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2023 Toyota Highlander: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2023 / toyota / highlander
known issues8 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-20)
complaints180 on file (2023-02-14 → 2026-09-14)
recalls9
investigations0
fars8 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Engine hesitation and surging on accelerationENGINE32 complaints2023-07-12 → 2024-09-12highlander-2023-engine-acceleration-hesitation
  • 11544680 The vehicle hesitates and stutters upon light to moderate acceleration. This can happen either from a dead stop or while moving in traffic. The concern was present when vehicle was purchased new in Feb 2023
  • 11535162 Vehicle has extremely poor acceleration from a stop. It is very dangerous when pulling out into traffic as acceleration falls flat for a second or two until it eventually responds and accelerates
  • 11542582 My new Highlander has had issues that I can describe as "power surging" when accelerating from a stop. The car frequently does not respond to accelerator being pushed down for a second or two and then surges from a stop to accelerating with very inconsistent results
Front lower bumper cover detachment — recall 23V720STRUCTURE22 complaints2023-11-28 → 2024-09-03highlander-2023-front-bumper-detachment
  • 11575538 The plastic bumper cover on the front of the vehicle came detached as I was driving 60mph in a construction zone. It got sucked underneath the front of the vehicle and was grinding against the front tires
  • 11688964 the front bumper assembly has come off our 2023 highlander twice since purchase 2 years ago, the first time the entire bumper was pulled off while on the freeway(terrified my wife) and we had to pull it off and put it in the back on the highlander and bring it to the dealership
  • 11603161 The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 62 MPH, the front bumper detached from the vehicle. Additionally, the wheel guard had also detached. There were no warning lights illuminated
Hybrid regenerative-to-hydraulic brake transition lossSERVICE BRAKES14 complaints2023-07-18 → 2026-08-05highlander-2023-hybrid-regen-brake-transition
  • 11754929 Have momentarily experienced the loss of braking frequently during braking when going downhill. This results in the vehicle gaining speed during this 1 or 2 second period before braking returns. In one case it allowed our car to get dangerously close to the vehicle ahead of us
  • 11604808 Brakes momentarily lost during certain conditions. If going down a hill and applying brake, suddenly loses pressure and vehicle surges forward. Taking a right hand turn, slowing, brake suddenly loses pressure and lunges forward causing vehicle to go into wrong lane
  • 11674853 I put my foot on the brake and nothing happened. I had my foot all the way down on the brake pedal because I saw a car coming and they were traveling at about 40mph. No automatic braking nothing worked. I had no control
Second-row seat back latch recall 26V128 — remedy delaySEATS13 complaints2026-03-31 → 2026-08-07highlander-2023-second-row-seat-recall-26v128
  • 11749759 My vehicle has been officially grounded since XXX due to a severe safety recall that renders it unsafe to drive. A permanent remedy or repair part is currently unavailable from the manufacturer, forcing me to drive a loaner vehicle for over two months now
  • 11735183 Received a safety recall stating "Seat Back Reclinging Assembly May Not Securely Lock". Based on this information, it goes on to state that "a seat back that has not been secured in a locked position may fail to properly restrain occupants, increasing the risk of…
  • 11744416 My 2023 Toyota Highlander was grounded by the dealership on 4/30/26 due to safety recall 26TB06 (NHTSA Campaign 26V128) regarding a defective 2nd row seat back latch. The vehicle has been sitting un-remedied on the dealer lot for over 47 consecutive days
Instrument panel blank display — recall 25V595ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6 complaints2025-09-17 → 2026-05-01highlander-2023-instrument-panel-blank-recall-25v595
  • 11718394 My Toyota Highlander 12.3 inch display of the instrument panel may be blank at startup. Operating the vehicle with this display blank reduces the ability to see certain malfunction indicators. This Safety Recall that has been active since September 11, 2025
  • 11712958 The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument panel failed to display critical safety information as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable…
  • 11687848 The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the digital instrument panel went blank and showed a white screen. The contact was unable to see critical safety information and warning lights during the failure. The contact stated that the screen was white for over twenty…
Transmission whine and failure at low mileagePOWER TRAIN6 complaints2026-05-14 → 2026-08-10highlander-2023-drivetrain-transmission-whine
  • 11755981 Last week we noticed that when pushing on the gas pedel to accelerate that the car started making a terrible whinning noise that did not go away. i scheduled a service call with dealership i purchased it from and where i take it for all of its scheduled service and they…
  • 11741497 My 2023 Toyota Highlander was experiencing a high pitch whiny noise when accelerating. I looked up on line and saw that this could be a failing transmission issue. I took it into the Toyota Dealership , 6321 West Canal Drive, Kennewick, WA 99336. They confirmed my…
  • 11753668 The transmission developed hesitations at take off, a whine at low speeds and over time got louder. Diagnosis by the dealer confirmed yet another bad eight speed transmission failure. This vehicle has 41K miles
Drive Connect subscription pop-up blocking displayUNKNOWN OR OTHER6 complaints2024-09-25 → 2026-03-06highlander-2023-driveconnect-popup-distraction
  • 11570115 Toyota has a software program called Drive Connect. This is built into their 2023 and 2024 vehicles. This program has a navigation system and some other features that Toyota offers for about $200 per year. Toyota gives you 12 months free when you buy a new car. When that year…
  • 11627662 THE MULTIMEDIA CENTER KEEPS POPING UP "EXPERIENCE DRIVE CONNECT". This covers up the map and to try and remove the ad you have to take your eyes off the road push multiple buttons on the screen to return to the map. This is dangerous at any speed
  • 11722574 I was driving along and all of a sudden a new screen appeared with a keyboard requesting that I sign in with my email address. To clear the screen, I had to hit the small "X" in the upper right hand corner of the screen. That cleared and then a new screen appeared in blue saying…
Power liftgate failure to open or closeLATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TAILGATE:LATCH, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM7 complaints2024-03-07 → 2026-03-09highlander-2023-power-liftgate-failure
  • 11697980 The contact stated that the liftgate had failed to open or to close intermittently. The contact stated that the liftgate made an abnormal grinding sound while opening and would open 3-inch at a time while the contact continuously pressed the power liftgate button manually
  • 11723171 Some times when I request the rear hatch to open is does nothing but most of the time when I depress the close button, it moves less than an inch and then beeps. I have had to depress the button up to 6 times before the hatch closes
  • 11718191 The vehicle's tailgate motor has started to malfunction and is failing prematurely. When opening the tailgate it makes a loud squealing noise. When attempting to close utilizing all automatic features it will stop and beep twice. After multiple attempts the tailgate remains open

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
1802023-02-142026-09-14120UNKNOWN OR OTHER:39; STRUCTURE:32; ENGINE:28; POWER TRAIN:20; SERVICE BRAKES:18

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
23V48000012/07/2023STEERING:COLUMNToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."A deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA08. Lexus' number for this recall is 23LA02.
23V72000026/10/2023STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERSToyota 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.
24V41900006/06/2024TIRESGulf 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.
24V45200018/06/2024TIRESSoutheast 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.
24V54800023/07/2024EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELSGulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain Toyota 2023 GR Supra, 2024 4 Runner, Corolla, Grand Highlander, Grand Highlander Hybrid, Land Cruiser Hybrid, Tacoma, Tacoma Hybrid, 2023-2024 BZ4X, Corolla Cross Hybrid, GR Corolla, GR86, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius Prime, Sequoia Hybrid, Tundra, Tundra Hybrid, Venza Hybrid, 2023-2025 Crown, and 2025 Camry Hybrid vehicles equipped with GST accessories. The load carrying capacity modification label may display inaccurate added weight values. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."A vehicle with an incorrect maximum capacity weight value may be overloaded, which can increase the risk of a crash.GST will mail new labels to owners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 16, 2024. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 24R2.
25V04000029/01/2025STEERING:COLUMNToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Lexus RX350, 2023-2024 NX250, and NX350 vehicles that may have been incorrectly repaired under previous NHTSA recall number 23V-480. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."A deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 25LA02.
25V59500011/09/2025ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANELToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Additional letters will be sent, anticipated in May 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 25TB08 and 25TA08. Lexus' numbers for this recall are 25LB05 and 25LA05.
25V74400030/10/2025BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTIONToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.
26V12800005/03/2026SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINERToyota 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.

Investigations all years →

none listed

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-20248legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2023 Toyota Highlander vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2023/toyota/highlander
@misc{wrenchpro_2023_toyota_highlander_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2023 Toyota Highlander},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2023/toyota/highlander}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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