2015 Toyota Highlander Driver assistance Problems

I have noticed speed issues or high idling with this vehicle for a while. I committed a rear end collision with a vehicle on July 4, 2025, at approximately 2pm. My car rear ended his truck while it was stopped behind another vehicle. My vehicle sustained total damage to the front end. I was ticketed for not reducing speed to prevent a accident. The only warning light was that it need maintenance, which comes on prior to an oil change. My safety was put at risk because the car is idled too fast for the type of driving I do, which is small town and rural road driving. Due to the speed of this vehicle during normal driving, it's difficult to stop quickly to avoid an accident. If it was rainy and slippery, the situation could have been much worse.

NHTSA ID

11671284

Incident

Jul 4, 2025

On [XXX] my vehicle suffered an unintended acceleration on a very busy highway of The Dominican Republic, reaching a speed of 100 MPH. I was able to drive the car into the bushes of the highway service road hitting all king of obstacles such as trees, wall, advertising signs and safety barriers. The car damages resulted in a total loss. My life and my family life were in extremely dangerous situation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11665465

Incident

May 24, 2025

Driving to take my son to work. Check engine light came on said check and system. Hard shifting put in manual drive and made it to destination.

NHTSA ID

11630266

Incident

Dec 12, 2024

BSM works when it want to and sometimes not at all

NHTSA ID

11617037

Incident

Jun 1, 2024

OUR 2015 HIGHLANDER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY LOCKS UP AND HAS A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. FIRST HAPPENED WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE AND HAD TO SIT AND START AND STOP OVER 15 TIMES AND THE STEERING FINALLY CAME BACK. WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED TOYOTA AND THEY SAID THIS VEHICLE HAD NO RECALLED PARTS AND THERE IS NO PROBLEM. WHEN IT HAPPENED THE SECOND TIME WE TOOK IT IN AND THEY SAID IT HAD A BAD BATTERY AND THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. WE PAID A HEFTY SERVICE FEE AND PAID FOR A REALLY EXPENSIVE BATTERY. TWO DAYS LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND WHILE MOVING ON A CITY STREET ABOUT 35/40 MPH. WE GOT OVER SAFELY BUT WAS SO DANGEROUS. TOOK IT BACK TO TOYOTA AND THEY ARE TELLING US THE VEHICLE HAS NO PROBLEM AND WE JUST NEED TO USE IT TILL IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND BRING IT BACK! IF WE DON'T KILL OURSELVES OR ANOTHER MOTORIST! AFTER DOING OUR OWN RESEARCH WE FIND OUR CAR IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT THE VEHICLES WITH THE RECALL ARE DOING BUT THEY WILL NOT REPLACE THE EPS SYSTEM AND TOYOTA IS PUTTING US BACK ON THE ROAD IN A DANGEROUS VEHICLE. SO NOW WE ONLY HAVE ONE VEHICLE AND STRUGGLING TO GET BY. I FIND IT COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE THAT TOYOTA CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS OF NO HELP AND RUDE ON THE PHONE. NOW WE HAVE BOUGHT A $40,000.00 CAR WE CAN NOT DRIVE AND BE SAFE ON THE ROAD WITH. HOW CAN THEY NOT HELP US AND FIX THE PROBLEM? WE WILL HAVE TO GET A SECOND OPINION AND END UP PAYING MORE MONEY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THANKS TOYOTA WE WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER.

NHTSA ID

11299797

Incident

Jan 12, 2020

Mileage

41,000 mi

AS I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED AND HIT THE BUILDING WALL. SINCE I WAS PUZZLED BY WHAT HAPPENED, I READ SEVERAL ARTICLES ABOUT TOYOTA AUTOMOBILES DOING JUST THIS SAME THING. MOST OF THE ARTICLES COVERED TOYOTA AUTOMOBILES OLDER THAN MINE, I DID FIND SEVERAL RECENT REPORTS, INCLUDING TWO THAT INVOLVED 2015 HIGHLANDER MODELS JUST LIKE MINE. I PLAN TO ALSO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER, TOYOTA.

NHTSA ID

11203462

Incident

Apr 16, 2019

Mileage

6,500 mi

TOUCH SCREENS AUDIO SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING FOR THE PASS TWO YEARS

NHTSA ID

11186021

Incident

Mar 15, 2017

Mileage

170,365 mi

WHEN DRIVING MY HIGHLANDER THE FOLLOWING ERROR MESSAGES APPEARED, ERROR KEEPING THE START BUTTON PRESSED WILL CAUSE AN EMERGENCY STOP. I DISMISSED THIS. THEN IT POPPED UP A MESSAGE THAT CAR CANNOT DRIVE WHILE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR ARE PRESSED SIMULTANEOUSLY. I LOST ABILITY TO ACCELERATE SO TRIED TO PULL OF BUSY ROAD, PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL RESTORED ACCELERATION. THEN WHEN I STOPPED IN TRAFFIC OR AT LIGHTS THE CAR SHUT ITSELF DOWN AND HAD TO BE RESTARTED. THESE ERROR MESSAGES KEPT COMING ON WHILE I DROVE TO THE DEALER. I SWITCHED OFF THE CAR AT THE SHOP AND IT WOULDNT REPEAT THE PROBLEM, NO CODES HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY THE VEHICLES COMPUTER BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NEVER CAME ON. TOYOTA AND THE DEALERSHIP WANT TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. SINCE IT HAPPENED BEFORE, ALSO WHILE IT WAS DRIVING I AM UNCOMFORTABLE AS IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN. I DON'T WANT IT TO HAPPEN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I BELIEVE THE INTELLIGENT POWER MODULE OF THE CAR IS SHORTING OUT AND CAUSING THE CAR TO GO INTO FAILSAFE MODE AND SHUT DOWN CREATING HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS.

NHTSA ID

11152930

Incident

Nov 16, 2018

Mileage

66,670 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. ON AUGUST 31, 2018, WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SURGED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (LAKESIDE TOYOTA, 3701 N CAUSEWAY BLVD, METAIRIE, LA 70002, (877) 512-8274) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. ADDITIONALLY, ON AUGUST 31, 2018, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING, JUMPED THE PARKING BUMPER, AND CRASHED INTO THE QUARTER PANEL OF A TRANSPORT VAN. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES AND MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS PROVIDED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE SAME DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AT 800-331-4331, EXT 73822 AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 1809053132. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE EVENT DATA RECORDER WOULD BE RETRIEVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000. *DT *JB

NHTSA ID

11133118

Incident

Aug 31, 2018

LIGHT ON CRUISE CONTROL LEVER ON STEERING COLUMN FLICKERS OFF AND ON IF VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AND STEERING COLUMN IS IN USE. ALTERNATOR IN CAR ALREADY REQUIRED REPLACEMENT AT 73,000. DEALERSHIP WAS ADVISED OF ISSUE AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE LEVER.

NHTSA ID

11130868

Incident

Jun 1, 2015

Mileage

1,000 mi

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT THAT I BELIEVE WAS CAUSED BY SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA). I WAS PULLING INTO A DIAGONAL PARKING SPACE ON A CITY STREET, PROCEEDING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED, WHEN THERE WAS A SUDDEN SURGE IN ACCELERATION ACCOMPANIED BY A GRINDING SOUND. I HIT THE BRAKE TO NO EFFECT, AND THE VEHICLE JUMPED THE CURB AND HIT A POLE (NOT CONNECTED TO ANYTHING). THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, AND WE WERE SHAKEN UP BUT NOT INJURED. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP.

NHTSA ID

11084273

Incident

Apr 4, 2018

Mileage

37,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WORKED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO HARTFORD TOYOTA SUPERSTORE IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER SENT AN EVALUATOR TO DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE VEHICLE WAS WORKING TO MANUFACTURER STANDARDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 16001120892. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

NHTSA ID

11014732

Incident

Aug 10, 2017

Mileage

91,000 mi

DRIVING FORWARD INTO PARKING SPACE. JUST ABOUT STOPPED. PRESSED BREAK. CAR LURCHED FORWARD AT HIGHT SPEED SUDDENLY, CAUSING CAR TO JUMP CURB AT TOP OF PARKING SPOT AND CAREEN DOWN HILL (ONTO SIDE WALK). CAR OUT OF CONTROL FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS. WAS ABLE TO BREAK IN HILL, WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM HITTING CAR PARKED PERPENDICULAR ON STREET BELOW. BOTTOM OF CAR SCRAPED CURB WHEN CAR JUMP CURB AND LURCHED FORWARD. BOTTOM FRONT BUMPER SCRAPED. THERE WAS AN ICY PATCH AT TOP OF PARKING SPACE. IT SEEMS LIKE WHEN WHEELS ROLLED ON TOP OF ICY PATCH, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD. CAR MIGHT HAVE ACCIDENTALLY BEEN ON CRUISE CONTROL AT THE TIME.

NHTSA ID

10837168

Incident

Jan 30, 2016

Mileage

850 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE DECREASED IN SPEED AND AN UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO DRIVER ERROR AND WAS DOCUMENTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ON THE VEHICLES BLACK BOX. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10787197

Incident

Sep 20, 2015

Mileage

10,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED AND SET AT 55 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO MAINTAIN THE SET SPEED WHEN GOING DOWNHILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT THE FUNCTION WAS NORMAL WHEN TRAVERSING A HILL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,999. UPDATED 01/27/16*LJ UPDATED 02/04

NHTSA ID

10780035

Incident

Aug 20, 2015

Mileage

2,999 mi