The Used Car Index

2020 Toyota Highlander problems

NHTSA lists 328 complaints for the 2020 Toyota Highlander, 16 of them mention a crash and 0 mention a fire. 13 complaints mention an injury, with 20 injuries and 0 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-08.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as TOYOTA HIGHLANDER.

At a glance

Complaints
328
With crash
16
With fire
0
With injury (complaints)
13
Injuries
20
Deaths
0
Recalls
5
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
999,901
Investigations
1
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
236

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. The available sales group does not match this vehicle variant.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
POWER TRAIN12638.4%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER4413.4%
SERVICE BRAKES3911.9%
AIR BAGS3611.0%
STRUCTURE309.1%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM195.8%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM185.5%
ENGINE175.2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL103.0%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE61.8%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
STRUCTUREBODY20
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEAUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEWARNINGS3
LANE DEPARTUREBLIND SPOT DETECTION3
LANE DEPARTUREASSIST2
POWER TRAINDRIVELINE2
BACK OVER PREVENTIONSENSING SYSTEM1
BACK OVER PREVENTIONWARNINGS1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMINSTRUMENT PANEL1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMSTARTER ASSEMBLY1

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags

These labels are model-generated, not NHTSA data.

Failure modes
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
mechanical failure14243.3%0.83
loss of control5617.1%0.89
noise or comfort3310.1%0.75
electrical electronic288.5%0.86
restraint or airbag288.5%0.87
structural or corrosion144.3%0.59
unclear123.7%0.88
visibility or lighting82.4%0.77
fluid or fuel leak51.5%0.72
fire or overheating20.6%0.84
Severities
LabelCountShare of taggedMean confidence
low15547.3%0.77
moderate14443.9%0.85
high237.0%0.93
none61.8%0.77

Model: typesafe/jev-1.13-20260917; schema version: tag-v1. 328 tagged complaints of 328 complaints (100.0%).

Confidence is the model's own probability for the label it chose (0 to 1), not accuracy.

Model-generated labels on tagged complaints only. Model years 2013 and newer are tagged in full; 2012 in part (see tagged_share); earlier model years have no tags. NHTSA's own flags remain separate in the complaints block.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

5 recalls.

23V865000

Date: 2023-12-20. Systems: AIR BAGS.

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger (excerpt)

Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury. (excerpt)

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Le (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

23V720000

Date: 2023-10-26. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.

Consequence: A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will repair or replace the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 22, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB12/23TA12.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

22V239000

Date: 2022-04-13. Systems: ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC).

Defect: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled (excerpt)

Consequence: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash. (excerpt)

Remedy: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01. (excerpt)

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

20V633000

Date: 2020-10-14. Systems: AIR BAGS, SEATS.

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid vehicles. Incorrect seat trim covers on one or both of the front seats can prevent the seat-mounted side air bag from deploying properly.

Consequence: Improper deployment of the seat-mounted side air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats and replace the seat trim covers as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB14 / 20TA14.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

20V162000

Date: 2020-03-19. Systems: ENGINE, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander vehicles equipped with a 3.5 L, V6 (2GR-FKS) gasoline engine. Due to an Engine Control Unit (ECU) programming error, fuel may not be correctly supplied to the engine while using the stop and restart feature.

Consequence: Improper fuel supply programming can result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECU, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA06.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

1 investigations; 0 open.

DP22005

Opened: 2023-01-27. Closed: 2023-08-07.

Pedestrian alert sounds

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and ele

Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Linked campaign numbers: 22V063000.

Manufacturer communications

236 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
EQUIPMENT73
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM70
STRUCTURE39
ENGINE30
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING29
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY11
BACK OVER PREVENTION8
VISIBILITY7

11037202

Date: 2026-08-20. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.

11037186

Date: 2026-08-11. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: ENGINE.

Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyotaa s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customersa ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to Flow Shut-off Valve Coolant Leak.

11034823

Date: 2026-06-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: STRUCTURE.

Some 2020 a 2026 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a water leak from the roof rack attachment clips. This may be caused by the sealant in the roof channel obstructing the proper seating position for the clip gasket.

11033412

Date: 2026-05-14. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyotaa s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customersa ownership experience. Toyota is providing extended coverage under this Customer S

11031158

Date: 2026-03-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Some 2020 a 2024 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the air conditioner does not cool due to a leak and/or corrosion in the rear underbody air conditioner tube and accessory assembly. The anti-corrosion material has been updated to reduce the poss

11029896

Date: 2026-02-27. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE.

OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.

11028726

Date: 2026-01-30. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.

11028722

Date: 2026-01-28. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Some 2018 a 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.

11028712

Date: 2026-01-07. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

Some 2005 a 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedur

11028711

Date: 2026-01-06. Type: Warranty Program/Extension. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyotaa s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customersa ownership experience. Toyota is providing extended coverage under this Customer S

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
HIGHLANDER319
HIGHLANDER HYBRID9

Same model, other years

All model years | All Toyota models

Other Toyota models, 2020

Sources

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