Power Train Problems of Toyota Highlander - part 1

In my Toyota Highlander 2021 xle model ,on 9/18 I hear a whinning noise when gas pedals is pressed. Took it to the Toyota tricounty dealer in limrick,PA for diagnosis. It was reported it is due to a transmission issue and it would cost around 10,600$ to repair. I haave been taking this vechile to same dealer to servie for last 5 years and this problem did not surface. I was told the car can be driven but would the car would stop when the transmission actually fails. Opened a case.

See all problems of the 2021 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Whining noise in the transmission.

See all problems of the 2018 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Tech: scott richart test drove vehicle performed inspection. Noise hear is coming from transmission internally. Condition present is similar to condition described in t-sb-0008-21 for whine noise from transmission. Transmission would need replaced to remedy the noise. Vehicle is out of warranty, dofu is 04/14/21. Transmission is not in the serial number range described in the TSB. Transmission serial # is a3a21c08858. Quoted $8574. 50 to replace transmission with remanufactured Toyota transmission.

Transmission failure yes TSB no warning lights.

Transmission failure at 80,000 miles.

While accelerating, the vehicle produces a loud whining noise from the transmission area underneath the vehicle. I took the vehicle to modern Toyota in [xxx] on xxx at 103,287 miles. The dealer diagnosed the condition and their invoice states the vehicle "needs the transmission replaced due to a gear whine. " the estimated repair cost is approximately $10,498. This vehicle is equipped with the ua80e 8-speed automatic transmission. Toyota documented this same condition in technical service bulletin t-sb-0008-21, which describes a whine or grind noise from the transmission caused by the front carrier assembly pinion shafts, and prescribes transaxle replacement as the repair. My vehicle exhibits the identical symptom and requires the identical repair. The vehicle is the original purchase, bought new on xxx. The failure occurred outside the 60,000-mile powertrain warranty limit, leaving the full repair cost to the owner. This appears to be a widespread defect affecting ua80-equipped Toyota vehicles across multiple model years, and I am reporting it so it is on record. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2022 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Car started to have a whining noise only when accelerating at 122,000 miles took it to the Toyota dealer where I bought it from. They did a diagnostics and told me it was the transmission and that it cost almost 10,000 to fix it. Car did not have no check engine light at all.

Ua80 transmission failure. Was driving on highway when the transmission failed and lost power to the vehicle. Car was taken to sunshine Toyota (batte creek mi) in 2022 and the transmission was recommended to be replaced due to a defect at 67,000 miles. The car was then sold off, and I acquired it through another dealer.

See all problems of the 2019 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

I own a 2026 Toyota Highlander hybrid platinum purchased new. The vehicle has repeatedly exhibited hesitation, shuddering, jerking, and abnormal vibration during acceleration from a stop and the transition from electric propulsion to the gasoline engine. When accelerating from a stop, there can be a noticeable hesitation after pressing the accelerator before the vehicle responds. As the gasoline engine engages, the vehicle sometimes shudders or jerks before accelerating normally. I have also experienced vibration and lurching when the gasoline engine engages or disengages. At times, the condition appears more noticeable with the air conditioning operating. I am concerned this presents a safety issue because the hesitation occurs when accelerating from a stop, when predictable acceleration may be necessary to enter an intersection, cross traffic, or merge into traffic. I reported this condition to an authorized Toyota dealer, but it has not been corrected and continues to occur. I have also experienced a visibility issue involving the windshield and wipers. When the wipers operate, a hazy or filmy appearance becomes visible across the windshield as the blades pass over the glass, temporarily reducing visibility before dissipating. This continues despite attempts to clean the windshield and may involve the windshield surface, wipers, or their interaction. I am concerned because the wipers can temporarily create haze across my field of vision when clear visibility is especially important, particularly during rain, at night, or with headlight glare. I also reported the windshield/wiper issue to the authorized Toyota dealer. It remains unresolved and continues to occur. Both conditions remain unresolved, and I am concerned about the safety consequences of unpredictable acceleration and temporarily reduced forward visibility.

It's about the problem with the automatic transmission ua80 already has the buzz that many customers are complaining sometimes it has jerks too.

The transmission (power train) in this vehicle shows syptoms of a known defect in Toyota's ua80 8-speed. Since approximately (Aug 2026/~70k mileage), it has produced shining/grinding noised at increasing speed. These symptoms match failure patterns described in Toyota's own tech service bulletin for transmission, which have led to documented cases of sudden power loss, gear slippage, and complete failure in other owners of this and related models. I have not yet experienced complete loss of propulsion, but given the documented failure patterns, there is a foreseeable risk this could occur without warning while driving, including traffic or while merging, creating a safety hazard. I took the vehicle to Toyota of manchester, nh dealership on 05sep26 and requested repair given the known TSB coverage. Toyota denied repair assistance, citing lack of dealer service records, despite transmission fluid being a lifetime-fill component unrelated to this failure mode. I am filing this proactively due to the documented risk of sudden failure, and because Toyota denied to address a known, symptomatic defect before it progresses and declined to take responsibility for the repairs or repair assistance for this defect.

Transmission has failed. Toyota states: Toyota technical service bulletin t-sb-0008-21 addresses a whining or grinding noise in select 2021 Toyota vehicles equipped with ua80e orua80f automatic transmissions caused by a defect in the front carrier assembly pinion shafts. Yes it can be available for inspection. This can be repaired with a $12,000 new transmission. * sudden loss of acceleration: you may press the gas and the vehicle doesn’t accelerate normally. This is particularly dangerous when merging onto a highway, crossing an intersection, or passing. How this Toyota Highlander is putting safety at risk: * unexpected shifting or jerking: a failing transmission can slam into gear, hesitate, or shift unpredictably, potentially causing loss of control. * loss of drive: the transmission may suddenly stop transferring power to the wheels. You could be unable to move forward even though the engine is running. * getting stuck in a gear: if it goes into a “limp” or failsafe mode, the vehicle may be restricted to a single gear and have very limited acceleration. * loss of power while already moving: if the transmission disengages unexpectedly, you can lose the ability to accelerate out of a dangerous situation. * difficulty maintaining speed: on a highway or uphill, a failing transmission may suddenly stop providing adequate power. * transmission fluid leaks: a significant leak can cause the transmission to lose lubrication and worsen rapidly. Depending on where fluid goes, it can also create other mechanical problems. * unexpected engine rpm increases: the engine can rev very high without the Highlander gaining speed (“slipping”), which can leave you unexpectedly slow in traffic. * being stranded in traffic: a complete failure can leave the vehicle immobile, creating a collision hazard if you’re stopped in a travel lane or on a shoulder. Unknown if it has been inspected by anyone. There is no warning lights. Then only way you know is by a high whining sound.

The transmission started making a whining noise around 69,000 miles that a mechanic said was due to transmission failure. There were no warning lights or messages. I took it to the toytota dealer who sold it to me new. They inspected it and confirmed that the transmission needed replaced which they did. Online research said these symptoms meant the transmission could fail at any time while driving it which could put passengers and others at risk.

See all problems of the 2020 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

My 2019 Highlander was driving totally normal, when all of a sudden the transmission started slipping and then would no longer accelerate. I was on a windy back road in alaska with no service, so after letting it sit for a bit I tried to drive it again. It then drove maybe 1/2 more miles before slipping completely and no longer accelerating. No check engine lights came up. I got it towed to my house where a mechanic took a quick scan and said there was a number of transmission codes popping up.

The ua80 8-speed automatic transmission failed at 87,896 miles. Symptoms began as slipping in 1st and 2nd gears and harsh jerking when accelerating from a stop, with the engine revving while the vehicle failed to move. This is a loss of motive power that can occur without warning in traffic. On 8/31/2026 a Toyota dealer diagnosed a failed transaxle requiring complete replacement, with a whine traced to the differential inside the transmission, and quoted $11,126. 81. This matches the failure mode in Toyota TSB t-sb-0160-18, which Toyota addressed for some 2017-2018 vins under customer support program zjc. My 2019 has the same ua80 unit but falls outside that program. The replacement part is backordered with no eta per Toyota's own case portal. The vehicle is maintained on schedule and available for inspection. Toyota declined goodwill assistance and refused to provide the denial in writing.

Bought my 2021 Toyota Highlander xle awd 3 years ago due to supposed safety and reliability. Transmission went out right after warranty at 64,000 miles. Was not made aware that this is a common issue. Vehicle hard shifted and suddenly lost power when driving home with my 4 year old while making a left turn, and we were almost hit by oncoming traffic. Have not had prior issues in the past to suspect this would happen, so it was very sudden and unexpected. There has been no recalls or awareness for this which could have seriously injured my child and I. Went to take it to the closest mechanic right away to troubleshoot since the vehicle was not throwing any codes.

1. The car makes a squeaky sound when I accelerate. The faster I go the louder the noise becomes. I took the car to the Toyota dealership and was told that the transmission needs to be replaced. The car is only 5 years old. I checked online and noticed a lot of other people are also complaining about the same issue with their 2021 Toyota Highlander. 2. While driving on the turnpike a few months ago, the driver side front door suddenly popped open on me. I had to hold it with my left hand, switched lane to pull safely to the shoulder lane in order to close it. The door was completely closed prior to this incident. When that happened, I was already driving on the road for over 1 hour. There was no previous signal that it was opened. It just popped open out of nowhere.

At 57,000 miles the dealership says the transmission must be replaced. Toyota refused to replace it under warranty because they stated it wasn't serviced at Toyota consistently. There isnt a service for the transmission under 100k miles. This is a known issue with this transmission and they act oblivious to this issue.

Because I am not an expert, I cannot say with certainty what exact vehicle components contributed to this incident. On August 17, 2026, at approximately 12:40 pm, I was slowly driving my 2022 Toyota Highlander xle in a parking garage where I park my car every week. I saw a parking space, so I slowed down and began pressing the break as I went into the parking space. All of a sudden, the engine revved up, and the vehicle lunged over the wheel stop and hit the cement wall, even though I continued pressing on the break. I then shifted the gear into "park" and turned off the ignition. It all happened so fast and was quite frightening. I, subsequently, inspected the damage; among other things, the hood, front bumper, fender, and some of the trim around the lights were damaged. The seat belt restrained me, but the air bag did not activate. My chest is still sore, and I have some bruising on my left shoulder. I have reported the incident to my insurance agency. On August 20, 2026, I took the vehicle to a collision repair center recommended by the insurance claims agent. I have another appointment on August 24th to have a different repair center inspect and asses the damages and give me a quote on the repairs needed. The experience was shocking, and I would not want this to happen to anyone, which is why I am reporting the incident. This kind of malfunction could have resulted in an injury to another human, so I am thankful that only my vehicle and I were affected. This unfortunate and alarming experience has definitely made me hesitant to drive the vehicle for fear of it malfunctioning again.

I had been shopping, as I attempted to increase speed, my car wouldn't respond. I smelled something burning and I switched lanes because I needed a safe place to stop. I turned onto [xxx] in pembroke (I think) and still had no forward (or backward) movement. The lower gears (d5 & d4 ) did not show on the dashboard indicator. I called my husband and he came to me. Then we called aaa and had the car towed to chichester car care. They couldn't fix my car. I then had it towed from chichester car care to mcgovern Toyota in bow. Nh. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2017 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Transmission failure under 50k miles. Replaced under powertrain warranty. Ua81e incurred a whine that was prevalent at light acceleration over 40 mph. This is a known issue that spans multiple years at some point someone has to admit this is a design flaw.

See all problems of the 2023 Toyota Highlander 🔎.

Toyota has known that the ua80 transmissions are faulty & they have not issued a recall. Mine failed at 60,500 miles just outside of the warranty period. I paid over $5,000 to have it replaced & the dealer confirmed that it required replacement due to a faulty transmission assembly. Toyota refuses to issue a recall or cover full costs for replacement.

Vehicle begin making grinding noises, and stalling during accelerating and also fuel smell. Took vehicle into Toyota waldorf, MD dealership for diagnostic. At 58,000 miles, 2022 Toyota Highlander xle stalls to accelerate due to front differentials failing, causing large chunks of metal on the drain plug indicating internal failure. Vehicle needs transmission and front differential replaced. I have 4 children, 3 of them still small, and driving with the fuel smell would impact them greatly as 1 of my children has asthma. It's also a hazard to be on the road with this vehicle as it can stall at any moment, causing a traffic incident. The problem has been reproduced by dealer, who is refusing to approve the fix under the 60,000 mile power train warranty. There were no other warning signs, no check engine light came on, no issues prior to me hearing this grinding noise and stalling.

The 8 speed automatic transmission (ua80e) in my 2021 Toyota Highlander limited v6 fwd failed at 75,491 miles. The failure presented as a loud whining noise during acceleration between 30 and 40 mph. A Toyota dealership diagnosed complete transmission failure requiring full replacement of the transaxle assembly at a cost of $8,144. 45 (repair order dated August 14, 2026). The dealership service manager confirmed in writing that the failure appears consistent with Toyota TSB t-sb-0008-21, issued February 9, 2021, which documented whine and grind failures of the front carrier assembly pinion shafts in this transmission family. My transmission was built in June 2021, after the serial range covered by that bulletin, and failed the same way, indicating the defect was not confined to the bulletin's production range. This transmission is the subject of multiple pending federal class action lawsuits alleging premature failure. A transmission failure of this type can result in sudden loss of power while driving, which is a safety hazard. The vehicle was purchased new from a Toyota dealership in July 2021, was maintained normally, and was never used under severe service conditions. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer. The vehicle and failed component are available for inspection and the vehicle remains at the dealership.

The transmission had a catastrophic failure at 73,000 miles and six years after purchase. There has been a service bulletin issued with known defects on this transmission yet Toyota corporate failed to acknowledge that they installed faulty transmissions in the 2020 Toyota Highlander. The diagnosis was a failed pinion bearing which the dealer diagnosed to replace the transmission at nearly $10,000.

Transmission failure happened suddenly. I pulled out of a car wash and car would not accelerate. I was in heavy traffic and car wouldn’t move.

Leadcar Toyota lacrosse WI has diagnosed and reported that the transmission needs to be replaced. Pertains to service bulletin t-sb-0008-21 the pinion shaft bearing defect. The major powertrain component is failing prematurely. Cost to repair is over $9,000 as it is out of warranty. We purchased the vehicle at 67,550 miles on 3/29/2025. Since we never owned a Toyota before we thought the whining of the transmission was unique to that vehicle. Once we heard about the service bulletin we took it in to get diagnosed.

I have a 2023 Toyota Highlander xse with 77,015 miles on it. Last week we noticed that when pushing on the gas pedel to accelerate that the car started making a terrible whinning noise that did not go away. I scheduled a service call with dealership I purchased it from and where I take it for all of its scheduled service and they canfirmed that the transmission was failing and needed to be replaced so the problem has been confirmed by the dealership. In addition I contacted the Toyota help line and asked for a goodwill warranty assisstance case to be opened which is now under review. Prior to the noise there were no indication of an issue such as warning lights messages or other symptons. To date there was no harm done to me or other individuals.

About a few weeks back we started noticing a whining noise while accelerating. For safety reason we are not using the truck for long distance driving. Yes, the problem was able to reproduce by an independent mechanic and confirmed. Has not been inspected by the manufacturer or any other. There are no warning lights on the dashboard.

At 66,000 miles the transmission on my 2021 Toyota Highlander is failing. This is a known issue with these transmissions and Toyota is actively working against people to help get the parts replaced at their cost.

The car's transmission is failing. •the "whine of death": the most common early warning sign is a high-pitched, airplane-like whining noise that rises in pitch with vehicle speed/engine rpm, especially once the transmission reaches operating temperature. •technical service bulletins (tsbs): Toyota has issued internal bulletins (such as t-sb-0008-21 and related updates) addressing abnormal transmission noises and replacement protocols for affected v6 models. •no formal safety recall (as of mid-2026): while the issue has spurred class-action lawsuits and high NHTSA complaint volumes, there has not been a mandatory safety recall for widespread replacement, leaving post-warranty owners to rely on goodwill assistance or third-party warranties.

My 2020 Toyota Highlander xle awd developed a high-pitched whining noise from the drivetrain/transmission area while accelerating. The noise increases under acceleration and stops when the accelerator is released. The noise is not present when the vehicle is in neutral. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Toyota dealership for diagnosis. The dealership confirmed the condition and determined that the transmission requires replacement. The vehicle had only recently exceeded 60,000 miles when the problem was diagnosed. My safety concern is that this appears to be an internal transmission failure occurring at relatively low mileage. Because the transmission is a major drivetrain component necessary to maintain propulsion, I am concerned that continued deterioration could result in loss of propulsion or a more serious transmission failure while the vehicle is being driven. Toyota has reviewed the dealership's diagnosis and has approved supplying a replacement transmission through goodwill assistance. The original transmission has not yet been removed and remains installed in the vehicle. I am reporting this condition because I have identified other complaints involving Toyota Highlanders with similar transmission whining under acceleration and subsequent transmission replacement. I am concerned that this may represent a recurring transmission defect rather than an isolated failure. Because the original transmission is still installed, the vehicle and transmission should currently be available for inspection by NHTSA or other appropriate parties if requested before the repair is performed.

The transmission developed hesitations at take off, a whine at low speeds and over time got louder. Diagnosis by the dealer confirmed yet another bad eight speed transmission failure. This vehicle has 41k miles.

This vehicle was purchased new in 2021 with 4 original miles. Today it has 58,000 miles and has been maintained, per manufacturer recommendations, a certified Toyota dealership. At around 56,000 miles we noticed a slight whine in first gear. This was attributed to normal noise that we simply had not noticed. By 58,000 miles the while had extended to all gears and become more prominent. Research online shows that this is a known issue with the uh80 transmissions and has been since at least 2017. Toyota has a TSB for it (TSB-0008-21). This was not mentioned at the time of purchase or any of the various maintenance appointments in the last 5 years. This known issue will lead to complete transmission failure. This can happen while parked or in motion and can include the transmission shifting out of an active gear, locking into a gear and being unable to shift to another or park/neutral and there is no way to avoid it. I called Toyota corporate about this because I was not made aware of the TSB until July of 2027 and was advised that, although I was below the 60,000 mile allowance, I had surpassed the 60 month coverage period by two months and would not be granted a warranty exception (Toyota case number: 260710000821). Due to a known defective part on a vehicle that Toyota sold without advisement of said known issue, I am expected to pay $8,000 in repair fee's for a 40,000 dollar car that I have already spent over $20,000 on. The dealership confirmed the issue on 7/28/2026 and are attempting to use my 3rd party warrant which only covers parts. I will still be expected to pay for the labor costs which they expect to land between 2-3k dollars. Toyota is knowingly allowing a defect to persist that puts their customers and anyone else on the road at the time, at risk of serious injury and death. They expect their customers to cover the cost of repairs for an issue that they were aware of at the time of sale.

We have a 2020 Toyota Highlander with 89k miles that we have owned since it was new. I was informed today to not drive it any long distances from the dealer due to an impending failure of the transmission, creating a large safety issue for me and my family. I understand there are related recalls of the ua80 transmission but none for this particular model; there are countless internet reports of failure. I implore the NHTSA to investigate and protect the motoring public.