2020 Toyota Highlander: What to check before buying

A loud whine under acceleration is the dominant complaint, and dealers usually answer it with a full transmission replacement. The noise tends to start between about 45,000 and 80,000 miles, often with no warning light. Some owners also report slipping, erratic shifts, and hesitation when merging. Many cars fall just past 60,000 miles, when warranty coverage ended, and owners face quotes near $8,000 to $9,000, sometimes with long parts waits. Two crash reports, one with an injury, describe the vehicle rolling or moving on its own after the driver got out.

Most reports concern recall 23V865 for the front passenger occupant classification sensor. The usual complaint is that the remedy part is not available. Owners describe waits stretching from late 2023 into December 2025, with repeated dealer visits. Symptoms tied to the fault include an SRS airbag warning light and a seatbelt chime that sounds whether or not the passenger seat is occupied. At least one owner reports the same symptoms coming back after the recall was marked complete. One crash report says the airbags did not deploy in a severe accident.

Most reports, mainly from hybrid owners, describe brakes that seem to let go at low speed or a forward surge just before a stop. It happens below about 25 mph, on downhill grades, on bumpy pavement, and while pulling into parking spaces, and drivers have to press much harder to stop. Toyota bulletin T-SB-0059-23 reprograms the brake computer for the shift from regenerative to hydraulic braking. One owner says it helped but did not cure the problem. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. One crash report describes the brakes failing to engage at 10 to 15 mph.

The main complaint is a front lower bumper cover that works loose and drags or falls off at 40 to 65 mph. It is covered by recall 23V720. Detached pieces have damaged the front end and undercarriage and landed in traffic. Many reports are about getting the recall done: parts are unavailable, or dealers decline the repair until the owner pays to fix a crack, a scratch, or a broken clip. Sunroofs shattering at highway speed show up here too, one at just 4,000 miles. Smaller reports cover broken rear exterior door handles and a leaking rear door.

The hybrid's fuel tank is listed at 17.1 gallons but stops taking fuel at about 12 to 13 gallons, even when the distance-to-empty reading is near zero. After a fill, the gauge often shows only 3/4 or 7/8 full. Owners get far less range than the roughly 600 miles advertised, and some say the distance-to-empty display reads too high at some times and too low at others. The problem appears from new. Dealers mostly find nothing wrong or try a software update. One owner reports that Toyota offered to replace the vehicle.

Problems here are scattered rather than concentrated. The most common is a power rear hatch that will not close or fully latch, sometimes with no dashboard warning, and one repair cost $1,198.10. Others describe key fob locks that stop working, doors found unlocked, a battery that drains within hours, stalling or limp mode with reduced engine power, and blind spot monitoring that misses large trucks. One more transmission replacement for a whine under acceleration appears here at 104,000 miles.

Two crash reports, each with an injury, describe sudden acceleration while pulling into a parking space or driveway at around 5 mph, ending in impacts severe enough to total the vehicle. Other owners report a strong lurch forward when coming to a stop, which matches the surge in the brake complaints. Dealers could not find a cause. A third pattern is sudden power loss at 45 to 50 mph with check engine, hybrid malfunction, or reduced power warnings. One of these happened at just over 4,000 miles.

Front struts leak fluid and wear out early, with reports ranging from under 36,000 miles to about 75,000. Worn struts make the vehicle bounce and respond poorly to quick steering inputs. One owner of a front-wheel-drive model on 18-inch wheels waited about a year for back-ordered parts. Two other reports describe a harsh, tight ride and cabin noise loud enough to drown out emergency vehicles. Dealers called both of those normal.