Complaint volume
154 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
2023 Toyota Highlander Complaints
154 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2023 Toyota Highlander, grouped by component category.
154 Total complaints
11 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 unknown or other, structure, service brakes. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 11 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 18 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 58,486 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, structure, service brakes?
- 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 2023 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.
2023 Toyota Highlander
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2023 Toyota Highlander complaints?
11 Crash
0 Fire
9 Injury
0 Fatality
9 Towed
9 Medical attention
What are the most common 2023 Toyota Highlander complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 27
STRUCTURE 25
SERVICE BRAKES 9
ENGINE 8
AIR BAGS 6
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6
SEATS 5
TIRES 5
POWER TRAIN 4
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4
154 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2024 | STEERING,STRUCTURE,WHEELS | The fact that the dealership was able to sell this car with a recall on is crazy, yes I have blame for not looking as well but now we are having issues with the front bumper hitting the tires when you turn and making a grinding noise. We were told that there’s nothing they could do as of yet but as I see this recall has been open for a while now? This is a big concern to us what if they don’t find anything wrong or so they say and something happens? They need to speed up the process to find a solutions loosing a front bumper while your on the highway is a big risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | STRUCTURE | Recall has been out for 6 months still no remedy. Manufacturer Recall Number 23TB12 NHTSA Recall Number 23V720 Can't sell vehicle with open recall, and need to sell. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The right side blind spot warning does not always show a vehicle is in blind spot. The forward collision will alert will start and keep beeping for up to 3 minutes when nothing is in the area. I pulled into driveway and the vehicle started to beep a warning but no warning message showed up on dash. It continued for 30 minutes even after I turned off car. Then started it and drove it a mile and parked it again. I get on the overhead view a generalized warring. But doesn’t say what it is then goes away. This has happened a couple of times when driving. All doors shut, all seat belts locked if someone is in seat, it starts after driving for some time. No apparent reason it starts and stops but is a hazard if trying to drive and figure out why it’s beeping like something is wrong. I also have paint chipping off back bumper on the top for no apparent reason. The back liftgate doesn’t always close even when nothing is in the way. It doesn’t always open when you push the button the first time. The crossbars for luggage installed by Toyota does not keep end cap on on drivers side front and I had to pay to get new ones. The problem is the rail does not hold the cap tight. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, unattended an unknown vehicle crashed into the front bumper. A police report was not filed. There was no air bag deployment, fire, or injury. The contact attached the bumper to the vehicle. At the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the bumper cover had detached. The vehicle was not repaired because the parts were not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V720000 (structure). The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Mar 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The plastic bumper cover on the front of the vehicle came detached as I was driving 60mph in a construction zone. It got sucked underneath the front of the vehicle and was grinding against the front tires. There is even damage to the driver side bumper from this. I pulled over as soon as we were out of the construction zone, and we pulled the bumper out from under the car. This could have been a much bigger issue! It could have caused an accident that could have injured or killed someone. What if the bumper flew off into another vehicle and caused the driver to lost control? What if the bumper hit the tire just right and caused me to lose control and have an accident? It is my understanding that there IS a safety recall for this very issue. However, I was made known of the safety recall in OCTOBER OF 2023. It is now MARCH OF 2024, and there is still no “official” remedy available. This is unacceptable! I am told by the dealership and the manufacturer that I am just supposed to drive around without my bumper attached for an unknown amount of time until a remedy is available. I am very concerned about the safety issues at hand and I would urge that a remedy be made available for this matter immediately. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | ENGINE | Issues with vehicle accelerating, bucking and hesitating | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While driving on the freeway, the sunroof just spontaneously exploded. The hole was right on the center of the sunroof. I am suspecting the explosion is due to weak material used on the vehicle not withstanding thermal expansion. In any case, this is very dangerous and can cause accident. How many more incident to you need until you investigate this matter. Please investigate this matter, so the issue can be remediated. Thank you [XXX] By the way, Sunroof option for issue is not even an option on your list.Please put this on your radar. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle drove over a pothole, and the driver’s side front door opened about 3-4 inches wide. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,874. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,874 |
| Feb 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I took my car for recall inspection because I want to work on Turo car rental. Dealership is denying an inspection on my car. I visited Toyota Elgin dealership. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Toyota has a software program called Drive Connect. This is built into their 2023 and 2024 vehicles. This program has a navigation system and some other features that Toyota offers for about $200 per year. Toyota gives you 12 months free when you buy a new car. When that year is up, they have a built in advertisement that pops up repeatedly and takes over the display screen. The “Experience Drive Connect” screen blocks everything on your screen including other navigation systems, phone, audio, etc. So, the driver must take their eyes off the road to touch the screen multiple times to make the ad disappear for a few minutes and then it returns a few minutes later. So, the driver has to repeat the process every 5 to 10 minutes. Obviously this is annoying, but more importantly, it is distracting and dangerous. The dealers cannot fix this because it is built into Toyota's software program. I have written to the CEO of Toyota, Tetsu Ozawa, but have not received any response. Please require Toyota to fix this because there are hundreds of driver out there driving distractedly. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Unknown | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structurer) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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. The local dealer was not contacted. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 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 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 contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 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 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 |
| Jan 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | Safety noncompliance recall 23TA08 and 23TB12 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | AIR BAGS | Safety noncompliance recall 23ta08 Safety recall 23ta12 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 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 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 |
| Dec 2023 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) 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. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | STRUCTURE | Water intrusion in the A pillars on both driver and passenger side during a rain storm. Toyota confirmed the water intrusion and stated that the gaskets and clips for the roof rack had failed, allowing water to get into the vehicle interior. I had owned the vehicle for approximately 6 months, and I'm not sure when these clips/gaskets failed. If this failure occured earlier, but there wasn't enough water to come though the interior upholstery, there is a possibility that there is significant mold growth behind the interior panels, which could negatively impact any occupants' health. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2023 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 manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 23 Toyota Highlander was in for a routine 10K Mile Oil Change and additional key programming. When I was notified the vehicle was done and taking delivery the vehicle came into the delivery area with the drivers mirror folded away from the car damaged. I asked the delivery driver about it and she immediately called over a manager. Mike Moffitt, Service Quality Control Specialist, came out and greeted me. He acknowledged the damage and documented the damage and said he would arrange a fix for in the next few days. The damage done causes my mirror to shake and vibrate while driving down the road. It makes it impossible to see out of the mirror while driving down the freeway or on moderately bumpy roads. The dealership tried to repair the mirror by first replacing the mirror and then having a Toyota Specialist. The response has been "we compared to like vehicle, condition was similar in like vehicle, technician then contacted Toyota Technical Assistance and they stated it is a design characteristic of the Driver Side Power Folding Mirror and do not advise any further inspections or repairs. Toyota's Field Technical Specialist reviewed the case and advised no further action at this time." | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ENGINE | The vehicle surges and hesitates when pressing on the gas. Several times I push on the gas and nothing really happens. Slow to move. Other times I push on the gas and it “bucks”. Like the turbo kicked in to max power all of a sudden. Almost lost control of the car a couple times. Once was on a mountain road. I am hesitant to drive it and even more so to let anyone else drive it. For fear of them losing control and running off the road because it becomes impossible to handle for a split second. The entire time I’m driving, it sputters/hesitates. Something is wrong with the car. I will attempt to take it to the dealer, as I have less than 12,000 miles on it. But I’m not optimistic based on the threads I’ve searched on line. Seems like Toyota knows there’s an issue and hasn’t done anything to rectify it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | Engine intermittently has no power on take off and causes an unsafe condition to turning into traffic where car will just not go until after flooring it and a 3-5 second delay!! Engine also looses power and bucks or misses while accelerating through gears. This has caused multiple near miss incidents when turning into or across traffic. Also have issues with the steering assist that it yanks the wheel intermittantly. This cause me to loose control on the wet interstate in a turn when it yanked the wheel to the right while banking left at 65mph. I panicked and pulled the wheel back which cause a skid. The system has been turned off since. Toyota is not doing anything to repair anything and keep giving me the car back saying its fine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |