2019 Toyota Highlander
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 483 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 25 Highlander model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 22 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 18 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpNov 4, 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
Campaign 20V682000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpJan 13, 2020
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include certain 2014-2015 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser, 2018 Avalon, Corolla, 2014 FJ Cruiser, 2017 Sienna and Lexus 2018 ES 350, 2018-2019 GS 300, 2013-2014 GS350, 2014-2015 GX 460, IS 350 and LX 570, 2014 IS F, 2018-2019 IS 350, LC 500H and LS 500H, 2013-2015 LS 460, 2015 NX 200T and RC350, 2017 RC 200T and RX 350. Toyota also removed the 2018-2019 Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser and 2018-2019 Lexus GX 460 and LX 570 and 2019 NX300 from inclusion in this recall. On March 19, 2020, Toyota expanded the recall to include 2015 Lexus GS350 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and 20LB01 and 20LA01 for Lexus vehicles.
Campaign 20V012000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsMar 27, 2019
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
Campaign 19V244000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
483 reports, newest first.
Engine, Jun 19, 2025
Whining sound when when pushing the gas to accelerate. When you let go of the gas it stops.
Power train, Jun 19, 2025
Transmission started making a whining noise. Auto shop confirmed it will need a new transmission.
Power train, Jun 11, 2025
A wine and hard shifting, toyota does not agree. I experience this issue several times a day. Taking it into the dealership again to try to diagnose.
Power train, Jun 2, 2025
There has been a high incidence of this model of Toyota Highlander having faulty transmissions. My vehicle had 129,000 when the transmission failed. It was metal shavings in the fluid. I’m hoping you will put pressure on Toyota to recall or help replace these transmissions. Thank you.
Electrical system, May 28, 2025
When I start the Highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes red/green once. My wife, the primary driver of the car, has slowly developed tinnitus and this is the only loud, ear piercing, noises she have been exposed to. This noise can also bring on extreme headaches. I can't imagine the damage it could do to a child. We have tried to get this fixed at the mechanic and Toyota says the part is backordered. When we go to Toyota they state they have not heard of the issue. When we search the internet it is easy to find threads of this same issue on the same model, Toyota seems to be hiding this is a known issue.
Power train, May 27, 2025
• Transmission Failure. Inspection is available upon request. • We do not know if we are at risk if the transmission fails while driving. • Certified Toyota Dealership diagnosed and deemed failure – recommends full replacement • Component was inspected by a certified Toyota dealership • No warning lights
Power train, May 24, 2025
Less than 95k miles. Dealer says transmission needs replaced and cooler. Bought new- owned 5 years and 2 months. Many other 2019 highlanders online stating same problem.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, May 15, 2025
Hello, it seems that my vehicle is having a whirling noise when accelerating at different RPMs. When I researched, it isn’t an isolated incident because many others online are experiencing the same issue with most of them being told that the transmission must be replaced. And further investigation, I found that the issue could be the trans axle assembly component which can cause issues if not replaced.
Power train, Engine, May 15, 2025
Upon acceleration, the engine revved high and a whine sound started once the car (2019 Highlander XLE) approached 25-40 miles per hour. It appears that this is a transmission issue that Toyota was aware about years before selling the 2019 (and later) Highlander and other models (according to consumer complaints online). The car has 92,700 miles on it and is thus out of warranty. It had a recall in 2020 though I do not know exactly what was allegedly fixed. Had Toyota disclosed these serious transmission issues, I would not have purchased the car. My local mechanic has advised that the transmission will need to be replaced at a high cost.
Power train, May 13, 2025
At approximately 85K miles my 2019 Highlander began to exhibit a high pitched “whirring” sound upon accelerating. The noise stops once you take your foot off the gas. I brought the vehicle to my local Toyota dealership to investigate the noise. They concluded that it is the transmission and I would need to replace the entire transmission. There are no warning lights or other indications aside from the sound. Transmission fluid is clear of any shavings or other indicators of an issue. Toyota service stated they could not tell me if or when the transmission might fail, just that it should be replaced. There are multiple reports of similar occurrences on online Toyota forums. There are also recalls for the exact same sound for the 2018 Highlander. I opened a case with Toyota customer service and was told there was nothing they could do to assist.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 13, 2025
When starting the vehicle, and extremely loud feedback noise is emitted from the front right speaker. This happens intermittently. Sometimes it's every 5th time you start it, and sometimes every 29th start. This started happening after the dealer-provided SOS Safety subscription expired. The noise is extremely loud and very disturbing especially for individuals like our daughter who has special needs. I would not be surprised if it is damaging our hearing. It would likely be especially harmful to children! It has been confirmed by the dealer and is currently back at the shop whule they are further investigating the cause.
Power train, May 13, 2025
2019Toyota Highlander = Transmission whine and hard shift at times, Needs replacement transmission at 106,000 mile , no codes stored
Power train, May 11, 2025
A whinning noise can be heard from car while driving. Vehicle has just under 60k miles and dealer is saying the transmission is failing and it would need to be replaced. There was no warning lights or indication on display.
Electrical system, May 11, 2025
Complaint Regarding DCM Module Failure in 2019 Toyota Highlander Platinum Our 2019 Toyota Highlander Platinum is experiencing severe audio system malfunctions, beyond simple Bluetooth and connectivity failures. The vehicle sporadically emits an extremely loud screeching feedback sound upon startup and at unpredictable times while driving. This deafening noise is highly distracting to the driver, posing a significant safety risk. Toyota has been aware of this issue for years and documented it in Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0112-20, which identifies the faulty vehicle assembly locations. However, despite widespread reports from owners and the high cost of repairs, Toyota has failed to issue a recall. Given the clear safety hazards associated with this defect, I firmly believe Toyota should recall affected Highlanders and provide immediate replacements for the defective DCM module. Owners should not be forced to cover costly repairs for a known issue that compromises driver safety.
Power train, May 9, 2025
2019 toyota highlander bought 3/15/25 with approximately 82,000 miles. Started making whining noise 4/7/25. On 4/9/25 took vehicle to dealer 4/11/25 notified need new transmission and transaxle seal need on new transmission. 2 weeks later on 4/25/25 picked up vehicle drove home 3 days later noticed gear oil leaking and sprayed all over under chassis. Vehicle brought back to dealer on 4/29/25. On 4/30/25 notified needs new transaxle seal on new transmission. Notified on 5/9/25 new transmission will need to be replaced again. They stated there is gouging/nicks where transaxle and transmission connect. Dealer is saying there is no transmission to put in. Toyota has put a stop to all transmissions. So now I have a vehicle with only 82,000 miles and no way to fix it.
Power train, May 5, 2025
Transmission failed while driving down the highway almost causing an incident. These transmissions are very unsafe and should be recalled. Toyota refuses to take responsibility for this year Highlander although it is the same 80ua transmission that was recalled in the 2017 and 2018. While Toyota has said this problem has been remedied in the later years it is very false. Please do an investigation on this before people get hurt from accidents if they haven’t already.
Power train, Apr 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle, and the transmission was shifting hard. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Power train, Apr 28, 2025
Transmission makes a whine noise and also experiencing some harsh shifting. Dealership confirmed the whine noise is an indication of transmission failure and they recommend replacing the transmission. Toyota needs to do a recall on this transmission!!
Power train, Apr 21, 2025
the transmission completely failed. it is at Spitzer Toyota in Monroville. PA
Other or unspecified, Apr 20, 2025
While driving my Hybrid System Malfunction, check AWD, check engine, and Pre-Collision System Malfunction all came on simultaneously, it also said to put in P. It wouldn’t accelerate so I had to have it towed to the dealer since it had only been 3 days since I bought it. It was sent to a Toyota service center where it took 3 weeks for them to diagnose and replace the high pressure fuel pump. I got the vehicle back, it drove fine for a week until the same thing happened again. It stopped accelerating, said to shift into P-only the Hybrid System Malfunction, check engine, and Pre-Collision System Malfunction came up this time. I had it towed back to the Toyota service center since the problem clearly wasn’t solved and am awaiting a new diagnosis.
Power train, Engine, Apr 18, 2025
Needs transmission at 90,000 miles - original owner - well maintained car- manufacture defect according to dealer According to various websites other 2019 Toyota Highlanders have had similar issues Had 2009 Highlander that lasted til almost 200,000 with no Issues
Power train, Apr 11, 2025
We have noticed a whinning noise as we accelerate the vehicle. Doing some investigation online I came across a lot of threads with the same issue. Seems to be the transmission. Reached out to a Toyota tech friend and he mentioned it is the transmission. They have had several Highlanders and Camry with the same issue.
Other or unspecified, Apr 11, 2025
Transmission failure; See attached Customer Support Program Bulletin No. POL19-04 [XXX] (for 2018 Highlanders). My vehicle is a 2019, same body style, same transmission type, etc. Toyota dealership diagnosed my vehicle today and confirmed that the issue is the same as listed in the bulletin. I filed a case with Toyota (corporate). I have located thousands of other customers online reporting the same issue as described in this bulletin. I'm requesting that Toyota modify the bulletin or create a specific one for 2019. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Apr 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. No further information was available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Power train, Mar 27, 2025
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a whining sound coming from the transmission while accelerating. The contact stated that over time, the whining sound became louder, and the vehicle later had transmission shifting malfunctions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 64,000.