2024 Toyota Highlander Problems

BRAKING SYSTEM WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, ESPECIALLY WHEN APPLYING DOWNHILL, TEMPORARILY RELEASES AND ACTS AS THOUGH BRAKES ARE NOT APPLIED ANY LONGER FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF A FEW SECONDS THEN REAPPLIES. IT DOES SO THAT IT IS VERY OBVIOUS WITHIN THE CAR. THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID BRAKING SYSTEM AND IT SEEMS THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED IN NEWER MODELS. ASKING NTHSA TO ADDRESS WITH TOYOTA AND GET IT FIXED.Technical Service Bulletin for 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Braking Issue. Some drivers reported a momentary transition from regenerative braking to hydraulic braking, particularly when driving downhill or turning with light brake pedal application. Toyota has provided a software update for the brake actuator control module to improve brake feel.

>While exiting a highway my vehicle surged forward crashing into the vehicle in front of me.Engaging the brake, my car smashed into the van again. I had no control over the forward momentum of the car. >Both the driver & I were in danger of injury >The problem has not been addressed as my damaged car is being repaired >The vehicle has not been inspected >I was given no warning that the incident was forthcoming

The trunk will not close using any of the buttons. This is an on going issue on so many newer highlanders.

My 12.3” display screen goes really dark and I have to restart vehicle to reset.

Vehicle smells like fuel after engine toggles on and off between the hybrid system. This issue is intermittent, but when it is taken to the dealership they smell the fuel, with no luck duplicating the issue. I have also noticed when the smell is present the vehicle seems to run rough.

When the engine is running after hours a gasoline smell and vapor exit the tank by the cap.

The trunk will not close using any of the buttons. This is an on going issue on so many newer highlanders.

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that there was a leak coming from the roof rack of the vehicle. The contact stated that previous model years since 2021 had experienced similar failures, which caused damage to the SRS air bag module. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 155,590.

The vehicle started stalling out randomly on the highway even with it being automatic, after getting home and parking it , it would not back up or drive . Took it to Toyota dealership and they said it’s an internal failure of the transmission which is a UA80 model , it only has 92,000 miles on it they can’t figure out what caused it . There are lawsuits with this vehicle already from other people and Toyota is not fixing the issue and won’t help with mine even after they have known what it is. I took it to one shop before Toyota to get a diagnostic it shown two codes one being in the transmission but they fixed that part and the vehicle still did not drive nor back up and then Toyota got the vehicle right after and they even said that it’s internal failure . Pictures listed below is how much for the tow truck fee, the part fee that I paid that was one code that was on the diagnostic tear down list , even after fixing payments and still not working and it going to Toyota and the messages from Toyota after everything got done and them saying the internal failure also . So not only 1 but 3 business that said internal failure .

Vehicle smells like fuel after engine toggles on and off between the hybrid system. This issue is intermittent, but when it is taken to the dealership they smell the fuel, with no luck duplicating the issue. I have also noticed when the smell is present the vehicle seems to run rough.

Second row seats not latching when moved forward. Sliced up multiple finger when trying determine what was causing it not to latch. Put in a couple of stitches in 2 finger and bandage up the remaining 2 fingers

My driver side rear door handle comes off when I open the door. I am having the dealership look into this on 8/28/2025.

The contact owns a 2024 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the instrument cluster was blinking. The contact expressed that she was concerned that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact received the recall notices of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V744000 (Back Over Prevention) and 25V595000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V595000 (Electrical System) was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and filed a claim. The failure mileage was approximately 13,357.

when I attempt to accelerate from a stop, or slowly rolling, there is a 2-3 second delay, sometimes longer, prior to the vehicle moving forward. during the delay, when accelerator is pressed, the engine does not rev, nothing happens at all. it's scary. the highlander has less than 9k miles on it. this has been happening more and more frequently. I have contacted toyota, they have yet to provide a response or solution for this safety issue.

The vehicle started stalling out randomly on the highway even with it being automatic, after getting home and parking it , it would not back up or drive . Took it to Toyota dealership and they said it’s an internal failure of the transmission which is a UA80 model , it only has 92,000 miles on it they can’t figure out what caused it . There are lawsuits with this vehicle already from other people and Toyota is not fixing the issue and won’t help with mine even after they have known what it is. I took it to one shop before Toyota to get a diagnostic it shown two codes one being in the transmission but they fixed that part and the vehicle still did not drive nor back up and then Toyota got the vehicle right after and they even said that it’s internal failure . Pictures listed below is how much for the tow truck fee, the part fee that I paid that was one code that was on the diagnostic tear down list , even after fixing payments and still not working and it going to Toyota and the messages from Toyota after everything got done and them saying the internal failure also . So not only 1 but 3 business that said internal failure .

Detailed Description of the Incident: I am reporting a recurring powertrain safety issue regarding the 8-speed automatic transmission (UA80-series) in my vehicle. [Symptoms] During cold-start conditions (outside temperatures below 30°F), the vehicle consistently experiences a violent jerk/shock and an audible clicking noise during the first 2nd-to-3rd gear transition. This physical impact is severe enough to be felt directly by the driver through the accelerator pedal. The issue is highly predictable, occurring once after every "Cold Soak" period (6+ hours of sitting). [Dealership Failure] I presented the vehicle to an authorized Toyota dealership for diagnosis. Although the conditions for the issue were met, the technician stated they "could not feel or verify" the shock that I, as the primary driver, clearly experience. By failing to acknowledge a physical powertrain shock, the dealership is dismissing a potential mechanical failure as "normal operation" simply because no Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) are triggered. [Safety Risk] The failure to verify this symptom does not eliminate the safety risk. This unexpected shift shock causes a momentary hesitation in power delivery. If this occurs while merging into traffic or navigating an intersection immediately after a cold start, it creates an unpredictable vehicle response, significantly increasing the risk of a rear-end collision. [Request] I request NHTSA to investigate this specific 2-3 shift shock in 2023-2024 Toyota Highlanders. Toyota’s reliance on electronic codes to diagnose physical transmission defects is leaving drivers at risk of sudden powertrain failure or accidents in cold climates.

When driving at highway speeds (over 40mph) the driver side mirror excessively shakes/vibrates, negatively impacting visibility.

The third row seat belts in the 2024 Highlander are very difficult to latch. I had to bring my Highlander to the dealership twice over the seatbelt buckles in the third row. The buckle part does not lift up high enough to grab the buckle to latch it. Anytime a child old enough to be in the third row sits back there an adult has to Buckle them because they can’t get the seat belt to latch to the buckle. It’s supposed to be a family friendly vehicle but if a 7 year old can’t buckle themselves, that is an extremely unsafe design. It often takes me 10-15 minutes to get kids buckled in my third row because of how challenging it is to get the seat belts to latch as an adult. I have had to use a butter knife to get them to latch. This safety issue , I did not have in my 2021Highlander. I don’t feel children are safe in the third row of my vehicle. This time the dealership said it had a debris in the buckle and that’s why it wouldn’t latch. However even when they do all latch they are very difficult to latch. These should be replaced with safe buckles that latch the first attempts

UNKNOWN - 2024 Toyota Highlander makes a drumming or hooting sound when driving over normal to slightly rough roads. It is not related to expansion joints in the road. 1st dealer said it was a rt. wheel bearing, changed it and it did not work. He then said it was in all Toyota's with 20" wheels. I paid to change tires and wheel to no avail. 2nd dealer said it was normal even though mechanic heard the noise. His supervisor said it was fine and they would do nothing to try to isolate the noise. Noise is very obvious.

The tires have not “failed,” but they are dry rotting on both the sidewalls and inside the tread. These came as the OE tires, size is 235/65 R18. This is a daily driven car with almost 30,000 miles on the odometer. There is no reason the tires should be dry rotting. This is a severe safety hazard, as most tire shops wouldn’t mount, balance, or even touch these tires if they were dry rotted this quickly. The tires have been rotated every 10,000 miles or so, and have been kept properly inflated throughout their life. They were made on the 42nd week of 2023. They began showing symptoms of light dry rotting around 6 months ago, but the problem has finally spread to the sidewall.

I am submitting a formal complaint regarding a safety defect in my Evenflo Revolve 360 car seat. The white foam headrest component has completely detached due to what appears to be a failure in the original adhesive. This issue occurred despite proper use and adherence to all manufacturer guidelines. This component is part of the headrest system and plays a role in impact protection. Its detachment raises serious concerns about the structural integrity and crash performance of the seat. As a result, I no longer feel it is safe to transport my child in this car seat. I want to be clear that I am not comfortable attempting any at-home repair, including gluing the foam back into place, as modifications may compromise the seat’s compliance with federal safety standards and manufacturer specifications.