2019 Toyota Highlander problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (198) · Fuel/Propulsion System (73) · Engine (20)
🧭 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
143 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2020-11-04 · campaign 20V682000 · 1,525,742 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus I
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2020-01-13 · campaign 20V012000 · 1,830,752 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
Equipment:other:labels 2019-03-27 · campaign 19V244000 · 3,634 vehicles
Defect: Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
Service bulletins (162)
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 2025-08-20 · T-TT-0790-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using bluetooth hands free. this is caused by the phone hands free volume being too low.
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 162 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-28 · Power Train“the component that failed was the transmission. my safety was at risk because i was going uphill and the engine surged then the transmission seized, almost causing a rear-end incident with my family in the car. the dealer confirmed that the transmission has failed. no incident happened so only the dealer needs to be involved at this time. there wer…”
2026-10-27 · Power Train“my transmission failed while driving. the gears began to stick and then i lost all driving capability while on a state highway.…”
2026-10-26 · Power Train“the transmission has been making a whining noise for a little while now. after having it diagnosed by toyota, the entire transmission has to be replaced. according to multiple reports on the internet, the 8 speed transmission in the 2017 to 2026 model will fail prematurely do to defective components. toyota has even replaced multiple model year …”
2026-10-24 · Unknown Or Other“transmission is failing and accelerating past 40mpg produces very loud sound that seems it could break any moment. it is available for inspection. safety is compromised as it could experience failure and abruptly lose ability to accelerate. problem has been confirmed by independent service center who has also contacted toyota dealership regarding p…”
2026-10-23 · Unknown Or Other“i was on interstate 75 and the transmission went out. i had to be towed home (over 100 miles). i pulled into a rest area and when i went to leave, i pulled out and the engine rpm's went real high and the car would not go over 20 mph. i was in the way of semi-trucks as i tried to get back to a parking spot at the rest area. thankfully this did not h…”
2026-10-23 · Unknown Or Other“i purchased this toyota highlander two years ago, and i am extremely disappointed and frustrated that it now requires a transmission replacement costing approximately $10,000. i understand that vehicles can require maintenance and repairs, but a major mechanical failure of this magnitude is a significant financial burden. i have reached out multipl…”
2026-10-21 · Power Train“transmission is making a whining noise, took it to the dealer and they confirmed the transmission needs to be replaced. looked online and there appear to be thousands of these cases with the transmission going out on toyota highlanders between 2017-2021…”
2026-10-21 · Fuel/Propulsion System“my husband was driving my car out of town, and while driving approximately 70 mph, my car stopped going. when he pressed the gas pedal, the engine revved, but did not move forward. he had to coast down the interstate and pull over on the side of the road. he said he almost got tear ended by a semi-truck. i called roadside assistance through my insu…”
2026-10-20 · Power Train“the vehicle began making a whining noise several months ago. after doing some research this vehicle has the ua80 transaxle that has a known defect that produces the whining noise and eventual damage. there are other years of this vehicle that are subject to a recall/repair for this same transaxle issue, but not for the 2019 even though it's the s…”
2026-10-20 · Power Train“i started hearing a faint sound and initially thought it was odd, but certainly sounded different and could not really tell where it was coming from. upon taking it to the dealer for diagnosis, i learned that the transmission will need full replacement. i also took it to an independent shop to get a second opinion and much to my dismay, they conf…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.