Electrical System Problems of Toyota Highlander - part 1

I pushed the brake and swerved and the car kept going and a greater speed and surged into a house.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the infotainment screen would go blank and the system would turn on inadvertently. This issue became more frequent, occurring approximately every 10 seconds. The power steering warning light also illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto parts store where a handheld diagnostic machine did not detect any failures or codes. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the steering wheel became extremely stiff. On one occasion while his daughter was driving and turning the vehicle on a curved road, the vehicle veered into oncoming traffic. The contact stated that she managed to get the vehicle back to the correct side of the road, then stopped and inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to an auto parts store where a handheld diagnostic machine was used, but the failure was not detected. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact believes that the steering failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 15v144 (steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,800.

See all problems of the 2015 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

I was told by oxmoor dealership I had to talk to Toyota corporate before I could get my car touched and that I did not need to talk to a lawyer. I called. Prior to the accident, the vehicle had been exhibiting multiple symptoms: an intermittent airbag warning light had illuminated briefly on the dashboard on a few occasions, and the vehicle had begun requiring noticeably longer physical distances to come to a complete stop at traffic signs and lights when not using cruise control. The vehicle was experiencing regular phantom seatbelt warnings—dinging as if a passenger was unbuckled when the seat was completely empty. The phantom seatbelt warnings I didnt think we're a big deal were occurring across multiple seating rows simultaneously in front and back. Directly preceding the crash, while making a turn, the vehicle swerved slightly. When I applied the physical brake pedal, the vehicle did not decelerate normally; instead, it experienced a sudden, abrupt forward acceleration surge into the building. I still haven't gotten my vehicle back or any information on what has been done or when I am getting my car back. I was also charged for an extra day for my rental when I was told to return it on the 16th. I haven't had a rental since then. I keep contacting oxmoor Toyota and they said they were waiting on Toyota corporate. I haven't had my car for a month. I tried to email. It was returned. My mailbox on my phone has been full of drs and other calls non stop. I texted online on the Toyota page for the claim as well. Ive repeatedly asked the Toyota dealership what is going on and I get we are waiting on corporate. I called Toyota corporate again today and was told they would get back to me. I told the dealership. I am under medical care and in severe pain. Yes my safety was put at risk. Police and fire department were here the night it happened. They said they don't do a police report on private property. There is an insurance claim through state farm.

I was backing up the vechial accelerated the steering wheel was turning rapid & a grinding noise causing me too hit another vechial about a month before my husband was driving & the vechial accelerated going toward also we had had some issues with back camera not doing a warning signal with a object behind vechial when the accident happened my vechial has braking system that stops you if something is behind you this time it didn’t I called the dealership when accident happed which was may 21 2026 & reported it they said they had accelerations before & advised me to call Toyota engadgment which I did they did a diagnostic test June 5 & to this day I’ve never heard back from them.

See all problems of the 2025 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

The radio keeps freezing up all the time along with the back tail light area going in and out. I keep smelling like burnt wire smell. Engine sound really rough.

See all problems of the 2014 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

The only door that will lock or unlock using the fab key or the master lock button on the drivers armrest is the drivers side rear door. My vehicle is not able to be locked unless I do it manually and can not be unlocked unless I use the rear drivers side door. This has been reproduced by the dealership. There were no warning lamps or messages and no other symptoms. This has been going on for a month. I am being told by the dealership service department that 3 actuators failed at the same time. My lift gate also malfunctioned this year. Dealership diagnosed it with needing new struts. Not sure if this is related. Lift gate would not open or open only a small amount. This was using the inside button and the outside one as well.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

I noticed the smell of wires burning, a billow of smoke started emitting from the two levers used to heat the seats near the gear shift area. I was on the freeway and immediately pulled to the side of the road, turned off the car and called 911 before any flames were seen. There were no warning signs, lamps or other symptoms until the smell of burning wires and the smoke.

Four days after I took delivery of this used vehicle (April 25, 2026), multiple warning lights appeared at once: brake, abs, park, check engine, blind spot monitor unavailable, and rcta off. An independent Toyota dealership diagnosed the vehicle April 27-28, 2026 (approx. 109,000 miles) and found (1) water leaking into the rear hybrid battery area through a sunroof drain "installed incorrectly," causing a brake system control module low-voltage code, starting issues, a headlight only partially functioning on one side, possible air in the brake system, and a musty hvac odor; and (2) blind spot monitor fault code c1ac2 (slave module horizontal axis misalignment) - the blind spot and rear cross-traffic monitoring systems do not function reliably. At a second visit on may 4, 2026, recalibration was unsuccessful; per Toyota procedure the only remaining option is replacing the right-rear blind spot sensor. The technician wrote the cause is a mystery, "whether it be body damage related or electrical short. " Toyota service records show the same c1ac2 code was documented during the selling dealer's own pre-sale inspection, and that in December 2024 another Toyota dealership pulled the rear bumper and found the rr blind spot sensor bracket bent, causing incorrect readings - a recurring safety defect that prior calibrations and repairs have not resolved. Separately, federal safety recall 23v865 (occupant classification sensors; the passenger airbag may not deploy as designed) was open and incomplete when I purchased the vehicle and remains incomplete, and Toyota service campaign 25td01 (rear traction motor cable corrosion) is also outstanding. The defect has been reproduced and confirmed by two Toyota dealerships, reported to the selling dealer in writing, and reported to Toyota's customer-care center. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. No crash, fire, or injury.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Motorized struts to lift and close the rear lift gate have failed. The struts do work to open the lift gate but they do not work to close it. Manually closing the lift gate is extremely difficult because of the electric motors inside of the struts. A known problem by Toyota as they have issued a TSB. Toyota’s solution is to replace the struts at a cost of $1200. My concern about this being a safety issue: closing the lift gate after accessing the spare tire is extremely difficult. If my wife would inadvertently open the lift gate, which does work, after leaving the grocery store to put all of the groceries in the back, she would not have the strength to manually close it. Obviously, the vehicle cannot be driven with the open tail gate. This is not any different than if any of the doors could not be closed due to defective hinges. The premature failure of motorized struts is a fairly common problem with Highlanders. Toyotanation, which is a Toyota sponsored forum for owners to communicate with other owners about issues/problems, contains numerous posts about the failure of motorized struts on the rear lift gate. Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The trunk will not close using any of the buttons. This is an on going issue on so many newer Highlanders.

See all problems of the 2024 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Exterior lights continually burn out.

The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the power liftgate consistently failed halfway through while opening and closing the liftgate. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact became aware of information online about technical service bulletin: sb0023/16, NHTSA id number: 10134306 (structure, electrical system); and associated the failure with the TSB. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty, TSB, or a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

March 5th purchased a battery from autozone z net fit match that caused cascading electrical and life -safety risk while traveling from hewitt, TX to washington DC for our families spring break trip including 4 minor children. Component: 12-volt battery / electrical system / power steering / service brakes summary: vehicle suffered catastrophic failure of power steering and braking systems while in motion due to the installation of an incompatible lead-acid battery recommended by autozone’s 'z-net' catalog. Despite Toyota technical service bulletin t-tt-0523-19 (Jan 2019) stating this VIN requires an enhanced flooded battery (efb/agm) for its stop-start system, the retailer’s database continues to misidentify standard batteries as compatible. This mismatch causes a voltage drop that disables critical safety modules ('limp mode'). I have video evidence of the catalog error. This is a systemic misrepresentation affecting 2017+ Toyota Highlander safety compliance.

See all problems of the 2017 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

When applying the brake slowly all of a sudden the car went full acceleration and crashed 500ft away at high speed. The car is crashed but available for inspection for a short period of time until the insurance company takes full posession. There are not open recalls. The only lights on the dash were for tpms sensor.

See all problems of the 2010 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

The vehicle experiences intermittent power steering malfunction while driving. Warning messages including “power steering malfunction” and “low voltage abnormality” appear, and the steering wheel becomes stiff and difficult to turn. This has occurred multiple times during normal driving conditions, including at low speeds and while turning. When the issue occurs, it requires increased effort to steer, creating a risk of loss of control. Additional warning messages have included awd malfunction, pre-collision system malfunction, and lane tracing assist malfunction. These alerts appear simultaneously with the steering issue. The problem began shortly after purchase and has continued intermittently. The vehicle has been inspected, but the issue has not been resolved. This condition creates a safety risk, especially when driving with passengers.

Vehicle: 2022 Toyota Highlander limited mileage at failure: ~60,000 miles the driver seat began moving rearward without any driver input while the vehicle was being driven. The movement was intermittent and occurred multiple times over several days. In one incident, the seat moved rearward while my wife was driving, causing her to lose proper reach to the brake pedal and nearly lose control of the vehicle. The seat would sometimes move to the full rear position and continue attempting to move past the mechanical stop. The problem also occurred during vehicle startup and shutdown cycles. This condition creates a significant safety risk because the driver’s seating position can change unexpectedly while driving. In attempting to mitigate the problem, I tried to disable the power seat by removing the fuse. However, the power seat fuses on this vehicle are not clearly labeled and are mounted on the side of the interior junction block under the dash, making them inaccessible to the driver without removing interior panels. As a result, the malfunctioning system could not be quickly disabled. The vehicle required replacement of the driver seat control/track assembly at a cost of approximately $1,600. Uncommanded movement of the driver seat while driving appears to be a safety-related defect and should be investigated for potential recall or service campaign.

The vehicle experienced a transmission failure at approximately 62,000 miles, which required a transmission replacement. Toyota replaced the transmission with a rebuilt transmission. Immediately after the repair, the vehicle began experiencing multiple issues that were not present prior to the repair. The vehicle initially would not reverse, and the battery was drained shortly after the repair was completed. Following the repair, the vehicle has continued to experience ongoing electrical malfunctions, including dashboard warning lights, system alerts, and dash lights flashing during remote start. The vehicle has also developed a rattling noise underneath the vehicle. The exact failed component has not been clearly identified. The dealership has provided changing diagnoses and has not provided written diagnostic documentation despite requests. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership multiple times; however, the issues have not been resolved. During a recent diagnostic, the dealership stated that the catalytic converter is now the issue, but this does not address the ongoing electrical problems. These issues raise safety concerns due to unpredictable vehicle behavior and potential failure of critical systems while driving. Warning lights and system errors began appearing after the transmission repair and have continued since that time. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that a hybrid system warning alert was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the windshield wiring system had failed and that the windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that the windshield failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 18e107000 (electrical system, visibility). The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The windshield manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.

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.

Throttle plate iced up in cold weather, causing computer to put the car in limp mode, creating a dangerous situation. Toyota had a TSB solution for this in 2023, but did not make the software update available until my vehicle failed.

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v595000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel failed to display critical safety information as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

The entire head unit in the center of the front console went crazy and started going blank, glitching out, and basically made it impossible to use any of the features associated with that screen unit. The 2022 Toyota Highlander's head unit controls infotainment (radio, streaming, navigation, phone) and integrates with vehicle settings for climate (auto ac, seat heaters/ventilators), lighting, door locks, and driver-assist features like road sign assist and parking support brake, with over-the-air updates available for connected models. It manages multimedia, bluetooth, apple carplay, android auto, WI-fi, and vehicle alerts, offering deep customization for audio, display, and connectivity. We promptly took the car into the Toyota dealer and they determined it was a bad head unit and I had to pick up the car and they made us drive the car for about 1 1/2 weeks broken, while the part was in transit. After the part arrived, we scheduled visit for that part replacement. They later called and said that it was causing the same issues and had to do a further diagnostic and determined that the integragation control sub assembly computer (the cpu for the head unit?) was actually the bad part. The 2nd part was ordered and installed, and ultimately repaired the issue. We had limited control over the heater and keeping the ice off the windows and other issues with no navigation and other systems during this 1 1/2 week period. This is also the same screen that gives us the backup camera, and the 360 degrees camera views. Wow, not happy that such a major part failed with the car being so new. We bought the car brand new with just a few miles on it, and have bought every service and insurance package that Toyota offered when we purchased the car and have kept and maintained the car in excellent shape doing all maintenance exactly on schedule.

Trunk has stopped working. It loudly beeps and will not open on its own. Trunk has to be manually opened and shut with great force to be used.

My 12. 3” display screen goes really dark and I have to restart vehicle to reset.

When turning on the heated steering wheel and about 5-10 minutes, it seems there is smoke coming from the steering wheel leather and it’s very hot that almost burnt my hand and forced me to take my left hand off. I immediately turned the heated steering wheel and stopped. There is a burning spot left on the steering wheel also. The heating option still can be enabled and the same situation repeats (like no fuse was broken).

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.

When right front pax sits in seat and fastens seatbelt, the airbag indicator correctly says "on. " but after a few minutes, the airbag turns "off" and the driver's dash gets an "unfastened seatbelt" warning and a "faulty airbag" warning. All of these occur while the front right pax has remain seated and buckled. If the pax unbuckles and exits the seat, these incorrect warnings all remain the same. The right front pax seat belt buckle has been replaced with no effect. The seat has been recalibrated (seat sensors) with no effect. The wires under the seat have been disconnected, cleaned, and re-connected with no effect. This is a safety issue in that the airbag on that front right side DE-activates when a passenger is in that seat. There is a Toyota recall campaign for this identical problem, but it does not include my model year (2015). Requesting NHTSA get Toyota to extend their recall to include 2015 models, please.

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.

The back hatch of the car has issues closing regularly. Nearly half of the time you push the button to shut the back hatch when it is open it will not close and has to be shut manually. Typically, it shuts an inch or two and then beeps at you and when you push the button again nothing happens but beeping. This is an issue because it is very difficult to close. Even as a 6' 200+ lb man who does strength training regularly, shutting the back hatch is difficult to do manually let alone for my much smaller wife. This has let to her having to ask for help from strangers in a parking lot to help close the door which is unsafe, particularly since we have small children. Toyota has acknowledged that this is a known issue and have stated that there is nothing that they can do to fix it. This acknowledgement came when the car was very new and my father was the owner and again just a few months ago when we brought up the issue again with Toyota.

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the instrument cluster was blinking. The contact expressed that she was concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact received the recall notices of NHTSA campaign numbers: 25v744000 (back over prevention) and 25v595000 (electrical system); however, the part to do the recall repair of NHTSA campaign number: 25v595000 (electrical system) was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and filed a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 13,357.

See attached document for complaint.