2020 Toyota Highlander

Family: Highlander · filed with NHTSA as HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID

Summary

In its first three years the 2020 Highlander drew 68 complaints — 0.5× the median of its generation (2020–2026). It is among the least-complained-about years of this generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Of the 299 complaints that name a component, 42% concern Powertrain (126).
5 recalls filed for this model year.
1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 330
Recalls: 5
Investigations: 1
NCAP overall: 5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 23–36
Annual fuel cost: $1,750–$2,700
Median mileage at complaint: 21,000 mi (n = 64)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 16 / 0 / 20 / 0

What owners report

Powertrain

126 complaints · 42% of complaints that name a component · median 73,000 mi (n = 15)

Owner report • What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The UA80 8-speed automatic transmission assembly (specifically internal mechanical wear resulting from front carrier assembly bearing degradation/torque converter heat buildup). No, the component and the contaminated tr…

Owner report My Highlander started making a whining noise while accelerating. Took it to my local dealership and was told I need a new transmission. I have 87,000 miles on it! Total cost = $8,000.

Brakes

43 complaints · 14% of complaints that name a component · median 21,000 mi (n = 8)

Owner report We were behind a vehicle that had come to a rolling stop because the vehicle in front of him had hit the person in front of him , we were going about 25 miles per hour and about 2 car lengths from him . I applied the brakes but the vehicle failed to stop . It was as if I did not press the brakes at all. We rearended th…

Owner report The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to stop, and the vehicle jerked abnormally. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure…

Airbags

36 complaints · 12% of complaints that name a component · median 89,083 mi (n = 2)

Owner report The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Corolla. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a passing vehicle suddenly attempted to merge lanes and struck the vehicle on the passenger side door at approximately 45 MPH. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the air bags did not deploy. T…

Owner report Taken vehicle at least 6 times to dealer (Corwin Toyota), to enquire about the 23v-865 recall, and each time have been told the repair is not available. Most recently asked December 2025.

9% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2020–2026)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 126.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2020	330	68	fewest complaints
2021	548	126
2022	272	126
2023	198	133
2024	43	43	not compared
2025	10	10	not compared
2026	4	4	not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

23V865000 · AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

Filed 2023-12-20 · 999,901 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.

Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

23V720000 · STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS

Filed 2023-10-26 · 750,795 vehicles

Defect: 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.

Risk: A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

22V239000 · ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

Filed 2022-04-13 · 458,110 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.

20V633000 · SEATS | AIR BAGS

Filed 2020-10-14 · 3,121 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid vehicles. Incorrect seat trim covers on one or both of the front seats can prevent the seat-mounted side air bag from deploying properly.

Risk: Improper deployment of the seat-mounted side air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats and replace the seat trim covers as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB14 / 20TA14.

20V162000 · ENGINE | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

Filed 2020-03-19 · 38,810 vehicles

Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander vehicles equipped with a 3.5 L, V6 (2GR-FKS) gasoline engine. Due to an Engine Control Unit (ECU) programming error, fuel may not be correctly supplied to the engine while using the stop and restart feature.

Risk: Improper fuel supply programming can result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECU, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA06.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP22005	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM	2023-01-27	2023-08-07	22V063000

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Highlander	3.5L 6cyl	Automatic (S8)	Front-Wheel Drive	20	28	23	$2700
Highlander	3.5L 6cyl	Automatic (S8)	Front-Wheel Drive	21	29	24	$2600
Highlander AWD	3.5L 6cyl	Automatic (S8)	All-Wheel Drive	20	27	23	$2700
Highlander Hybrid	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (AV-S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	36	35	36	$1750
Highlander Hybrid AWD	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (AV-S6)	All-Wheel Drive	35	35	35	$1800
Highlander Hybrid AWD LTD/PLAT	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (AV-S6)	All-Wheel Drive	35	34	35	$1800

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2020 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2020 Toyota HIGHLANDER SUV FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2020 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2020 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID SUV FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 326 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about equipment.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-08-20	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
2026-08-11	ENGINE	Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repair…
2026-06-25	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2020 – 2026 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a water leak from the roof rack attachment clips. This may be caused by the sealant in the roof channel obstructing the proper seating position for the clip g…
2026-06-25	STRUCTURE:BODY	Some 2020 – 2026 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a water leak from the roof rack attachment clips. This may be caused by the sealant in the roof channel obstructing the proper seating position for the clip g…
2026-05-14	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toy…
2026-03-18	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Some 2020 – 2024 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the air conditioner does not cool due to a leak and/or corrosion in the rear underbody air conditioner tube and accessory assembly. The a…
2026-03-18	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Some 2020 – 2024 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the air conditioner does not cool due to a leak and/or corrosion in the rear underbody air conditioner tube and accessory assembly. The a…
2026-02-27	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
2026-01-30	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
2026-01-30	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Highlander, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Highlander model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.