2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Air Bags (4) · Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System (1) · Tires (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Highlander Hybrid model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (4)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification 2023-12-20 · campaign 23V865000 · 999,901 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Structure:body:bumpers 2023-10-26 · campaign 23V720000 · 750,795 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.
Risk: A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will repair or replace the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 22, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB12/23TA12.
Electronic Stability Control (Esc):control Module:software 2022-04-13 · campaign 22V239000 · 458,110 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehic
Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
Seats 2020-10-14 · campaign 20V633000 · 3,121 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid vehicles. Incorrect seat trim covers on one or both of the front seats can prevent the seat-mounted side air bag from deploying properly.
Risk: Improper deployment of the seat-mounted side air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats and replace the seat trim covers as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB14 / 20TA14.
Service bulletins (140)
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 2026-08-20 · T-SB-0110-20 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice august 20, 2026: this bulletin is now obsolete. please see t-sb-0051-26.
Engine 2026-08-11 · 24TE04 · Warranty Program/Extension
although the flow shut-off valve is covered by toyota’s new vehicle limited warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to flow shut-off valve coolant leak.
Structure:body 2026-06-25 · T-SB-0040-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2020 – 2026 model year highlander and highlander hybrid vehicles may exhibit a water leak from the roof rack attachment clips. this may be caused by the sealant in the roof channel obstructing the proper seating position for the clip gasket.
Electrical System 2026-05-14 · 22TE09 · Warranty Program/Extension
although the hv floor under wire harness and rear traction motor cable is covered by toyota’s new vehicle limited warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. toyota is providing extended coverage under this customer suppo
Electrical System 2026-03-18 · T-SB-0021-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2020 – 2024 model year highlander and highlander hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the air conditioner does not cool due to a leak and/or corrosion in the rear underbody air conditioner tube and accessory assembly. the anti-corrosion material has been updated to reduce the possib
Engine 2026-02-27 · T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
obsolete notice february 27, 2026: this bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
Showing the 6 most recent of 140 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2025-06-24 · Service Brakes“after driving on an interstate and having my foot on the brake - the car jumps forward and accelerates. it has done this for a couple years, and it continues to happen more frequently. sometimes it just jumps forward when you are driving through town and go to slow down. this seems like a safety issue.…”
2025-04-28 · Structure · 60,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact stated that while driving on the highway at 75 mph, the front passenger’s and driver’s side top shield assembly and the engine cover under components became detached from the vehicle. there was no warning light illuminated. the contact was unable to recover the parts. the vehicle was tak…”
2025-03-26 · Air Bags“the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 23v865000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the dealer was made aware of the issue and confi…”
2025-03-21 · Air Bags“the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 23v865000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the co…”
2025-01-21 · Air Bags“the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 23v865000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable am…”
2025-01-21 · Air Bags“the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 23v865000 (air bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. the local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount…”
2023-11-20 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 38,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard and the vehicle would fail to stop. there was no warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic repaired the brake calibrations and brake alignment. despite the repair, …”
2023-10-27 · Visibility:defroster/Defogger/Hvac System · 19,000 mi“the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander hybrid. the contact stated that the climate control system failed to defrost the windows during rainy or cold weather conditions. as a result, the contact was unable to defrost the windows, making it difficult to see the roadway. the contact was concerned for his safety while operating the vehicle. an undis…”
2021-05-05 · Tires · 9,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2020 toyota highlander hybrid equipped with goodyear tires, tire line: eagle, tire size: 235/55/r20, dot number: m68ajm1r0720. the contact stated while driving 70 mph, the tread on the passenger's side rear separated, causing the tire to explode. the contact pulled over and replaced the tire with the spare tire. the vehicle w…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.