2019 Toyota Highlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability
622 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Toyota Highlander, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 95/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 59,236 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2019 Toyota Highlander sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings.
Avoid
Where 2019 sits among all Highlander years
What owners report
“A whinning noise can be heard from car while driving. Vehicle has just under 60k miles and dealer is saying the transmission is failing and it would need to be replaced. There was no warning lights or indication on display.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Highlander
“Toyata issued a recall for a faulty low pressure fuel pump in may but has not replaced it in my car.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Highlander
“When I start the highlander, there is a loud (hurts your ears) feedback noise through the speakers, and the red and green lights near the SOS button flash multiple times. This happens intermittently, and when it doesn't happen the SOS button only flashes red/green once.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Highlander
“2019 highlander has a winding sound coming from engine area, no warning lights turned on but winding sound only occurs when in drive and accelerating. Vehicle has 90000 miles and winding sound started around 80000 miles. I brought highlander to toyota service and they stated they heard the sound…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Highlander
“Upon starting the Highlander, there is a very loud screeching/feedback noise through the speakers- it appears to be coming from the DCM as described y a Toyota representative. . This happens upon stating the car at least once a day and frequency is increasing.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Highlander
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 181 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 11,214 miles. Half of those reports fall between 5,000 and 26,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting…
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer…
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible.…
Fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at…
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2019 Toyota Highlander reliable?
The 2019 Toyota Highlander drew 622 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 95/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2019 Toyota Highlander problems?
The top reported problems for the 2019 Toyota Highlander are transmission & drivetrain (187 complaints), fuel system (106), and other (84).
At what mileage do 2019 Toyota Highlander problems show up?
Owners most often report 2019 Toyota Highlander problems around 11,214 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 5,000 and 26,000 miles.
Does the 2019 Toyota Highlander have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 Toyota Highlander. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.