2022 Toyota Highlander Interior & seats Problems

UNKNOWN CONCERNED THE SAFETY WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED SINCE 3/5/26. AS OF TODAY (9/13/26), THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED

NHTSA ID

11764748

Incident

Sep 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V128000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

NHTSA ID

11763440

Incident

Sep 10, 2026

My 2022 Toyota Highlander XSE is subject to Toyota safety recall involving the second-row seat recliner assemblies. Toyota states that the recliner assemblies may not fully lock after seatback adjustment, which could result in the seatback failing to properly restrain an occupant and increase the risk of injury in a crash. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Toyota notified me of the recall on April 30, 2026 and specifically recommended that no one sit in or use the second-row seats while the vehicle is moving until the remedy is performed. My children routinely occupy these seats, so Toyota’s instruction prevents me from safely using the vehicle for its intended purpose as a family vehicle. I presented the vehicle to an authorized Toyota dealership on May 1, 2026, immediately after receiving the recall notice. The dealership confirmed that my vehicle is affected by the recall but was unable to perform the repair because Toyota did not have a remedy/parts available. I left the vehicle with the dealership, where it has remained while awaiting the recall remedy. As of September 8, 2026, more than four months after I presented the vehicle, Toyota has still been unable to perform the safety recall repair or provide me with an estimated date when the repair will be available. I have also contacted Toyota directly multiple times regarding the unresolved recall. I have not personally experienced a seatback failure, warning lamp, or warning message. My safety concern is based on Toyota’s confirmed safety recall and Toyota’s instruction not to allow occupants to use the affected second-row seats while the vehicle is moving. I am filing this complaint because Toyota has been unable to remedy this acknowledged safety recall for my vehicle for more than four months despite my making the vehicle available for repair.

NHTSA ID

11762878

Incident

May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V128000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11759745

Incident

Aug 26, 2026

Seat Back Recliner Assembly May Not Securely Lock Toyota opened this recall on March 5th. They have not provided a remedy within a timely manner and my car is not usable.

NHTSA ID

11757420

Incident

Mar 5, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V128000 (Seats); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the parts were unavailable. The contact stated that the second-row seats could not be occupied due to the unrepaired recall. The manufacturer was contacted and a case was filed, but the contact was informed that the parts remained unavailable. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11749042

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V128000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experience a failure.

NHTSA ID

11746249

Incident

Jun 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 20 MPH with a child seated in the rear passenger’s side seat with the seat back adjusted, while going around a roundabout, the vehicle was cut off by another vehicle, and the contact depressed the brake pedal aggressively to stop the vehicle. There was an abnormal clunking sound coming from the passenger’s side second-row seat, and the seat back moved or readjusted from the previous position. The contact slowed down to approximately 5 MPH to avoid the crash. The child remained secured in the car seat. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V128000 (SEATS). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 27,500.

NHTSA ID

11744521

Incident

Jun 14, 2026

Mileage

27,500 mi

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V128000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact stated that the vehicle was used to transport children, and the unrepaired recall was a safety hazard. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11742154

Incident

Jun 4, 2026

The only door that will lock or unlock using the fab key or the master lock button on the drivers armrest is the drivers side rear door. My vehicle is not able to be locked unless I do it manually and can not be unlocked unless i use the rear drivers side door. This has been reproduced by the dealership. There were no warning lamps or messages and no other symptoms. This has been going on for a month. I am being told by the dealership service department that 3 actuators failed at the same time. My lift gate also malfunctioned this year. Dealership diagnosed it with needing new struts. Not sure if this is related. Lift gate would not open or open only a small amount. This was using the inside button and the outside one as well.

NHTSA ID

11741832

Incident

May 9, 2026

Vehicle: 2022 Toyota Highlander Limited Mileage at failure: ~60,000 miles The driver seat began moving rearward without any driver input while the vehicle was being driven. The movement was intermittent and occurred multiple times over several days. In one incident, the seat moved rearward while my wife was driving, causing her to lose proper reach to the brake pedal and nearly lose control of the vehicle. The seat would sometimes move to the full rear position and continue attempting to move past the mechanical stop. The problem also occurred during vehicle startup and shutdown cycles. This condition creates a significant safety risk because the driver’s seating position can change unexpectedly while driving. In attempting to mitigate the problem, I tried to disable the power seat by removing the fuse. However, the power seat fuses on this vehicle are not clearly labeled and are mounted on the side of the interior junction block under the dash, making them inaccessible to the driver without removing interior panels. As a result, the malfunctioning system could not be quickly disabled. The vehicle required replacement of the driver seat control/track assembly at a cost of approximately $1,600. Uncommanded movement of the driver seat while driving appears to be a safety-related defect and should be investigated for potential recall or service campaign

NHTSA ID

11725716

Incident

Feb 14, 2026

I was driving around a corner and the driver's door popped open into the ajar position (not fully open, just ajar) and safety alarms went off. Confirmed that the doors were locked at the time this happened.

NHTSA ID

11657006

Incident

Apr 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk was opened, and the contact was storing items in the trunk space and the trunk lid fell on the contact's back. The contact stated that the failure occurred two or three times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,732.

NHTSA ID

11572219

Incident

Nov 13, 2023

Mileage

70,732 mi

The 3rd row seating does not come with anchor latches for children. Only latch at the back of the seat in the middle. If there is a shortage of latch they must add as standard equipment for safety to children. Now how can I use my 3rd row space for kids if they did not put a latch? It’s a 50K SUV but did not come with it. Now I reported this because these are not features but should be standard in every SUV with 3rd row seating.

NHTSA ID

11520770

Incident

May 6, 2023

I purchased a new Highlander. When I exit the vehicle, when wearing shorts, the bottom portion of the seam in the seat molding slices my leg open causing bleeding and injury. The dealership tried to fix this by sanding down the uneven protrusion where the seams meet. It still cut my leg. They then wanted Corporate to handle it. I set an appointment with Toyota. The Field Technician Specialist failed to meet with me and consequently performed a careless and inaccurate inspection. Toyota based their decision to ignore me on this inadequate inspection. Please see 4 attachments: the seam in the seat molding, an independent invoice to repair the seat, my leg in its final healing state and the Toyota letter. All I am asking is to not cut my leg open. I don't think that is unreasonable.

NHTSA ID

11519834

Incident

Sep 14, 2022

The left rear seat on my 2022 Highlander doesn't stay locked in the first 3 detents. you think it is locked but when you lean back in the seat it slides through the next couple of detents. Toyota mechanic said he couldn't find anything wrong with the seat. I see this as a problem when using child safety seats. Parent's could think the seat is safely locked in position until they get rear ended and the seat slips through the next couple positions.

NHTSA ID

11475759

Incident

Jul 25, 2022

The Toyota highlander was advertised as a family vehicle that safely fits 7 passengers with the captain chairs. We purchased a brand new 2022 Toyota Highlander for our family of 5. However, you cannot safely install a booster car seat in the third flow as advertised in ANY position. In every position of the third row the booster car seat covers the buckle not allowing you to secure the seat belt/booster seat. The car manual show on page 58-59 to install the booster seat on the passenger side of the third row but there is not enough space. The second picture shows a car seat in the middle using an anchor bracket that does not work for a booster seat and thus would also obsure other seat buckles thus not allowing the two other seats to be used. Toyota told us to bring the vehicle to a fire station to have the car seats installed. The fire station told us to contact to 1-866-SEAT-CHECK or www.seatcheck.org to schedule an inspection and when we called them they said they do not inspect Toyota vehicles. The dealership also suggested to us to purchase a seat belt extender. The manual also states on page 59 not to use a seat belt extender as this could cause serious injury or death. The third row does not have latches and only offers an achor in the middle seat of the back row not suitable for a booster car seat. I do not want any other family to go through what we have experienced and this is a matter of child safety.

NHTSA ID

11448511

Incident

Jan 17, 2022