2020 Toyota Highlander other reported problems

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Air conditioning has leaked after only 60,000 miles, costing me thousands in repairs. This is a recall on other models, but not this one. Mine and my baby’s safety is put at risk by being forced to drive around in the heat of summer without air conditioning. There were no warning lights. It was verified by the dealer, and I have a video of the inspection.

NHTSA complaint #11745556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Premature transmission failure due to factory defect. All maintenance was done on time and at dealership.

NHTSA complaint #11739685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was driving on a busy road going 50 mph and my sunroof exploded. Nothing hit my vehicle and It wasn’t a hot or cold day. No one was injured because my sunroof cover was luckily closed.

NHTSA complaint #11733132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The vehicle is a 2020 Toyota Highlander experiencing a transmission system malfunction, specifically involving the automatic transmission and/or torque converter. Component/System Failure: The transmission produces a noticeable whining noise during acceleration and exhibits abnormal shifting behavior, including hesitation and delayed response when pressing the gas pedal. The issue appears to originate from the internal transmission components. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This condition creates a serious safety concern, as the hesitation and delayed acceleration can impair the driver’s ability to safely merge into traffic, cross intersections, or respond to changing road conditions. The unpredictable response increases the risk of a collision, especially in high-speed or congested traffic environments. Reproducibility / Confirmation: The issue is consistently reproducible and occurs whenever the vehicle is accelerated. The problem has not yet been fully resolved and is in the process of being addressed with a dealership/service center. Inspections: The vehicle is scheduled to be inspected by a Toyota dealership. At this time, it has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning Signs / Symptoms: There were no warning lights or dashboard messages prior to or during the issue. The first symptom noticed was the whining noise during acceleration, followed by abnormal shifting behavior and hesitation. These symptoms have progressively become more noticeable over time. This issue appears consistent with reported transmission problems in similar model vehicles, raising concern that this may be a broader defect affecting vehicle safety. I took my vehicle to 3 different mechanics and they told me that my vehicle is not safe to drive long term without a total transmission replacement. Thank you!

NHTSA complaint #11728866 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Premature transmission failure. Vehicle had less than 100K miles. Took the vehicle in for an oil change before a long trip. Mentioned a "whine" during acceleration. Told us that the entire transmission would need to be replaced immediately at a cost of over $10,000. Made an appeal to Toyota to help with the cost of replacement and we were denied.

NHTSA complaint #11711802 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The sunroof suddenly exploded while stopped at a stoplight. Luckily I had the interior slide shut otherwise we would have been covered in glass.

NHTSA complaint #11709295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving on the highway, our sunroof spontaneously exploded. We heard what sounded like a gunshot and found a giant hole in our sunroof glass.

NHTSA complaint #11708693 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Lift gate does not close and it just beeps. Needs to be closed manually. Toyota has known this issue for a long time but failed to address. Repairs are costly and reduces my cars value

NHTSA complaint #11704823 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Lift gate not closing Car gas a whining noise upon acceleration

NHTSA complaint #11702121 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The 8 speed automatic transmission is failing at 100k miles. Whining noises are heard and after being taken to Toyota dealerships mechanic, we were told that the gear mesh or bearing is bad and that we'll need to replace the transmission. We were told that many other highlanders have experienced the same issues. No light popped up before or during driving while the transmission is whining.

NHTSA complaint #11697322 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

We were driving on the highway and heard what sounded like a gun shot. Our sunroof had exploded. Luckily the interior door was closed or we would have been showered with glass. There was no one around, no rocks or road debris. It just came out of nowhere!

NHTSA complaint #11697273 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Went to close the right rear passenger door and heard splashing. Door is leaking from somewhere and running down to the bottom of the door filling it with water on the inside.

NHTSA complaint #11688007 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On August 3, 2025, the vehicle developed a loud humming noise. After an inspection on August 12, Heritage Toyota informed me that the transmission had failed and would require replacement at an estimated cost of $9,000. This failure occurred only days past the five-year warranty and just 8,834 miles beyond the 60,000-mile powertrain limit. I immediately contacted Toyota’s Brand Engagement Center (Case #250814000192). Despite speaking with multiple representatives over several weeks, my inquiries were repeatedly delayed, escalated, or dismissed. At one point, I was even informed that further follow-up on my case would be deleted through Toyota Website. Ultimately, I was offered 50% coverage of the transmission replacement. While I appreciate this offer, it does not fully address the seriousness of a transmission failure occurring under such circumstances. I also contacted Heritage Toyota directly to request assistance, but my calls to the service manager went unanswered, and the dealership declined to provide any additional support. I believe this situation raises concerns about both product quality and customer care. A transmission should not fail in under five years with fewer than 70,000 miles, especially on a well-maintained vehicle serviced exclusively by Toyota. I respectfully request that Toyota be held accountable for this failure and that further review be conducted to determine whether this issue represents a larger pattern of premature transmission failures in Highlanders.

NHTSA complaint #11687039 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Whining noise upon accelerating. Diagnosed as bad transmission by a Toyota dealership. No warning indicator 62,500 miles

NHTSA complaint #11683407 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1- Most of the time my rear hatch will not close unless you use the inside button - cost 1,198.10 to repair. 2- my car started making a whining noise on acceleration. Took it Toyota and they said that I need to replace my transmission that it has an internal failure. Of course my warranty was of no use b/c it stopped at 100,000 miles. At the time of the inspection I was at 104,000. To get a new transmission it will be 7,425.60 (not including the labor). I really wish the dealership could have been honest about this year model transmissions failing. I would have passed on this car.

NHTSA complaint #11665219 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

So there was a service bulletin put out by Toyota in December 2020, about its AC repair. Well no notice was given to Toyota owners about this. Well fast forward to yesterday May 21, 2025, my mechanic told me that the AC lines to the rear were leaking and needed to be replaced as it was leaking refrigerant into the environment. Well after reading reviews and other folks problems it seems Toyota knows there is a problem with the ac lines and the type of material they used. Toyota should be issuing a recall notice on these cars to replace the ac lines so it does not pose an environmental hazard inside or outside the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11662526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Faulty Transmission that Toyota doesn’t want to cover fixing.

NHTSA complaint #11655956 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving on the freeway in the evening about 10 minutes into the drive, a loud bang was heard like a shotgun and the front portion of the panoramic sunroof had shattered. Small shards of glass entered the cabin but fortunately no one was injured inside the vehicle. No sign of a rock hitting the vehicle or defect in the panoramic had occurred prior to this incidence. It appears to have occurred spontaneously. There was a large hole in the glass with an outward projection like the pressure inside the vehicle somehow blew out the sunroof. The passengers in the vehicle were at risk of being covered in small shards of glass including a small child in a rear facing carseat who was sitting behind the driver's side. The driver and front passenger would have been impacted as well if the glass gave away. This occurred at high speeds on a freeway where if the glass would have fallen inside the cabin could have caused the driver to be covered in glass, injured while driving at high speeds and caused a wreck. The incident was reported to the highway patrol who could not place a formal report because they said it was not a mechanic defect and the Toyota corporate office said that they could not report because it was a glass issue. Insurance has not been informed yet as we are waiting from the local dealership to see if they can assist. There were no warning messenger prior to this problem and it occurred spontaneously.

NHTSA complaint #11625665 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

There is an open recall which has not been addressed in a timely manner. The below has been open since OCT 26, 2023. I have been advised that I would be notified when a remedy was available but it's been ten months with no solution. My front bumper detached while I was on the interstate causing damage to the front end of my vehicle. 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.

NHTSA complaint #11610814 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

This is in reference to a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The Air Conditioner is not functional. Upon inspection by a mechanic, and $300 of freon wasted, it was determined that the lines that carry the AC to the rear of the vehicle are defective. Freon immediately drains. We have a case open with Toyota. The Toytota Case Manager acknowledged that the lines are a known issue, however at this time there is no replacement part available to fix the issue. The initial exchange with Toyota in early June resulted in a response that the part ETA was expected for early July. They have delayed twice since, to Late July, and now the status is pending with an ETA of late August but "subject to change." The vehicle is not drivable with the heat of Summer months; at times the internal temperature of the car is well over 100 degrees. I would anticipate people that live in southern year round hot climates with this issue can't drive it at all. My primary concern is having no AC is a safety issue for passengers, including children and an elderly family member [XXX]) for which I am a caretaker, and pets. Toyota did not respond to a request to provide a rental vehicle until the part is available. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11605571 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Front bumper

NHTSA complaint #11601822 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Rear AC lines are defective and are failing on vehicles releasing gas under the vehicle. Dealer has confirmed this is a known design issue caused by dissimilar metals between the vehicle, bracket and rear AC lines. Toyota has stopped supply of the defective part but has no solution to repair this issue yet. They have no solution other that to wait for a) Parts to be re-continued, b) wait for Toyota to release a design fix. Meanwhile I have a newborn and the car is unable to maintain a acceptable temperature for occupation

NHTSA complaint #11594796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The vehicle continues to place excessive wear on the right rear tire despite the auto dealership service department stating there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. My tires have been replaced 4 times with 89,000 miles on the vehicle. The dealership service department is not willing to look into it any further and states everything is normal despite something clearly wearing this particular tire every 20-25,000 miles.

NHTSA complaint #11582660 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Nav Search and Voice message dictate disabled. Highlander 4th Generation (2020+) Has anyone experienced a DCM failure? My 2020 Highlander LTD hit 70K and 3yr mark; all of a sudden my Nav won't search while driving and I cannot dictate a response to a msg. Other forums suggest, reset the DCM by disconnecting the battery for a minimum of 30 minutes. This can be problematic. NO hands free driving capability.

NHTSA complaint #11562150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Random loss of braking feeling and jolting forward when stopping due to regenerative braking letting off. Happened randomly since purchase. Happens around 20mph mark

NHTSA complaint #11543608 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On March 20th while on the freeway my 2020 Toyota Highlander sunroof exploded. Related or not, I had just rolled up my driver's window immediately preceding the explosion. The sound from this was loud and surprising. Thankfully I was able to get to the right lane and exit the freeway. Upon stopping and viewing the sunroof I was surprised to see the remaining glass pushed UP out of the car. I had no warning nor was I in a situation that I would have expected there to be a problem. I have an appointment 3 days after the explosion at the dealer for them to check it out.

NHTSA complaint #11513134 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The driver side mirror shakes and vibrates while driving. This is distracting and makes it difficult to concentrate on surroundings. This happens at all speeds. My dealership said that it is normal, but I see many other people on forums have similar complaints. The passenger side mirror does not rattle.

NHTSA complaint #11507494 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The driver side mirror, yes available for inspection The mirror is shaking on higher speed makes it difficult to keep up with traffic around you No No No

NHTSA complaint #11482382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.