2014 Toyota Highlander problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body (22) · Electrical System (21) · Visibility/Wiper (5)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Highlander model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
93 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (5)
Visibility:windshield 2018-11-27 · campaign 18E107000 · 8,202 vehicles
Defect: Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM).
Risk: The ECM damage may result in the engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Wanda will notify owners, and service centers will replace the windshields, and inspect the ECM for damage, having it replaced, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2019. Owners may contact Wanda customer service at 1-864-281-2760.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2014-09-19 · campaign 14V576000 · 15,872 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Electrical System:software 2014-05-22 · campaign 14V272000 · 48,840 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, s
Risk: In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2014-05-22 · campaign 14V274000 · 231 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, through April 29, 2014. The affected vehicles may have a second row right-hand seat assembly that does not fully lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first, second and third adjusting positions. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: If the seat does not fully lock into the inboard seat track, the seat could move, increasing the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second row right-hand seat, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Seat Belts:rear/Other 2014-02-07 · campaign 14V051000 · 7,067 vehicles
Defect: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured November 20, 2013, through January 18, 2014. The third row middle seat belt assembly might not have been properly secured to the vehicle floor anchorage during vehicle assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Risk: A seat belt that is not properly secured to its anchorage could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row middle seat belt anchor, and, if necessary, properly secure it to the vehicle floor anchorage, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Service bulletins (418)
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.
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
Electrical System 2025-06-13 · T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign
the air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. the procedures outlined in this service bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
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
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Showing the 6 most recent of 418 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-28 · Power Train“transmission failing beginning at 60,000 miles. safety issue because car shudders and refuses to accelerate at seemingly random times. my mechanic said this is a known issue and recommended transmission flushing. we've been doing this for six years at lesser and lesser intervals before the problem reappears. our local toyota dealership said the…”
2026-08-30 · Latches/Locks/Linkages:electronic Lock/Latch Actuator“component: latches/locks — power door lock actuator i am the original owner of a 2014 toyota highlander awd, currently with 88,000 miles on it. i have experienced six power door lock actuator failures on this vehicle. all replacements were oem toyota parts, and all repairs were paid out of pocket. failure history: - 01/12/2019 — driver rear (orig…”
2026-07-15 · Wheels“the radio keeps freezing up all the time along with the back tail light area going in and out. i keep smelling like burnt wire smell. engine sound really rough.…”
2026-05-05 · Structure:body“the driver’s-side rear spoiler on my 2014 toyota highlander limited awd has melted, bubbled, and warped. the vehicle has been stored 100% of the time in a fully enclosed garage with no windows since new. it has only 65,000 miles and has received all service exclusively at authorized toyota dealerships. there has been no direct sun exposure, acciden…”
2026-05-04 · Electrical System · 🔥 fire“i noticed the smell of wires burning, a billow of smoke started emitting from the two levers used to heat the seats near the gear shift area. i was on the freeway and immediately pulled to the side of the road, turned off the car and called 911 before any flames were seen. there were no warning signs, lamps or other symptoms until the smell of burn…”
2026-02-02 · Visibility · 190,000 mi“the contact owns a 2014 toyota highlander. the contact stated that a hybrid system warning alert was displayed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the windshield wiring system had failed and that the windshield needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the mechanic informed the co…”
2026-01-21 · Structure:body“was driving 70 mph on nj 287 when all sudden i hear something that sounded like implosion and air was coming from sunroof. ended up being sun roof glass flew out of car sunroof frame. toyota knew it was a defect as they did inspection but did not want to cover it because they said it’s out of warranty. thankfully no one was driving behind me a…”
2025-06-03 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights“rear lights located both on the tailgate and body of the vehicle. the lights covers failed to remain adhered to the lights themselves and fell off and are partially adhered as a result of what appears to be a failure of the adhesion material . two light covers may have been lost while driving. unknown if their loss resulted in damage(s) to others. …”
2025-01-29 · Tires“installed (4) firestone destination le3 tires in march 2022. all four tires became dry rot in just over 2 years, failed inspection at 2 1/2 years. 70,000 mile tires with roughly 28,000 miles left of the warranty. …”
2025-01-11 · Structure:body“water leaks inside the car every time it rains. we checked the sunroof drain tubes. they are clear. it is getting in through the roof rail bolts. it runs down the pillars to the floor and underneath the floor carpet. the carpet is wet for long periods of time in rainy seasons. i am concerned there is going to be mold issues. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.