2019 Toyota Highlander complaints

I was using the adaptive cruise control on I-68 in Western Maryland. I was in the fast lane (on the far left of three uphill lanes). A dump truck was in the center lane going well below the speed limit. The road curved to the left at the point where I got up to the dump truck. There was no one in front of me in my outside lane. My car sensed the presence and speed of the dump truck and slowed me abruptly. There was considerable risk to me and to the driver of a white pick-up truck that was behind me, and who was also driving at passing speed. We were both going approximately 75 mph when my car slowed--a slowing that does not display brake lights. The cruise control has not been inspected. It is the default setting on ignition. I routinely disable it, opting for regular cruise, each time I use it, but the potential is always there for me and for other owners. If there was any sort of warning (I don't remember) it would have been inadequate to prevent an accident. The alertness of the pick-up truck driver saved us both a collision.

Took the vehicle twice to Toyota to check on console vibration originating from possible drivetrain (normally in cold weather). This was done under extended warranty. Also had transmission fluid replaced. Service department noticed fluid low even though there was no transmission leak. Service department couldn't duplicate issue but failed to attempt start of vehicle in early mornings as requested. About 10K miles after last attempt to get issue fixed, the transmission failed with no caution, no warning and no error codes. Symptoms included little to zero acceleration from a dead stop and inability to accelerate to higher speeds when necessary (main safety issue). Eventually, vehicle was not able to accelerate. This vehicle does have the 8-speed AT Transmission that lawsuits are being filed against.

Lost power 3 times - each time making a left hand turn at low speed -Nov.23 2023 -- Dec. 20 2023 & Jan, 30 2024 Groove Toyota checked vehicle out on Dec.21 2023 couldn't find problem - took it to Groove Toyota again on Jan. 31 2024 - told to make another appointment to allow full day of testing - safety concern for family and other traffic - no warning prior to loss of power

The SOS system is malfunctioning and causing an earsplitting screech on the 2019 Toyota Highlander Platinum. This occurs around every third time when the car starts and is damaging my hearing and my kids' hearing. This is well documented on the Toyota Nation forum and Reddit. Toyotanation: [XXX] : [XXX] Here is a video of it occurring on someone else's vehicle: [XXX] "Toyota service technician at our local dealership heard the loud sound when servicing the vehicle. They talked to Toyota and they said: "TAS agent stated there has been multiple cases of the DCM causing this concern, and the repair is to replace the DCM or disable it." Toyota is charging consumers for this factory defect. Please make Toyota address this problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Driving on 495 N Beltway car started stalling and then suddenly stopped accelerating/decelerating while engine was running. Almost was rear ended by fast moving traffic. Carefully glided to the shoulder and called Tow Tuck Incident on 12/18/2023

When I start the Highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes once.

We believe the problem is in the SOS system. This is an intermittent problem that occurs about every 5 to 15 starts. At start-up, an ear piercing scream/screech comes from somewhere in the front speakers and lasts about 2 to 5 seconds. At times the scream is so loud that it leaves a ringing in your ears. We are very concerned about our grandkids riding in this vehicle. This problem needs to be addressed, it’s not going away and it’s making it different to drive.

When I start my 2019 Highlander there is a loud screech that startles you and makes you jump out of your seat. It’s a very loud feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens very often but intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes red/green once. This happened after the SOS trial service had expired. I called the SOS service and they told us to talk to the dealership. There needs to be a recall of the SOS module or whatever is causing this.

November 7, 2023: While driving across the California desert at 70 miles an hour, temperature was 71°, and freeway traffic was light, without any other outside influences, the sun roof spontaneously exploded, blowing outward, as though someone had put an explosive between the glass and interior of the vehicle. it sounded like a shotgun blast. I pulled over and examined the vehicle; the remaining glass in the sunroof was blown out, arched above the roof of the vehicle, with a spray of shattered glass inside and on the roof of the car. There were no vehicles around me, no impact, and I’m returning home, I reviewed my dash cam looking for other signs (like a bird crashing into the roof). There was nothing. Upon searching this mystery, I found that many others have experienced the same thing. The car is now at the dealership. The car is well cared for, and the roof/glass, prior to the explosion, was undamaged.

The front bumper keeps popping out. I’ve returned it to the dealer 3 times, who says a clip has to be replaced. However, it’s not covered under the extended warranty and they will just replace it. The dealer told me to just push it back in when it pops out. It will push back in place, but it will not stay in place. It has not been damaged.

The car turns off when driving which was supposed to be corrected by recall. It doesn’t appear the recall has been successful in correcting the issue. I actually am not 100% sure they actually swapped out the recall part so I’d like that checked. I also purchased a new battery from the dealer about 3 weeks ago and the problem actually got worse in that it stalls while driving or resets the computer while driving at least once a week.

Originally, 2019 Toyota Highlander lost engine power, steering, and braking on U.S. Route 30, a very busy highway. Managed to pull off side of road AND WAITED. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS CAR STARTED AND RAN AS EXPECTED.Took to local dealer who had the car for several days, but couldn't identify the problem. This instance was 2020/2021. Fast forward to this past September 26th. Pulling out of a private parking lot the car stalled exactly as it had previously.This complete failure of engine is going to get me killed. Further I now notice my dash lights are dimming for no reason then coming back to bright. Now I read where other Highlander are doing the exact thing. I have a car, I'm afraid to drive.

When I start the Highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens intermittently, and when it doesn't happen, the SOS button only flashes red/green once.

Both the right and left constant velocity axels are making noise. The dealer tells us it is under warranty and will be repaired. However, there are no repair parts available and on national back order. The dealer parts department indicates that there have been problems with the 2019 Highlander cv axels, and all replacement parts have been used. My question is how many highlanders have bad cv axels? Is there more of a problem than just a back order. The dealer indicated we could continue to drive the car until it starts to vibrate.

The interior lights stopped working and the drive side sun visor won’t stay up and the beep never worked when I back up to something to close

Noise complaint - High pitched feedback screech coming through speaker (potential for hearing damage) that occurs for approximately 5 seconds intermittently upon starting the vehicle. It can happen multiple times in one day or not until a week or two later. We have twice filed a case with Toyota Corporation. The dealer has heard the noise numerous times and upon performing diagnostics has indicated a malfunction with the SOS system- the trial subscription that came with the car expired in January 2023 and the issue began the following month. An on-line search indicates that other owners of the same vehicle are also experiencing this issue.

Experience "dead zones" in accelerator pedal movement. Experience "no acceleration" with first 1-2 inches of travel from idle position. This is constant and does not vary noticibly with speed. I was driving in an suburban shopping area in York PA with three lanes of travel in each direction. I intended to move from the laft hand lane to the center lane. I indicated my intentions and waited for an opening. I was travelling about 35-40mph. When an opening came along, I steered into the indended lane, but depressing the accelerator to increase my speed, no acceleration occurred. I then panicked and depressed the pedal quicker, and the ensuing acceleration nearly catapaulted me into the semi truck in the center lane ahead of me. I missed the truck by inches. I have had this issue evaluated at Bennett Toyota in Lebanon PA, and the Lancaster Toyota, the dealer who sold me the vehicle in May of 2023, is aware of the issue. Bennett Toyota service department tried to fix the issue by replacing the brake switch. That did not alleviate the problem. I have had several other instances when pulling into traffic when the delayed acceleration caused me issues but no accidents. I believe this issue is related to the selectable "snow" driving function. I think the system is somehow stuck in the "snow" mode at all times. I may have substantiated this today when I experimented with the "snow" function while driving at about 45 mph. When I select the "snow" mode while driving, the accelerator "de

When I start the highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes red/green once.

2019 Toyota Highlander SE V6 FWD - Transmission failing 106000 miles. Transmission has developed a whining sound while accelerating. Fayetteville AR Toyota dealer initial diagnosis was a loose heat shield and recommended a front end alignment, which was done. Noise continued. Independent transmission shop diagnosis was potentially failing bearing, but most likely transmission beginning to fail. Fayetteville AR Toyota dealer, diagnosis upon return, transmission failing, needing replacement. $7,000+ for parts, 5 week lead time to order. Recommended to not drive vehicle as transmission could fail while driving.

Seat belt refused to retract and was pressing on our son's belly 911 was called and notified of the issue, Policeman had to cut off the seat belt for my son's safety Insurance was notified and we were informed that insurance will cover the repair cost but we have a $ 500 deductible Toyota gave us a quote for $ 470.12 plus sales tax 19.29 for a total of $545.73

Display screen Brake fluid low. Stop safety. Engine stop to start..

I was turning into Starbucks at a low speed when the next thing I knew the car jumped forward and hit the car in front of me not one time but three times. I was finally able to get the car stopped but had Damage to both cars. I believe the accelerator was stuck causing the accident. I want to know if there is a recall on the accelerator petal that it would have caused the highlander to do this because to me this was a frightening site to go through.

I got the message: BRAKING POWER LOW and the Engine Check light is ON I couldn't turn it on.

Approximately two weeks ago, my brakes began to fail. When i press the brakes, I receive a warning message on the steering wheel portion of the dashboard that says "breaking power low" and an orange triangle with an exclamation point illuminates. The extremely weakened brakes almost made me rear end a vehicle traveling in front of me. Since then, I have taken my vehicle to a local mechanic/autobody and also to a Toyota dealership in Hackensack, NJ. The local mechanic advised me that he could not find anything physically wrong with the vehicle that would be causing the problem, which he also experienced. Hackensack Toyota, after having my vehicle for over two hours, could not make a diagnosis of what was wrong with my vehicle and also wanted to charge me a substantial amount of money for something that should be an immediate hazard and saftey concern. This issue also sounds like a manufacturer defect that should be treated as a recall since there was no action or incident that led to or caused this brake failure. Since this is my only vehicle, it forces me and my family to take significant risks by traveling in it.

When starting my vehicle, I get a high pitch ear piercing noise. My ears will ring after it because it is so loud. This is extremely high for my passengers, grandchildren and my husband and I. I am not putting in ear plugs in me or passengers just to start up my car. I have reported this to Toyota Brand Engagement Center Case 230711000212. This component has NOT been inspected by anyone, as I am not paying over $300.00 just to have a technician look at it. There has not been any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. This noise started around 3 weeks ago, Week of June 19, 2023.

I have a 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and about two years after driving the car, I get a loud, very high-pitched/high-frequency screeching sound when getting in the vehicle coming from the speakers. It lasts about 10 seconds. It's so loud it hurts our ears. Upon contacting Toyota, they declined to repair the issue, and I discovered several other users have the same issue. It's loud and excruciating and doesn't happen constantly, but it gets more frequent. complains from other owners: https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/2019-highlander-platinum-painful-ear-screech-sound-from-speakers-when-starting-car.1734165/page-3 This is the noise made:

While I am driving my Toyota Highlander XLE 2019 in a parking lot to park my car, I stopped to yield to people crossing and I slowed down and applied brake , but my car stopped and unable to restart as car display showing an error - Braking Power Low I unable to star the car and ended up towing to Toyota Dealer ship in Plano,TX I am still waiting for Dealer to check on and advise on the issue I feel this is huge safety issue as car can stop in middle of traffic or on busy highway with out any warning and can cause a serious accident I am really pissed off at Toyota quality

Vehicle check engine turned on to check AWD system after about 2 days when filling with gas the engine wouldn't start and had Low brake power message on dashboard. Checked code and got P0171 and P0174 which mean engine's air/fuel mixture becomes too lean for the Engine Control Module (ECM) to correct within its normal operating range there are many posts and threads about same issue on highlanders as old as 2017 please look into this issue that could potentially cause a hazard. will take vehicle in for inspection 06/13/23 at Toyota of Naperville

The contact owned a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, she crashed into a large commercial vehicle. As a result, her vehicle went underneath the large vehicle and her air bags failed to deploy upon impact. The contact hit her head on the windshield as she later sought treatment at her urgent care facility for injuries to her head, back, neck and right knee. The other driver sustained no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent tow yard. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and an investigation was able to retain the vehicle's black box; the cause of the air bag failure remained under investigation. The vehicle was deemed a total loss due to the extensive front-end damage. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

2019 Toyota Highlander- Consumer is asking for any help that can be offered in reference to recalls. Legal Notice-Class Action Settlement, recall notice, online recall search documents, invoice for repair, mechanic repair contract, pictures of accident, accident report, and collision summary supplement of record attached.

2019 Highlander has whining noise when accelerating so we brought it into the dealership. They stated it needs a new transmission assembly - $11,741.41. This is unacceptable for a four year old vehicle. I have contacted Toyota directly, they stated there is nothing they can do for us because we are over the 60,000 warranty.

Random Battery Drain. Driver and passengers can be put in danger if car doesn’t start and vehicle is in an unsafe location. AAA replaced battery with a new one but the random battery drain problem continues to occur. No warning signs prior to dead battery. First appeared end of 2020/beginning of 2021. Internet search returns complaints for same problem from 2017 to present.

I went out into my garage 3:30 in the morning and heard a motor running very faintly tried tracking down the noise finally located under the car at the rear. It was the fuel pump running. I went in. got my key started the vehicle let it run about a half a minute shut it off. The noise was gone. I’m worried about this pump running for hours or possibly days then catching the car on fire the garage and the house I know there have been issues. With fuel pumps in these Toyotas, but I haven’t found this particular problem online. Possibly there may be a problem with the fuel pump relay?

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY AND BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP ASSEMBLY. Yes, both parts will be available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Brakes either lock up or won't stop short without skidding. The vehicle's hybrid system also shuts down. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Dealership only at this point. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Before the brakes locked up, warning lamp said Hybrid System Stopped. BSM not available.

There is a “squeak” type noise that sounds like fluid or air is being forced through a crack when the brakes are applied. It is intermittent as brakes remain applied, however it happens every time the brakes are applied and lasts until they are released. The local Toyota dealer diagnosed it as a failed brake master cylinder. After repair, the same noise continues. The dealers “master technician” was able to hear and reproduce the noise, but claim that it is from pressure building to help breaking. The young “master technician” stated that he works feel safe in the vehicle, but they don’t know why it’s making that sound. The sound began 1 year after I purchased the vehicle (I bought it v used in 2022). Warning lamps flashed very briefly indicating something about brakes, although it was difficult to read, as it happened very quickly and has not happened since.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH and while the sunroof was closed, the sunroof glass exploded. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not yet taken to an independent mechanic or local dealer for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

The door locks will not unlock or lock. Had to replace two so far and now the other side is doing the same. Pre collision, Lane departure, cruise control and traction have malfunction. Unknown as to why at this moment.

While driving on the freeway less than 10 miles from my home, my sunroof exploded and broke into pieces. I was driving on a section of freeway where there was nothing above me and there were no other cars near me. There was a loud noise and then the air was rushing into my car.

This is a 2019 hybrid Highlander and the vehicle continually stalls or won’t start and we get a warning message that the hybrid system has stopped working and to put car in Park and restart. While this is happening regularly during startup, fortunately this has only happened once with the vehicle in Drive but represents a serious safety concern for us! We were being assigned to Germany and reported the issue to our local Toyota dealer who couldn’t duplicate the problem and said that the Toyota engineers said it couldn’t happen. Since arriving in Germany, the problem during startup has occurred on almost a daily basis. Last occurrence was this evening, 12 Dec 22.

Sunroof glass. Driving down the highway, the sunroof glass exploded and shattered. A very loud explosion noise. Vehicle is currently at the dealer for repair. Broken glass falling on driver and passenger. Further inspection shows glass protruding upward as if it was broken from the inside. Online research has shown many other Highlanders with the same problem. Dealer blamed on a rock, so why is the glass protruding outward instead of inward. No warning lights.

The windshield has developed a rapidly lengthening crack from the bottom to the top at the center of the glass. There is no evidence of an impact anywhere along this crack.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was jumpstarted and operated as designed. The contact stated that on another occasion, after refueling the vehicle and driving, the vehicle jerked, lost motive power, and stalled without warning. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the 2nd row passenger’s side seat belt had started to fray at the top and near the buckle halfway through. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated that the seat belts needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the repair was not covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

My car was manufactured in 10/2018. My car is experiencing whine noise from the transmission while driving, harsh shifting and reduced power. This issue also appeared on previous year models from 2017-2018 and was taken care under bulletin "T-SB-0160-18". However, I called Toyota and they don't want to fix my vehicle under that bulletin even though the issue my car faces is the same. I checked online and many Toyota Highlander Owners face the same issue. I can be contacted on [XXX] or [XXX] Thanks, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

My rear drivers side seat was not properly bolted down. I have been hearing a squeak for the past few years, that only went away when my child was sitting in the seat. We thought it was the car seat squeaking, but recently removed it since our child had grown big enough to no longer need it. I finally inspected the seat and noticed that the seat was moving when I put pressure on it. I took off the covers to the bolts on the front and noticed that I could literally remove them with my had. There was about a 1/16 to 1/8 inch of play in the seat. This is scary that my child has been riding in the unsafe seat for who knows how long. I do have videos of how loose they were, I could spin the washer freely.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while his wife was driving in a parking lot at approximately 2 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without the contact's wife having depressed the accelerator pedal. The vehicle crashed into a railing in the garage. The contact stated his wife had not noticed any warning lights. The vehicle had minor damage to the front grill and bumper there were scrapes and dents on the driver's side front fender and also to the passenger side front fender. The vehicle was drivable. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer, the vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

I have had my vehicle for a little over 3 years, with about 35K miles on it. At first, I realized my vehicle jerked a bit, but I dismissed it because it never stopped. However, I did notice that my battery was dying quickly. I was changed once by the dealership because they said the battery was defective. After they changed that battery, the next battery also went bad. While driving with my children and mother, my vehicle began sputtering and a message that said, "Check Engine Reduced engine power" came on along with "Traction Control turned off" and my engine light. My vehicle barely accelerated as I was trying to cross the intersection thankfully I managed to get out of the way of oncoming vehicles. Somehow, the vehicle ran smoothly after I turned it off and turned it back. After that issue, I then experienced an error message in reference to the Start/Stop system along with the check engine light. That issue also cleared when I turned my vehicle on and off. I then experienced another power loss issue, at which time I traveled to my local Toyota dealership but they were unable to help me then due to a battery issue. The issue then cleared itself somehow again; however, the issue came back the next day. I managed to get my vehicle to the side of the roadway at which time the vehicle stalled. I tried starting the vehicle again; however, it would not turn over. After being on the roadside for about 2 to 3 hours, I tried starting my vehicle again, and it drove fine until I reac

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while reversing out of a driveway, the vehicle began to jerk without warning. Once the contact reached the base of her driveway, the vehicle accelerated backward into a neighbor's tree. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact called the ambulance where her daughter was transported to a hospital after she suffered a gash to the back of her head due to the accident. The contact and her daughter's friend both suffered whiplash as a result of the accident. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back into her driveway where it remained in her possession. The contact called the dealer to check for recalls and was informed that there were zero recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer had yet to be notified about the failure. The vehicle had to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floor; however, the vehicle failed to respond. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle to reduce forward motion and stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that a similar failure recurred, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 27,500.

Temporary Loss off Power: After driving about 100 miles we stopped for a 15 minute break. Afterwards I started the car and to my surprise the engine was running but I had no power. I was able to coast down a slight grade to avoid other vehicles in the parking lot. I stopped the car, put it in Park (P), put it back in Drive (D) and was able to drive as before. We purchased this vehicle in September of 2018. It has slightly over 14K miles. This has happened at least once before.