2021 Toyota Highlander Owner Complaints

WE ARE EXPERIENCING PCS IS NOT WORKING, WE WERE DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN CARS STOPPED SUDDENLY AND NOT EVEN DISPLAYING ANY WARNING SIGNAL OF 'BRAKE' ON THAT MOMENT, WE WERE SO CLOSE TO IMPACT A TRAILER, SECOND TIME SIMILAR SITUATION THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE FIRST APPT AT SERVICE WHERE THEY STATED THAT PCS WAS WORKING PROPERLY , CARS STOPPED SUDDENLY AND NOT EVEN WITH THE WARNING TIMING SET UP IN TO THE 'EARLY TIME', WARNING US TO USE THE BRAKE. THE EXPLANATION FROM SECOND APPT IT WAS 'IT WORKED WITH CRUISE ON', ON MY PREVIOUS CARS NEVER NEEDED TO TURN ON CRUISE, HAVE A 3TH APPOINTMENT COMING THIS WEEK, BUT ON ELECTRICIAN OPINION IS WORKING FINE WITHOUT HE EVEN KNOWING YOU COULD SET THE WARNING TIMING ON THE MENU BY YOURSELF.

4/6/2021

Upon attempting to engage the brakes, it was found that they did not work. Immediately thereafter, the car began an uncommanded full acceleration. The insurance company has totaled the car. Our safety as occupants was obviously at serious risk. The driver chose to take the car off the road rather than jeopardize the lives of others on the same road. The car plowed through boulders and trees, coming to rest upside down wedged between an earthen berm and a tree......suspended about 2 feet above the ground. There were no warnings prior to the incident. The car has been inspected by the insurance company, and has been authorized for inspection by the manufacturer. There were no serious injuries as a result of the accident. We were VERY lucky! Uncommanded acceleration without any control is a frightening event any time....but definitely in the vicinity of other vehicles full of families.

6/2/2021

I purchased my Toyota Highlander Hybrid only about 2 months ago. Since then, I've experienced several incidences of sudden acceleration. In a few of them, I was approaching a stop sign and began to slow down. Suddenly, I felt the car accelerate on its own. In both instances, I slammed on the brakes and the car jerked then stopped. There was one instance when I was going down hill and I was stepping on the brakes, but the car seemed to accelerate on its own until I stepped on the brakes again. Fortunately, there were no collisions. However, this is a serious safety problem.

6/22/2021

About 15 minutes prior to the incident, the interior shade cover was closed beneath the moonroof. Mostly sunny day about 85° F, about 55mph, the moonroof exploded. The sound was that of a shotgun, followed by wind noise and tinkling noises of shattered glass just beyond the shade cover. Upon external examination, 100% of the glass sliding moonroof was shattered, approximately 30% of the glass had departed the vehicle from a forward and central portion of the glass area. The remaining glass was bowed outward. The roof aft of the moonroof displayed 1-3 millimeter length flags of clear coat paint where the glass shards had etched the painted surface and the rear spoiler fairing panel over the aft hatch had gouges in the plastic composition along the upper surface of said fairing. All components on the vehicle were factory installed. Vehicle had 10,000 miles and was in service just over 5 months. There were no indications of an impeding problem. The moonroof was secured with tape and cardboard to prevent shards of glass from departing the vehicle. The dealership body shop estimates repairs at $4319. Safety threat: If shade were open at the time of explosive incident, shards of glass would fall onto driver and passengers, which might create a loss of control from panic (explosion was very loud and disconcerting) glass in facial area (between eyes and sunglasses) or falling into clothing at the neck area and creating a painful bloody situation at highway speeds. Shards of glass departing incident vehicle might reach a following vehicle (motorcyclist) depending upon upward trajectory of glass and forward speed. Might affect vehicles traveling in opposite direction. Driver following incident with window down might be exposed to shards of glass slip streaming into that vehicle.

7/14/2021

MY 2021 HIGHLANDER HYBRID PLATINUM IS EXPERIENCING A FUEL FILLING ISSUE. OVER THE FIRST 2,000 MILES, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT TAKE MORE THAN 13.5 GALLONS AT FILL UP ' NO TOPPING OFF. THE CAR HAS A 17.1 GALLON TANK. THE CAR HAS GONE AS LOW AS 2 MILES TO EMPTY ACCORDING TO THE CAR ESTIMATE. AT EACH FILL UP IT TAKES BETWEEN 12.5 AND 13.5 GALLONS. IT IS NOT CLEAR IF THE TANK IS FILLING UP COMPLETELY AND THERE ARE 4-5 GALLONS LEFT AT 'EMPTY' OR THE TANK IS NOT ABLE TO FILL COMPLETELY. I PURCHASED THIS CAR FOR IT'S FUEL ECONOMY AND RANGE WHILE TRAVELING WITH MY FAMILY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW IF THE TANK IS ACTUALLY EMPTY OR STILL HAS SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF FUEL REMAINING SO MY FAMILY IS NOT STRANDED OUT OF FUEL.

1/25/2021

THE DTE INDICATOR ON THE VEHICLE IS OPERATING INCORRECTLY. I FILLED THE HIGHLANDER UP WITH 10 MILES DTE AND IT ONLY TOOK 13.2 GALLONS OF FUEL. THE DTE INDICATOR WAS 425 MILES AFTER FILL UP. TOYOTA ADVERTISES 600 MILES PER TANK. MY HIGHLANDER IS 175 MILES OFF OF THE MANUFACTURES ADVERTISED EXPECTATION. I DON'T KNOW IF I AM OUT OF FUEL AT 0 DTE OR IF I CAN DRIVE ANOTHER 175 MILES BEFORE EMPTY. I AVERAGED 35.6 MPG ON THIS FILL UP BUT EVERY TIME I FILL THE TANK I GET SIMILAR RESULTS.

2/12/2021

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated his wife pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine while the vehicle was in reverse. The vehicle then switched gears to neutral on its own, started reversing, and slightly crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The warning message "Put Transmission Into park Illuminated". The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 2000.

11/4/2021

Several minutes after leaving my vehicle once I parked and shut the engine routinely, it rolls back a hundred feet and crashes into another vehicle. When I come back I became aware of this as I noticed the back of the driver side of my vehicle is lodged into the side of another vehicle. This caused damage to both vehicles.

7/16/2022

VEHICLE HAS 3400 MILES AND STARTING HAVING LONGER THAN NORMAL CRANKING WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT OCCURRED THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WHERE THEY INSTALLED SOME FUEL SENSORS. 2 DAYS LATER THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. BOTH INCIDENTS ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED A SECOND TIME BACK TO DEALERSHIP. THEY ARE NOW REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP. MAYBE THEY NEED TO ADD THIS VEHICLE TO RECALL LIST

5/10/2021

The contact owns a 2021 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact restarted the vehicle and pulled over to the side of the roadway before the vehicle stalled again. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 230. The consumer stated that Sansone Toyota falsely stated bad gas was added to the vehicle. Sansone advised consumer to contact insurance company. Geico investigated the claim and agreed a warranty should be issued. The consumer stated that a new engine is needed and had to pay $2799.03.

5/19/2021

Traveling south bound on SC11 (in Seneca South Carolina) a vehicle that was traveling east bound, failed to stop and traveled across my path. The front end of my vehicle impacted the drivers side / passenger door area of the other vehicle. The momentum of the crash, caused the other vehicle to spin counter clock wise and impact me again...on the drovers side passenger door. Our 2021 Toyota Highlander was 4 weeks old with 2K miles on it. Weather conditions were excellent. I immediately stepped on the brakes when I realized the other person was not even slowing down. Our anti lock brakes worked good, but none of the air bags deployed. The drivers side passenger door and pillar is being numerous items to be replaced. Not sure if this is correct information... the Body shop employee stated that air bag sensors are located in the pillar and from end / bumper area? I have photos. I have never been in an accident. I'm surprised the air bags did not deploy! I'll be glad to talk to Toyota folks at some point...thought it my civic duty to report to you folks first. Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

5/24/2021

I purchased this 2021 Highlander on April 3rd 2021. Power steering Malfunction, SRS Airbag system Malfuction first happened on April 21th 2021 when I started the vehicle. the car was towed to the dealer ship. the dealer simply re-set the system and asked me to unplug the tracker device which was installed by insurance company. Because they suspected the problem was caused by the interference from the device. I unpluged it. However, Power steering Malfunction, SRS Airbag system Malfuction happened again on May 21th 2021 when I started the car. I went to the dealer who then let Toyota involved this time and changed the battery. However, Power steering Malfunction, SRS Airbag system Malfuction happened for the third time on May 28th 2021.

5/29/2021

After leaving my hotel in San Diego in the early dense foggy morning. I pulled over to help a kid who looked like he was just hit by a car or something. I put my 2021 less than 1500 miles at the time Highlander in park. The kid walked up to my rig, I being a single female, cracked down the window, and asked if he was ok. At that point he just opened my driver's door and I started to panic as I thought the door was still locked. I grabbed the door a closed it and tried to lock it but not before he was able to open the back passenger door and get in. I really freaked out. Without thinking I got out of my rig and as he was closing the door I grabbed it and told him no get out. I have NEVER felt so unsafe in my own vehicle before because even in park while I was still in the car the door's were all locked and no stranger's could just walk up an get in. This is a serious life threatening situation. I made a video right after but, this doesn't take videos. Also, there were 3 other witnesses or more and the SDP of CA didn't even come a ask us any information. But, the fire and rescue, and ambulance came for the kid age 16-21, whom I tried to help and was only wearing his underwear. And was bleeding from head to toe. But, he scared the heck out of me as he 2as also at least 5'9-6'. Big kid I know. But, still a kid. And I was still in danger because my door's were not locked and I could not access the SOS. The cover would not open, or I was so scared I couldn't get it to open. Nonetheless, a new system is needed for emergencies just like that. Not all emergencies are about a crash.

5/28/2021

Vehicle has had excessive wind noise since new. This was brought to the dealership's attention at the 5,000 mile service, and again at the 10,000 mile service. At the 5,000 mile service nothing was checked or done. At the 10,000 mile service the noise level was measured with a decibel meter and was at 79db at 55mph. The service tech then drove another 2021 Toyota Highlander that was on the lot and it registered the same decibel level at the same speed. The service tech said that he heard excessive wind noise, but since it was the same on both cars, there is no defect in our car. According to the CDC, noise above 70db over a prolonged period of time may start to damage hearing. The Toyota service manager said that Toyota's acceptable noise limit is 100db, therefore there is no problem, he is not going to attempt to fix the issue. According to CDC 100db is equivalent to a car horn at 16 feet, and cause hearing loss after 15 minutes. This is a dangerous noise level for the inside of a vehicle with the windows up and radio off.

6/3/2021

I purchased this 2021 Highlander on April 3rd 2021. Power steering Malfunction, SRS Airbag system Malfuction first happened on April 21th 2021 when I started the vehicle. the car was towed to the dealer ship. the dealer simply re-set the system and asked me to unplug the tracker device which was installed by insurance company. Because they suspected the problem was caused by the interference from the device. I unpluged it. However, Power steering Malfunction, SRS Airbag system Malfuction happened again on May 21th 2021 when I started the car. I went to the dealer who then let Toyota involved this time and changed the battery. However, Power steering Malfunction, SRS Airbag system Malfuction happened for the third time on May 28th 2021.

5/29/2021

Recently purchased this Highlander on August 2021. On 11/29/21 at around 8:00 AM, the Check Engine light illuminated resting stop at a red light. Engine still running. Took the vehicle to the dealership at 9:45AM. Vehicle was found to have had misfires as a result of bad gasoline. I have been pumping at the same gas station ever since I bought the vehicle. If it was the bad gas, this issue should have happened sooner. Now, the dealership is telling me to pay for the diagnostic fee which they claimed it was my fault. The vehicle is under warranty. Another non-power/fuel issue that came with the vehicle was a loud wind noise when reaching 40 MPH. The noise is very annoying, like someone whistling into your ear. The dealership is ordering a part to fix this issue. The vehicle is still at the dealership.

12/6/2021

THERE IS DEFECT IN THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER PLATINUMS' DRIVER SIDE MIRROR. THE MIRROR GLASS WILL VIBRATE LEFT AND RIGHT WHEN DRIVING. IT DISTORTS THE IMAGE IN THE MIRROR. WHEN ON HIGHWAY, IT IS VERY NOTICEABLE. THIS KIND OF VIBRATION SHOULD ONLY OCCUR IF YOU DRIVE OVER THOSE POTHOLES OR RIPPLE ON THE YELLOW DOUBLE SOLID LINES OR SHOULDER OF ROAD. I HAVE TEST DRIVEN MULTIPLE ONES OF THE SAME TRIM ON THE DEALERSHIP'S LOT TO TRY TO GET DEALERSHIP TO LOOK INTO REPLACING/FIXING MY MIRROR, BUT THEY ARE SAYING ITS A CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE SINCE THE OTHERS ARE DOING IT. ALSO TEST DROVE A LIMITED TRIM AND THE VIBRATION WAS WORST THAN THE PLATINUM. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS ISSUE WITH OTHER 4 WHEEL CARS. TOYOTA WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE JUST BASED ON MY COMPLAINT SO I AM PUTTING THIS COMPLAINT SO HOPEFULLY TOYOTA WILL ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

5/15/2021

Since purchasing this 2021 Highlander Platinum in July 2021, the glass of the side mirrors are always 'shaky' at speeds above 40mph. The dealer has replaced the glass, which did not improve the issue. They then replaced the entire mirror assembly, which still has not fixed the issue. The mirror is shaky/jittery enough to make it difficult to look into while driving prior to changing lanes.

8/7/2021

The Forward Collision did not activate cause the vehicle to meet into a accident. the car didn't give a Warning, or try to stop itself. took it to the dealer and was told that the system was working properly. but I tested the system in the parking lot, with a cardboard box and the system still didn't activate.

12/21/2021

Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking isn't functioning as stated in the Toyota Highlander 2021 Owner's Manual. Dealer stated that software tests were conducted and the vehicle's radar and optical sensors are performing in accordance with the test results. However, there is only intermittent warning lights and alarms that are functioning. The dashboard audio and visual alarms only function in rare encounters on approaching a vehicle. The service manager rode with me and when I was approaching a vehicle where an alarm should have sounded or illuminated inside the vehicle, that did not occur. However, the software tests showed that the vehicle was approaching on a collision event that was recorded on the system, but failed to alert the driver. After additional testing, the service manager stated that the vehicle reads stop lights from the vehicle ahead to execute the safety functions of the forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking safety feature. The Owner's Manual doesn't make that claim. In addition, another service manager stated that the system uses artificial intelligence to learn the driver' habits and the system adapts to the driver. The Owner's manual doesn't state that claim either. Lastly, the invoice stated that the owner should read pages 257 and 260 of the Owner's Manual to understand how the system operates. This describes the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control functions and not the Forward Collision Warning or Automatic Braking functions. This information is found on pages 235-238. They missed the problem. My suggestion was that their test only looked at a single variable that may have covered the external sensor operation and didn't test the dashboard internal warning system of the audio/visual alerts inside the vehicle. My recommendation was to seek assistance from the supplier that manufactured this system and seek guidance from their engineering staff. I complained to the Toyota Corporate Customer Servi

6/15/2022

Head lights are situated too high and are distracting upcoming vehicles, which may distort upcoming traffic.

3/23/2022

The headlights on the Toyota Highlander XLE AWD (2021) are set too high. They are constantly bothering vehicles in front of me, they believe I have the high lights and upcoming traffic are constantly putting on their highlights because they are annoyed. My Toyota dealership has not received any complaints but they are legit.

7/28/2022

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that on various occasions, water was leaking into the vehicle from the roof rack. The contact stated that there was a bad odor in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated, and the mechanic stated the smell was possibly from a spill. The failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was black mold in the air bags, floorboards, headliner, and various other areas and that the vehicle needed to be detailed to remove the mold. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact then stated that there was condensation seen in various areas inside the vehicle, windows were failing to operate, and the headliner was sagging. The vehicle was not taken back to the dealer. The contact stated that after seeking medical attention for herself and her children for ongoing unknown symptoms, they needed to be prescribed asthma and allergy medication, and she sought legal advice. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

5/19/2023

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

3/15/2024

I have a 2021 FWD Highlander Hybrid, running in ECO mode with just over 5K miles. I just had this problem happen this afternoon. Pulling into a parking spot at the grocery store. I was going pretty slow, almost stopped, and then the car engine revs and lurches forward. Thank goodness I had my foot on the brake, otherwise the car would of jumped the curb/parking block. Also, happened to me previously coming out of our neighborhood on to a busy street. I'm stopping at the stop sign, going pretty slow, and then all of a sudden the car engine revs and lurches forward. Quite frankly I consider this a huge safety concern. If my foot was not already on the brake the car would of moved forward into on coming traffic The car was just in for its 5K mile service at the Toyota Dealership, and there are no warning lamps or messages displayed when the problem occurs

9/29/2021

Unwanted acceleration happen more the 5 to 6 times. While driving in highway exit ramp my vehicle lurched forward while I was trying to slowdown. Dealership had the vehicle for more than 2 days and unable to duplicate the issue. Currently Toyota dealership informed they don't any know issues or condition like this. I am not very confident in driving this vehicle due to this experience.

2/10/2023

WE ARE EXPERIENCING PCS IS NOT WORKING, WE WERE DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN CARS STOPPED SUDDENLY AND NOT EVEN DISPLAYING ANY WARNING SIGNAL OF 'BRAKE' ON THAT MOMENT, WE WERE SO CLOSE TO IMPACT A TRAILER, SECOND TIME SIMILAR SITUATION THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE FIRST APPT AT SERVICE WHERE THEY STATED THAT PCS WAS WORKING PROPERLY , CARS STOPPED SUDDENLY AND NOT EVEN WITH THE WARNING TIMING SET UP IN TO THE 'EARLY TIME', WARNING US TO USE THE BRAKE. THE EXPLANATION FROM SECOND APPT IT WAS 'IT WORKED WITH CRUISE ON', ON MY PREVIOUS CARS NEVER NEEDED TO TURN ON CRUISE, HAVE A 3TH APPOINTMENT COMING THIS WEEK, BUT ON ELECTRICIAN OPINION IS WORKING FINE WITHOUT HE EVEN KNOWING YOU COULD SET THE WARNING TIMING ON THE MENU BY YOURSELF.

4/6/2021

The Forward Collision did not activate cause the vehicle to meet into a accident. the car didn't give a Warning, or try to stop itself. took it to the dealer and was told that the system was working properly. but I tested the system in the parking lot, with a cardboard box and the system still didn't activate.

12/21/2021

TL *THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EQUIPPED WITH BRIDGESTONE TIRES, TIRE LINE: ALENZA, TIRE SIZE: 235/65/R18, DOT NUMBER: 1W2LAMLAI4520. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING 60 MPH, THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED, WITHOUT WARNING. THE TIRE PRESSURE WARNING SYSTEM DID NOT INDICATE A PROBLEM UNTIL AFTER THE TIRE EXPLODED. THE OUTSIDE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE HAD SEPARATED. KOONS ANNAPOLIS TOYOTA (1107 WEST ST, ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD INFORM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE FAILURE AND GET BACK TO THE CONTACT. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED WITH FOUR NEW TIRES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 612. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. (NEW HIGHLANDER WAS FOUND AT KOONS ANNAPOLIS TOYOTA AND PURCHASED FROM KOONS WESTMINSTER TOYOTA.) CONTACT HAS NOT HEARD FROM TOYOTA DEALER FOLLOWING MULTIPLE REQUESTS. CONTACT REPLACED ALL BRIDGESTONE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE AT OWN EXPENSE SINCE THEY DID NOT TRUST THE REMAINING THREE BRIDGESTONE TIRES, NOR A REPLACEMENT BRIDGESTONE TIRE THEY MAY (?) HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET FROM THE TOYOTA DEALER. CONTACT WANTS TO WARN THE APPROPRIATE PEOPLE THAT HIS NEW BRIDGESTONE TIRE ON A NEW TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON.

4/26/2021

Bridgestone Alenza Sport OEM 235/65R18 tire. I was driving about 40 MPH. I noticed increased vibration. Suddenly the left rear tire failed. The driver behind me said that the tire "exploded." She had never seen anything like it before. The outer part of the tire had completely separated from the part attached to the metal wheel. There was some damage to the wheel well.

8/19/2021

I consider this a vehicle safety issue. Was on the freeway, center lane of a 3 lane highway. The vehicle to my left began to move into my lane. I had to quickly move to my right, activating my lane departure and steering assist. This caused my vehicle to attempt to move me back into my lane (where the other driver was now trying to occupy!). I was shown how to disable this feature if desired but what I wasn't told by the dealer, is that this feature can no longer be set to default to off. I just finished a lease of a 2018 Toyota Rav4 which also had this feature but once I disabled it, it was disabled unless I re-enabled it. With this new vehicle, when you disable this feature, it's only disabled until you turn off the vehicle. When the vehicle is turned on again, this feature is set back to active. I checked with the dealers service department and they said that this is how this feature will work moving forward, that you can no longer set it to off as the default setting.

6/9/2021

The lane assist will not stay turned off, even when it is done manually each time I get in the car. The steering pulls me back when I'm trying to change lanes, making it unsafe.

10/27/2023

I was forced to change lanes quickly from the left lane to the left shoulder of an interstate when a double tandem tractor trailer moved into my lane of traffic. The interstate was dry and the left shoulder was in excellent condition and wide enough to accommodate my vehicle easily. All lane assist options were turned off, the driving mode was set to “economy” and the cruise control was turned to “off”. A few seconds after entering the left shoulder of the interstate, I felt the rear end of my vehicle sway from side to side for a few seconds. After the swaying ended, I thought there was a brief loss of vehicle control after which the vehicle returned completely to my control. My vehicle is a Toyota Highlander Limited AWD gas engine SUV with about 2700 miles when this occurred. I drove my vehicle without any emergency steering maneuvers 2700 miles prior to and 500 miles after this incident without any problems. I had my Toyota dealer examine the suspension, steering and event recorder of the vehicle and test drive it. They found the vehicle to be performing within manufacturers specifications and without any defect in the steering or suspension and found no codes found in the event recorder.

8/31/2021

3 wheel alignments in same vehicle needed in less than 30 months: <5,000, 30,000 and 35,000 odometer readings It’s not from pot holes; I have owned about 14 cars in family fleet and have never had 1 vehicle need more than 1 alignment during it’s time of ownership of over 1,000,000 miles driven Something is wrong with vehicle design or mechanical components to go out of alignment so frequently

6/15/2023

I consider this a vehicle safety issue. Was on the freeway, center lane of a 3 lane highway. The vehicle to my left began to move into my lane. I had to quickly move to my right, activating my lane departure and steering assist. This caused my vehicle to attempt to move me back into my lane (where the other driver was now trying to occupy!). I was shown how to disable this feature if desired but what I wasn't told by the dealer, is that this feature can no longer be set to default to off. I just finished a lease of a 2018 Toyota Rav4 which also had this feature but once I disabled it, it was disabled unless I re-enabled it. With this new vehicle, when you disable this feature, it's only disabled until you turn off the vehicle. When the vehicle is turned on again, this feature is set back to active. I checked with the dealers service department and they said that this is how this feature will work moving forward, that you can no longer set it to off as the default setting.

6/9/2021

The lane assist will not stay turned off, even when it is done manually each time I get in the car. The steering pulls me back when I'm trying to change lanes, making it unsafe.

10/27/2023

I was forced to change lanes quickly from the left lane to the left shoulder of an interstate when a double tandem tractor trailer moved into my lane of traffic. The interstate was dry and the left shoulder was in excellent condition and wide enough to accommodate my vehicle easily. All lane assist options were turned off, the driving mode was set to “economy” and the cruise control was turned to “off”. A few seconds after entering the left shoulder of the interstate, I felt the rear end of my vehicle sway from side to side for a few seconds. After the swaying ended, I thought there was a brief loss of vehicle control after which the vehicle returned completely to my control. My vehicle is a Toyota Highlander Limited AWD gas engine SUV with about 2700 miles when this occurred. I drove my vehicle without any emergency steering maneuvers 2700 miles prior to and 500 miles after this incident without any problems. I had my Toyota dealer examine the suspension, steering and event recorder of the vehicle and test drive it. They found the vehicle to be performing within manufacturers specifications and without any defect in the steering or suspension and found no codes found in the event recorder.

8/31/2021

3 wheel alignments in same vehicle needed in less than 30 months: <5,000, 30,000 and 35,000 odometer readings It’s not from pot holes; I have owned about 14 cars in family fleet and have never had 1 vehicle need more than 1 alignment during it’s time of ownership of over 1,000,000 miles driven Something is wrong with vehicle design or mechanical components to go out of alignment so frequently

6/15/2023

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 65 MPH, she heard a loud abnormally horrific sound coming from the roof of the vehicle. The contact's wife immediately pulled over and upon inspection, she discovered that the sunroof had shattered without incident. The contact's wife drove the vehicle to the dealer and the vehicle was left in their possession. Days later, the dealer informed the contact that it appeared to be previous damage to the sunroof had caused the failure and that the damage would not be covered under warranty. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle has been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

11/26/2021

The contact owned a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH with a passenger in the rear passenger seat, she heard an abnormal popping sound and the sunroof exploded from the inside-out without warning or impact. The shattered pieces of glass were propelled outside the vehicle. The occupant in the rear passenger seat sustained a cut on the finger but did not seek medical assistance. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the sunroof glass panel needed to be replaced and it was confirmed that the failure was not due to an impact to the sunroof. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that she was concerned about a potential reoccurrence of the failure. As a result, she traded the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 7,500.

10/13/2022

I was vacuuming the second row carpet in my vehicle. I was leaning into my vehicle and pulled the second row seat release to move the seat back. The back of the seat flipped forward hitting me in the right side of my head so hard it resulted in a pinched nerve at C5-C6. It was a substantial blow. I had to stop what I was doing and sit down. I would be very concerned at that amount of force hitting a child. Has Toyota measured the force and done a risk analysis to the vehicle occupant?

1/25/2022

My vehicle was rear-ended while stopped by a 2014 Toyota Corolla that was estimated to be traveling between 60-70 miles per hour. During the crash, the driver seat failed, resulting in the partially reclining into the second row passenger. The failure mechanism appears to be internal to the seatback, as the seat twisted during the failure, causing me to lean more towards the passenger side of the vehicle.

10/26/2024

We had to cut a seatbelt because it was cutting into a child’s stomach. The child was screaming and complaining and it left a scar on his stomach. If we would have taken into the dealer which was 20 min away it would have done more damage to the child. We tried using the steps in the book to release it, didn’t work. As an emergency we had to cut the seat belt to release it.

2/3/2022

Rear passenger seatbelt has torn in multiple places. I believe something inside may be cutting it when it retracts. The buckle is now stuck in a tear and the seatbelt will not fully retract. Toyota refuses to fix it under warranty because it’s “not usual wear and tear” and there’s no recall. I believe this is a significant safety risk.

9/8/2022

The rear cross traffic avoidance does not detect a person on a bicycle or motorcycle. The safety sense 2.5 + was advertised and demoed to detect even a pedestrian walking behind the vehicle. The system on my vehicle does not work as advertised and after taking my vehicle to the Dealer was informed by the service manager that the system is "intermittent at best". This is not what Toyota advertises. Dealerships apparently have no signal strength detection equipment to verify proper operation of this system. I have reviewed multiple videos of this system in operation and there were no indications of intermittent failures. I have contacted Toyota Customer support and am being ignored.

5/31/2022

I was driving 50 mph on 28 E in Pineville, Louisiana when I heard what sound like a gunshot. I pulled over and realized my sunroof exploded.

6/5/2023

235/55R20 Michelin CrossClimate 2 UTQG ratings missing on outside of tires, for 2 out of the 4 tires. Note: the previous CrossClimate has had a recall for the same issue.

11/15/2021

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently attempted to navigate the steering and lane direction to the opposite direction of where the contact was attempting to steer the vehicle. This caused the contact to manually steer the vehicle into the center lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle but could not diagnose the cause of failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle lane sensor and steering assist sensor were performing as intended. The contact was concerned that the sensor should be adjusted so that the sensor would not have to adjust so easily while the contact was driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

12/2/2021

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently attempted to navigate the steering and lane direction to the opposite direction of where the contact was attempting to steer the vehicle. This caused the contact to manually steer the vehicle into the center lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle but could not diagnose the cause of failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle lane sensor and steering assist sensor were performing as intended. The contact was concerned that the sensor should be adjusted so that the sensor would not have to adjust so easily while the contact was driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.

12/2/2021

Broken latch. The car seat would not unlatch properly. Several occasions it takes more than one person to unlatch. If there was an emergency, I would not be able to get this seat out in a timely manner. The latch broke off and my daughter is only 11 weeks old. Not sure when the latch broke.

4/25/2022

The rear cross traffic avoidance does not detect a person on a bicycle or motorcycle. The safety sense 2.5 + was advertised and demoed to detect even a pedestrian walking behind the vehicle. The system on my vehicle does not work as advertised and after taking my vehicle to the Dealer was informed by the service manager that the system is "intermittent at best". This is not what Toyota advertises. Dealerships apparently have no signal strength detection equipment to verify proper operation of this system. I have reviewed multiple videos of this system in operation and there were no indications of intermittent failures. I have contacted Toyota Customer support and am being ignored.

5/31/2022

The rear cross traffic avoidance does not detect a person on a bicycle or motorcycle. The safety sense 2.5 + was advertised and demoed to detect even a pedestrian walking behind the vehicle. The system on my vehicle does not work as advertised and after taking my vehicle to the Dealer was informed by the service manager that the system is "intermittent at best". This is not what Toyota advertises. Dealerships apparently have no signal strength detection equipment to verify proper operation of this system. I have reviewed multiple videos of this system in operation and there were no indications of intermittent failures. I have contacted Toyota Customer support and am being ignored.

5/31/2022

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 3 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle surged over the curb and sidewalk. The contact was able to release the brake pedal, stopped the vehicle, reversed, and parked the vehicle. While driving on a hill with the accelerator pedal depressed, the vehicle hesitated and failed to properly drive forward. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Germain Toyota of Naples (13315 Tamiami Trail N, Naples, FL 34110), who informed the contact about a brake issue and provided an unintended acceleration form; but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the original dealer who informed her about brake calibration. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Additionally, the tailgate failed to open, and the seat heaters became inoperable. The remote start failed to turn off. The windshield wipers randomly came on for five minutes but self-corrected. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

3/1/2023

I was driving 50 mph on 28 E in Pineville, Louisiana when I heard what sound like a gunshot. I pulled over and realized my sunroof exploded.

6/5/2023

3 wheel alignments in same vehicle needed in less than 30 months: <5,000, 30,000 and 35,000 odometer readings It’s not from pot holes; I have owned about 14 cars in family fleet and have never had 1 vehicle need more than 1 alignment during it’s time of ownership of over 1,000,000 miles driven Something is wrong with vehicle design or mechanical components to go out of alignment so frequently

6/15/2023

Tire Size 235/65R18 Tires are under 40,000 miles and especially passenger right tread is gone. Tire’s already need to be replaced. The tire won’t hold air. No puncture anywhere, went to dealership and they couldn’t believe that the tires are so worn down already with such low mileage. I tried contacting Bridgstone they dismissed any concerns. I've been trying to get some help. These tires seem defective.

8/1/2023

light impact caused bumper to disconnect from my 2021 highlander. The bumper retainer clips came off. The lower valence clips are stuck and cannot be detached without damaging the lower valence.

3/28/2024

I just bought this 2021 Highlander XSE & the drivers side mirror vibrates above 30mph. I feel this makes it very hard to see properly especially on the interstate traveling 70mph & trying to get a clear view of the roadway & cars around me. I took the car to my local Toyota dealer & was told this is a common problem among the new design with the Highlander’s. I do not feel safe not being able to see properly.

9/12/2024

Chest clip is magnetic and can be opened by child without using the buttons to open. No longer staying closed.

9/23/2024