general problems of the 2019 Toyota Highlander - part 1

My transmission is now missing the 3rd gear and left me and my kids stalled in traffic as I was turning in oncoming traffic. Toyota dealership confirmed that was the problem upon inspection.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled; the contact shifted the vehicle into park(p) and restarted the vehicle for the vehicle to return to normal operation. No warning lights were illuminated; however, the “auto start/stop failure” and “see dealer" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The failure reoccurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,530.

Tramision it no good make nose and power go off transmisión lose power and make smoke.

The car randomly shuts off, while waiting in line or when the break is depressed. The vehicle won’t start, battery is completely dead and then comes back randomly.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? 12v battery how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? vehicle unable to start. 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? inspected by independent service center. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no warning of impending failures. 2/17/2020, vehicle purchased new from Toyota of morristown (NJ). 2/23/2023, vehicle's (3 year old; 1 week outside of warranty) original oem 12v battery failed and was replaced with Toyota oem 12v battery (part #2880031291) by independent service center ($376. 61). 12/18/2025, vehicle's (less than 2 year old) replacement Toyota oem 12v battery failed and was replaced with Toyota oem 12v battery by independent service center ($407. 88).

Transmission failure resulted in sudden loss of power while driving, creating a safety risk in traffic. Vehicle was unable to accelerate and required immediate repair. Put myself and my children at risk, as the car suddenly died while I was driving it. Prior to this, there were not issues. Has been routinely maintained and only has approx 83k miles. Toyota agreed that the transmission is the only issue with my car but won't cover the cost to replace it (10k) or the cost of a loaner vehicle. I have been without a car for almost a month while the (refurbished) transmission is on backorder.

This is the second time this year 2025 my Toyota Highlander 2019 stalled fist in the middle of of intersection and second on the drive thru in in&out. Suddenly my car died. Tried to turn on followed the on screen instructions but the car failed to turn on. The first time it happened in the middle of the intersection while waiting for the light to change, after the issue I when straight to a car shop and oreilly they have this machine to check any possible issues and he said nothing shows in his machine but he think it’s the battery but I told the guy my battery and on the car shop midas same result no major issue found and one of the technicians says it could be the auto shot off features, that must be manually turn off since this will automatically turn on. The second incident in in&out the car died suddenly, tried to turn the car but it was on drive so change to stop then tried to turn on multiple times but faulted , the crews decided to help us push the car out of the drive thru since we are blocking all the customers car, the steering wheel so stiff could hardly turn. We can’t change gear from stop, I was told to push off and on manual break foot pedal and this this help able to change gear to neutral, so we can push the car out of the drive thru. No message or failure message in the screen. We just push the car in the parking lot. Tried to turn on but failed. One of in&out staff was so kind to help us, he has a portable jumpstart and the car able to start. Able to drive home safe. Now I’m afraid to turn on my car or drive far distance due to this issues.

Issue 1: I reported transmission issued to the dealership/service center where I purchased the car. They assured me its just the electronic transmission trying to find the right gear while driving. Continued to complaint about the jerks and shifting. Dealer warranty expired, then they agreed that I needed a new transmission. Fortunately I had an outside extended warranty otherwise they'd probably would have waited until that ended too. Status post the transmission, tuning, sensor replacements, spark plug replacement, and tpms replacements all in one service. Prior to my warranty expiring, awd, engine light and hard transmission shifts began with the new transmission. Returned repeatedly from April to November with no resolution. However, they did have me pay to replace sensors I had replaced in April several times and obtain a new battery. Issue 2: after "new" batter the car's electrical issues worsened resulting in a power failure while driving at 75 miles an hour and losing complete control of the vehicle. The power failure shut down the electronic shifter, power steering, all wheel drive, traction control in raining conditions and ultimately the power assisted brakes. Returned the vehicle to the service department for additional "testing" after taking a video of the fault messages were the car electrical systems shut down to auto start stop function warning light. I'm a skill driver and was able to avoid crashing during the incidents. The photos are from the latest day I dropped the vehicle off for review I took a video of the vehicle powering down for their records. They are now stating since they can't figure it out maybe I should pay them to replace the electrical wiring harnesses throughout the vehicle; a cost which exceeds the vehicle's worth to me. I'm convinced now more than ever they knew there was an electrical issue with the vehicle but waited me out and if I would have crashed and died all the blame would have been on me.

Clog of evaporator box caused water intrusion into vehicle. Water leaked onto airbag ecu causing malfunction and requiring replacement of airbag ecu.

Upon expiration of the sos subscription the dcm creates a loud feedback noise that goes through the passengers speaker and is causing hearing loss every time the vehicle is turned on. Has been documented many times on reddit from other owners of 2019 Highlanders.

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. My wife, the primary driver of the car, has slowly developed tinnitus and this is the only loud, ear piercing, noises she have been exposed to. This noise can also bring on extreme headaches. I can't imagine the damage it could do to a child. We have tried to get this fixed at the mechanic and Toyota says the part is backordered. When we go to Toyota they state they have not heard of the issue. When we search the internet it is easy to find threads of this same issue on the same model, Toyota seems to be hiding this is a known issue.

Radio head unit keeps resetting. While using navigation. Disturbing driving. Something it will continually loop resetting. Can not determine consistent cause. Would like a free replacement and or upgrade including navigation.

Complaint regarding dcm module failure in 2019 Toyota Highlander platinum our 2019 Toyota Highlander platinum is experiencing severe audio system malfunctions, beyond simple bluetooth and connectivity failures. The vehicle sporadically emits an extremely loud screeching feedback sound upon startup and at unpredictable times while driving. This deafening noise is highly distracting to the driver, posing a significant safety risk. Toyota has been aware of this issue for years and documented it in technical service bulletin t-sb-0112-20, which identifies the faulty vehicle assembly locations. However, despite widespread reports from owners and the high cost of repairs, Toyota has failed to issue a recall. Given the clear safety hazards associated with this defect, I firmly believe Toyota should recall affected Highlanders and provide immediate replacements for the defective dcm module. Owners should not be forced to cover costly repairs for a known issue that compromises driver safety.

[xxx] dear staff there are other people complaining of engine misfire also [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Dear staff, after several payments made for diagnostics I feel like I should commit suicide maybe because of this Toyota I can not afford to pay diagnostics every single day to hear the same story over and over I understand there is a engine check light, I need it repaired please instead of having to pay diagnostic fees which advance autoparts doesnt even charge and Toyota takes $172 diagnostic fees when they can not even themselves rule out the problem in their engineering or manufacturing please look out for similar issues, engine problems in 2gr-fks engines as more people experiencing issues will confirm its Toyota's fault they should either shut down their manufacturing in japan or bring back the standards of japanese automotives.

When starting the vehicle, and extremely loud feedback noise is emitted from the front right speaker. This happens intermittently. Sometimes it's every 5th time you start it, and sometimes every 29th start. This started happening after the dealer-provided sos safety subscription expired. The noise is extremely loud and very disturbing especially for individuals like our daughter who has special needs. I would not be surprised if it is damaging our hearing. It would likely be especially harmful to children! it has been confirmed by the dealer and is currently back at the shop whule they are further investigating the cause.

Upon starting the Highlander, there is a very loud screeching/feedback noise through the speakers- it appears to be coming from the dcm as described y a Toyota representative. . This happens upon stating the car at least once a day and frequency is increasing.

Extremely loud high pitched noise when the vehicle starts. The problem began early October 2024 and has continued. It happens every time the car turns on.

When I start the Highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers. It's so loud you instinctively close your eyes and put your hands on your ears, ignoring whatever you were doing before (like maybe putting the car in gear). It lasts a second or two then stops. It doesn't happen every time, more like every 10 starts. I called Toyota and they said take it to the dealer. I'm still waiting to get their feedback.

Intermittent extremely loud ear-piercing high pitched noise coming from speakers upon starting the vehicle. The volume of the sounds is extremely high, the loudest noise I've ever heard. The sound lasts about 5 seconds. I am concerned for the safety of our hearing, for my family, including our children. It has not been reproduced at the service center because it is intermittent. I have read online where others with the similar year/make/model experienced it and have varying success by re-subscribing to Toyota sos safety connect ($80/year), or replacing the data communication module (dcm). If not uner warranty, this costs thousands of dollars. I have tried re-subscribing to the safety connect but it does not work, and the dealer wants me to pay additionally for them to see why this safety feature is not working in my car. There is no warning before this loud sound presents.

Was stuck in traffic on a highway for about 25 minutes going 0 miles per hour because of an accident about 5 miles away. Then the traffic started to clear and began driving on the road again. About five minutes later, the vehicle lost full drive abilities and the check engine light came on, traction control light on, brake light was on, abs light was on, stability control warning light on, and then on the info screen the vehicle stated, "hybrid system malfunction stop in a safe place, see owner's manual", screen then showed within 2-seconds, "pre-collision system malfunction visit your dealer", then in about 2 additional seconds later the info screen stated, "check engine visit your dealer", then most every waring light turned on, and there was no power for drive with either hybrid or gasoline engine. The vehicle basically came to a sudden halt in the middle of traffic with steering wheel locked and no control. Had to get police involved and a tow to get off the road. Had vehicle towed to a local Toyota dealership and they do not open until Monday at 9am. This incident occurred on Saturday around 3pm.

When starting the 2019 Highlander, the car would intermittently emit a screeching noise. This noise is startling and can potentially cause a crash if it is emit while driving. This is a known issue since it made to the Toyota forum: [xxx] however, when I brought the car to the dealership, they’re stating that they don’t know about the issue, and want to charge $300 just to diagnose the problem without guarantee the fix or acknowledge the known issue. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring, and the battery was replaced, as recommended by the local dealer; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer where it was diagnosed that the start/stop system was draining the battery. As a result of the failure, the start/stop system was turned off. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

I have a sporadic high pitch screeching beep when I start my car. It started about 3 months ago. It is so loud and glad I don’t have little kids or older adults I have to transport. I have noticed my sos consistently blinks green and red.

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.

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.

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.

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.

There is a loud, ear splitting sound that occurs at start up. It doesn’t happen every time but has happened multiple times since I’ve owned the car for 1 year. It is very loud—like a shrill feedback noise from a microphone.

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.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while backing out of a driveway, the vehicle began to jerk without warning. Once the contact reached the base of her driveway, the vehicle accelerated backwards into a neighbor's tree. The airbags 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 the 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.

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 reached the dealership. My vehicle was placed on a machine where they received the code for a fuel rail issue along with a misfire. I was then advised that this issue is not covered under warranty. I was also told that the problem would cost me over 4k for the part which does not include labor. I have been doing my research since and I now find that there is a recall on my vehicle.

When running, after stopping at a stop sign, the car hesitates to go, kind of sputters. When turning the car on, the lights on the dash flicker and now the car won’t start. On days prior, you would turn the car key, but the car wouldn’t start on the first time. It sounded like it wouldn’t turn all the way on, like the battery died. I didn’t leave the radio on or anything that would warrant that. My safety was put at risk because I work in healthcare and get off work at midnight so if I broke down or stalled in traffic, this could cause an accident.