Power Train Problems of Toyota Highlander - part 1

Transmission failure at 78,000 miles.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

2021 Toyota Highlander 87000 miles began making humming noise when stepping on gas and goes away when foot off gas. Toyota said metal shavings in transmission fluid and we need new transmission. We have made appointment to replace. No warning lights. No incident just filing complaint.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Ua80 transmission failure.

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Transmission planetary gears in 2020 Toyota Highlander. Makes a "whining" noise when accelerating. No warning lights or other symptoms. Many reported problems with this model but no recall. Many people are needing to pay out of pocket due to the 60k mileage powertrain warranty.

Transmission whining, harsh shifting, delayed acceleration.

See all problems of the 2017 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

At approximately 64,607 miles, my 2019 Toyota Highlander experienced a complete transmission failure. The vehicle had. Been properly maintained. There were no warning lights prior to the failure. The transmission began making a high-pitched whining noise, followed by difficulty shifting. Research shows that many other 2019 Highlander owners have reported the same issue, often described as the "death whine," occurring between 50,000-100,000 miles. These failures appear related to the ua80 8 -speed automatic transmission, which has already been the subject of service programs in earlier 2017-2018 Toyota vehicles. Transmission replacement cost range from $7,000 - $10,000, with parts frequently on backorder. A major drivetrain failure at such low milage, raises significant safety concerns, and appears to be a recurring defect that warrants investigation.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Transmission started whining at 90k miles and has failed.

8/I was informed that the had a transmission failure requiring full replacement. The Highlander is a 2019 se with a ua80 transmission which we have now discovered has multiple complaints against it. Our car only has 108,000 miles and has been maintained with all required maintenance a full transmission service.

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.

See all problems of the 2018 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

I was nearly in an accident because the vehicle was unable to accelerate quickly due to transmission shift delay.

At 65,000 miles, the transmission has developed a "whining" sound consistent with TSB t-sb-0008-21.

While driving my 2022 Toyota Highlander (VIN: 5tdfzrbh3ns225637, 29,427 miles), I have experienced multiple recurring safety defects that Toyota has been unable or unwilling to repair under warranty. •front collision sensors frequently trigger without any object present, creating a risk of unexpected emergency braking at freeway speeds. •transmission hesitates and surges unpredictably, sometimes propelling the vehicle into traffic. •in heavy rain, my windshield wipers activated on their own and multiple system failure warnings appeared (including abs failure), nearly causing a crash. •persistent startability issue when fuel is below half a tank. •seatbelt malfunction caused a passenger to strike their head. •seat heater failure, seat separation, persistent coolant odor, and nonfunctional factory wireless charger since purchase. These defects are intermittent but recurring, and their unpredictability increases the danger. Toyota and the dealer have failed to duplicate the issues during short test drives, but they continue to occur during normal operation. This vehicle remains under factory and extended warranty, yet repairs have been denied. I believe these defects pose a serious risk to myself, my passengers, and others on the road.

Entering the freeway a mile from home the car would not properly excellerate, only reachind 40 mph before exiting the freeway in favor backroads to my appointment. Shaking back and forth while driving, exacerbated when braking and coming to stop, I needed to put the car into neutral to calm down the shaking while waiting for the light to change. I just went through experiencing a brake failure and reporting of that to this agency and now see another of many defects associated with the 2020-2022 Toyota Highlanders and siennas Toyota is not addressing through recalls as they should be, and further frustrated this agency has or chooses to have no means by which to enforce Toyota's responsibility to the public.

Transmission failed and makes whining noise.

Started hearing a whining noise when I would accelerate and then my car bucked a couple of times. I brought it into Toyota on 8/07/25 to be checked out and I was told that my transmission would need to be replaced. My car is 4 years old, bought brand new in April of 2021 and have kept up on regular maintenance. In researching this I am finding out that there is a large number of people who are experiencing this same thing with their Highlanders. I have also come to find out that in February of 2021 there was a TSB put out with regards to this same issue. This was 2 months before I even purchased my car. It for some reason does not include every vehicle and only some vehicles are included leaving others with this problem out of luck. I do not understand how that can be. If I have that ua80f transmission in my car and that is what is being named as one of the transmissions that have this problem then why is that certain vehicles are not being taken care of and why is Toyota not issuing a recall? my warranty has expired so I am being expected to pay out of pocket $8,000 (not including labor) and on top of that they do not even have the parts as they are on back order. We have to hold Toyota responsible for this.

I’m reporting a drivetrain and engine performance issue affecting my 2019 Toyota Highlander, which I believe is related to Toyota's t-sb-0160-18, t-sb-0008-21, and customer support program zjc (csp zjc). My vehicle is exhibiting the same symptoms like: 1. Intermittent engine misfires (no consistent cel, but noticeable during driving) 2. Hesitation and shuddering during light or moderate acceleration 3. Unintended surging/lunging — the vehicle will randomly jerk forward without throttle input 4. Whining noise under acceleration, which appears to come from the engine bay these symptoms negatively affect vehicle control and driver confidence, especially when merging, passing, or driving in traffic. The behavior is unpredictable and poses a potential safety hazard. After researching, I found that Toyota issued t-sb-0160-18 and t-sb-0008-21 for this engine, acknowledging similar performance issues due to valve train irregularities and ecm programming. Toyota also released customer support program zjc, offering limited support to some vins. However, despite my vehicle showing the same symptoms, it is not included in the csp, and Toyota has not offered assistance without out-of-pocket costs. This issue appears to be more widespread than Toyota’s internal VIN list suggests. Many Highlander owners have reported the same issues online, and I believe Toyota should take responsibility for correcting these performance defects under a recall, not a limited csp. I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate the scope and validity of Toyota's csp zjc and tsbs related to the 2gr-fks engine and push Toyota to expand csp zjc or issue a formal recall to cover all affected vehicles based on symptoms, not just vins.

Whine when accelerating. Toyota has released a TSB 0008-21 indicating to replace transmission due to incorrect installation of a retaining clip on a nut securing differential in place. Nut can become loose and stuck in gears of internals of transmission causing transmission to lock up while driving. This will cause loss of power and could result in an accident. Toyota is aware of the issue but refuses to make repairs due to vehicle being outside of powertrain warranty. Toyota has extended warranty to 10 years on 2017 and 208 model years however the problem still exist in 2017-2024 model years with the same transmission ua80e/ua80f.

My wife was driving on the highway, felt a bump and the engine rpms spiked. The check engine light came on as well as a error message that the secondary collision braking system was disabled. The vehicle was taken to the dealership and we were told there was a internal failure in the transmission. The vehicle has approximately 80k miles.

Complete failure of transmission at approximately 53k miles. No warnings. No lights. Car had just had its 50k miles service appointment. My safety and that of my family was jeopardized when I unknowingly took this car to/from our family vacation out of state- the gears started jumping a few days after we returned, quickly followed by the grinding, whining noises. Come to find out there is a service bulletin that has been out for 4 years! t-sb- 0008-21 issued on February 9, 2021, for select 2021 Highlander models equipped with a ua80e or ua8of. 8-speed automatic transmission. Why wasn't this a recall? how is this not a safety issue? why wasn't this disclosed by Toyota when I was sold a car with 30k miles on it for $35k miles?.

Our vehicle has 72k miles at normal use- no towing or off roading. Due to a whining noise we took in the vehicle at a Toyota dealer and after a $200 diagnostic fee concluded we need a new transmission priced at $10,800. There was no explanation/diagnosis summary- just we need a new transmission.

Car started to make whining noise when accelerating, was taken to a car repair shop & it was found that the transmission will need to be replaced with only around 43k miles on the vehicle. Let it be noted that there are many other people on numerous Toyota forums complaining of the same issues.

Vehicle starts to produce humming and whining sounds as speed picks up from underneath the vehicle, likely from the transmission/final drive gear area. This problem is consistent and persistent. The whining noise stops when the throttle is released and will resume as throttle is engaged. More reported cases of transmission failure, sudden lost of propulsion and grinding noise are found on public forums. Toyota issued a service bulletin about this problem. Toyota issued extended warranty to prior model years from 2016 to 2017 of the same issue. This will affects millions of Toyota sold with the ua80, ua80e and ua80f transmissions in the us.

76,000 miles on my 2020 Highlander. Car was made in September 2020, less than 5 years old. Started to hear whining noise from transmission. Over past few days it has gotten louder. Took to serra Toyota dealer today in birmingham, alabama. They confirmed a problem with transmission and told me I needed a new one for $8600. None are even available. I refuse to pay Toyota any money for this. This is a known issue with the ua80e transmission. The transmission may completely stop working at anytime now. Dealer was unwilling to do anything to help me since car is out of 60,000 mile warranty, and no TSB's or recalls are for my particular year 2020. There is a TSB for 2021 ua80e transmissions. I am so angry about this. This is a clear manufacturing defect. When this transmission dies which will be sooner than later the car will be worthless with no transmissions available.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, there was abnormal whining sound coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to customer support program: pol 19-04. 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 129,000.

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.

At 119,000 miles, the ua80f transmission in our 2021 Toyota Highlander xse started making a whining noise. A dealer confirms the transmission needs to be replaced. After much research, this is apparently a known issue and Toyota will not warranty the repair after the 60,000 mile warranty expires. Estimated repair cost is $11,000.

Ua80e or ua80f Toyota transmission require a complete replacement at 65k miles. Not covered under warranty or technical service bulletin t-sb-0160-18, t-sb-0008-21.

Whining noise upon acceleration, replacement transmission recommended by Toyota dealer. Defective ua80f installed.

There is a known defect with transmissions in certain model years of Toyota cars, mine being one of them, per this TSB: [xxx] the transmission can catastrophically fail but Toyota will not replace the defective part unless the vehicle is still under warranty. I had the Toyota dealer verify that the transmission is beginning to fail and requires replacement. The transmission has begun to emit a "whining" noise. Should the transmission fail catastrophically during operation, it could cause a sudden loss of power, seize a drive wheel, or another event causing a loss of vehicle control. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Complaint description: the automatic transmission in my 2022 Toyota Highlander failed completely at only 62,800 miles. Toyota brand engagement center offered to cover 50% of the replacement cost, but I was informed that the transmission is on national backorder with an estimated wait time of 4–5 months. This leaves me without a safe and reliable vehicle for an extended period of time. The failure is consistent with technical service bulletin t-sb-0008-21 (Feb 9, 2021), which acknowledges internal component failures and abnormal noises (whine/grind) in ua80e/ua80f transmissions. A major drivetrain failure at this mileage is unacceptable and raises concerns about safety, reliability, and Toyota’s handling of known transmission defects. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this issue as it appears to be systemic and affecting many 2021–2022 Toyota Highlander owners.

At approximately 72,000 miles, my 2020 Toyota Highlander platinum was diagnosed by my dealership with a failing transmission that requires full replacement. I first began hearing a high-pitched whining noise during light acceleration shortly after a routine oil change, at some point between 60,000 and 70,000 miles. I did not immediately recognize it as a drivetrain issue until the symptoms worsened. This model uses Toyota’s ua80 8-speed automatic transmission, which has been the subject of technical service bulletin t-sb-0008-21 and a customer support program (zjc) for earlier Highlander models due to similar internal component failures. Despite clear continuity in the symptoms and transmission design, Toyota has not extended coverage or issued a recall for 2020 models like mine. The failure occurred shortly after the end of the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, but symptoms began while the vehicle was still within warranty range. Toyota has not responded to my formal escalation through customer care for nearly three weeks. I am deeply concerned Toyota is not addressing what appears to be a systemic and known defect in a critical drivetrain component that can jeopardize vehicle safety. There was no warning light or dashboard alert at the time the failure developed, making this both a mechanical and safety concern. While this issue does not involve a catastrophic failure like the takata airbag recall, Toyota’s lack of response to a known, widespread transmission issue raises broader concerns about safety, transparency, and accountability. A sudden transmission failure—particularly at highway speeds—could result in loss of power or control. Given that several owners have filed similar complaints, I respectfully urge NHTSA to investigate this issue further and assess whether Toyota should issue a recall or expanded service campaign for 2020 Highlander models equipped with the ua80 transmission, particularly in light of prior coverage for earlier model years.

Whine noise when vehicle is in motion and accelerating. Took it to the dealer for inspection, and advise to replace the transmission.

Defect with transmission as hundreds of other people if not, thousands have already stated. Whining noise from transmission after only 70,000 miles such a big issue that Toyota has a backorder on replacement transmissions.

My transmission started whining at 63,000 miles and my mechanic said it needs to be replaced. However, there is a nationwide backorder on Toyota transmissions. That should be a sign to NHTSA that this is a widespread issue and needs a recall! of course this was right after the 60,000 mile Toyota warranty. I have extended warranty but it doesn't cover consultations or taxes.

I have a high pitched whine noise during acceleration from the transmission area. The noise gets louder with acceleration but goes away immediately when I take my foot off the gas pedal and starts again when you press the gas pedal again.