2014 Toyota Highlander
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 136 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 19th highest complaint count among 25 Highlander model years with reports.
Of the 2014 reports, 5 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 6 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical systemNov 27, 2018
Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM).
The ECM damage may result in the engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Wanda will notify owners, and service centers will replace the windshields, and inspect the ECM for damage, having it replaced, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2019. Owners may contact Wanda customer service at 1-864-281-2760.
Campaign 18E107000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsSep 19, 2014
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 14V576000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, mid/rear assemblyMay 22, 2014
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, through April 29, 2014. The affected vehicles may have a second row right-hand seat assembly that does not fully lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first, second and third adjusting positions. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
If the seat does not fully lock into the inboard seat track, the seat could move, increasing the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second row right-hand seat, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 14V274000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareMay 22, 2014
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 14V272000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, rear/otherFeb 7, 2014
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured November 20, 2013, through January 18, 2014. The third row middle seat belt assembly might not have been properly secured to the vehicle floor anchorage during vehicle assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
A seat belt that is not properly secured to its anchorage could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row middle seat belt anchor, and, if necessary, properly secure it to the vehicle floor anchorage, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Campaign 14V051000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
136 reports, newest first.
Tires, Aug 13, 2021
The tires have worn down to needing replacing after only 27,308 miles on them, these tires are rating and warrantied for 60,000 miles. Reviews online show other owners complaining about the same issue with premature wear and safety issues. When it rains, the vehicle will slip when attempting to drive, slide when stopping, and hydroplaning at less than normal road speeds.
Structure, Jul 8, 2021
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.
Electrical system, May 26, 2021
The power rear hatch will not properly open or close. The safety of others are at risk due to several factors. For example, the door will not open properly causing hands, fingers, and other object to get jammed in the doorway when trying to close it manually or when the door closes automatically without warning. It also does not close properly when the hatch is not working properly which could potentially be an issue while traveling where objects could fall out of the vehicle and injure other drivers. There are several articles online reporting the issue and will only be fixed if the vehicle is under warranty. Many of these vehicles are out of warranty due to their age. There was no prior warning other than a beeping noise when the door would not close properly.
Other or unspecified, May 26, 2021
Passenger door and rear left and right door doesn't lock or unlock with key fob, but can be locked and unlocked manually but if in a car crash and you have a child in the back seat it may creating a safety hazard if the doors are locked manually and you can't get your child out in a timely manner. I was told at the service center in Waldorf Maryland Toyota that it is a common problems, and there always changed on this make and model.
Visibility, May 24, 2021
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph, there was a loud wind sound present. After opening the interior sun roof sliding shade, it was discovered that the glass sun roof had detached from the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The vehicle was repaired at a local repair center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 168,000.
Other or unspecified, May 8, 2021
BLUETOOTH FOR PHONE DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY IN THOUSANDS OF TOYOTAS OVER MANY YEARS RENDERING HANDSFREE INOPERABLE. THERE IS A WELL DOCUMENTED LOUD ECHO IN THE PHONE HELD BY THE PERSON OUTSIDE THE CAR CALLING OR RECEIVING A CALL FROM THE CAR. THE CALL MUST BE TERMINATED AND THE DRIVER MUST USE THEIR HANDSET TO RECEIVE OR MAKE THE CALL. THIS IS WELL KNOWN BY TOYOTA AND IS A HUGE DISTRACTED DRIVING SAFETY PROBLEM. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIX THIS IMMEDIATELY AND A RECALL ISSUED TO DO SO. THIS PROBLEM HAS GONE ON TOO LONG. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH OUR 2014 HIGHLANDER FROM INCEPTION AND LIKE THOUSANDS OF OTHER TOYOTA OWNERS WE'VE GIVEN UP WAITING FOR THE FIX. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS.
Other or unspecified, Feb 23, 2021
MY POWERED REAR TAILGATE DOOR MALFUNCTIONS WHEN I ATTEMPT TO OPEN IT. ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME WHEN I PRESS THE BUTTON TO HAVE IT OPEN, IT CRACKS OPEN AND THEN STARTS BEEPING. THEN TO OPEN IT, I HAVE TO MANUALLY OPEN IT BY HAND.
Other or unspecified, Jan 12, 2021
THE REAR LIFT GATE POWER STRUTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT 38000 MILES ON A 2014 VEHICLE. HAVE NOTICED NUMEROUS OTHERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON TOYOTA FORUMS.
Seat belts, Dec 28, 2020
PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT, WHEN I GOT OUT OF VEHICLE TODAY. DINGING SOUND COMING FROM SOMEWHERE WHEN WE DROVE IT LAST NIGHT.
Engine, Oct 13, 2020
NEAR THE END OF A 180 MILE TRIP, VEHICLE WAS ON HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN LIGHT CAME ON SAYING ENGINE HAD STOPPED. ENGINE WAS SMOKING AND WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OIL DESPITE IT BEING FULL AT THE START OF THE TRIP. MECHANIC FOUND THAT ENGINE HAD SEIZED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED IN FULL. UPPER MANIFOLD ALSO HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO PRESENCE OF METAL SHAVINGS. TRANSMISSION WAS LATER FOUND TO BE LEAKING OIL AND AT THIS TIME APPEARS UNFIXABLE. CAR HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND OIL CHANGES AND THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OF ANY ISSUES - CAR RAN SMOOTHLY UNTIL THE ENGINE SEIZED.
Other or unspecified, Sep 16, 2020
TAILGATE DOES NOT OPEN SOMETIMES. IT WILL DO A LONG BEEP. SOMETIMES IT WILL OPEN BUT NOT CLOSE ALL THE WAY. SOMETIMES IT WILL OPEN LESS THEN HALF WAY AND THEN DO A LONG BEEP.
Structure, Aug 17, 2020
THE REAR DOOR (HATCH) ELECTRICAL DOES NOT FUNCTION
Electrical system, Jun 28, 2020
DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS NOT WORKING. CAN NO LONGER USE KEY FOB TO UNLOCK/LOCK DOORS. POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Jun 17, 2020
SHARDS OF METAL INSIDE TRANSMISSION PAN AT 74K MILES. WHILE DRIVING AT DIFFERENT MPH, THE VEHICLES FEELS LIKE IT'S SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL. *TR
Electrical system, Structure, Apr 15, 2020
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
Other or unspecified, Jan 24, 2020
AROUND 55,000 MILES DRIVEN, MY PANORAMIC ROOF STARTED LEAKING INTO PILLARS. IT CAUSED BOTH REAR DRIVERS SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT WET AND CARPETS WET. MY ROOF LEAKS WHENEVER THERE IS RAIN. ROOF DOES NOT LEAK WHEN MY CAR IS PARKED DOWN HILL, BUT IT LEAKS WHENEVER CAR IS PARKED UPHILL. ROOF ALSO LEAKS DRIVING IN HIGHWAY IN HEAVY RAIN. I CONTACTED TOYOTA, BUT THEY SAID I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LEAK SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY. THEY SAID I HAVE TO REPLACE PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING INCLUDE SUNROOF.
Other or unspecified, Jan 6, 2020
THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AT 60 MPH, SOUTH BOUND ON RTE 495 SOUTH IN FOXBORO, MA AT 2:35 ON DEC 29, 2019. DRIVER HEARD A THUD ON THE ROOF, PULLED OVER TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE, OPENED THE MOONROOF SHADE AND DISCOVERED THAT MOONROOF GLASS WAS GONE. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SHATTERED GLASS. DRIVER DID NOT SEE ANY OTHER VEHICLE OR PERSON THAT WAS DAMAGED OR INJURED. DRIVER WAS TRAVELING ALONE. ON INSPECTION REPAIR SHOP DID NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE TO ROOF OR WINDOW FRAME AND NO GLASS SHARDS.
Other or unspecified, Nov 29, 2019
THERE HAS BEEN A LEAK COMING FROM THE ROOF IN TO THE C PILLAR, CAUSING WATER TO GO IN TO THE CABIN UNDER THE CARPET. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED.
Other or unspecified, Nov 22, 2019
POWER BACK DOOR JUST BEEPS WILL NOT OPEN IN COLD WEATHER. MANUALLY OPENS,HOWEVER, IT'S A STRUGGLE TO OPEN.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Nov 20, 2019
ENTUNE RADIO/HEADUNIT (HU) REBOOT ITSELF WHILE IN A CALL. REBOOT OCCURS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION AT ANY SPEED, DURING ANY DRIVING CONDITION. AS THE HU REBOOTS, DRIVER IS UNABLE TO USE REAR-VIEW CAMERA AND ANY OTHER FEATURE DISPLAYED IN HU. ROAD ATTENTION IS AFFECTED SINCE DRIVER IS DISTRACTED BY THE SCREEN GOING BLACK AND ON AGAIN. ALSO IF DRIVER IS IN A CALL HAS TO END CALL FROM THE PHONE AND CALL AGAIN USING THE PHONE.
Power train, Oct 15, 2019
WITHIN THE PAST MONTH OR SO THERE WERE A FEW SEPARATE/SPORADIC OCCASIONS WHEN THE TRANSMISSION OF MY 2014 HIGHLANDER WITH 82,344 GENTLE MILES ON IT SEEMED TO SLIP/NOT ENGAGE FOR A MOMENT WHEN FIRST STARTING TO TRAVEL AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DID ENGAGE DURING THESE EPISODES IT WAS ABRUPT AND NOTICEABLE CREATING AN AUDIBLE NOISE AND JERKED THE VEHICLE. THIS PAST WEEKEND THE SAME THING HAPPENED EXCEPT THAT THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE MESSAGES "TRAC OFF" AND "CHECK AWD SYSTEM" WERE DISPLAYED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY TO THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT IT FROM AND THAT HAS PERFORMED ALL THE SERVICE AND AFTER THEY INSPECTED IT AND RAN THE CODES I WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH IT'S, AND I QUOTE, "EXTREMELY RARE FOR A TOYOTA WITH SUCH LOW MILES TO NEED IT, THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED." THIS FRUSTRATING NOT ONLY BECAUSE ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN PERFORMED, AND THE CAR HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF, BUT I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT A VIBRATION AND RATTLING NOISE WHEN FIRST ACCELERATING FROM THE UNDER CARRIAGE WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT IDENTIFY WHERE THE NOISE WAS COMING FROM OR WHAT WAS MAKING THIS OCCUR WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS IT WAS ORIGINATING FROM UNDER THE DRIVER/PASSENGER AREA AT THE FRONT OF THE TRANSMISSION.
Power train, Oct 1, 2019
TRANSMISSION FAILURE IN MOTION
Electrical system, Structure, Sep 24, 2019
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.
Structure, Jul 13, 2019
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
Electrical system, Jul 7, 2019
WE ARE AFFECTED BY I AM LEARNING VERY COMMON ISSUE IN TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2014 AND LATER. POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS ARE ALL FAILING AT AROUND 4-5 YEARS. I HAVE NOT ENCOUNTERED THIS ON ANY OTHER CARS I OWNED AND IT SEEMS SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THESE SINCE PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE I TALKED TO HAD ONE OR MORE FAIL IN TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, BUT IT IS SAFETY CONCERNS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT ONE OF THE DOOR WAS BEING LEFT UNLOCKED. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT IT FAILED TO LOCK.