2022 Toyota Highlander
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Power train is the leading concern among 257 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 11th highest complaint count among 25 Highlander model years with reports.
Of the 2022 reports, 16 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 13 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Seats, mid/rear assembly, reclinerMar 5, 2026
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 9, 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota’s customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 26TB06 and 26TA06.
Campaign 26V128000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresJun 18, 2024
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander vehicles. The 20-inch accessory tires with an insufficient load rating for the vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) were installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
SET will inspect and replace the tires and information placard, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 16, 2024. Owners may contact SET's customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET's number for this recall is SET24A.
Campaign 24V452000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresJun 6, 2024
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022-2024 model year Highlander L and Highlander LE vehicles equipped with the Blackout Package that includes 20" black alloy wheels and tires. The installed tires have an insufficient load rating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Tires with an insufficient load rating may be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
GST will inspect and replace the tires as necessary, and install a new tire information label as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2024. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 24R1.
Campaign 24V419000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, bumpersOct 26, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.
A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will repair or replace the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 22, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB12/23TA12.
Campaign 23V720000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsMay 6, 2022
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can fade, becoming illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
An illegible label may allow the vehicle to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
GST will notify owners by mail, including a replacement load carrying capacity modification label for their vehicle and detailed replacement instructions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 30, 2022. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 22R1.
Campaign 22V310000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
257 reports, newest first.
Structure, Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. 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 stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle. The contact heard a dragging sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stopped the vehicle and observed that the lower section of the front bumper had almost detached from the vehicle and was cracked due to the impact with the road. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer and was informed that the replacement of the bumper would be an out-of-pocket expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Service brakes, Jul 15, 2024
Loss of brake sensation when slowing down through 20-25mph. Brake pedal takes a sudden plunge and car surges forward, forcing the driver to suddenly have to push hard on the brakes in order to stop. Usually happens under moderate braking, especially when there is a slight downhill grade. Toyota dealer confirms that it happens but says there are no codes and there is nothing they can do. Toyota dealer service advisor has had it happen to him while driving. This happens regularly, as often as 2-3 times per week, and can be reproduced.
Air bags, Jun 25, 2024, crash
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact's vehicle was involved in a crash. The contact stated that the other vehicle that crashed into the contact stated the vehicle's speed was about 75 MPH. The contact stated that when the contact's vehicle was impacted, the contact's vehicle air bags failed to deploy. The contact stated that after the crash, the ABS warning light illuminated. The contact's vehicle was occupied by the contact's husband, who was seated in the front passenger's seat. The contact's two children, ages [XXX] and [XXX] old, were seated in the rear seat. The Police and Fire departments arrived on the scene. The contact stated that medical attention was provided at the scene. The contact sustained injuries included a concussion, a sprained left ankle, and a sprained right wrist. The contact's husband sustained injuries, including a sprained right wrist and a sprained left ankle. In addition, the contact's children sustained cuts and bruises. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and later towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 70,765. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Electrical system, Jun 21, 2024, fire
Car fire (total loss of vehicle) after hybrid malfunction. My family and I were traveling west bound on [XXX] near Crawfordsville Indiana on [XXX]. Trooper Chelsey Smith from the Indiana State Police (CAD # [XXX] ) came to the scene. Our car was traveling westbound at about 70 mph when I got a notification of "a malfunction in the electronic control of the engine, throttle, or automatic transmission has been detected. Contact your Toyota dealer to have your vehicle inspected" - I acknowledged the alert and kept driving, then it showed again 30 seconds later and acknowledged again. About 30 seconds later I received a "Hybrid System Alert" stating "A malfunction in the Hybrid System has been detected. Stop in a save location and contact your Toyota dealer to have your vehicle inspected". The vehicle then notified me that it was reducing power output and we went from 70 to 20 mph in a few minutes. Then while we were going about 20 mph, the vehicle notified me that its going to come to a stop and shut off its power. I engaged the brakes and before coming to a full stop, thick brown smoke came out from the hood on the drivers side. Vehicle cam to a stop and we all jumped out of the vehicle. Within 30 seconds, the car had flames coming out of hood and front drivers side quarter panel. The fire then moved through the vehicle. Fire department came about 10 min later, but worked on it for 30+ mins to put out. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH in the fast lane, the steering wheel failed to respond as needed while attempting to turn to the left or the right. Additionally, the brakes became inoperable and the vehicle decelerated. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the shoulder, and the vehicle shut off. The contact called Roadside Assistance and was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the failure was due to the engine. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 17,781.
Structure, May 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Structure, May 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Service brakes, May 26, 2024
When I brake, the SUV feels like it accelerates/surges forward rather than slowing down. I need to apply the brakes hard to then stop the vehicle. I never know when it will happen but it happens very often.
Service brakes, May 18, 2024
when I slow down to make a right or left turn I apply pressure to the brake pedal and my vehicle brakes feel like they are "gulping: or not holding, causing my vehicle to lurch forward slightly. This has been happening since I purchsed in July 2022. I replaced my tires last month thinking it was the tires, but the vehicle still lurches forward when braking in a turn. I will put the last time this occurred in your details below
Air bags, May 7, 2024, crash
Met with an accident in dallas north tollway due to hydro plane and hit in the median. But airbag not deployed. Four people were in the car
Other or unspecified, May 5, 2024
The Resin front lower bumper cover assembly, connected with mounting tabs detached from my 2022 Toyota Highlander on (July 9, 2023). I received a Recall letter from Toyota on February 9, 2024 (7 months) after the incident & promptly contact Toyota Brand Engagement Center. I have mailed all the required information that Toyota stated on the Recall correspondence & as of today, May 5, 2024 I have not been able to speak with the case manager to see where we are in this process for reimbursement. Since this took place in 2023 before I even knew there was a recall, we had our Highlander repaired at the body shop we were confident could fix & insure the repair. Toyota has ALL the required documentation from us but they keep asking for the same information again & again.
Service brakes, Apr 29, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Other or unspecified, Apr 28, 2024
The vehicle will accelerate suddenly when pressing the brake putting myself and others at risk for injury.
Structure, Apr 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that after a car wash, he became aware that parts of the bumper had detached. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) 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. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000. The VIN was not available.
Structure, Apr 16, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Structure, Other or unspecified, Apr 12, 2024
I GOT A RECALL FROM TOYOTA AND CAN'T DRIVE FOR ALMOST A YEAR .I WENT TO THE CAR DEALER SHIP TO ASK FOR A REPAIR , THEY TOLD ME MAYBE YOUR CAR NEEDS THIS BUMPER OR NO NEEDS , I ASKED THEM TO CHECK MY CAR IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE TO WORK ,MANY TIMES TO CONSTANT NUMBER OF OVER 10 TIMES.THEY REFUSEDTOR MY CAR COME IN TO CHECK . O REALLY WORIED IF I DIVE ON THE ROAD AN HAVE AN ACCIDENT .BIT ITS ALOMOST HOPELESS BECAUSE THIS CAR COMPANY DOEANT CARE ABOUT SAFETY, ONLY THINKS ABOUT THEIR PROFITS. I HAVE BEEN ASKING THEM FOR RENT ME A CAR TO DRIVE BECAUSE FOR NEARLY A YEAR NOW I'VE BEEN DRIVING IN FEAR BUT NO ANWSER. I WONDER IS THERE A DEALINE WHEN TOYOTA WILL PRODUCE THIS BUMPER? THEY KEEPS SAY THEY DONT KNOW? IT IS VERY DANGEROUS IF THE CUSTOMER'S USES THIS TOYOTA HIGHLANDER FOR DRIVING WITHOUT KNOWING IT IS SAFE OR NOT
Structure, Apr 11, 2024
This is related to an existing recall released by toyota but that did not include my vehicle year/time frame: Toyota is conducting a safety recall in the U.S. involving certain 2020-2023 model year Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. Approximately 751,000 vehicles are involved in this recall. The subject vehicles are equipped with a resin front lower bumper cover assembly, connected with mounting tabs. If there is minor impact to the lower front bumper cover assembly that causes the mounting tabs to detach from the vehicle during normal operation, one or more parts of this assembly could detach, which could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash or injury for other road users. My entire front is sinking and tags are coming off forcing me to regularly pull the front fender back up into place. The way the front fender is secured is not supporting the weight of the front fender. You can clearly see the difference from when the vehicle is left alone versus me putting the front fender back in place and holding it to its original position. Now that I saw that Toyota issued a recall about the same issue, I am certain that more vehicle like mine are affected and believe this recall should be extended to ALL vehicle manufactured between 2020 - 2023
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 17, 2024
On March 16, 2024 this vehicle experienced a complete brake system failure. This is a very serious braking issue and the vehicle has had several braking incidents leading up to the complete failure. Toyota Motor Corp has dismissed the issue each time as there have been no codes or warning lights prior to this incident. We filed a complaint concerning this braking issue on June 12, 2023, Ref#11526496 Since that first report there have been several other incidents where the brake pedal went soft and depressed to the floor as the vehicle accelerated forward. Since the complete system failure occurred on a Saturday, as of this writing, it has not yet been reported to the service department. We filed a complaint with Toyota Motor Corp stating that this is a very serious safety concern that could lead to injury or death and they dismissed it.
Structure, Mar 8, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Structure, Mar 5, 2024
Front bumper has been falling off. We are on our 4th repair now in 1.5 years. Toyota claims that we aren't part of the recall but having issue with it staying in place. They might need to extend it further.
Structure, Mar 4, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. 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 stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound as if there was an object trapped underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that he pulled over and saw that a section of the front bumper was trapped underneath the vehicle. The contact was able to pull the part out from underneath the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who advised that the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Other or unspecified, Mar 2, 2024
Front Bumper is detaching I feel unsafe driving this car
Other or unspecified, Feb 20, 2024
Open recall since October 2023 without any resolution from the manufacturer: NHTSA Recall Number23V720 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary The subject vehicles are equipped with a resin front lower bumper cover assembly, connected with mounting tabs. If there is minor impact to the lower front bumper cover assembly that causes the mounting tabs to detach from the vehicle during normal operation, one or more parts of this assembly could detach, which could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash or injury for other road users. Safety Risk If there is minor impact to the lower front bumper cover assembly that causes the mounting tabs to detach from the vehicle during normal operation, one or more parts of this assembly could detach, which could become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash or injury for other road users.
Exterior lighting, Feb 19, 2024
At night, drivers frequently flash their bright lights at my vehicle, "complaining that my high beams are on." Sometimes, they turn on their brights at me and leave them on until our vehicles pass. My high beams are NOT on. This is a safety hazard from my vehicle if the low beams are adjusted too high, an increased hazard when the driver of the approaching vehicle flashes their lights at me, and an even more serious issue when they leave their lights on. This is a constant problem that has existed from the moment I drove the NEW vehicle off the dealer's lot. The dealer refuses to adjust the headlights under warranty repair. If a vehicle is improperly assembled from the factory, that should be corrected under warranty repair.
Latches/locks/linkages, Feb 15, 2024
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.