284 Total complaints
12 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
9 Injury reports
Quick answer: The 2020 Toyota Highlander has 284 consumer-submitted complaints in our database. The most common complaint categories are power train, air bags, unknown or other. Enriched records show 12 crash reports, 0 fire reports, and 9 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.

Complaint volume

284 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.

Pattern to inspect

The most common categories are power train, air bags, 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 12 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 9 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.

Mileage clue

Mileage is available on 55 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 37,738 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.

Questions to ask the seller

  • Have you had any problems related to power train, air bags, 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 2020 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.

2020 Toyota Highlander
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.

How severe are the 2020 Toyota Highlander complaints?

Enriched complaint indicators from official bulk records.

12 Crash
0 Fire
9 Injury
0 Fatality
10 Towed
7 Medical attention

Mileage at failure is available on 55 complaints ; average reported mileage is 37,738 miles.

Most common incident states: UT (3), CA (2), IL (2), NY (2), DE (1), FL (1), GA (1), MD (1).

What are the most common 2020 Toyota Highlander complaint categories?

284 total complaints on record

Latest complaints

Showing 276-284 of 284 complaints.

Date Component Summary Severity Mileage
Jun 2020 STRUCTURE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY ON A HOT TEXAS DAY WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE VICINITY AND NO DEBRIS ON THE ROAD AND THE MOON/SUN ROOF EXPLODED (SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT IN THE CAR). THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAD 4,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED AT THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER BEING EVALUATED BUT THEY ARE DENYING IT AS A WARRANTY ISSUE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING SINCE IT WAS A VERY LOUD SOUND AND THANKFULLY WE HAD THE INSIDE COVER CLOSED TO THAT WE WERE PROTECTED FROM THE GLASS.
Incident: Jun 2020
Crash: No Fire: No 4,000
Jun 2020 SEAT BELTS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH SEAT BELT SENSORS AND ALERTS FOR ALL SEATS, YET FAILS TO ACCURATELY REPORT WHICH SEATS ARE BUCKLED OR NOT WHEN OCCUPIED. THIS ALERT IS SUPPOSED TO OCCUR WHEN TURNING ON THE VEHICLE AND BEFORE SHIFTING OUT OF PARK. MANY TIMES, WITH JUST THE DRIVER SITTING AND NO PASSENGERS IN THE CAR, IT REPORTS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE SEATED WITH AN UNBUCKLED SEAT BELT. OTHER TIMES WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE SEATED AND UNBUCKLED THE SYSTEM DOES NOT RECOGNIZE IT AND NO ALERT APPEARS. THIS IS A SAFETY FEATURE THAT IS ADVERTISED FOR SALES BUT DOES NOT WORK. ENSURING THAT THESE ADVERTISED SAFETY FEATURES FUNCTION CORRECTLY SHOULD BE OF HIGH IMPORTANCE ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE LIKE I DO, DEPEND ON THEM FOR THE SAFETY OF THEIR CHILDREN. *TR
Incident: May 2020
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2020 POWER TRAIN THIS VEHICLE WILL LET YOU SHUT THE ENGINE OFF IN DRIVE WITHOUT SHIFTING TO PARK. IF YOU DO THIS AND LEAVE THE VEHICLE ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, IT WILL ROLL AWAY AND YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO IT AND INTO IT IN TIME TO GET YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THEN SHIFT IT INTO PARK. THIS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED. YOU SHOULD HAVE TO SHIFT TO PARK BEFORE THE ENGINE CAN BE TURNED OFF. *TR
Incident: Jun 2020
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2020 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER THE VEHICLE HESITATES, STALLS AND HAS BUCKING LEAPING FORWARD UNCONTROLLABLY, ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAS A VERY LOUD WHINING NOISE UPON SHIFTING THE CAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND BACK AGAIN FROM DRIVE TO PARK, AT A STAND STILL. THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH A NEE CAR, MY WIFE AND I DON'T FEEL SAFE WHILE DRIVING IN THIS CAR. *TR
Incident: Apr 2020
Crash: No Fire: No 50
May 2020 FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM MY NEW 2020 HIGHLANDER HYBRID HAS A BIG ISSUE WITH THE GAS TANK. I GET ONLY 460 MILES, EVEN IF I TOP IT OFF WITH THE GAS SPEWING OUT. TOYOTA ADVERTISED A 600 MILE RANGE TO THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID. THE 600 MILE FUEL RANGE SEEMS VERY OFF WITH THE 2020 HIGHLANDER HYBRID. I HAVE THE XLE AND ALWAYS HAVE KEPT IT IN ECO MODE. I'VE DRIVEN OVER A THOUSAND MILES ON THE CAR, BUT THE MILE RANGE ESTIMATE ON THE CAR IS INACCURATE AND SEEMS TO BE OFF A LOT IF IT'S SUPPOSED TO GET 600 MILES TO A TANK. MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHEN THE TANK IS EMPTY (THE DASH SAYS I HAD 5 MILES LEFT TO EMPTY), THE GAS TANK ONLY HOLDS AROUND 13 GALLONS EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL TANK CAPACITY IS SUPPOSEDLY 17.1 GALLONS. THOSE 4 GALLONS MAKE FOR 140 MILES LESS DISTANCE ON A TANK. IF I WAIT AND KEEP ON FORCING THE GAS IN SLOWLY, I CAN GET 15 GALLONS BUT I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING TO KEEP ON PUSHING THE GAS NOZZLE UNTIL THE GAS SPEWS OUT OF THE TANK JUST TO GET 15 GALLONS IN. I KNOW TOYOTA HAS BEEN HAVING GAS TANK ISSUES IN OTHER MODELS RECENTLY. ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS I BOUGHT THE CAR WAS FOR THE FUEL TANK CAPACITY AND RANGE. A VIDEO EXPLANATION OF THE PROBLEM IS BELOW: HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=HUU649ZRL-G&T=245S. *TR
Incident: May 2020
Crash: No Fire: No 950
Apr 2020 FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM TOYOTA ADVERTISES AND REPRESENTS THAT THE HIGHLANDER HYBRID′S FUEL TANK CAPACITY IS 17.1 GALLONS, AND BASED ON ITS 35 MPG RATING, THE RANGE SHOULD BE ABOUT 600 MILES. HOWEVER, I AM NOT ABLE TO FILL THE TANK BY MORE THAN 12 GALLONS THUS REDUCING MY RANGE TO 420 MILES. I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECT IN THE NEWLY DESIGNED SADDLE TANK WHICH PROHIBITS THE TANK FROM BEING FILLED COMPLETELY THUS CHEATING ME OUT OF ABOUT 180 MILES OF DRIVING RANGE.
Incident: Apr 2020
Crash: No Fire: No 700
Apr 2020 SUSPENSION THE VEHICLE SUSPENSION IS VERY TIGHT AND CABIN NOISE IS VERY LOUD.ICAN HIT 95 DECIBELS ON MY SOUND PRESSURE METER. HAVE TO TURN THE RADIO UP SO I DO NOT HEAR IT . CANNOT HEAR EMERGENCY VEHICLES. WONDER IT IS DOING TO MY HEARING. THIS A NEW VEHICLE TOOK IT TO TWO DEALERSHIPS AND THEY SAY IT IS NORMAL, THAT CAN NOT BE NORMAL IT SOUNDS LIKES TRUCK. *TR
Incident: Feb 2020
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2020 SUSPENSION SUSPENSION IS VERY LOUD AND TIGHT, THE CABIN NOISE IS VERY NOISY IT CAN HIT 95 DECIBELS ON SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL METER. THE NOISE IS SO BAD THAT I DO NOT WANT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLES ANY MORE UNLESS I TURN THE RADIO VOLUME UP AND I CAN NOT HEAR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.THE SERVICE PEOPLE SAID THAT IS NORMAL.THE VEHICLE NOISE CAN BE UNBEARABLE AT TIMES.IWONDER WHAT IT DOING TO MY HEARING.THE VEHICLE WAS LIKE THIS SINCE I BOUGHT NEW.
Incident: Feb 2020
Crash: No Fire: No 89
Mar 2020 STEERING,ENGINE 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. IT WOULD TURN OVER, BUT NOT START. WE CALLED TOYOTA ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET TO US AND TOW THE VEHICLE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES WE DECIDED TO ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. IT STARTED, AND THE VEHICLE STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, BUT THEN WENT OFF. WE CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND TOLD THEM WE WERE GOING TO ATTEMPT TO DRIVE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WHICH WAS ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY. WE LEFT THE VEHICLE THERE TO BE CHECKED AND SO FAR THEY SAY NOTHING HAS BEEN FOUND BUT ARE CHECKING FURTHER AND TESTING THE VEHICLE BUT SO FAR HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE OCCURRENCE. IT ONLY HAS 300 MILES ON THE ODOMETER.
Incident: Feb 2020
Crash: No Fire: No 300

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