2023 Toyota Highlander Owner Complaints

Complaint Summary
The 2023 Toyota Highlander has 176 reported complaints.
- Top issues involve unknown or other and engine.
Powertrain: Hybrid (HEV).
Reliability Score
Reliability Score
Based on 176 complaints
Most Frequent Issues
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
30 17%
ENGINE
26 14.8%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
14 8%
STRUCTURE
14 8%
SERVICE BRAKES
13 7.4%
Quick Insights
The top category is UNKNOWN OR OTHER, accounting for 17% of all complaints.
Owners have reported issues across 34 distinct vehicle systems.
Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.
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What owners keep reporting on the 2023 Toyota Highlander
The 2023 Toyota Highlander has 176 owner complaints in this dataset. UNKNOWN OR OTHER is the most common complaint category, representing about 17% of the reports shown here.
Most common complaint categories
The top complaint groups for the 2023 Toyota Highlander are UNKNOWN OR OTHER (30), ENGINE (26), FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM (14).
Are these complaints a serious red flag?
Potentially. 72 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.
What should buyers inspect on a used 2023 Toyota Highlander?
Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.
Detailed Complaint Log
Showing 34 of 34 systems
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
30 Reports17% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The vehicle brakes stop working suddenly requiring lift the pedal and slam the brakes to make it work correctly. I almost have a bad accident for this problem. I did my research and learned this is a problem that Toyota need to fix. The situation was very scary.
2/14/2023
This car when Iâm driving it has a loud wind noise I went to dealer couple time but they told me that they canât hear any noise but I have evidence and video about the noise when Iâm driving 45 mph. It is still loud noise.
4/18/2023
ENGINE
26 Reports15% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
When I hit the gas the car doesnât go anywhere and almost got into an accident. Turbo lag maybe or something really really wrong. This is going to cause a huge accident
7/12/2023
The vehicle hesitates when accelerating from a stop. Dealership Technician says he noticed the hesitation when accelerating, but since there are no DTCâs and No Data found saying that there is a malfunction
7/24/2023
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
14 Reports8% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
Vehicle unpredictably hesitates during light to moderate acceleration in all driving modes (Sport, Normal, and Eco). This is especially dangerous when crossing in front of oncoming traffic from a stop or slow speed. Had a certified mechanic drive the car and verify the problem, but the car's systems don't report that there is a problem, so he had no answers.
7/27/2023
2023 Toyota Highlander XLE with 2.4 Turbo hesitates for an unacceptable period of time when accelerating from a stop. This could pose a huge safety risk when merging into traffic from a stop sign. The lag / hesitation is present on all eco / normal / sport drive modes. The issue has been occurring since the vehicle was purchased at 70 miles and currently has about 5200 miles. Toyota needs to look into this issue and address it as soon as possible.
7/30/2023
STRUCTURE
14 Reports8% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 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.
11/28/2023
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
12/5/2023
SERVICE BRAKES
13 Reports7% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The vehicle brakes stop working suddenly requiring lift the pedal and slam the brakes to make it work correctly. I almost have a bad accident for this problem. I did my research and learned this is a problem that Toyota need to fix. The situation was very scary.
2/14/2023
Picked up my Toyota Highlander in April 2023 I have had to return it to the dealer on two occasions for check engine light and secondary Break failure I'm at the fourth check engine light and secondary brake failure report now it has been inspected by the dealer and tried to remedy it too times already currently getting ready to return to the dealer with the third check engine light secondary brake failure message
9/24/2023
POWER TRAIN
11 Reports6% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The vehicle hesitates when accelerating from a stop. Dealership Technician says he noticed the hesitation when accelerating, but since there are no DTCâs and No Data found saying that there is a malfunction
7/24/2023
2023 Toyota Highlander XLE with 2.4 Turbo hesitates for an unacceptable period of time when accelerating from a stop. This could pose a huge safety risk when merging into traffic from a stop sign. The lag / hesitation is present on all eco / normal / sport drive modes. The issue has been occurring since the vehicle was purchased at 70 miles and currently has about 5200 miles. Toyota needs to look into this issue and address it as soon as possible.
7/30/2023
STRUCTURE:BODY
11 Reports6% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
Water intrusion in the A pillars on both driver and passenger side during a rain storm. Toyota confirmed the water intrusion and stated that the gaskets and clips for the roof rack had failed, allowing water to get into the vehicle interior. I had owned the vehicle for approximately 6 months, and I'm not sure when these clips/gaskets failed. If this failure occured earlier, but there wasn't enough water to come though the interior upholstery, there is a possibility that there is significant mold growth behind the interior panels, which could negatively impact any occupants' health.
12/1/2023
Safety noncompliance recall 23TA08 and 23TB12
1/6/2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
7 Reports4% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
3/14/2023
Vehicle unpredictably hesitates during light to moderate acceleration in all driving modes (Sport, Normal, and Eco). This is especially dangerous when crossing in front of oncoming traffic from a stop or slow speed. Had a certified mechanic drive the car and verify the problem, but the car's systems don't report that there is a problem, so he had no answers.
7/27/2023
AIR BAGS
7 Reports4% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
Safety noncompliance recall 23ta08 Safety recall 23ta12
1/6/2024
Safety noncompliance recall 23TA08 and 23TB12
1/6/2024
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
6 Reports3% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
Hesitation/Non-linear Acceleration From a Stop. Reprogramming the ECM completely resolved the issue. This needs to be sent out to affected vehicles but I had to investigate and pretty much demand a resolution. I fear what this could later do to our engines, etc.
7/3/2024
When 87 fuel is put into the vehicle, the 2023 highlander is jerky/has hesitation, RPMs jump around. Trying to slow down to a yield then go again it jerks and almost feels like engine is cutting out. Seems worse when car is being driven on warm day with a/c on or under a âloadâ. Very dangerous in intersections. Current fix is to put 93 octane in the vehicle to remedy the issue. Putting 93 octane fuel in the vehicle does help. All of these issues pose a risk to the car jumping from a start to cause a rear-end accident. I've complained to the dealer and they've stated everything is normal when they test drive and no codes are showing even explaining a TSB was issued they refuse to fix. Started at 500 miles on odometer, still happening at over 13,000 miles.
7/21/2024
TIRES
4 Reports2% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V419000 (Tires) 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 contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
6/21/2024
I am writing to bring to your attention a serious issue regarding my Toyota vehicle, which is still under warranty. While my wife was driving to work, the front passenger tire exploded unexpectedly, without any warning lights or messages. This is particularly alarming as the car is new, purchased just 11 months ago, and has only 7,000 miles on it. After contacting AAA for assistance to replace the damaged tire with the spare one, I reached out to Toyota customer service. They advised me to visit the dealership for an inspection. However, upon arrival, the service advisor refused to honor the warranty and informed me that they did not have the tire brand and or model in stock, requesting a full payment of $370 to replace the damaged tire with a new one from a different brand. Concerned for my familyâs safety, I opted to replace all four tires at Americaâs Tires, incurring the expense myself. I believe the original tires may have been defective and pose a risk if such an incident were to occur again. I did report the issue to Micheline without any resolution yet. I kindly request your assistance in addressing this matter. Thank you for your prompt attention to this critical issue.
10/13/2024
WHEELS
3 Reports2% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
Unknown
7/7/2023
The fact that the dealership was able to sell this car with a recall on is crazy, yes I have blame for not looking as well but now we are having issues with the front bumper hitting the tires when you turn and making a grinding noise. We were told that thereâs nothing they could do as of yet but as I see this recall has been open for a while now? This is a big concern to us what if they donât find anything wrong or so they say and something happens? They need to speed up the process to find a solutions loosing a front bumper while your on the highway is a big risk.
3/19/2024
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
3 Reports2% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The right side blind spot warning does not always show a vehicle is in blind spot. The forward collision will alert will start and keep beeping for up to 3 minutes when nothing is in the area. I pulled into driveway and the vehicle started to beep a warning but no warning message showed up on dash. It continued for 30 minutes even after I turned off car. Then started it and drove it a mile and parked it again. I get on the overhead view a generalized warring. But doesnât say what it is then goes away. This has happened a couple of times when driving. All doors shut, all seat belts locked if someone is in seat, it starts after driving for some time. No apparent reason it starts and stops but is a hazard if trying to drive and figure out why itâs beeping like something is wrong. I also have paint chipping off back bumper on the top for no apparent reason. The back liftgate doesnât always close even when nothing is in the way. It doesnât always open when you push the button the first time. The crossbars for luggage installed by Toyota does not keep end cap on on drivers side front and I had to pay to get new ones. The problem is the rail does not hold the cap tight.
3/9/2024
The warning lights go on for no apparent reason. Dash instrumen just disappear for no apparent reason and then reappear randomly. Such as compass disappearing and reappearing throughout the drive at long stretches at a time. The forward and rear collision warning system just come on when nothing is close to vehicle. The blind spot monitoring system doesnât always show up on right side of vehicle. Doesnât matter speed or road conditions. It randomly happens throughout our regular commute and not. The warning buzzer goes off but doesnât say what is the problem. Went off for over half an hour even when car was stopped and car turned off. Dealership not able to figure out why. Said to bring it in while doing it. By time I get there itâs done. I live 1/2 hour away. They drive it and say blind spot working like supposed to. I showed them videos of how itâs not working and they tell me itâs fine. Yet even a semi truck didnât show up in blind spot or a UPS truck. They say unless it throws a code every thing is fine. Yet Iâve had clear roads, no rain no traffic nothing and had my collision warning lights and sounds go off and not stop for up to 5-10 minutes.
5/22/2024
SEAT BELTS
2 Reports1% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
I took delivery of the new vehicle without testing all the seatbelts. The third row passenger side seat belt is fully retracted as it should be, but it's locked in that position. It came from the dealer that way, and it cannot be used. If I hadn't noticed while testing out the seats, I might incorrectly assume that it is functioning while inviting 6 passengers into my vehicle. This could lead to somebody taking a ride without a seatbelt. Third rows of these mid-size SUV's aren't commonly used, so I imagine it could be a long time (years) before somebody notices that their seat belt doesn't work, unless they happened to check them all. I have a service appointment in 2 days at my local dealer to have the seatbelt inspected and fixed or replaced.
5/3/2023
Car seats and booster seats for infants and children with the age and weight requirement for seats in a vehicle do not meet safety requirements. The second row and the third row you literally have to pick the car seat up to buckle the seatbelt in appropriately. I have asked on numerous occasions if there is a seatbelt extension that can be purchased and I was told no. My concern is for safety of children/infants. We should not have to pick a car seat or booster seat up after a child is placed in the car seat to be able to buckle the car seat in appropriately or the booster seat appropriately. In the third row, my son literally has to stand behind the hatchback to get the seatbelt for the booster seat in the third row Locked in place. This is a safety concern. I brought it up to two dealerships and Toyotaâs customer complaint who actually gave me this website.
10/16/2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
2 Reports1% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
Engine intermittently has no power on take off and causes an unsafe condition to turning into traffic where car will just not go until after flooring it and a 3-5 second delay!! Engine also looses power and bucks or misses while accelerating through gears. This has caused multiple near miss incidents when turning into or across traffic. Also have issues with the steering assist that it yanks the wheel intermittantly. This cause me to loose control on the wet interstate in a turn when it yanked the wheel to the right while banking left at 65mph. I panicked and pulled the wheel back which cause a skid. The system has been turned off since. Toyota is not doing anything to repair anything and keep giving me the car back saying its fine.
11/2/2023
I was in an accident on [XXX] on [XXX] in Elizabeth, Indiana in front of the casino. They changed a two lane road into a one lane road by using mobile traffic lights. As I tried to brake, the car sped up and the car auto corrected in the lane on the left when I tried to avoid the impact by going right. When I crashed into the other vehicle, my air bags did not deploy. I hurt my back, neck, and chest(from the seatbelt/impact). I had no choice or option to avoid impact. On my left was oncoming traffic. To my right was the River. In the front of me, was the other car. I wore my seatbelt until the 911 operator told me to get out of the car to check on the other driver who said he was fine. The vehicle is a total loss. My Insurance Company, USAA, is in the process of giving me a settlement. I released the car to them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
5/5/2024
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
2 Reports1% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle drove over a pothole, and the driverâs side front door opened about 3-4 inches wide. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,874.
2/8/2024
I have another issue that has never happened to me before. The front passenger door just popped open while I was sitting at a red light. I had just driven for over 2 hours with it closed and locked and it made a weird sound and shifted. The light on my dash came on and I had to unlock the doors and reach over to try to open and shut the door while I was at an intersection. HELP
9/19/2025
STEERING
2 Reports1% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The fact that the dealership was able to sell this car with a recall on is crazy, yes I have blame for not looking as well but now we are having issues with the front bumper hitting the tires when you turn and making a grinding noise. We were told that thereâs nothing they could do as of yet but as I see this recall has been open for a while now? This is a big concern to us what if they donât find anything wrong or so they say and something happens? They need to speed up the process to find a solutions loosing a front bumper while your on the highway is a big risk.
3/19/2024
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was excessively difficult to steer. The power steering malfunction and pre-collision warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with power steering and rack and pinion failure. The contact was informed that the power steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The parts were ordered to complete the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,050.
4/2/2024
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
2 Reports1% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
Noticed side view mirrors vibrate at speeds above 25 mph and on highway speeds. Driver side mirror has much noticeable vibration when looking at it to make lane changes. Vibration makes it hard to focus and view other vehicles on the road and possibly a safety concern. When taken to dealership, technician could not duplicate the concern and did not found mirror to be loose. I also noticed that tapping from inside the front driver or passenger door creates similar vibration of side mirrors. Both side mirror assemblies need more structural strengthening due to itâs position on the door panel which is prone to vibrations from road and transmits it to the side mirror assemblies. This is a design defect that needs to be addressed.
5/13/2024
Driver's side mirror has been vibrating since vehicle purchase. The issues causes vibration / shaking of the driver's side rearview mirror creating blurry traffic (in the mirror) at highway speed and is a serious safety concern. Dealership claims it is due to attachment of a blind spot mirror on my vehicle. However there are hundreds of posts online of other people discussing / complaining about this exact same issue on Toyota Highlanders and Rav4. Other people are also reporting dealers claiming there is no fix. The issue can be fixed quiet easily by using a glue / tacky adhesive (or double sided tape) between the rearview mirror glass assembly and the backing plate of the mirror motor. Toyota should issue a recall since the issue is obviously prevalent and poses a safety hazard. Here are some links to other people complaining about the same issue since 2020: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2/28/2025
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
2 Reports1% of totalPreviewing the first 2 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, there was an abnormal scraping sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact stated that simultaneously, the top part of the bumper was flipped up by the slipstream and crashed onto the hood. The contact pulled over but was unable to recover the lower part of the bumper, but was able to reattach the top part of the bumper. The contact stated that the bumper had scratched the paint on the hood and damaged the front badge. The contact was aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the bottom portion of the front bumper was replaced. The contact stated that the top part of the bumper was not repaired. The contact also stated that the dealer did not repair the front badge. The vehicle was partially repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 211,000.
9/3/2025
the front bumper assembly has come off our 2023 highlander twice since purchase 2 years ago, the first time the entire bumper was pulled off while on the freeway(terrified my wife) and we had to pull it off and put it in the back on the highlander and bring it to the dealership. Courtesy Toyota of Brandon . This was supposedly fixed with Toyota recall campaign 23TA12 . Approximately one year later we noticed it was coming off once again, this time I tried to push it back myself but was unable to hook it up correctly and brought into the dealership. While they do recognize the vehicle is unsafe , and that there was a recall for this issue , they say it is not covered in the safety recall. I believe this is incorrect, and the Recall either does not properly rectify the issue or this is a new safety concern.
9/22/2025
LANE DEPARTURE
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED*DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
3/14/2023
TIRES:SIDEWALL
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
Car tire burst on interstate at normal operating speeds. Bursts throughout tire wall with large blow out on inside. No damage to tread and no other signs of damage. Tire began smoking while finding safe pull off spot. A Goodyear inspector suggested a vertical slash in tire was culprit, but slash was not on tire prior prior to being unmounted by inspector. In addition, area with slash was pinned underneath the rim while waiting on roadside assistance, as seen in attached photos. No warning (TPMS or otherwise) prior to blow out. Tire was discarded by Goodyear. Car is AWD, or a more serious wreck could have happened P235/55R20
4/17/2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. While depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and the engine misfired. The secondary collision, braking system malfunction, brake ligation malfunction, and throttle control system advanced warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was sludge in the engine. The oil was changed, and the warning lights reset. Additionally, the contact was informed that the DTC exhaust cam shaft sensor and oil pan assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
8/18/2023
VISIBILITY/WIPER
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
23 Toyota Highlander was in for a routine 10K Mile Oil Change and additional key programming. When I was notified the vehicle was done and taking delivery the vehicle came into the delivery area with the drivers mirror folded away from the car damaged. I asked the delivery driver about it and she immediately called over a manager. Mike Moffitt, Service Quality Control Specialist, came out and greeted me. He acknowledged the damage and documented the damage and said he would arrange a fix for in the next few days. The damage done causes my mirror to shake and vibrate while driving down the road. It makes it impossible to see out of the mirror while driving down the freeway or on moderately bumpy roads. The dealership tried to repair the mirror by first replacing the mirror and then having a Toyota Specialist. The response has been "we compared to like vehicle, condition was similar in like vehicle, technician then contacted Toyota Technical Assistance and they stated it is a design characteristic of the Driver Side Power Folding Mirror and do not advise any further inspections or repairs. Toyota's Field Technical Specialist reviewed the case and advised no further action at this time."
11/28/2023
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The right side blind spot warning does not always show a vehicle is in blind spot. The forward collision will alert will start and keep beeping for up to 3 minutes when nothing is in the area. I pulled into driveway and the vehicle started to beep a warning but no warning message showed up on dash. It continued for 30 minutes even after I turned off car. Then started it and drove it a mile and parked it again. I get on the overhead view a generalized warring. But doesnât say what it is then goes away. This has happened a couple of times when driving. All doors shut, all seat belts locked if someone is in seat, it starts after driving for some time. No apparent reason it starts and stops but is a hazard if trying to drive and figure out why itâs beeping like something is wrong. I also have paint chipping off back bumper on the top for no apparent reason. The back liftgate doesnât always close even when nothing is in the way. It doesnât always open when you push the button the first time. The crossbars for luggage installed by Toyota does not keep end cap on on drivers side front and I had to pay to get new ones. The problem is the rail does not hold the cap tight.
3/9/2024
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was excessively difficult to steer. The power steering malfunction and pre-collision warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with power steering and rack and pinion failure. The contact was informed that the power steering rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The parts were ordered to complete the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 49,050.
4/2/2024
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The warning lights go on for no apparent reason. Dash instrumen just disappear for no apparent reason and then reappear randomly. Such as compass disappearing and reappearing throughout the drive at long stretches at a time. The forward and rear collision warning system just come on when nothing is close to vehicle. The blind spot monitoring system doesnât always show up on right side of vehicle. Doesnât matter speed or road conditions. It randomly happens throughout our regular commute and not. The warning buzzer goes off but doesnât say what is the problem. Went off for over half an hour even when car was stopped and car turned off. Dealership not able to figure out why. Said to bring it in while doing it. By time I get there itâs done. I live 1/2 hour away. They drive it and say blind spot working like supposed to. I showed them videos of how itâs not working and they tell me itâs fine. Yet even a semi truck didnât show up in blind spot or a UPS truck. They say unless it throws a code every thing is fine. Yet Iâve had clear roads, no rain no traffic nothing and had my collision warning lights and sounds go off and not stop for up to 5-10 minutes.
5/22/2024
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
There are two problems with our 2023 Toyota Highlander. 1) We only have 25k miles on our vehicle and the brake rotors became warped, to the point of causing severe chatter while downhill braking. Toyota stated that the warranty does not cover brakes. My argument was that the brake rotors should not be failing at 25k miles! They then stated that they would inspect the rotors and resurface them, if necessary. They did find that they needed to resurface the rotors. My contention is that this will be a recurring issue, especially since there is even less metal on the rotors now. I believe the original rotors are faulty to have failed prematurely. 2) We had a receiver hitch installed by a third party, which caused the kick sensor for the back hatch to be inoperable. This is expected and no big deal to us. However, when we put the bike rack in the receiver hitch, the backup warning sensors engage the brakes and cause the vehicle to not back up. The only way to back up with the bike rack on is to disable the backup sensors! Now we have lost that backup safety feature! The backup sensors see the bike rack and engage the brakes. Additionally, this issue also caused all other sensors to malfunction by stating that the sensors were dirty and needed cleaning, with the backup sensor engaged. Toyota inspected the vehicle multiple times and finally reached the conclusion that there is no fix for the sensors to allow our bike rack to be installed. Toyota sells this vehicle with the option of having a hitch and bike rack installed, yet their safety sensors donât allow this to happen. Now, we are unable to use the bike rack, unless we disable the sensors. The safety features we paid for are now useless!
6/22/2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:IMMOBILIZER/PROXIMITY:KEY/SENDER
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
Toyota gave me one FOB Key when I purchased the vehicle. I should be receiving 2 FOB keys. The dealer told me TOYOTA will send me a letter when the second key will be available. I called the TOYOTA Hot Line last Feb. 2024. I was told it will be available June 2024. I called last June 2024. I was told it will be available July 202. I called last July 2024. I was told it will be available August 2024. On Sept 9, 2024, I ordered a FOB key from Burien, Washington Toyota dealer. I paid a total of $400.20. This expense would have been avoided if Toyota sent me the FOB key as promised.
9/9/2024
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of gasoline was present inside and outside of the vehicle. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred intermittently after refueling the vehicle on extremely hot days. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure and the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.
10/10/2024
CHEST CLIP, BUCKLE, HARNESS
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
My daughter is 20 months old and I thought it was a fluke but not she 100% know how to unbuckle the chest clip. We will be driving down the road and she will undo the chest clip and wiggle out of her seat. I have reached out to Evenflo and got no help. Yesterday alone we were in the car for 2 hours and she continuously would unbuckle and try climbing out while driving. She isn't old enough to understand not to do that or comprehend why
12/11/2024
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
I was involved in a vehicle crash on 7-1-25. I had just pulled out of the gas station and was coming up to a stop sign so I was only going about 8mph I put my foot on the brake and nothing happened. I had my foot all the way down on the brake pedal because I saw a car coming and they were traveling at about 40mph. No automatic braking nothing worked. I had no control. I just prayed that I hope this doesnât hurt. None of my airbags deployed. My car is now totaled and of course I got the ticket because I did not have control of my vehicle. I strongly believe this has to do with the brakes and how it switches from electric to gas in my hybrid vehicle. Toyota has recalled prior years 2020 to 2022 hybrids for this exact issue. This is a huge safety issue and thankfully I am alive to make this complaint. My husband went to my Toyota dealership where I get all my service and the service manager said yes he has noticed this as a problem that he himself pulled in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid into the garage and had the same thing happen. We have been reading online about others complaining of this same issue.
7/20/2025
SEATS
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
Car seats and booster seats for infants and children with the age and weight requirement for seats in a vehicle do not meet safety requirements. The second row and the third row you literally have to pick the car seat up to buckle the seatbelt in appropriately. I have asked on numerous occasions if there is a seatbelt extension that can be purchased and I was told no. My concern is for safety of children/infants. We should not have to pick a car seat or booster seat up after a child is placed in the car seat to be able to buckle the car seat in appropriately or the booster seat appropriately. In the third row, my son literally has to stand behind the hatchback to get the seatbelt for the booster seat in the third row Locked in place. This is a safety concern. I brought it up to two dealerships and Toyotaâs customer complaint who actually gave me this website.
10/16/2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
There is a wobbling sensation on my Highlander during braking at highway speeds. There is no such feeling while driving around city. It appeared after my trip on highway in heavy rain. There was no traffic, and I were using cruise control. Suddenly, doing nothing from my side but steering, I started to feel heavy break impacts, which scared me (I was with my family). I switched off cruise control, and those break impacts disappeared. Then switched it again, and I started to feel the same, thus I switched off cruise control and drove the rest of rain area with my foot on accelerator pedal. After that I started to feel wobbling during braking at highway speeds. It seems - more on the right side. Maybe there was more water layer under the right side of the car, and the Electronic Stability Control tried to hold car on the straight line, or camera detect water on the windshield as an obstacle and applied breaks from time to time, which might case warped rotors. To my understanding it has to be warranty issue, as Toyota manual said that driving during heavy rain can cause unproper action of cruise control, but it does not say it can damage the car or warp the rotors.
10/21/2025
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH
1 Report1% of totalPreviewing the first 1 complaint summaries.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the liftgate had failed to open or to close intermittently. The contact stated that the liftgate made an abnormal grinding sound while opening and would open 3-inch at a time while the contact continuously pressed the power liftgate button manually. The contact stated that the dealer had reset the liftgate; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
11/6/2025
Data and Methodology
Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.
What are the most common owner complaints for the 2023 Toyota Highlander?
Are complaints about the 2023 Toyota Highlander a serious warning sign?
How should buyers use complaint data for the 2023 Toyota Highlander?
Are complaints about the 2023 Toyota Highlander severe?
Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.
Toyota Highlander: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?
Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.
- Complaint entries
- 176
- Top-topic view
- 5 grouped topics shown
- Primary source
- NHTSA ODI owner complaint records
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