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.
Complaint records
2020 Toyota Highlander Complaints
284 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Toyota Highlander, grouped by component category.
284 Total complaints
12 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
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.
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?
12 Crash
0 Fire
9 Injury
0 Fatality
10 Towed
7 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Toyota Highlander complaint categories?
POWER TRAIN 102
AIR BAGS 29
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 28
STRUCTURE 22
SERVICE BRAKES 21
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4
SUSPENSION 4
ENGINE 3
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3
284 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2024 | 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 unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal whining sound underneath the vehicle on the driver's side. The contact stated that the sound was intermittent but was occurring at various speeds. The contact stated that there were no warning lights. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 107,000 |
| Sep 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | While steering to the right to exit a parallel parking spot, the ABS sensor cable came into contact with a suspension bolt, snapping the sensor wire. This triggered the Check Engine Light and caused a malfunction in the braking systems. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | Known transmission issue not being addressed. Internal parts issue and must be replaced after only a few years. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | With 55k miles on a 2020 Toyota Highlander, we began hearing a whine. On various on-line sources it appears that this is not unusual among late teens to early '20s Highlanders. I brought the vehicle to the dealer (with close to 56k miles) and the dealer decided the transmission needs to be replaced. Even though the dealer service center acknowledges this is an ongoing issue w/the Highlander of this (late teens/early '20s) vintage I'm told its a 1-2mo wait for a transmission repair/replacement. Warranty is 60k miles... I was told be safe and don't go over 60k miles or its possible the warranty might not be honored. While currently operable, a quick internet search indicates, transmission failure often occurs unexpectedly, leaving drivers stranded on the side of the road. This situation can be not only inconvenient but also dangerous. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | POWER TRAIN | My vehicle is started making a loud whining noise at around 78K miles whenever you accelerate between about 25-60mph. The dealer said that a new transmission is the only thing that would fix it. The cost of the transmission is 8K. The dealer said that Toyota ought to cover it, but I called and their initial answer is that they will not. This part should be recalled, there are multiple people online saying they are experiencing the same exact issue. This is a very expensive problem for this car, and not one that consumers should shoulder at low mileages. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | AIR BAGS | The SRS airbag system malfunction went off and the seat keeps beeping for a long time before finally stopping I’ve taken it in to get fixed to the Stockton dealership but they said there’s no available fix yet, but then when I went to pick it up after my oil service they said for $200 they could fix it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | There is an open recall which has not been addressed in a timely manner. The below has been open since OCT 26, 2023. I have been advised that I would be notified when a remedy was available but it's been ten months with no solution. My front bumper detached while I was on the interstate causing damage to the front end of my vehicle. The subject vehicles are equipped with a resin front lower bumper cover assembly, connected with mounting tabs. If there is minor impact to the lower front bumper cover assembly that causes the mounting tabs to detach from the vehicle during normal operation, one or more parts of this assembly could detach, which could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash or injury for other road users. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at speeds above 20 MPH, there was a loud whining sound coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic and the contact was informed that the sound was an indication of transmission failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 73,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 73,000 |
| Aug 2024 | STRUCTURE | See attached document for complaint. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | During the first 20K miles of driving our 2020 Highlander Hybrid; we noticed that while braking; the car would sometimes lung forward as though we had accelerated quickly. It startles you and it causes you to "hit the brakes" quickly. It doesn't happen all the time. It seems to occur more so when we're braking at low speeds in parking lots; while slowing down on a slight decline or simply making a turn left or right while braking. I mentioned this to my Toyota Dealer a few times as to whether or not they had a recall notice for this. I was told "no". I had my oil changed on June 15, 2022 MIL/35,379 and I asked them to check this problem. They checked and advised no problem was duplicated and the invoice stated in part "will wait on any diagnostics at this time". I was never contacted with a "fix". Today (August 16, 2023) I located a Technical Service Bulletin that appeared to address my issue. It is "T-SB-0059-23". This issue is a safety concern to both me and my wife; I'd like to see this problem addressed. This was all mentioned during the warranty period but no notifications were made by Toyota. My current mileage is 89,202. Thank you | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2024 | POWER TRAIN | 8AT transmission failure. Toyota is telling me that it will take 7 months to obtain a replacement transmission. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This is in reference to a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The Air Conditioner is not functional. Upon inspection by a mechanic, and $300 of freon wasted, it was determined that the lines that carry the AC to the rear of the vehicle are defective. Freon immediately drains. We have a case open with Toyota. The Toytota Case Manager acknowledged that the lines are a known issue, however at this time there is no replacement part available to fix the issue. The initial exchange with Toyota in early June resulted in a response that the part ETA was expected for early July. They have delayed twice since, to Late July, and now the status is pending with an ETA of late August but "subject to change." The vehicle is not drivable with the heat of Summer months; at times the internal temperature of the car is well over 100 degrees. I would anticipate people that live in southern year round hot climates with this issue can't drive it at all. My primary concern is having no AC is a safety issue for passengers, including children and an elderly family member [XXX]) for which I am a caretaker, and pets. Toyota did not respond to a request to provide a rental vehicle until the part is available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | AIR BAGS | UNKNOWN | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | POWER TRAIN | The transmission has gone out. We noticed a whining noise which prompted getting the vehicle inspected which led to the diagnosis. The vehicle is at the dealership and cannot be driven as driving it will void the warranty. The were no warning messages just the whining noise at about 30-40 mph. We were told it was good that we caught it as the car could have broken down at any time which could have been a safety risk if it had all of a sudden stopped in traffic. We have researched and found that others have had the same issue. The transmission is on back order with no set arrival date. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure). The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the front bumper detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the upper and lower bumper, underpinning, wheel well assembly covers, and other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 89,000 |
| Jul 2024 | AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Front bumper | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH and changing lanes, the front lower bumper cover suddenly separated from the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the front lower bumper cover assembly was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V72000 (Structure) which the contact related to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted for reimbursement, but the manufacturer denied reimbursement. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MHP, the contact's husband became aware that there was unknown part had loosened on the front of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the front bumper assembly was detaching. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. 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 failure mileage was approximately 30,000. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Jul 2024 | 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 contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2024 | AIR BAGS | There has been an open recall WITHOUT resolution for over 6 months | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | POWER TRAIN | 2020 Highlander XLE 8-AT: whining sound when the vehicle is in forward motion; any speed. No sound noticed when in reverse. At this time, there is no condition, noticed, while shifting gears. Sound is constant regardless of speed. Dealer (6/14/2024) has diagnosed the transmission is bad; needs to be replaced. T-SB-0008-21 & T-SB-0160-18 cover same sound condition this vehicle has now. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Rear AC lines are defective and are failing on vehicles releasing gas under the vehicle. Dealer has confirmed this is a known design issue caused by dissimilar metals between the vehicle, bracket and rear AC lines. Toyota has stopped supply of the defective part but has no solution to repair this issue yet. They have no solution other that to wait for a) Parts to be re-continued, b) wait for Toyota to release a design fix. Meanwhile I have a newborn and the car is unable to maintain a acceptable temperature for occupation | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was pulling into a parking space in a parking garage. As i was pulling in, the car unintentionally had a rapid acceleration event and crashed into a cement pillar causing the car to be a total loss | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jun 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front lower bumper cover had detached on the front passenger's side and was swinging while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be repaired at an auto body collision shop due to a crack on the front lower bumper cover, prior to the recall repair. The contact stated that the dealer failed to honor the recall repair because the recall repair involved repairing or replacing the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,000 |