as a break actuator assembly failure. it looks like toyota had a warranty enhancement program for vehicle years 2006-2007. however, my 2009 appears to be having exactly the same issue, yet it's not covered by the program. given the severity of the part failure, it…”
2019-01-19 · Service Brakes · 168,200 mi“once car was sitting in a lot and another time, running on highway. abs, brake,traction control, vsc lights came on also message display said abs message and brake message. codes from abs dtc,s are all a c-0371, 1271 through 1278, 1281, 1346, & 1391. seems to be same issue as the '06-'07 highlander hybrids and the '04-'09 prius. there was an exten…”
2019-01-12 · Service Brakes · 66,000 mi“takata recall- when fuiling from the pump, nuzzles keep shuting off itself like the tank is already full. its been happening recently. at the same time, check break system by deler start appering. it takes 3 to 4 push to start the car after this error message. sometimes it takes longer and especially it happens in the morning. took to deler but the…”
2018-10-23 · Service Brakes · 127,000 mi“the brake system completely went out of order suddenly, during the motion in the street. although the brake system liquid was renewed in toyota center just few days ago, few days prior to required scheduled maintenance date. now the price of the brake system repair is catastrophic. as i am asking for advice, all the other highlander owners complain…”
2018-04-18 · Service Brakes · 280,000 mi“abs vsc and brake lights are on - as per hartford dealer need to replace these parts 44050-48320 and 47070-48020…”
2018-03-16 · Service Brakes · 121,593 mi“abs and brake malfunction light comes on. auto repair shop told me the abs actuator needs to be replaced at a cost of $3,500…”
2017-10-16 · Service Brakes · 146,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact stated that the abs failed. the vehicle was taken to robbins toyota of texarkana (6233 mall dr, nash, tx 75569 (903) 794-5121) where it was diagnosed that the accumulator part failed and the accumulator needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the ma…”
2017-09-05 · Service Brakes“when applying the brakes, a "croaking" noise can be heard and vibration felt through the brake pedal. dealer says the abs actuator is failing. if it fails, the abs will be inactive and brake performance will be diminished. apparently toyota is aware if this issue on 2006-2007 models as they have extended the warranty for the abs actuator replace…”
2017-06-25 · Service Brakes · 80,000 mi“at roughly 80k miles, every time i started the car, a "brake malfunction" alert would display. multiple sensors on the are illuminated. the brakes feel normal, but recently i did notice some audible noises when i use the brakes. i took it to the dealership and they said the brake actuator needed to be replaced for around 3200 w/ labor. after doing …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.