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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
8,671 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2019 Toyota Highlander electrical problems

electrical problem

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2019 Toyota Highlander Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #32

May 232024

Highlander

  • 77,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring, and the battery was replaced, as recommended by the local dealer; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer where it was diagnosed that the START/STOP system was draining the battery. As a result of the failure, the START/STOP system was turned off. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

- Waukegan, IL, USA

problem #31

Jan 302024

Highlander

  • miles
I have a sporadic high pitch screeching beep when I start my car. It started about 3 months ago. It is so LOUD and glad I don-??t have little kids or older adults I have to transport. I have noticed my SOS consistently blinks green and red.

- Kelso, WA, USA

problem #30

Mar 312023

Highlander

  • miles
There is a loud, ear splitting sound that occurs at start up. It doesn-??t happen every time but has happened multiple times since I-??ve owned the car for 1 year. It is very loud-?"like a shrill feedback noise from a microphone.

- Moselle, MS, USA

problem #29

Oct 062023

Highlander

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When I start the Highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes once.

- Byron Center, MI, USA

problem #28

Nov 282023

Highlander

  • miles
When I start my 2019 Highlander there is a loud screech that startles you and makes you jump out of your seat. It-??s a very loud feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens very often but intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes red/green once. This happened after the SOS trial service had expired. I called the SOS service and they told us to talk to the dealership. There needs to be a recall of the SOS module or whatever is causing this.

- Eugene, OR, USA

problem #27

Oct 202023

Highlander

  • miles
The car turns off when driving which was supposed to be corrected by recall. It doesn-??t appear the recall has been successful in correcting the issue. I actually am not 100% sure they actually swapped out the recall part so I-??d like that checked. I also purchased a new battery from the dealer about 3 weeks ago and the problem actually got worse in that it stalls while driving or resets the computer while driving at least once a week.

- Petaluma, CA, USA

problem #26

Sep 262023

Highlander

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Originally, 2019 Toyota Highlander lost engine power, steering, and braking on U.S. Route 30, a very busy highway. Managed to pull off side of road AND WAITED. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS CAR STARTED AND RAN AS EXPECTED.Took to local dealer who had the car for several days, but couldn't identify the problem. This instance was 2020/2021. Fast forward to this past September 26th. Pulling out of a private parking lot the car stalled exactly as it had previously.This complete failure of engine is going to get me killed. Further I now notice my dash lights are dimming for no reason then coming back to bright. Now I read where other Highlander are doing the exact thing. I have a car, I'm afraid to drive.

- Valparaiso, IN, USA

problem #25

Feb 162023

Highlander

  • miles
Random Battery Drain. Driver and passengers can be put in danger if car doesn-??t start and vehicle is in an unsafe location. AAA replaced battery with a new one but the random battery drain problem continues to occur. No warning signs prior to dead battery. First appeared end of 2020/beginning of 2021. Internet search returns complaints for same problem from 2017 to present.

- Oak Ridge, NJ, USA

problem #24

Jan 032023

Highlander

  • miles
The door locks will not unlock or lock. Had to replace two so far and now the other side is doing the same. Pre collision, Lane departure, cruise control and traction have malfunction. Unknown as to why at this moment.

- Harlingen , TX, USA

problem #23

Dec 122022

Highlander 6-cyl

  • miles
This is a 2019 hybrid Highlander and the vehicle continually stalls or won-??t start and we get a warning message that the hybrid system has stopped working and to put car in Park and restart. While this is happening regularly during startup, fortunately this has only happened once with the vehicle in Drive but represents a serious safety concern for us! We were being assigned to Germany and reported the issue to our local Toyota dealer who couldn-??t duplicate the problem and said that the Toyota engineers said it couldn-??t happen. Since arriving in Germany, the problem during startup has occurred on almost a daily basis. Last occurrence was this evening, 12 Dec 22.

- Oak Island, NC, USA

problem #22

Jul 012022

Highlander

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have had my vehicle for a little over 3 years, with about 35K miles on it. At first, I realized my vehicle jerked a bit, but I dismissed it because it never stopped. However, I did notice that my battery was dying quickly. I was changed once by the dealership because they said the battery was defective. After they changed that battery, the next battery also went bad. While driving with my children and mother, my vehicle began sputtering and a message that said, "Check Engine Reduced engine power" came on along with "Traction Control turned off" and my engine light. My vehicle barely accelerated as I was trying to cross the intersection thankfully I managed to get out of the way of oncoming vehicles. Somehow, the vehicle ran smoothly after I turned it off and turned it back. After that issue, I then experienced an error message in reference to the Start/Stop system along with the check engine light. That issue also cleared when I turned my vehicle on and off. I then experienced another power loss issue, at which time I traveled to my local Toyota dealership but they were unable to help me then due to a battery issue. The issue then cleared itself somehow again; however, the issue came back the next day. I managed to get my vehicle to the side of the roadway at which time the vehicle stalled. I tried starting the vehicle again; however, it would not turn over. After being on the roadside for about 2 to 3 hours, I tried starting my vehicle again, and it drove fine until I reached the dealership. My vehicle was placed on a machine where they received the code for a fuel rail issue along with a misfire. I was then advised that this issue is not covered under warranty. I was also told that the problem would cost me over 4K for the part which does not include labor. I have been doing my research since and I now find that there is a recall on my vehicle.

- Christiansted, VI, USA

problem #21

Aug 012022

Highlander

  • 52,000 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while reversing out of a driveway, the vehicle began to jerk without warning. Once the contact reached the base of her driveway, the vehicle accelerated backward into a neighbor's tree. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact called the ambulance where her daughter was transported to a hospital after she suffered a gash to the back of her head due to the accident. The contact and her daughter's friend both suffered whiplash as a result of the accident. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle back into her driveway where it remained in her possession. The contact called the dealer to check for recalls and was informed that there were zero recalls on the vehicle. The manufacturer had yet to be notified about the failure. The vehicle had to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

- Irmo, SC, USA

problem #20

May 262022

Highlander

  • miles
When running, after stopping at a stop sign, the car hesitates to go, kind of sputters. When turning the car on, the lights on the dash flicker and now the car won-??t start. On days prior, you would turn the car key, but the car wouldn-??t start on the first time. It sounded like it wouldn-??t turn all the way on, like the battery died. I didn-??t leave the radio on or anything that would warrant that.My safety was put at risk because I work in healthcare and get off work at midnight so if I broke down or stalled in traffic, this could cause an accident.

- Santa Maria, CA, USA

problem #19

May 092022

Highlander

  • miles
On occasion I have been walking around this car while its just parked in my garage and I hear a a humming sound like a electric gas pump. This is 4 hours after it was used last. It is a faint sound coming from the the rear seating area. Just before I started to write this I went out to check it again and its not doing it. This is not a one time event and its concerning since I believe its electric and may be involved with gas in a parked garage. The vehicle is in like new condition and had one minor cosmetic type accident while in its first year of use. Scratches to driver side panels and front bumper. I will call the dealer tomorrow to see what they have to say. Thanks in advance for any info you can share on this issue, a fire in my garage would bad.

- Liberty, ME, USA

problem #18

Nov 302021

Highlander

  • miles
I was driving and stopped at a red light on 4 lane intersection (very busy). I went to press on the gas and my car would not move. I put it in park and and then back in drive. It still did not move. It "died". I looked at the dash and it said "electrical system - move over to a safe place". My car would not start - I could not move it. I was stuck in the middle of the street -scared out of my mind. I had to call 911 and they told me someone already called for me and the police were on their way. When the police came he told me to stay in my car and he would stay behind me. There were no warning lights or anything to let me know that this was going to happen. If there was, I would not be in the middle of a 4 lane road. Toyota states it is the start-stop battery system. This is completely unsafe.

- Naperville, IL, USA

problem #17

Nov 012020

Highlander

  • miles
Erratic steering - Steering response is unpredictable when changing lanes, especially at highway speeds. Stall out on hard acceleration - such as accelerating from an entrance ramp onto an interstate. Glare on navigation screen - creates hazard when shading screen by hand to see it while driving.

- Palm Harbor, FL, USA

problem #16

Oct 012021

Highlander 6-cyl

  • miles
Since having recall work done my vehicles computer system has not been functioning the same. My vehicle has been stalling out and saying braking power low, stop in a safe place, charging system malfunction. I-??ve reached out to Haley Toyota 8301 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23235 where the diagnostic was done and let them know of the error code I was given ( P0335) Crankshaft Position Sensor -??A-?? Circuit. I took it in for diagnostic there and they told me they couldn-??t find any issues with my vehicle, ( picked up Oct.3, 2021). It-??s Oct.4, 2021 and here I am at Sams Club trying to leave but my vehicle will not start. I contacted Toyota again and let them know of the same issue and they said to once again bring it in for diagnosing. I asked the gentleman on the phone if they had previously had it for a week and didn-??t seem to find any issues with it after doing diagnostic then what were they planning on doing differently. My vehicle is under warranty and I-??m trying to figure out who and where I can take it to to get some answers.

- Midlothian , VA, USA

problem #15

Sep 182021

Highlander

  • miles
I was involved in an accident that I believe was caused by sudden unintended acceleration (sua). In a very busy commercial parking lot, I was pulling into a parking space proceeding at a very slow speed, when there was a sudden surge in acceleration accompanied by a grinding/acceleration sound. I hit the brake to no effect, and the vehicle jumped the curb and hit a building shop and entered the shop. The air bags did not deploy, and I was shaken up but not injured. Thankfully, there was no one at the front desk area of the business. The car was not drivable and was towed to a body shop.

- Virginia Beach , VA, USA

problem #14

Dec 312020

Highlander

  • 11 miles
I bought this car new with about 11 mile on it. The transmission immediately had shifting issues as it could not decide what forward gear to go into and shifted hard and felt as if it was going into two gears at one time and after a short drive the instrument cluster warning display indicated a check engine light and warning that the transmission was overheating and acted as if the engine was starving of fuel as it surged and did not deliver power to go beyond 35 mph. After I bought it the dealer reassured me at least three times that the car was okay and that this is the way that the transmission shifts. I repeatedly had the dealer check it and the dealer reassured me that there was no trouble code and no problems found although the check engine light was on and the instrument cluster showed transmission overheating and they fixed a wiring connector to try and fix the running problem. A class action suit came out for the fuel pump failure recall and the 8 speed transmission. I feel that this is a very common problem that the dealer and manufacture are trying to hide. After 13 months and 2,800 total miles the transmission overheated, burned up the internal clutch set and I now have no forward and reverse gears. I feel that the surging and transmission problems are a software defect as the shifting defect comes and goes and vastly promoted if I drive it very gently from a cold start. Once warmed up it does not act up as often except when two gears seem to be engaged at the same time. The key also intermittently does not allow the car to start and instrument cluster also shows trac light, ABS failure light, bsm not available, smart key failure, and complete black out of the instrument cluster and shown to the dealer mechanic and service writers and photographed and videotaped for documentation and in the repair orders.

- Irvine, CA, USA

problem #13

Aug 302020

Highlander

  • 16,638 miles
The voice guidance system was inoperative. I bought it as a pre-certified 2019 Highlander from a Toyota dealer with 16K miles. At the time it was working the stopped working. After 3wks I found out that I have to push the start button 2X with the engine off to get it to work. Toyota has know about this for 2 years but no one includijng support told me about it! will there be any recalls? it is too late to take it back! I will have to do this each time I use this feature.

- Windsor, CO, USA

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