Owners filed 9 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the air bags. It has been recalled 4 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Air Bags
4
0
0
0
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
Structure
1
0
0
0
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Service Brakes
1
0
0
0
4 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Air Bags › Sensor › Occupant Classification23V865000
Filed Dec 20, 2023999,901 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
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.
Remedy. 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 › Bumpers23V720000
Filed Oct 26, 2023750,795 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
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.
Remedy. 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 › Software22V239000
Filed Apr 13, 2022458,110 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
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 Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk. Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy. 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.
Seats20V633000
Filed Oct 14, 20203,121 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
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.
Remedy. 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.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed Jun 24, 2025IL
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.
Structure
Filed Apr 28, 202560,000 milesTN
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 taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the was no reason for the parts to have detached from the vehicle unless there was a crash. The contact emphasized that the parts had detached while driving. The components were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the contact believed that the repair was not appropriate because there were zip ties left underneath the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
Air Bags
Filed Mar 26, 2025ID
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 confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Air Bags
Filed Mar 21, 2025UT
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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Air Bags
Filed Jan 21, 2025NY
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 of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Air Bags
Filed Jan 21, 2025OR
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 amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Nov 20, 202338,000 milesMA
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, the contact stated that the failure returned. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System
Filed Oct 27, 202319,000 milesMN
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 undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Tires
Filed May 5, 20219,000 milesWA
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 WAS TAKEN TO VANCOUVER TOYOTA (10455 NE 53RD ST, VANCOUVER, WA 98662, (360)944-3001) WHERE THE TIRE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO ASSISTANCE PROVIDED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Dec 20, 2023. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.