2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (5) · Engine (3) · Steering (2)
🧭 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
20 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
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.
Equipment:other:labels 2013-04-09 · campaign 13V123000 · 7,525 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicl
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
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 (132)
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 132 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2019-07-02 · Fuel/Propulsion System · 117,000 mi“the hybrid inverter failed when accelerating from a red light. a loud clunk was heard and the car would not move forward. the engine was still running but car would not accelerate and had to be pushed out of the road. "check hybrid system" warning flashed. car was towed to a dealer who confirmed that it was not covered by the warranty at 9 years, 1…”
2019-03-24 · Unknown Or Other · 120,000 mi“all doors and hatch do not lock with the key fob or with the power locks on both the passenger and driver side doors.…”
2018-11-04 · Service Brakes · 80,000 mi“abs - code -1391,this is second time,first time(2016) was changed this part -44510-48080…”
2018-10-24 · Structure:body · 61,050 mi“while using the tailgate close button on the key fob,car shut off and parked, a loud bang was heard while the door was closing and the door jammed, slightly opened and immovable. had to take the car to a certified toyota repair facility to get the closing servo disconnected so the door would shut. manual operation of the door is the only way to ope…”
2018-05-26 · Service Brakes · 15 mi“i almost got in to an accident on 5/11/2018 due to the abs system not stopping the vehicle while driving in i-95. i got a warning light on the dash as i was pressing the brakes, later the car did not wanted to stop, but it did not prevent me from hitting the other car. i press on the emergency brake and i was able to stop the car. later, i took …”
2018-04-09 · Steering · 112,000 mi“defective intermediate steering shaft. clunking, etc. seems dangerous, no recall.... this is one complaint to add to the numerous others. toyota, when are you going to do something about this?…”
2018-01-05 · Service Brakes · 90,000 mi“i was driving to pick up my son when a brake malfunction warning light came on indicating a problem with abs system. after picking up my son i went directly to the dealer and the found the problem was given by code c1391, a brake accumulator vacuum leak. was told vehicle was unsafe to drive without repair, internal pressure loss could prevent car…”
2016-03-05 · Steering · 60 mi“very common problem is being reported in all of the highlanders of 2008 forward. at low mileage, the steering column has a bearing in it called a stub shaft but apparently gets loose leaving to a clunk and looseness in the steering. it is so common that our dealer has to keep multiple replacement parts in stock. people are reporting this within th…”
2016-01-09 · Vehicle Speed Control · 52,000 mi · 💥 crash“accelerator moved to full speed as backing up began. auto plowed 110 feet full speed through plants and trees, coming to a stop by some trees. car was parked on private driveway. driver slightly injured. rear end car damage is $6,000+.…”
2015-12-21 · Unknown Or Other · 30,000 mi“door locks on passenger front and rear, driver front and rear, have all been replaced or repaired at least twice due to malfunctions. as of december 2015, the locks are failing again for a third time, creating a safety hazard. locks don't work. they will either stay locked, failing to open, or now, they will not lock at all. this is an ongoing …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.