Complaint volume
299 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
2020 Toyota Highlander Complaints
299 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Toyota Highlander, grouped by component category.
299 Total complaints
13 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
11 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, unknown or other, air bags. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 13 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 11 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 57 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 38,699 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to power train, unknown or other, air bags?
- 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?
13 Crash
0 Fire
11 Injury
0 Fatality
11 Towed
8 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Toyota Highlander complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 112
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 33
AIR BAGS 30
SERVICE BRAKES 27
STRUCTURE 21
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 16
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7
ENGINE 6
SEAT BELTS 6
STRUCTURE:BODY 5
299 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | UNKNOWN, dealers are reporting 1-2 2020-2022 Highlanders are needing completely transmission replacements at 8-10k in cost. They are all failing and toyota knows this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | I am filing a complaint with the NHTSA regarding persistent transmission slipping in my 2020 Toyota Highlander LE equipped with the UA80-E 8-speed automatic transmission. Since reaching approximately 55,000 miles, I have experienced noticeable slipping, characterized by delayed acceleration, erratic shifting, and occasional lurching, which align with documented defects in the UA80 platform as outlined in over 430 NHTSA complaints and Toyota’s Technical Service Bulletins (e.g., T-SB-0160-18 and T-SB-0008-21). These issues stem from a known manufacturing flaw involving a washer tab failing to secure the counter drive gear’s retaining nut, leading to gear movement, internal wear, and symptoms like mine. This defect, prompting Toyota’s Customer Support Program ZJC for 2017–2018 models and reported in later years like 2020, compromises vehicle safety and reliability, as slipping can cause unpredictable handling. I urge the NHTSA to investigate further and hold Toyota accountable for addressing this widespread issue across affected models. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Whining noise when accelerating. Took it to toyota dealership and confirm it was the transmission .toyota corporate would not assist repair cost as my warranty is 7k miles pass warranty mark..did a research about the transmission and there is a class action law suit about the faulty transmission | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | On September 2, 2025, the vehicle’s Hybrid System shut down on cold start and the vehicle would not start. A dealer inspection reported coolant had entered cylinder #4, allegedly causing the engine block to warp, the cylinder head to crack, and the head gasket to fail. This was a sudden catastrophic engine failure on a five-year-old vehicle with no prior overheating warnings, no dashboard alerts, and no performance issues in the days leading up to the failure. It is highly unlikely for an engine block to warp without sustained overheating, yet the failure occurred on a cold start. The dealership itself described this as a “premature failure” in their service report. At approximately 26,000 miles, the vehicle’s coolant thermostat failed and was replaced under warranty. If the thermostat stuck closed even briefly, the engine could have experienced one or more silent overheat events that never registered on the dashboard. In aluminum blocks, even short bursts of high localized heat can create latent distortion that doesn’t cause immediate problems but can eventually lead to catastrophic failure years later. Safety Risk: – Vehicle became disabled suddenly without warning. – Engine failure occurred without overheating symptoms, creating risk of sudden shutdown during use. Problem Confirmation: – Engine failure confirmed by a Toyota-authorized dealer. – Dealer service report explicitly called this a “premature failure.” Warning Lamps / Symptoms: – A check engine light appeared briefly three days before failure, then cleared on its own. – No overheating warnings or drivability issues were observed prior to failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 78,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 78,000 |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | All of the sudden around 70K miles, the transmission started to make a "whining" noise. It does not sound right and I'm afraid the transmission could fail while I'm driving. I took it to the dealer and they acknowledged that it's a known issue but that in my case the noise is not loud enough to warrant replacing the transmission. A quick research on the internet revels that this is a very common problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2020 less than 5 years 63,000 miles started making noise Dealer where i bought it; said my warranty expired with 60,000 miles , so i have to pay transmission replace close to $9,000 , obviously this is a Toyota fabrication problem they need to assume responsibility . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My 2020 vehicle has 75,000 miles on it. It started making a high pitched sound when accelerating. I brought my vehicle to the dealership where I bought it, to have it inspected. I was assuming it would be a belt or an easy fix. The service agent walked over and cooly explained that I need a new transmission. He continued to say that this is a common issue with this make and model. He stated that at the beginning of the year customers were having to wait a couple of months of transmission parts, but now because of the demand due to the well known power train failure, that the current wait time for transmission parts are only two weeks. He stated several times, that this is a common problem, one that car owners are expected to pay $9,000. to fix. A quick google search brings up a plethora of customers having the same exact problem. Toyota needs to make this right and issue a recall on their faulty product. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | AIR BAGS | Vehicle: 2020 Toyota Highlander XLE VIN: [XXX] Mileage (approx): 78,000 Problem Description: My vehicle displays an SRS Airbag System Malfunction warning and a seatbelt chime that activates whether the passenger seat is occupied or not, and whether the buckle is latched or not. The chime stops after about a minute, but the SRS light remains on. This behavior matches a false passenger occupancy detection, which suggests the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor is still malfunctioning. My vehicle was included in Toyota Recall 23TA15 (NHTSA 23V865), and the dealer (Classic Toyota of Hampton) marked the recall as completed on September 9, 2025. However, the current symptoms are identical to those described in the recall, which indicates the recall remedy may not have corrected the defect. Toyota now claims the issue is due to the passenger seat buckle, but a buckle alone would not cause the system to chime when the seat is empty. I believe this is a continued failure of the OCS system, which directly affects the airbag and seatbelt safety system. Safety Concern: The ongoing fault may cause the passenger airbag to deploy incorrectly in a crash. I am concerned that the recall remedy was ineffective, leaving my vehicle unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission is defective. I do have a warranty that I purchased but I am aware that this is a faulty transmission for the 2020 and 2021 Highlander and Toyota refuses to do anything about it. Transmission is 2 - 3 months backordered and Toyota will not provide a rental. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | STRUCTURE:BODY | Went to close the right rear passenger door and heard splashing. Door is leaking from somewhere and running down to the bottom of the door filling it with water on the inside. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | 2020 toyota highlander l Transmission..whining noise it gets louder when accelerating | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | TRANSMISSION GAVE OUT | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | The vehicle’s transmission makes an audible whining noise during acceleration and intensifies as the car increases speed. The vehicle has been diagnosed and inspected at the original dealer where the car was purchased and confirmed that the transmission needs to be replaced. The vehicle’s powertrain warranty has just expired and this issue is a major problem and concern with similar model years. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | On August 3, 2025, the vehicle developed a loud humming noise. After an inspection on August 12, Heritage Toyota informed me that the transmission had failed and would require replacement at an estimated cost of $9,000. This failure occurred only days past the five-year warranty and just 8,834 miles beyond the 60,000-mile powertrain limit. I immediately contacted Toyota’s Brand Engagement Center (Case #250814000192). Despite speaking with multiple representatives over several weeks, my inquiries were repeatedly delayed, escalated, or dismissed. At one point, I was even informed that further follow-up on my case would be deleted through Toyota Website. Ultimately, I was offered 50% coverage of the transmission replacement. While I appreciate this offer, it does not fully address the seriousness of a transmission failure occurring under such circumstances. I also contacted Heritage Toyota directly to request assistance, but my calls to the service manager went unanswered, and the dealership declined to provide any additional support. I believe this situation raises concerns about both product quality and customer care. A transmission should not fail in under five years with fewer than 70,000 miles, especially on a well-maintained vehicle serviced exclusively by Toyota. I respectfully request that Toyota be held accountable for this failure and that further review be conducted to determine whether this issue represents a larger pattern of premature transmission failures in Highlanders. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission whine 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. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | A dealership has confirmed that the transmission in my 2020 Toyota Highlander is bad. It has 101k miles on it currently. I purchased this vehicle with the mindset that I would get 200,000 or 300,000 miles of use with it. I am now having to decide if I am going to trade it in or pay $9,000 to have the transmission replaced. I have been told that there are other 2020 Toyota Highlanders having this same issue. Has there been anything to determine what is causing this issue with the transmissions and will there be a recall? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission failure at 78,000 miles | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Whining noise upon accelerating. Diagnosed as bad transmission by a Toyota dealership. No warning indicator 62,500 miles | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Transmission Planetary Gears in 2020 Toyota Highlander. Makes a "whining" noise when accelerating. No warning lights or other symptoms. Many reported problems with this model but no recall. Many people are needing to pay out of pocket due to the 60k mileage powertrain warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | AIR BAGS | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | ENGINE | Just went back for secondary break malfunction and was told fuel 🤷🏻♀️ i just filled it. Still no remedy for recall since my Last maintenance visit | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My 2020 Toyota Highlander is equipped with Toyota’s UA80 8‑speed transmission. At around 62, 000 miles, a loud whining noise developed. The dealership confirmed the transmission is defective. Toyota has issued multiple Technical Service Bulletins acknowledging this transmission defect across all 2020 Highlanders with the UA80, but they are refusing to cover my repair because I am slightly over the 60,000‑mile powertrain warranty. Impact: This is a confirmed design flaw that affects every 2020 Highlander with the UA80 transmission. I rely on this vehicle as my only means of commuting to work—if the transmission fails, I will lose my job. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Whining noise upon acceleration, replacement transmission recommended by Toyota dealer. Defective UA80F installed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2025 | POWER TRAIN | My wife was driving on the highway, felt a bump and the engine RPMs spiked. The check engine light came on as well as a error message that the secondary collision braking system was disabled. The vehicle was taken to the dealership and we were told there was a internal failure in the transmission. The vehicle has approximately 80K miles. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |