Power Train Problems of Toyota Highlander - part 1

2023 Toyota Highlander w au80 transmission whinning noises when accelerating. 69000k miles, serviced at emerson Toyota, scheduled transmission check at 57000k miles, technician stated slight whinning was normal.

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8 speed transmission faulty.

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My 2020 hylander, which has under 50,000 miles, started to whine with any use of gas pedal/acceleration. None of the warning lights were triggered. My mechanic informed me today it needs a new transmission, and for safety reasons, the car shouldn’t be driven. I’ve been reading how there are known problems with Toyota’s transmissions for my age car—this is negligence on their part—these cars should be recalled and fixed by Toyota.

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My transmission failed in my 2020 Toyota Highlander after about 75,000 miles. This is a know issue technical service bulletin # t-sb-0008-21. The dealership acknowledged the known issue and instructed me to reach out to Toyota corporate for goodwill assistance which I did. They are reviewing my case but told me that they will not replace the transmission even thought its a know issue. It will be $10,000 dollars to repair.

The transmission has been making a whining noise since about 75k miles. Had the transmission fluid changed at about 110k miles. Still makes whining noise and now has a rumble occasionally. We took it to the dealer and they said the transmission needs replaced. Over $8k in charges for the repair.

Complaint: I am writing to report a transmission defect in my 2018 Toyota Highlander awd (ua80 8-speed automatic transmission). Prior to the check engine light illuminating, I noticed a burning smell coming from the vehicle. Subsequently, the following fault codes were retrieved: •p0741 – torque converter clutch circuit performance/stuck off •p2714 – pressure control solenoid “d” performance/stuck off •p2757 – torque converter clutch pressure control solenoid circuit performance/stuck off these symptoms are consistent with the known defect described in Toyota’s customer support program zjc (pol19-04), which acknowledges a manufacturing defect involving an improperly bent washer tab inside the ua80 transmission. However, my VIN was not included in the covered vehicles under this program, despite experiencing identical symptoms. I am also aware that multiple class action lawsuits were filed in December 2025 against Toyota alleging the company knowingly concealed this defect from consumers for years. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate whether Toyota’s csp zjc coverage should be expanded to include additional affected vins, and to consider issuing a mandatory recall for all vehicles equipped with the defective ua80 transmission.

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Whining sound, when acceleration.

We purchased our 2021 Highlander xle in the spring of 2024. It came with a powertrain warranty up to 60,000 miles. Unfortunately for us, we're at 65,000 miles and recently started hearing a high-pitched, whining noise when we accelerate. We took it to the Toyota dealership and they told us we need the transmission replaced. A new transmission is around $9,000, before taxes and service fees. We haven't had any other issues and haven't had an accident. There's already a class-action lawsuit against Toyota regarding their Highlander models having ua80 transmission issues. Because of this, we called corporate in hopes they will pay for it under their goodwill assistance program. However, because we never had the Highlander serviced at a Toyota dealership before, they told us they won't cover anything. We've routinely serviced this vehicle. We happened to purchase it at a Nissan dealership, so getting maintenance at Toyota didn't cross our minds. Regardless of where we got the car serviced, it's obvious there's a recurring problem with the Highlander's transmission that Toyota has refused to acknowledge, which is costing consumers around $9,000 apiece. We feel cheated by Toyota, and we hope they eventually have to make things right.

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I took my car in for service and I noticed my car is making a loud whining noise. I asked the mechanic about it and he said my transmission is going out. I found on the web several people complaining about the 8-speed Toyota transmission and how it will stop working shortly. The complaints are numerous and it listed all the of the technical bulletins that Toyota issued and they knew about the problem years ago. I am taking my car to shop to have it fixed or replace. Based upon all my research, I am concerned that the car will stop working and leave me in an unsafe situation. I am not happy that Toyota is selling such a defective product.

Transmission failure (whining noise similar to the well-documented issue with ua80f 8-speed transmissions). I reported the noise and requested a specific diagnosis at approximately 95k miles --- no warning lamps/warnings were visible, just noticeable noise while driving without the radio on. On may 22, 2026, torrington Toyota confirmed that the transmission was failed, but vehicle is drivable. As I purchased a Toyota extended warranty, Toyota has approved the order of a remanufactured unit, which is on back order, so repair date is tbd/unknown. I lack confidence in the long-term viability of remanufactured unit, as this ua80f transmission continues to have issues, and will cost me $12k+ after the warranty expires, in the likely case that the remanufactured unit fails. There should be a long-term fix to this expensive issue.

My Toyota Highlander 2019 began to produce a whining noise that orginates in the transmission at about 89000 miles. An independent mechanic examined the vehicle and deteremined that the noise is well documented. After conducting research, I found that the issue is caused by improper assembly and the only repair is a complete replacement of the transmission. I also discovered that there is a recall on the 2017-2019 Toyota Highlander due to the 8 speed transmission which is also used in my vehicle. The idea that the 2019-2022 Toyota Highlanders are not included in this recall is completely unreasonable. These vehicles utilize the same 8-speed transmission and the whining noise tends to surface after 60, 000 miles - about four to five years based on useage. The whining noise began without warning or symptoms. The vehicle drove without issues and we intended on driving this vehicle into retirement considering the reputation Toyota had on building reliable vehicles. I will never purchase or recommend the purchase of a Toyota vehicle! the idea that repeated transmission failures, without an univeral recall for all years affected, shows that the comsumer is not respected. I would enjoy understanding the logic and data that enabled Toyota to limit the recall to just three production year when the 8-speed transmission spanned six years of production (2017-2022). I am now forced to look into replacing the transmission with potentionally another faulty, improperly assembled 8-speed transmission.

My 2021 Toyota Highlander was making a high pitched whine sound upon acceleration with the sound level holding steady at a consistent speed. We took the vehicle to a Toyota dealership to have it looked at and were told the transmission needs to be replaced. No other warnings were received. We are concerned about our safety if the transmission goes out while on the road.

My 2021 Toyota Highlander makes a whining sound when driving. Took vehicle to dealership and was told it is a $10,000 repair and repair is critical.

My car start with a noise and just lost power in the middle of the road causing almost an accident. This was caused due to the manufacture issue for the transmissions with my car model and brand.

2021 Highlander began with whining noise around may 15, 2026 and just outside the warranty. Had the vehicle inspected at the Toyota dealer for repair. They informed me the transmission failed and needs replaced for a price of $9600. Found on the internet that many folks are having the same transmission issue on several Toyotas made in 2021 with a ua80e or ua80f transmission. Toyota issued a technical service bulletin (t-sb-0008-21) on February 9, 2021! we received no warning until the whining noise. We attempted a “goodwill case” to get Toyota to help pay but were denied for the simple reason we used our own mechanic. This has absolutely no effect on this transmission failure. Since Toyota was always aware of this issue I feel they should be held accountable. This is a major faulty product.

Ua80f transmission failure at 100k miles for the 2018 Toyota Highlander se. No warning lights, engine noise (high pitched whine while driving). Took to the dealer and was told the transmission needed to be replaced.

My 2023 Toyota Highlander was experiencing a high pitch whiny noise when accelerating. I looked up on line and saw that this could be a failing transmission issue. I took it into the Toyota dealership , 6321 west canal drive, kennewick, wa 99336. They confirmed my concerns. They said the transmission was toast and I could not drive it until repaired. They informed me they would have to order a replacement transmission under warranty. They further informed me that there is a backlog of requests for replacement transmissions because this is a major problem with Toyota. They have no idea how long it will be. It could be weeks or it could be months. In looking online, it appears that Toyota has been aware of this issue with the 8 speed transmission and has not been addressing the problem. My question, why isn't Toyota addressing this problem? why does it take weeks or months to building a replacement transmission? something needs to be done about this.

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Transmission is giving a whining noice when accelerating. Took it to Toyota dealer, they said the transmission needs to be changed and it will cost me $11,000 . There are many complaints online about these ua80 transmissions and the root cause is listed to an assembly problem during production but Toyota will not accept this and will not help to replace it.

The vehicle recently began making a whining noise when the gas pedal is pressed that is consistent with premature failure of the transmission. I took it to my local dealership and they recommended replacing the transmission and limiting usage of the vehicle to short trips until that is done because the transmission could fail while driving which would result in loss of power to the wheels which could lead to an accident.

The transmission went on my 2018 Toyota Highlander. The other day as I was driving on highway, lost power as I was driving in neutral. I went from 70mph to 10 or less mph, would not accelerate. All of a sudden all warning lights. Check awd, check engine light came on, many messages at once. There were no warning lights displayed prior to this. I was able to get off an exit. Could not move the car anymore was not in a safe area, called police for assistance. The car was towed to an independent service center who confirmed it was a transmission issue.

Right after vehicle passed 60k miles mark (manufacturer warranty ended) I noticed a whining noise under load. During acceleration the noise is most noticeable between 30-50 mph speed range. If a gas pedal released the noise is gone and if pressed again the noise is coming back. The pitch increases with a speed increase. I took the car to dealership (current odometer reading 61,037 miles) and they diagnosed transmission failure. Apparently it is a very common issue with the current transmission family (ua80/ua81).

Transmission failing/confirmed by dealer at 70k. No slipping, no warning messages, just whining prompted me to have it inspected. There are multiple lawsuits regarding these ua80 transmissions and Toyota is refusing to fix or acknowledge the manufacturing flaw.

The transmission failed. It is available for inspection. Should the transmission have completely failed on the road, it could have lead to an accident. Per the dealership diagnostic: replace transmission and torque converter assembly with applicable seals due to internal transmission failure. It has not been inspected by anyone else. No warning lights. This is a widespread problem in 2017-2020 Toyota Highlanders. Failure frequently happens right after the expiration of the manufacturer warranty and Toyota refuses to pay for it.

Transmission is whining on speeds between 25-55 mph. Pointing to pre-mature internal failure of components in transmission.

I own a 2021 Toyota Highlander with approximately 100,500 miles. The vehicle has developed a noticeable whining noise coming from the transmission/drivetrain area that continues to worsen over time. The noise is most noticeable during acceleration and while driving at highway speeds. I brought the vehicle to Toyota for inspection and was informed that the issue is related to the transmission. However, Toyota denied repair assistance because the vehicle is outside the powertrain warranty period. After researching the issue, I discovered multiple similar complaints involving 2021 Toyota Highlanders equipped with the ua80 transmission, including Toyota technical service bulletin t-sb-0008-21 regarding “whine or grind noise from the transmission. ” the symptoms described in the bulletin closely match the symptoms my vehicle is experiencing. Toyota appears aware of this transmission-related issue, yet many owners outside the warranty period are being denied coverage despite similar failures and complaints. I am concerned this may represent a broader transmission defect that could lead to premature transmission failure, unsafe driving conditions, hesitation, loss of power, or expensive repairs for consumers. I believe this issue should be investigated further by NHTSA due to the growing number of similar complaints involving whining transmission noises and transmission failures in Toyota Highlander vehicles. At this time, the vehicle has not yet experienced a complete transmission failure, but the condition is worsening and raises significant concerns regarding reliability and safety.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, on the highway. The contact notice an abnormal noise coming from the transmission. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and they informed him this will not b escalated and offered no further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 133, 000.

This Toyota Highlander make whining sound when I try to speedup, even a little bit. I had a transmission shop checked, and I was informed there is metal pieces in transmission fluid. I am concerned it will break one day on highway while driving.

Transmission. My 2021 Toyota Highlander with approximately 94,500 miles developed a consistent whining noise during acceleration. The issue occurs daily during normal driving and appears to be worsening. A Toyota dealership diagnosed the problem and confirmed the noise is coming from the transmission and that the transmission requires replacement. This appears to be a premature failure of a major drivetrain component. The condition could lead to loss of power or transmission failure while driving, creating a potential safety risk. There was no prior warning, and the vehicle has been properly maintained.

The transmission on the 2021 Toyota Highlander failed at only 5 1/2 years old (66,000 miles). This is a known issue from Toyota and they should be held responsible to cover items just barely out of warranty for well maintained vehicles.

I am reporting a potential premature transmission failure in my 2019 Toyota Highlander awd. At approximately 89,000 miles, the vehicle developed a noticeable and persistent whining noise coming from the transmission/drivetrain area. The noise continued despite transmission service and has progressed to the point where the vehicle requires a transmission replacement. I have had the vehicle evaluated by three separate repair facilities, including transmission specialists. All three independently determined that the transmission has failed and requires replacement. Repair estimates range from approximately $7,200 to $12,000. A complete transmission failure at approximately 89,000 miles is unexpected and raises concerns about a possible design or manufacturing defect. A transmission failure while driving could cause loss of power, inability to accelerate, reduced control of the vehicle, or create a dangerous situation while merging, entering traffic, or traveling at highway speeds. The vehicle has been maintained and used normally. I am submitting this complaint because I believe this issue may affect other Toyota Highlander owners and should be investigated for a potential safety-related defect.

Car makes a high pitched whining noise at low speeds of approx. 10-30 mph.

The transmission failed after 56,000 miles. Based on the research this ua80 transmission has a lot of problems and Toyota has issued tbs and even extended warranty for the previous year models in the past. The transmission failed right after the time allowance for the 5 years 60,000 mile powertrain warranty, but within the mileage.

2021 Toyota highalnder ua80f transmission whine / known defect - potential for sudden failure I own a 2021 Toyota Highlander platinum v6 awd (ua80f 8-speed automatic transmisstion) purchased in July 2021. Current milage is 78k. Starting 3 days ago I noticed a faint whine noise coming from the transmission. The pitch changes with speed and when the throttle is depressed (it's louder under load/acceleration). This matches the exact symptoms described in Toyota TSB t-sb-0008-21 for whine/grind noise caused by the front carrier assembly pinion shaft issues in 2021 Highlanders with ua80 transmissions. On April 27, I went to a Toyota dealer to confirm the source of the noise and diagnose. As per their diagnosis report "tech took vehicle on road test to duplicate concern, after confirming complaint vehicle was then lifted up and inspected while under a load, tech as able to isolate noise to transmission at this time, fluid level and condition was inspected to ensure there were no signs of shavings or discoloration and after inspection tech found nothing abnormal during fluid level check. Tech then ran a health check to ensure there were no dtc present related to transmission concern and found no dtc present. Recommend replacing transmission and torque converter at this time". They provided a quote of $9,392. This condition represents a safety concern because the internal wear can progress to harsher shifting, loss of power, limp mode, or complete transmission failure while driving, potentially causing a crash or stranding the vehicle in traffic. I have audio/vehicle recordings of the whine and service records showing regular Toyota dealer maintenance. I am requesting the the NHTSA investigate this ongoing ua80 transmission issue as it appears to be a known manufacturing or design defect tat continues beyond the narrow TSB applicability and warranty limits.

Vehicle jerked and then a metal grinding sound. Vehicle would then not even roll in neutral on an incline. Had to be towed to dealer. Transmission has a crack in the case. Need a whole new transmission. I was left on the road. No warning whatsoever.

My automatic transmission failed per the dealership and is just outside of the warranty but is considered a premature failure based on the expected life of the vehicle.