2014 Toyota Highlander Body & structure Problems

The driver’s-side rear spoiler on my 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited AWD has melted, bubbled, and warped. The vehicle has been stored 100% of the time in a fully enclosed garage with no windows since new. It has only 65,000 miles and has received all service exclusively at authorized Toyota dealerships. There has been no direct sun exposure, accident, or misuse. Toyota dealer and Corporate attributed this to “solar convergence” and denied any repair assistance or goodwill coverage. This explanation does not match the facts given the garage setup and minimal outdoor time. This appears to be a materials/design defect in the black plastic spoiler. Similar melting/warping issues are reported by other owners on Highlanders and RAV4s, even on low-mileage garaged vehicles. Dealer replacement quotes are typically $2,700+. I request NHTSA investigate this recurring plastic failure as a potential defect in materials and workmanship. Attachments (upload with form): • Photos of the melted spoiler (multiple angles) I am available for any additional information. 05 May 2026

NHTSA ID

11735785

Incident

Apr 17, 2026

Was driving 70 mph on nj 287 when all sudden I hear something that sounded like implosion and air was coming from sunroof. Ended up being sun roof glass flew out of car sunroof frame. Toyota knew it was a defect as they did inspection but did not want to cover it because they said it’s out of warranty. Thankfully no one was driving behind me at that time

NHTSA ID

11712555

Incident

Jan 15, 2026

Water leaks inside the car every time it rains. We checked the sunroof drain tubes. They are clear. It is getting in through the roof rail bolts. It runs down the pillars to the floor and underneath the floor carpet. The carpet is wet for long periods of time in rainy seasons. I am concerned there is going to be mold issues.

NHTSA ID

11635420

Incident

Sep 1, 2023

The vehicle is painted in Blizzard Pearl, which has a known peeling issue. Toyota never sent us any notification of an issue with the paint. A patch of the paint has peeled off of the top of the vehicle and has continued to grow larger. When we contacted Toyota, we were informed the period to fix this issue has closed and we would have to repair out of pocket. Our vehicle was mostly garage kept and didn't suffer the immediate failure of the paint. Blizzard Pearl is a color with an additional cost and has the most complaints for failure. Toyota has acknowledged the problem but did very little to ensure customers were notified, did not take into account Blizzard Pearl painted vehicles would fail at different times due to climate/storage of vehicles, and only provided a narrow window to their customers for this issue. The peeled paint has exposed the body of the vehicle to the elements, which will cause it to rust.

NHTSA ID

11634902

Incident

Dec 13, 2024

Some doors do not lock when the electric lock switch is pressed on the FOB or using the button on the door. Sometimes the doors that did lock don’t the next time. This is a security issue while driving the vehicle and another security issue when parking. It’s also a safety issue for the same reasons. The door’s electrical locking system fails and needs to be fixed.

NHTSA ID

11516766

Incident

Mar 27, 2023

rear tailgate door non-functioning. auto door button does not work and door cannot be opened manually. serious safety issue if car in accident and side doors won't open. checked by dealer in dec. 2020, and they knew about problem and not covered under warrranty. toyota knew about problem in march 2016 and issued service bulletin T-SB-0023-16 which clearly states problem and how to fix in 8 pages.; and only covers 2014/2015 highlanders under warranty. no warning lights; tailgate failed in dec. 2020. vehicle only inspected by toyota dealer in roseville, CA. if Toyota is willing to fix some highlanders, why would they exclude others out of warranty? This makes the vehicle unuseable for a family that hikes, camps, plays sports, etc. and I feel is a clear safety issue if one exit out of vehicle does not operate!

NHTSA ID

11492649

Incident

Dec 2, 2020

The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while opening the hatchback, the hatchback failed to fully open as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the support struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or informed of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 43,000.

NHTSA ID

11485464

Incident

Aug 20, 2022

Mileage

43,000 mi

The power back door is inoperative or stops during operation when the weather is cold. I moved to Oregon from Southern California in the spring of 2019. The problem started in the winter of 2020 & again in 2021. I looked it up and found a cars.com article that stated it was a problem and to call the dealer. I called Toyota and they didn't have it as a recall.I called the dealer in 2020 and they said they had never heard of the problem. I didn't take the vehicle to the dealer during Covid. I just went through another winter of dealing with a back door that would not operate properly.

NHTSA ID

11424000

Incident

Dec 2, 2019

THE REAR DOOR (HATCH) ELECTRICAL DOES NOT FUNCTION

NHTSA ID

11349860

Incident

Jan 1, 2019

Mileage

45,000 mi

THE REAR DOOR LOCKS DO NOT LOCK ALL THE TIME MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR THE KIDS IN THE BACK SEAT TO OPEN THE DOORS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD ON MY 2014 HIGHLANDER. IT ALSO MAKES IT PRETTY EASY FOR PEOPLE TO STEAL STUFF FROM YOUR CAR. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IT IS A KNOW ISSUE AND THE INTERNET FORUMS ARE FULL OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE WITH ZERO HELP FROM THE DEALER. NEW LOCK MECHANISMS ARE 300 DOLLARS. I HAVE ALREADY HAD TO REPLACE ONE AT 75K MILES,. NOW I HAVE TO DO THE OTHER. THE VEHICLE NOW HAS 100K. *TR

NHTSA ID

11321275

Incident

Apr 1, 2020

Mileage

75,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR POWER DOORS AND TRUNK MADE A BUZZING NOISE AND WERE INOPERATIVE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: SB0023-16 AND NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10134306 (STRUCTURE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). SPARKS TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 4855 HIGHWAY 501, MYRTLE BEACH, SC 29526, 888-847-7870) WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO THE DEALER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

NHTSA ID

11257627

Incident

Sep 24, 2018

Mileage

35,000 mi

THE REAR HATCH BEEPS AND DOES NOT OPEN OR CLOSE. I TRIED THE FACTORY RESETTING IT WITH NO LUCK. SAW ONLINE THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT TOYOTA IS STATING ITS NOT DESPITE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ONLINE BY OWNERS AND ALSO SITE SHOWING TOYOTA WILL FIX AND REPLACE THE REAR STRUTS

NHTSA ID

11231586

Incident

Jul 13, 2019

Mileage

54,790 mi

ISSUES WITH THE FRONT AND BACK DOORS NOT UNLOCKING. THE ISSUES HAVE RANGED FROM ALL DOORS UNLOCKED, BUT STICKING AND NOT DISENGAGING. I JUST HAD THE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR REPLACED IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE BACK DOOR THIS WEEK. THE NEXT DAY THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON OFF AND ON FOR THE PAST 3-4 YEARS.

NHTSA ID

11218321

Incident

Jun 4, 2019

Mileage

65,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR LIFTGATE, IT OCCASIONALLY FAILED TO OPEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFTGATE HAD TO BE CLOSED MANUALLY OCCASIONALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CHUCK PATTERSON TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 200 EAST AVE, CHICO, CA 95926) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MULTI LIFTGATE CONNECTOR OR THE POWER UNIT NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ID

11217631

Incident

Apr 30, 2019

Mileage

58,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR GATE, IT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE. THE CONTACT MANUALLY HAD TO PUSH IT UP. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GATE HAD BEEN MALFUNCTIONING FOR APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MONTHS. THE GATE WOULD SOMETIMES OPEN OR NOT OPEN, AND WOULD OCCASIONALLY BECAUSE GET STUCK IN THE PROCESS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RONNIE WARD TOYOTA OF RUSTON (1001 NORTH SERVICE RD E, RUSTON, LA 71270), BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

NHTSA ID

11191568

Incident

Mar 25, 2019

Mileage

136,000 mi

REAR LIFT GATE MALFUNCTIONED WHEN TRYING TO LOAD GROCERIES. LONG BEEP AND WOULDN'T WORK. UNABLE TO MAKE IT WORK AGAIN EVEN AFTER RESETTING AND TURNING OFF AND ON VIA BUTTON IN GLOVEBOX. NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY ANYMORE. PAID $1000 FOR TOYOTA AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR. BROUGHT HOME AND IT WORKED FOR A FEW DAYS THEN STARTED DOING THE SAME ISSUE AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11182468

Incident

Sep 1, 2018

Mileage

59,000 mi

POWER REAR LIFTGATE INOPERABLE. POWER REAR LIFT GATE TRAVELS A COUPLE INCHES, EITHER OPENING OR CLOSING, AND FREEZES. NO LONGER RESPONDS WITH THE POWER BUTTON AND HAS TO BE CLOSED MANUALLY. DISENGAGING THE POWER BUTTON AND USING ONLY AS MANUAL OPEN AND CLOSE, THE DOOR IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO OPEN OR CLOSE.

NHTSA ID

11181724

Incident

Jul 8, 2018

Mileage

49,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE AT A STOP SIGN, THE CONTACT'S VISIBILITY WAS OBSCURED WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE VISOR FAILED TO RETRACT. IN ADDITION, THE LIFTGATE AUTOMATIC RELEASE BUTTON WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MILLER TOYOTA (8566 SUDLEY RD, MANASSAS, VA 20110, (866) 352-4910) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SUN VISOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL PERTAINING TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000.

NHTSA ID

11111161

Incident

Jun 20, 2018

Mileage

59,000 mi

LIFT GATE GET STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. I LIVE IN THE VIRGIN ISLANDS, SO IT'S NOT DUE TO COLD TEMPS. SOMETIME IT TAKE 10 TRIED TO CLOSE THE GATE. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE TIME LATELY, SO I TRY NOT TO USE THE GATE. PUTTING IT IN A TURNING OFF THE SWITCH IN THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOES NOT HELP.

NHTSA ID

11092136

Incident

May 6, 2018

Mileage

15,586 mi

I WAS T BONED ON PASSENGER SIDE, SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I WAS PUSHED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, FRONT AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN HEAD ON COLLISION. SEAT BELT DID NOT TIGHTEN- I INITIALLY HIT DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW, WHEN T-BONED, THEN WITH FRONT IMPACT HIT STEERING WHEEL, ROOF AND CENTER CONSOLE. *TT *TR

NHTSA ID

11085042

Incident

Apr 13, 2018

Mileage

47,000 mi

LIFT GATE WILL NOT OPEN OR CLOSE IN COLD TEMPERATURES. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO OUR LOCAL DEALER IN BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. EACH TIME THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. WE DO NOT WISH TO INJURE OURSELVES TRYING TO OPEN OUR BACK DOOR. THIS VEHICLE IS USED IN OUR DELIVERY BUSINESS AND IT IS NECESSARY TO FREQUENTLY USE OUR BACK DOOR.

NHTSA ID

11060733

Incident

Jan 4, 2018

Mileage

75,770 mi

POWER LIFT GATE WILL NOT OPEN OR CLOSE AND LOCK WHEN THE OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 32 DEGREES F. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND COLD AS STATED.

NHTSA ID

11055728

Incident

Dec 20, 2017

Mileage

50,200 mi

CHROME GRILL IS BUBBLING AND LOOKS LIKE IT'S GETTING READY TO PEEL. MY CAR HAS ALWAYS BEEN GARAGED AND TAKEN CARE OF SINCE I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW.. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT WILL DEFINITELY LOWER THE VALUE OF MY CAR. MY HUSBAND NOTICED THIS ISSUE JUST RECENTLY WHEN I WAS PULLING INTO THE GARAGE.

NHTSA ID

11054375

Incident

Dec 1, 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFTGATE SYSTEM FAILED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK OR CLOSE THE LIFTGATE AUTOMATICALLY. THE CONTACT HAD TO OPEN THE LIFTGATE MANUALLY AND HOLD THE LIFTGATE OPEN MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE LIFTGATE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11047866

Incident

Sep 1, 2017

Mileage

30,000 mi

AFTER NUMEROUS ELECTRIC ISSUES WITH MY 2014 HIGHLANDER NOW THE REAR ELECTRIC LIFT GATE CYLINDERS ARE BAD. TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER THIS AM AND FOR $1550 THEY WILL REPLACE THEM WITH A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN UPDATED PART NUMBER AND CYLINDER. AS I HAVE READ I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND IF THEY HAVE AN UPDATED NEW CYLINDER WHY DON'T THEY THE RIGHT THING AND REPLACE THE BAD DESIGN....UHGG I WANT MY OLD CHEVROLET BACK....

NHTSA ID

11003581

Incident

Jul 3, 2017

Mileage

55,000 mi