2020 Toyota Highlander problems
NHTSA has received 387 complaints about the 2020 Toyota Highlander, and 33% of them involve drivetrain & axles. After that come brakes (11%) and air bags (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 387 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Drivetrain & axles 33% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 32 and 0
- Injuries and deaths
- 44 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 16,000 miles 80 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 42 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 9 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 9 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 7 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 5 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 3 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 3 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 0 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 0 |
What the data shows
Among the 80 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 16,000 miles. For drivetrain & axles specifically, the median reported mileage is about 78,000 miles (15 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 32 complaints mention a crash; 44 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2020 ranks 4th most-complained-about out of 24 model years of the Toyota Highlander with enough data (318 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
In my 2020 Highlander I approached a stop sign at a "T" intersection behind 4 other cars. After stopping and looking to see road was clear of oncoming traffic, I pulled out and started my left turn. As I was turning into my lane the car engine turned OFF and the steering wheel was LOCKED in the left position. There was no power for the brakes, which left me jamming on the brake pedal as hard as I could only slowing the car slightly.
After leaving a shopping center on february 29 2020, we pulled out onto a road to head towards home. We were driving about 45 miles per hour in traffic and received a notification on the screen that said the engine was off, put car in park. There was also a warning light that came on for the electronic steering assist with an exclamation point. We were able to coast to the side of the road trying to maneuver through traffic of 4 lanes. We put the car in park and attempted to start the vehicle.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling or parked, the engine would suddenly seize. The failure occurred intermittently. The check engine warning light illuminated with a message that the brakes were enabled. The contact restarted the vehicle several times before the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer 3 times however, the dealer was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired.