Owners filed 6 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes. It has been recalled 4 times.
What fails
Component
Reports
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Service Brakes
2
0
0
0
Electrical System
2
0
0
0
Vehicle Speed Control
1
0
0
0
Structure › Body › Bumpers
1
0
0
0
4 safety recalls
Part 573 reports
Seats › Mid/Rear Assembly › Recliner26V128000
Filed Mar 5, 2026686,588 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing
Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
Risk. A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy. Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 9, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB06 and 26TA06.
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.
Equipment › Other › Labels22V310000
Filed May 6, 2022661 vehiclesGulf States Toyota, Inc.
Defect. Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can fade, becoming illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk. An illegible label may allow the vehicle to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy. GST will notify owners by mail, including a replacement load carrying capacity modification label for their vehicle and detailed replacement instructions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 22R1.
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.
What owners reported
Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Mar 5, 202630,000 milesNJ
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that the second-row seats had been making an abnormal rattling sound. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormally strong foul odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the car wash, the contact was informed that the foul odor was coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the foul odor was stronger while the steering heater was engaged, causing the contact to suffer from headaches. The contact stated that the foul odor was transferred to the driver's hands, requiring the driver to thoroughly wash his hands. The contact had not received medical assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was only included in the second-row seats recall. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was not yet contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Electrical System
Filed Oct 21, 202423,000 milesOH
The contact's wife owns 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the "Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer" message displayed. The contact’s wife restarted the vehicle and immediately pulled over to the shoulder. Despite the failure, the contact's wife was able to drive back to the residence. The contact stated that prior to the failure, a similar warning light illuminated and disrupted the contact's ability to use the GPS feature. The contact called the local dealer and scheduled an appointment. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.
Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Oct 10, 202436,000 milesNY
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several different occasions to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.
Structure › Body › Bumpers
Filed Sep 17, 202480,000 milesCO
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the driver’s side of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and became aware that the front lower bumper had detached on the driver's side and was dragging on the road. The bumper was attached by one screw. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V72000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under the recall. The dealer informed the contact that the grill shutter had been damaged and needed to be repaired. The contact stated that after retrieving the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was informed that the grill shutter had not been repaired correctly causing the check engine warning light to be illuminated. The dealer repaired the vehicle again. The contact stated that after repairing the vehicle, while driving approximately 40 miles down the road, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that underneath the grill shutter had not been repaired. The dealer had been contacted and informed that the failure had reoccurred. The vehicle had not been returned to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired again. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair would be up to the dealer to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Service Brakes
Filed Aug 20, 202435,000 milesVA
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the engine surged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Service Brakes
Filed Jul 27, 202320,000 milesWI
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and slowing down for a traffic signal, the contact felt as if the brakes had failed. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was still rolling forward. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal with more force and eventually the brakes grabbed and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
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: Mar 5, 2026. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.