CSR

Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2022 Toyota Highlander

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

230

Complaints

13

Crashes

1

Fires

10

Injuries

1

Deaths

Owners of the 2022 Toyota Highlander have filed 230 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2021 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 47 of them (20%). The typical failure was reported at 23,750 miles, the median across the 28 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints rose by half year on year: 63 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 36 in the twelve before.

NHTSA has issued 5 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (5)

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

26V128000 · March 5, 2026

The defect
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
The risk
A seat back that fails to lock may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the return springs in the seat back recliner assemblies, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed April 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated August 27, 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 550,007 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES

24V452000 · June 18, 2024

The defect
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."
The risk
Tires with an insufficient load rating can be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC · up to 4,763 vehicles across all model years covered

TIRES

24V419000 · June 6, 2024

The defect
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."
The risk
Tires with an insufficient load rating may be overloaded and fail, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Gulf States Toyota, Inc. · up to 4,869 vehicles across all model years covered

STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS

23V720000 · October 26, 2023

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

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 750,795 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

22V310000 · May 6, 2022

The defect
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."
The risk
An illegible label may allow the vehicle to be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
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.

Gulf States Toyota, Inc. · up to 661 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 230.

POWER TRAIN 47 20%
STRUCTURE 42 18%
SERVICE BRAKES 34 15%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 32 14%
AIR BAGS 22 10%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16 7%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 16 7%
ENGINE 10 4%
SEATS 10 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 8 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 3%
LANE DEPARTURE 8 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 62.

2021 2026
2021 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

1 death · crash · towed

My mother was killed on 5/27/22 by her brand new 2022 Highlander Platnum with about 2000 miles on it. There wasn’t anyone inside her car at the time of her wrongful death. No person’s car should kill it’s owner in her own driveway at anytime especially when the car was empty. The Police report has not been completed by the local Police department yet. The day before the accident she took her car to her dealership Hansel Toyota Petaluma at 9am where she bought her car only a few weeks earlier bc her front bumper had fallen off on the freeway to ask them to put her bumper back on but Hansel Toyota of Petaluma refused her reasonable request. What they told my parents was to go file a claim

NHTSA complaint 11499811, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

4 injured · crash · towed · 70,765 miles

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

NHTSA complaint 11596425, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

4 injured · crash · towed

r 2022 Toyota Highlander was involved in a motor vehicle incident wherein the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and front airbags may not have functioned as expected.

NHTSA complaint 11648263. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

Was in collision - front impact- vehicle was a total loss, airbags did not deploy for driver or passenger side

NHTSA complaint 11753127. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEATS
Seat Back Recliner Assembly May Not Securely Lock Toyota opened this recall on March 5th. They have not provided a remedy within a timely manner and my car is not usable.

NHTSA complaint 11757420. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The headlights on this vehicle are not properly aimed and or poorly designed causing excessive glare to oncoming traffic. Even during broad daylight I could see the light scattered all around the headlight assembly appearing as though the high beams were shining directly at me. E Also excessively bright sparkly headlights like these are distracting impairing my situational awareness.

NHTSA complaint 11755225. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE
In the past 3 days, the trunk of the vehicle has opened on its own even though it was locked. This has also happened 3 additional times in the past since I have taken it to the Toyota service center in Fairlawn, NJ. I am concerned because yesterday, I was at a supermarket and was inside for about 15 minutes and when I came out, the back was opened. This has not happened while I was driving but I was fortunate that nothing was taken from the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint 11751740. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was parking the car. Car in park. Foot on brake. Carr violently lunged forward. Hitting, and tilting, concrete pole. Put car in reverse. Lunged forward then backward. Someone could have been killed. Thank God no person was near. I could have lunged through a storefront if Parked by shop.

NHTSA complaint 11751310. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
loud noise when accelerating. noise is gone when let go of gas pedal. noise like internal gears from transmission

NHTSA complaint 11751046. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota Highlander

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 9 3
2024 39 7
2023 172 9
2021 488 4
2020 305 4
2019 472 3
2018 259 4
2017 262 3
2016 109 2
2015 189 1
2014 134 4 1
2013 205 3
2012 181 2
2011 181 5
2010 216 10

Other 2022 Toyota models

Every Toyota on this site — 272 vehicles, 370 recall campaigns and 3 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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