general problems of the 2018 Toyota Highlander - part 1

Vehicle makes a whining noise like a siren when accelerating at 40mph or more when you let go of the accelerator the noise stops. I've been told by a mechanic its the transfer case or related transmission component. Toyota should declare a recall since it can cause an accident if the car stops in the middle of the highway.

2018 Toyota Highlander awd. Whining noise when gas is pressed. Whining stops when gas pedal not engaged. Started at 116000 mileage. Regular service done at dealer. Slippage/ delay in gear shifting (automatic). No light on dash to show there may be an issue. Bought a Toyota, because they are supposed to be great cars that run long time. Not real happy to hear that they know they have quality and training issues that can seriously hurt people, and they are not doing anything about it. And “their”consumers have to eat the cost for their mistake. I hope NHTSA files another motion to cover move of the vehicle having the powertrain issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made grinding sounds while accelerating. Additionally, the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the transmission fluid was dirty and that the transmission assembly and torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,700.

Failed ua80/f transmission needs replacement for poor manufacturing.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was idling roughly with an abnormal sound. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact ordered the parts to repair the transmission but was informed that the parts were not available nationwide. The contact stated that the failure was a known failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,340.

Transaxle (transmission) failure. Whining noise then failed while driving freeway. Towed to dealer/mechanic and confirm failure. There was a whining sound but no engine light warnings prior to complete failure. Toyota put out a TSB for this but was never informed - pol19-04. Toyota needs to expand csp zjc coverage to all ua80f/ua80e-equipped vehicles exhibiting symptoms, regardless of VIN range.

The transmission has started making a whining sound just like the cars/transmissions effected buy the TSB from Toyota related to 8-speed auto transmission failures. My dealer said they have seen a lot of them and mine sounds like it, but they claim I'm not part of the TSB allowing for replacement. Toyota has a real problem with the transmissions in 2018 Highlanders but they refuse to fix the problem.

Tansmission died at 102,000 miles, 2,000 miles over the warranty. Toyota said it will pay $6,000 for parts. I have to pay tax and labor. I have been waiting over a month for the parts, while my Highlander sits on the Toyota dealer's lot in riverhead, NY. My wife took the car there, since the "check engine" light had turned on. After the inspection, we were afraid to take it out of the parking lot. Code p275614 torque converter presure control solenoid; faulty transmission problem. Recommended a new transmision for $11,303 plus tax. Many class action suits are being filed about transmission problems in Highlanders!.

Transmission whining, hard shifting on 1 and 2 and 3 jp pauley Toyota claim my 2018 Highlander is not part or tbd and neew transmission is required to fix issue quote $7300. To repair current mileage 156k.

My 2018 Toyota Highlander with 143k miles has poor acceleration shift lag and a whining noise from transmission. Dealer diagnosed and found transmission is failing and in need of replacement. They quoted $9624. 00 to replace and the part is on backorder and could take months to get. Toyota customer assistance has declined any assistance with the repair even though they have a extended warranty program and a customer support program for the same year vehicle and with the exact same symptoms offering complete repair coverage regardless of mileage but declined my saying I'm not eligible due to the production date of my vehicle. I feel this vehicle is now unsafe to drive due to the possibility of complete transmission failure possibly at any time on the roadway.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving uphill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated and rolled backwards unexpectedly. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was inspected by a mechanic friend and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

Vehicle experienced whining noise when decelerating. Toyota dealer service technician documented the noise as coming from the transmission due to an issue with the pinion shafts. Our safety was put at risk by a potential for the transmission no longer working when driving. There were no warning lamps, messages, etc. Prior to the failure. The failure occurred around 136,000 miles. All recommended services, including on the transmission, occurred at the same Toyota dealer service.

The transmission makes a whining noise, especially when pulling, as in driving up an incline. I took the 2018 Highlander to rusty drewing Toyota in jefferson city, mo to be diagnosed. They said the transmission needs to be replaced. In researching the problem, I found a bulletin/recall: 7a61k20482. The bulletin says the serial number must be before 7a617e03416. I want to get on your list and hopefully, be able to get some kind of relief for this problem.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of the roadway. The contact stated that the rpm continued to increase rapidly, but the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the washer tab, designed to prevent the loosening of the nut inside the transmission, resulting in damage to the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the customer support program: zjc. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 104,000.

The transmission on my 2018 Highlander is failing prematurely at 80k miles in alignment with known/published customer support program zjc. My car is not a VIN covered by the program today. Symptoms include a growing whining sound coming from the transmission and confirmed by two Toyota dealership service centers.

Transmission was slipping and hesitating from 50,000 miles up until it went completely out at 96,956. The day it went out, I pulled out onto the highway and there was no acceleration, it wouldn't move. It was flashing "traction control turned off" "check engine visit dealer" "check awd system" and the check engine light was on as well as the orange triangle with explanation point. Toyota said my VIN wasn't covered under the TSB, so my extended warranty paid for most, but not all, of the transmisson and parts. They put in a new transmission but the new one does the same thing. It hesitates and slips with currently only 10,000 miles on the new one.

Transmission starting making a wining noise, and was told it will fail. Toyota is well aware of this issue.

1)the following components failed:symptoms and diagnostic trouble codes transmission p0741 - torque converter clutch circuit performance/stuck off p2757 - torque converter clutch pressure control solenoid control circuit performance/stuck off p2714 - pressure control solenoid 'd' performance/stuck off p2817 - pressure control solenoid 'h' performance/stuck off p08bb - pressure control solenoid 'l' performance/stuck off p0740 - torque converter clutch circuit/open p08ba - pressure control solenoid 'l' p2116 - throttle/pedal position sensor 'e' minimum stop performance p2713 - pressure control solenoid 'd' p2756 - torque converter clutch pressure control solenoid c1241 - abs hydraulic pressure differential switch input short circuit to ground 2)my family safety was put at risk because the car stopped moving forward suddenly on the freeway traveling from new york to new jersey during a family trip. This occurred at 11:45 pm and we were stranded for 1. 5 hours waiting for a tow truck. 3) yes see advisory notes from aamco: "internal failure, fluid burnt" similar diagnosis provided by island Toyota in staten island. 4)yes, aaa auto repair in fairfax va serviced the transmission a month prior after initial gear slipping. 5)the car did not change gears smoothly at about 7 pm during at arrival in NY. At 11 pm during drive back, it stopped accelarating and would not climb inclines. No major warnings, such warning lights until the car stopped shifting in gear on highway.

August 14, 2025 while coming home from work, truck started to lose power. It slowed down on the main street and then coasted to a complete stop in the middle of the road. There were no signals or alerts until it went dead. The vehicle will start, but it will not advance when put in drive. I have had the vehicle towed to my dealership to expedite diagnosing the issue.

The transmission has failed after only 39,000 miles. As a result, the vehicle would not accelerate which lead to a dangerous situation while crossing an intersection. No engine light was shown and no sensors were triggered on the onboard computer so it was impossible to know there was an issue.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. While operating the vehicle, there was a whining sound coming from the engine compartment. The sound was also heard through the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed of an unknown TSB related to the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

While driving my 2018 Toyota Highlander (ua80f transmission), I began noticing a faint high-pitched whining noise between 25–45 mph around 63,000 miles. Over time, it progressively worsened, eventually including intermittent jerking and hard low-speed shifts, particularly during acceleration or uphill climbs. In wet conditions, the drivetrain lurches slightly under throttle, increasing risk of loss of control. I had a transmission fluid drain and fill service performed by a Toyota dealership at ~58,000 miles, along with full 4wd maintenance (differentials and transfer case). Despite this, symptoms developed shortly afterward. Toyota was notified and a corporate case was opened. I provided clear sound recordings, videos, and a full inspection history, and cited their customer support program zjc (pol19-04) for known defects related to ua80f whine and washer tab failures. Although my build date falls within the general failure range, Toyota refused coverage and claimed it was “operating to spec. ” tier 1 support initially confirmed zjc eligibility, but tier 2 reversed course with no follow-up. Dealership service also failed to elevate the case properly to my zurich warranty provider, who required dealer confirmation to proceed. Multiple other owners have reported similar failures around 60k–100k miles, and I believe this is a dangerous latent defect that Toyota is attempting to narrowly contain. Whining precedes jerking, and jerking precedes full failure. Many complainants, like me, are met with stall tactics, deflection, or no follow-through. There were no warning lights or diagnostic codes, but the safety risk is growing. I believe this transmission issue deserves expanded csp eligibility and potential recall investigation.

Whining noise on transmission at 79k miles.

2018 Toyota Highlander platinum started with a whine noise, vibration, and went into limp mode. The transmission has been noted to needing to be replaced. I am currently at 75,453 miles and started to hear the whine at around 65,000 miles. This car is not safe to drive.

Whining noise coming out from the tranmission and dealer recommended for transaxle to be remanufatured. The issue was on going with Toyota customer support program for transmission ua80 but my VIN is not covered upon checking with them.

I brought my car to the dealership due to a small whining noise when accelerating over 30mph. Technician determined the noise is coming from internal transmission failure and recommended replacement. The small whining noise was the only indication something was wrong. No check engine or warning lights on my dashboard. The car is under 50,000 miles at the time.

The 2018 Toyota Highlander has less than 100k miles on it and has been diagnosed with an $11k repair for essentially a new engine! the dealership (coughlin Toyota, heath OH) has said it needs cylinder head assembly for $10,684. 20. The error message we are getting is a "check engine" light "take vehicle to dealership" and the awd/ traction control shuts off. When searching online forums, there are many people experiencing the same problem, apparently a well know issue with Toyota (not just Highlanders). We have only owned this vehicle for a few years and believe this is a manufacturer error that desperately needs investigated. Please.

Vehicle’s 8 speed transmission started a low pitch whine when pressing the accelerator around 90,000 miles. Transmission has begun shifting roughly since 105,000 miles. Vehicle is outside of Toyota’s manufacture date deadline for t-sb-0008-21 but this issue sounds exactly like what is described in Toyota’s TSB.

Vehicle started making a whining noise and diagnosed at lancaster Toyota as needing a new transmission at a cost of $8500. Ended up having transmission replaced at a local transmission repair shop for $7000.

My 2018 Highlander transmission (8 speed model ua80) began a whine noise characteristic of customer support bulletin pol19-04 when the vehicle hit 101k miles. Toyota performed an inspection on 8/9/2024 and recommends full transmission + transfer case replacement. The dealer confirmed also confirmed the issue is characteristic of pol19-04, but because the vehicle was manufactured 6-months after vehicles bracketed in pol19-04 (based on the transmission serial number) it is not included in the support program therefore not covered. Toyota ua80 transmissions have continued to have this issue (example - t-sb-0008-21 for '21 ua80 transmission). While Toyota acknowledges replacement of transmission is necessary to maintain a safe drivetrain, no customer-facing error messages are evident. Also note - transmission fluid has been maintained only using Toyota's recommended fluid (Toyota branded ws atf) at Toyota's specified intervals.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The system that controls^ when you stop at a traffic light[the system takes over] then when the light turn green and its time to move&the car starts to act mildly eratic, there is a thud sound from the rear as if someone has struck you lightly in the rear but no vehicle contact is being made? we just purchased this vehicle less than 30 days. Please advise. Elnora and nathaniel williams.

Transaxle/transmission failed at approx 67000 miles. Emits a whining sound, very similar to symptoms as other transaxle/transmissions from model yr 2017 covered by the manufacturer for replacement of transaxle/transmission. This vehicle, model year 2018, is not covered by the existing transaxle/transmission replacement program, as explained by the dealership. Yet reviewing many forums, it is said that many of the later 2017/2018 Highlanders received the same transaxle/transmissions as the model year 2017 covered for replacement by the manufacturer, hence they exhibit the same symptoms when they fail. Estimated cost to replace the transaxle/transmission by the dealership $ 8000. 00. The manufacturer needs to step up.

Whining noise from transmission on 2018 Toyota Highlander xle model . Toyota has acknowledged this on large numbers of vehicles manufactured during the same year (TSB-0160-18). They have a voluntary recall for some of these vehicles during this year (2018), but not all of them. The transmission can fail which would cause the vehicle to stop running. On a highway or busy road, this presents a very large danger to both the vehicle occupants and also other people on the road. The vehicle has been inspected by both the dealership an an independent transmission shop and identified as the same transmission issue. Toyota will not correct this issue other than to say the transmission needs to be replaced as it will fail at some point in time. No other warning indicators other than the whining sound from the transmission. The symptoms appeared around 48700 miles on the vehicle.

Transmission developed whine at 64,000 miles similar to the whine/issues experienced for customers covered under Toyota's zjc customer support program. My VIN was not in the range of impacted units, but had the same issue/failure.