2025 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID: complaints, problems and recalls

BREAK LIGHT WARNINGS ALL CAME ON. BRAKES WENT OUT WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET. HAD TO SHOVE BREAK PEDAL DOWN WITH BOTH FEET TO THE FLOOR GOING UPHILL TO STOP. DEALERSHIP TOLD US IT'S THE BREAK ACTUATOR PUMP AND WILL BE $5000 TO REPAIR. THIS IS A SERIOUS HARDSHIP ON US. I'M A FOSTER PARENT AND NEED MY VEHICLE IN WORKING ORDER. DEALERSHIP SAID ONLY THEY CAN DO THE REPAIR DUE TO SENSOR CALIBRATIONS.

Look up ODI 11098122 at NHTSA ↗

BRAKE BOOSTER PUMP/ABS ACTUATOR C1391/C1256 WERE CODES GIVEN IN ATTACHED REPORT FROM TOYOTA. THIS IS APPARENTLY BEEN A PROBLEM WITH OTHER MODELS OF TOYOTAS AND ARE COVERED UNDER A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT, HOWEVER THE 2012 IS NOT COVERED. NOTHING SEEMS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY CANNOT REALLY TELL ME WHAT EXACTLY IS WRONG OR IF IT IS A BAD SENSOR, HOWEVER THEY WANT $4,200 TO REPLACE THE WHOLE UNIT. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIX FROM PREVIOUS MODELS AND WOULD LIKE IT COVERED DUE TO POTENTIAL SAFETY RISK.

Look up ODI 11152787 at NHTSA ↗

8/1/2016 2013 HIGHLANDER HYBRID WAS TRAVELING AT 60MPH WHEN LIGHTS ON DASH STARTED BLINKING WITH A LOUD BEEPING NOISE. BRAKE MALFUNCTION, CHECK ABS WAS READING ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN. TRAFFIC AHEAD ON 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55MPH HAD SUDDENLY STOPPED AND I WAS FORCED TO SLAM ON BRAKES. AT THIS POINT THE BRAKES FELT VERY HEAVY, HEAVIER THAN USUAL, AS I DETECTED WHEEL LOCK UP AND PROCEEDED TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO AVOID REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE AHEAD.

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I WAS STOPPED AND IN PARK WITH THE VEHICLE RUNNING WHEN THE "CHECK VSC SYSTEM," "CHECK ABS, BRAKE MALFUNCTION" WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. THEY HAVE SINCE GONE AWAY AND RETURNED INTERMITTENTLY. FORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NO FAILURE WHILE IN MOTION, BUT DEALER ESTIMATED $4600 FOR REPAIR. IF THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM FOR WHICH WARRANTY COVERAGE WAS EXTENDED FOR 2006-07 MODELS, THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING ISSUE.

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After driving on an interstate and having my foot on the brake - the car jumps forward and accelerates. It has done this for a couple years, and it continues to happen more frequently. Sometimes it just jumps forward when you are driving through town and go to slow down. This seems like a safety issue.

Look up ODI 11668825 at NHTSA ↗

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and slowing down for a traffic signal, the contact felt as if the brakes had failed. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was still rolling forward. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal with more force and eventually the brakes grabbed and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, but the failure could not be d…

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The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was a hesitation, and the vehicle surged forward before coming to a stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of TSB 0059/23, NHTSA ID Number: 10244133 (Electrical System, Air Bags, Service Brakes) for the 2021 - 2022 Toyota Highlander. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with brake failure. The contact was informed that the brake actuator needed to be replaced; however, the deal…

Look up ODI 11611346 at NHTSA ↗

NO PRIOR HISTORY OF HYBRID PROBLEMS DURING PREVIOUS 65,000 MILES. ON MONDAY MORNING, THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID STARTED UP FINE. AFTER WARMING UP FOR 5 MINUTES TO SCRAPE OFF SNOW, SHIFTED TO DRIVE AND BEGAN DRIVING. CAR SHUT DOWN AFTER ABOUT 12 FEET. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ON DISPLAY, INDICATING HYBRID SYSTEM PROBLEM. AAA CAME, PUT ON FLATBED, AND TOOK TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OR FIX PROBLEM FOLLOWING 6+ HOURS OF TROUBLESHOOTING BY THEIR HYBRID EXPERT YESTERDAY. THEY INDICATE…

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CAR WAS DRIVEN FROM HOME LOCATION AT APPROXIMATELY 3 PM ON FEBRUARY 4, 2015. AFTER A QUARTER OF A MILE AN AUDIBLE WARNING SOUNDED AND THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW. A FLASHING WARNING TO THE EFFECT OF "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE, STOP CAR IMMEDIATELY" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. CAR CONTINUED TO SLOW TO ABOUT 1 MPH. PULLED CAR TO SIDE OF ROAD AND TURNED IT OFF. CONSULTED OWNERS MANUAL WHICH SUGGESTED TRYING TO RESTART THE CAR. RESTARTED. THE SAME WARNING REAPPEARED. TRIED ONE MORE CYCLE WITH NO SUCCESS. TOWED TO DEALER NEXT DAY. THEY WERE NO…

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THE HATCH CONTINUES TO FAIL EVEN AFTER THEY REPLACED "DEFECTIVE" PART. THE BATTERIES HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY HAD FAILED. ON 3/2/17 I WAS SITTING IN THE DRIVER SEAT WITH THE CAR IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND SUDDENLY THE DRIVER SEAT MOVED ALL THE WAY FORWARD, THEN THE BACK STRAIGHTENED COMPLETELY AND THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS ADJUSTED ALL THE WAY UP. I PLACED A CALL TO THE DEALERSHIP AT 2:51PM, WAS TOLD I'D GET A CALL BACK. I DROVE THE CAR HOME WITH MY ADULT DAUGHTER. RADIO WAS OFF. WHEN I WAS STOPPED IN EITHER TRAFFIC OR A LIGHT WE…

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I EXPERIENCED ISSUES RIGHT AFTER BUYING CAR NEW. CAR UNABLE TO READ SID CARD, GSP NOT WORKING, MULTI-MEDIA SCREEN WHITE WASH (WHITE) AND UNABLE TO READ, KEEPS TRYING TO RESTART 'BLUETOOTH', AUTO WIPER SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK, SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK, FORWARD COLLISION BUTTON ON STEERING WORK DOES NOT WORK, BLIND SPOT WARNING DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME, HYBRID ENGINE DOES NOT ALWAYS START, REAR AUTO LIFT GATE DOES NOT ALWAYS OPEN.

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The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the instrument panel lights were flashing. The vehicle then independently turned off and restarted repeatedly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the battery level was low and needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced, and other unknown repairs for shifting failure were performed. The vehicle was driven back to the residence; however, the failure recurred upon starting the vehicle the following day. Additiona…

Look up ODI 11720641 at NHTSA ↗

The contact's wife owns 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the "Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer" message displayed. The contact’s wife restarted the vehicle and immediately pulled over to the shoulder. Despite the failure, the contact's wife was able to drive back to the residence. The contact stated that prior to the failure, a similar warning light illuminated and disrupted the contact's ability to use the GPS feature. The contact called the local dealer a…

Look up ODI 11620999 at NHTSA ↗

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, there was a hesitation, and the vehicle surged forward before coming to a stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of TSB 0059/23, NHTSA ID Number: 10244133 (Electrical System, Air Bags, Service Brakes) for the 2021 - 2022 Toyota Highlander. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with brake failure. The contact was informed that the brake actuator needed to be replaced; however, the deal…

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The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, the brake power low, stop at a safe place warning message was displayed. The contact stated that shortly after several warning lights were illuminated, the brake pedal was depressed and was firm. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, and the vehicle was diagnosed with needing the vacuum pump and brake booster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approxim…

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The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while coming to a complete stop and depressing the brake pedal, he heard abnormal squeaking and rubbing sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted while at a complete stop. The contact stated that upon inspecting under the hood of the vehicle while someone depressed the brake pedal, he noticed that the ABS pump was emitting abnormal humming sounds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that th…

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The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the brake pedal would depress to the floorboard and the vehicle would fail to stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic repaired the brake calibrations and brake alignment. Despite the repair, the contact stated that the failure returned. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

Look up ODI 11556081 at NHTSA ↗

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the braking system experienced intermittent brake failures, causing the brakes to erroneously release while being depressed. During the failure, the vehicle unintendedly lurched forward. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted regarding the failures. The failure mileage was 6,000.

Look up ODI 11668610 at NHTSA ↗

MY HIGHLANDER HYBRID: PUSHED START BUTTON, AND BEHAVED NORMALLY. UPON BEING PLACED IN GEAR, THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. ONLY HEAVY BRAKE PRESSURE PREVENTED A SERIOUSLY DANGEROUSNESS CONDITION OF FULL ACCELERATION IN A SMALL PARKING LOT. WHEN PLACED IN PARK, THE THROTTLE REDUCED TO IDLE. I REPEATED THE ACTION OF PLACING THE CAR IN GEAR (EITHER REVERSE OR DRIVE), AND AGAIN, THE THROTTLE ADVANCED TO A FULL ACCELERATION MODE. AGAIN, ONLY VERY HEAVY PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PREVENTED UNCONT…

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WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY ON 5/16/20. WE WERE DRIVING AROUND 65 MPH STRAIGHT. WE WERE DRIVING ON BLACK ASPHALT AND THEN WHEN WE DROVE OVER A BRIDGE WITH WHITE/GRAYISH CONCRETE, THE CAR'S EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND APPLIED SUDDEN BRAKING EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NORMALLY DRIVING. THE CAR JOLTED AND SLOWED DOWN AND ALL PASSENGERS WERE STOPPED BY AUTO-LOCKING SEATBELTS. *TR

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The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle continued to accelerate forward before coming to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions but no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that the vehicle operated normally due to the hybrid system. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10.

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The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several different occasions to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

Look up ODI 11619151 at NHTSA ↗

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle surged forward and accelerated before coming to a stop. The failure occurred intermittently; however, the failure seemed most pronounced while decelerating from highway speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was informed of the failure; however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been made aware of the failure…

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8/1/2016 2013 HIGHLANDER HYBRID WAS TRAVELING AT 60MPH WHEN LIGHTS ON DASH STARTED BLINKING WITH A LOUD BEEPING NOISE. BRAKE MALFUNCTION, CHECK ABS WAS READING ON THE INFORMATION SCREEN. TRAFFIC AHEAD ON 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55MPH HAD SUDDENLY STOPPED AND I WAS FORCED TO SLAM ON BRAKES. AT THIS POINT THE BRAKES FELT VERY HEAVY, HEAVIER THAN USUAL, AS I DETECTED WHEEL LOCK UP AND PROCEEDED TO PUMP THE BRAKES TO AVOID REAR ENDING THE VEHICLE AHEAD.

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TOTAL SYSTEM FAILURE. SEE DETAILED ATTACHED DOCUMENT.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, A GRINDING NOISE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NORTH BROOK TOYOTA (1530 FRONTAGE RD, NORTH BROOK, IL) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RUBBER OIL HOSE WAS DAMAGED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SAME DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

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I UNKNOWINGLY FAILED TO TURN OFF MY CAR LAST NIGHT. IT HAS A KEYLESS IGNITION (FOB) AND SETS OFF AN ALARM WHEN LEFT ON. UNFORTUNATELY, LAST NIGHT MY HUSBAND ARRIVED HOME AT THE SAME TIME AND BETWEEN 2 GARAGE DOORS CLOSING AND EXCITED, BARKING DOGS I DIDN'T HEAR THE ALARM. WE WENT TO BED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. MY HUSBAND WOKE UP VERY EARLY AND HEARD OUR CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR GOING OFF IN THE GARAGE. WHEN HE OPENED THE DOOR HE DISCOVERED IT WAS VERY HOT AND THE DETECTOR WAS REGISTERING HIGH LEVELS OF CM. HE OPENED THE GARAGE DOORS AND WINDOWS IN …

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I EXPERIENCED ISSUES RIGHT AFTER BUYING CAR NEW. CAR UNABLE TO READ SID CARD, GSP NOT WORKING, MULTI-MEDIA SCREEN WHITE WASH (WHITE) AND UNABLE TO READ, KEEPS TRYING TO RESTART 'BLUETOOTH', AUTO WIPER SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK, SEAT BELT WARNING SYSTEM DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK, FORWARD COLLISION BUTTON ON STEERING WORK DOES NOT WORK, BLIND SPOT WARNING DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME, HYBRID ENGINE DOES NOT ALWAYS START, REAR AUTO LIFT GATE DOES NOT ALWAYS OPEN.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A PARKING LOT, THE CONTACT WAS NOTIFIED BY THE FAIRFAX FIRE MARSHALL THAT THE VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FIRE STARTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER (PRIORITY TOYOTA SPRINGFIELD, 7601 LOISDALE RD, SPRINGFIELD, VA 22150 [phone removed]) AND WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT INFORMED THE CONTACT TO CALL THE INSURANCE …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER AND DECELERATED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT, HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTION WARNING LIGHT, AND PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO EXECUTIVE MOTORS LTD (AUTOMALL GROUP - SHIRLEY ST, NASSAU, BAHAMAS, [phone removed]) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL RAIL PRESSURE SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO…

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The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the engine surged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

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