2019 Toyota HIGHLANDER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
477 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
11,214 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2019 model year. Data snapshot: . 139 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 191 of 477 complaints (40.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 197 | 41.3% |
| Engine operation | 70 | 14.7% |
| Braking behavior | 39 | 8.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 38 | 8.0% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 20 | 4.2% |
| Steering behavior | 20 | 4.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 191 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 86 |
| Unknown Or Other | 78 |
| Engine | 69 |
| Electrical System | 55 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 17 |
| Service Brakes | 17 |
| Air Bags | 14 |
Power Train: 191; Fuel/Propulsion System: 86; Unknown Or Other: 78; Engine: 69; Electrical System: 55; Fuel System, Gasoline: 17; Service Brakes: 17; Air Bags: 14
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 95 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 14 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 12 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 10 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 7 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 95; 25,000 to 49,999: 14; 50,000 to 74,999: 12; 75,000 to 99,999: 10; 100,000 to 149,999: 7; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (95). 338 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 26 |
| 2020 | 89 |
| 2021 | 32 |
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2023 | 33 |
| 2024 | 62 |
| 2025 | 115 |
| 2026 | 96 |
2018: 1; 2019: 26; 2020: 89; 2021: 32; 2022: 23; 2023: 33; 2024: 62; 2025: 115; 2026: 96
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 197 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 70 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 39 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11258968 · 2019-09-30 (September 30, 2019)
ME AND MY FAMILY WERE LEAVING A HOTEL IN TARRYTOWN NY. I PARKED THE CAR: TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2019 OUTSIDE, HELPED MY WIFE AND 21-MONTH BABY INTO THE BACK SEAT AND HAD TO PUT SOMETHING IN THE TRUNK BUT IT WAS LOCKED. IN THAT MOMENT THE CAR WAS IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING; THE GROUND WAS NOT STEEP AT ALL: 5-10 DEGREES THE MOST. I TOOK OUT THE KEY FROM IGNITION TO GO OPEN THE TRUNK WITH THE BUTTON FROM THE REMOTE. SUDDENLY THE CAR STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS WITH MY WIFE AND KID IN THE BACK SEAT. THERE WAS A SLOPE FEW FEET AWAY FROM WHERE I PARKED…
Owner-reported narrative. 7,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11258968 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11326088 · 2020-05-26 (May 26, 2020)
WITH 300MILES ON HIGHLANDER STARTED TO EXPERIENCE ISSUES IN DRIVING AND DROP IN PERFORMANCE. PERFORMANCE WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT ESPECIALLY NOTICEABLE IN MPG. AT SCENARIOS WHEN THE CAR WOULD NOT DRIVE UP THE HILL BUT REV TO MAX AND START ROLLING BACK WITH 'CLICKING' NOISE. TOYOTA WAS SEND TO SERVICE MANY TIMES AFTER TO MULTIPLE TOYOTA DEALERSHIPS BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY DIAGNOSIS. AT 15K MILES ON THE CAR DRIVING ON HIGHWAY (70MPH) THE HIGHLANDER LOST POWER AND STARTED LOUD NOISE. WHEN PULLED OVER FOUND OIL SMELL AND SMOKE FROM ENGINE. DURING EXA…
Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11326088 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11242822 · 2019-08-09 (August 9, 2019)
2019 HIGHLANDER XLE LOSES POWER, UNABLE TO ACCELERATE, & JERKS AND STALLS IN TRAFFIC.BOUGHT AT 200 MILES, CERTIFIED PREOWNED. IT IS A NIGHTMARE VEHICLE. ACCELERATOR HAS BEEN TOUCHY AND JUMPY AT TIMES, INTERMITTENTLY AT SLOW SPEEDS. FIRST TIME IT STALLED IT STARTED TO LOSE POWER PUT -PUT AND CHUG LIKE JERKING AND ALL DASH AND ELECTRICAL ON DASH WENT OUT, UNABLE TO ACCELERATE, THEN STALLED OUT IN ROAD, UNABLE TO STEER OR CONTROL VEHICLE. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS AFTER A LONGER PERIOD OF DRIVING. SECOND TIME IT STALLED OUT BEGAN TO LOSE POWER, PUTTER …
Owner-reported narrative. 5,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11242822 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11254630 · 2019-09-11 (September 11, 2019)
2019 HIGHLANDER XLE JERKS AND STALLS, THEN LOSES POWER. THIS OCCURED ON A NEWLY PURCHASED VEHICLE THAT HAS APPROXIMATELY 13K MILES ON IT, IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC ON A SUB-URBAN STREET. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR OTHER ALERT CAME ON, PROVIDING NO INDICATION TO THE DRIVER OF THE ISSUE. WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WAS A FUEL PRESSURE ISSUE, AND ARE REPLACING THE FUEL PUMP - A PART THAT USUALLY LASTS MORE THAN 200,000 MILES. I HAVE NO IDEA WHETHER THIS IS A FUEL PUMP ISSUE, OR A FUEL REGULATION ISSUE, A…
Owner-reported narrative. 13,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11254630 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11258431 · 2019-09-26 (September 26, 2019)
HYBRID HIGHLANDER STALLED AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, WAS IN MOTION WHEN MY CAR COASTED TO A COMPLETE STOP, COULD NOT BRAKE, ALL POWER SEEMED TO SHUT DOWN. MESSAGE APPEARED SAYING: HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTION CONTACT DEALER. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT WAS TO IMMEDIATELY CALL TOYOTA CORPORATION. CONSUMER REPORTS SAID THIS HAS BEEN A PAST ISSUE WITH HYBRID PRIUS AND SOME HIGHLANDERS. IS TOYOTA HIDING NEW ISSUES? I AM AFRAID THAT THIS CAR WILL DIE ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, DEALER SAID IT NEEDED A NEW "WIRING HARNESS"..(?)…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11258431 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11300611 · 2020-01-20 (January 20, 2020)
WHEN TRYING TO COAST TO A STOP AT AROUND 4 MPH THE CAR WILL SLAM TO A STOP. DOES NOT ALWAYS DO THIS BUT IT'S SOMETIMES VERY HARD TO COME TO A SMOOTH STOP AS THE CARS BRAKING SYSTEM (REGENERATIVE BRAKING?) WILL KICK IN BY ITSELF. CAN BE DANGEROUS IF A CAR IS TAILING VERY CLOSE TO ME AS IT WILL SEEM LIKE I'M DRIVING UNPREDICTABLY. TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER BUT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM AT THE TIME. ALTHOUGH THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT IT IS MORE LIKELY TO DO THIS WHEN THE CAR IS STILL WARMING UP.
Owner-reported narrative. 4,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11300611 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11244038 · 2019-08-14 (August 14, 2019)
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE HAD A SLIGHT LAG WHEN I APPLIED GAS THEN STARTED BEEPING AND PROVIDED THE WARNINGS: CHECK ENGINE, HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM MALFUNCTION, CHECK AWD SYSTEM. I TURNED THE CAR OFF MULTIPLE TIMES, THE ERRORS WERE STILL ON THE CAR THE NEXT MORNING WHEN I STARTED THE CAR TO TAKE IT TO THE SERVICE APPT. WHEN I GOT TO THE DEALERSHIP I TURNED THE CAR OFF TO CHECK IT IN, WHEN I CAME BACK THE ERROR WAS GONE. THEY CHECKED OUT THE CAR THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS JUST 'AMBIENT…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 11244038 at NHTSA ↗