Complaint volume
465 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2019 Toyota Highlander Complaints
465 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2019 Toyota Highlander, grouped by component category.
465 Total complaints
22 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
12 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are power train, fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 22 crash reports, 1 fire report, 12 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 139 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 27,463 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, fuel/propulsion system, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2019 Toyota Highlander?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2019 Toyota Highlander
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2019 Toyota Highlander complaints?
22 Crash
1 Fire
12 Injury
0 Fatality
27 Towed
7 Medical attention
What are the most common 2019 Toyota Highlander complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 155
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 48
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 48
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 16
ENGINE 13
AIR BAGS 9
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 9
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 8
465 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My vehicle was taken into Toyota dealership for diagnostics after experiencing a whine noise from transmission after driving. Toyota confirmed that I will need a new transmission. After researching I found that there is a defect in the transmissions for my specific type. It has been reported for years but Toyota has not addressed. Since it is a transmission failure this could lead to a breakdown while driving on highways and could risk my safety and other drivers. The estimated repair cost are currently above $8K. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Owners of 2017–2022 Toyota Highlanders, 2017–2020 Siennas, and 2018–2020 Camrys are experiencing serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions. Toyota quietly acknowledged the problem in Technical Service Bulletins T-SB-0160-18, T-SB-0008-21, and a limited Customer Support Program (CSP ZJC)—but only offered coverage to a narrow group of VINs. Thousands of other affected vehicles were left out, even though they show the same exact symptoms. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission failure. Vehicle is at this time still operational however the transmission has developed the ever so common whining sound and sluggish shifting. Upon fluid inspection metal filings can be seen and replacement has been recommended by repair shop. The whining has been evident for some time but after investigating this issue decided to have inspected. This inspection was just completed on 11/14/25 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | This is the second time this year 2025 my Toyota Highlander 2019 stalled fist in the middle of of intersection and second on the drive thru in in&out. Suddenly my car died. Tried to turn on followed the on screen instructions but the car failed to turn on. The first time it happened in the middle of the intersection while waiting for the light to change, after the issue I when straight to a car shop and oreilly they have this machine to check any possible issues and he said nothing shows in his machine but he think it’s the battery but I told the guy my battery and on the car shop Midas same result no major issue found and one of the technicians says It could be the auto shot off features, that must be manually turn off since this will automatically turn on. The second incident in In&Out the car died suddenly, tried to turn the car but it was on Drive so change to stop then tried to turn on multiple times but faulted , the crews decided to help us push the car out of the drive thru since we are blocking all the customers car, the steering wheel so stiff could hardly turn. We can’t change gear from stop, I was told to push off and on manual break foot pedal and this this help able to change gear to neutral, so we can push the car out of the drive thru. No message or failure message in the screen. We just push the car in the parking lot. Tried to turn on but failed. One of in&out staff was so kind to help us, he has a portable jumpstart and the car able to start. Able to drive home safe. Now I’m afraid to turn on my car or drive far distance due to this issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Our 2019 Toyota Highlanders transmission is gone. The car has 83,000 miles. I have been researching online and found out that Toyota is very much aware of the problem. They're refusing to help me. They're basing it on our VIN#. No recalls. I just want them to acknowledge that the issue needs to be addressed NOW. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact previously owned a 2017 Toyota Highlander and heard the same whining sound coming from the transmission. The contact stated that when the 2017 Toyota Highlander was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased, the contact was offered a trade of the 2017 Toyota Highlander for the 2019 Toyota Highlander. Following the failure of the 2019 Highlander, the vehicle was taken to two different dealers to be diagnosed. The first dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle but stated that the vehicle was operating normally. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched the failure online and determined that the 2017 Highlander and the 2019 Highlander had the same model transmission, UA80F - CVT transmission. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 133,000 |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I called Toyota as I was concerned it was sluggish and was having trouble excelerating the appointment was given to me 2 weeks out but was told if anything happens to just bring her in. I had to bring her in the week of the appointment on a tow truck as she was not moving. I was told it’s a faulty transmission I asked if it’s covered by my extended warranty and because it’s over by 4 miles it’s not. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Loud ear-piercing noise when vehicle is started. Noise lasts about five seconds. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | TIRES | The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander equipped with Yokohama Tires, Tire Line: Geolandar HT-G056, Tire Size: 245/60/R18, DOT Number: TCCI2Y889. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however the contact noticed that the rear seats were vibrating. The contact also noticed that the rear tires were sliding. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the dealer performed a diagnostic test. The dealer inspected the rear suspension and rear springs. The dealer performed an alignment and balanced the tires. The contact was informed that the failure was due to defective rear tires. The contact had purchased the tires from Town Fair Tires. In addition, the contact stated that it was the second time the brand of tires was purchased, and the tires were defective. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 27,000 |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission failed at 143,000 miles. Initially vehicle lost acceleration and would not go over 60mph. Then vehicle would not go into drive, and instead rolled backwards. Vehicle was towed to dealership where they provided a report saying it needed a new transmission that would cost $9,000. No warning lights were ever present on vehicle, it just stopped operating. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Vehicle stalled on highway. Went into limp mode. Took to Toyota and they said I need a new transmission. The car only has 139k miles. 2019. I purchased it 1 year ago from Toyota with 101k miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Whining noise when accelerator is pressed. Potential failed transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My car does have a similar transmission as the one that was recall in Siannas, and Camrys. I have experience the same serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Bearly 60 k miles and transmission is going out I got a Toyota because it was reliable did all the required maintenance and Toyota won’t even help | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While driving, I began noticing a high-pitched whining or buzzing noise when pressing the accelerator, particularly at low speeds. The sound resembles an electric or remote-control car and rises in pitch with engine RPMs. The noise disappears when I release the gas pedal. A mechanic initially suspected a wheel bearing, but after further inspection, it appears the noise is coming from the transmission or drivetrain. I later discovered that this issue is widespread among 2017–2020 Toyota Highlander models equipped with the UA80E/UA80F 8-speed automatic transmission, which has been associated with internal gear and pump whine. Toyota has issued Customer Support Program POL19-04 and Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0008-21 addressing similar transmission whine and gear damage, but my vehicle is outside the standard 5-year/60,000-mile warranty and was not included in the extended coverage list, even though the symptoms match exactly. The problem appears to be a design or component defect within the UA80-series transmission, leading to premature wear and potential failure. This can affect drivability, safety during acceleration, and could result in transmission failure without warning. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with head gasket failure, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 124,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 124,000 |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE with 94,000 miles. This past Friday, the transmission started slipping...slow to move while pushing the gas pedal. After about 20 minutes, was slipping less. Pulled code P2757 off of OBD. By Monday, the car wouldn't move despite revving up to 3500-4000 rpm. Reverse would work, but not first gear. Called AAA and had it towed to a shop. Shop didn't give me codes, but said there were several. They reported that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH uphill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact heard a grinding sound and smelled an odor coming from the front of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 160,000 |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My car was having trouble shifting gears and then every single light came on indicating a big problem. The check engine light came on, it said ABS off and went through a bunch of different things saying they all turned off and would barely roll at 2mph. I took it in and it needs a full transmission replacement at barely 73,000 miles. Upon looking into it, I saw online that this is a common issue that Toyota still has not issued an official recall for despite it being a very common issue. It’s a 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE and should not be having these issues this early on. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | Clog of evaporator box caused water intrusion into vehicle. Water leaked onto Airbag ECU causing malfunction and requiring replacement of Airbag ECU. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Engine revs up to 5k rpm by itself and barely moves forward when stepping on the accelerator. When it does move it’s only up to 40 miles per hour only and the engine will rev up to 5k rpm without moving any faster. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | ENGINE | Started noticing a whining noise when accelerating. This appears to be drive shaft/transmission issue. Was quoted 7k to remove and replace. This should be an active recall for this issue what is Toyota doing? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a high-pitched whining sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the contact became aware that the transmission was shifting abnormally rough. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was unavailable. | Crash: No Fire: No | 90,000 |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The 2019 hylander started whining when pressing the gas pedal. I had it checked out and found that it needs a new transmission but it is so prevalent of an issue with this vehicle that the transmission is on severe back order. Every complaint on the department of transportation website about this vehicle are about this issue save a handful. We should not be liable to pay for this repair nor for a rental car for months while we wait for the parts. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | ,At approx. 76,000 miles, we begin to hear a whine with acceleration. We also begin experiencing slight hesitation? It was diagnosed at The Williams Toyota Dealership in Big Flats New York 9/22/25. The dealership indicated the final drive gear bearing is starting to fail and we need to replace the transmission at the cost of $7472.00 plus tax. We are aware of the several class action lawsuits that have been filed against Toyota regarding the UA80E/F 8-speed automatic transmissions. The litigation covers multiple Toyota models 2017 model year and onward including the Highlander. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |