2018 Toyota Highlander owner complaints

My transmission started making a whine sound upon acceleration, and at times hesitation of acceleration (inconsistent). Toyota Service identified the issue in 2018 as a defective part from manufacturing and related in the repair notice to Toyota Service Bulletin TSB-160-18 which states certain Highlanders (my year and model) have an issue with a defective part in the transaxle/transmission. Toyota issued an extended warranty for the problem in 2020 (unlimited miles for coverage). I was then told that it then DIDN'T apply to my VIN, even tho it was the problem diagnosed by a Toyota service technician associated with the TSB above, so they wouldn't cover thru the extended warranty. Told me that I have to pay for a new transmission over $9,000. My understanding (I cannot verify) that the init

Vehicle’s 8 speed transmission started a low pitch whine when pressing the accelerator around 90,000 miles. Transmission has begun shifting roughly since 105,000 miles. Vehicle is outside of Toyota’s manufacture date deadline for T-SB-0008-21 but this issue sounds exactly like what is described in Toyota’s TSB.

Our transmission has a known manufacture air We have called Toyota several times and they refuse to do anything about this are transmission is going out which could cause a safety issue when driving down the road It's the UA80 TRANSMISSION Toyota is doing a customer support program on this particular transmission but due to the fact ours falls six months after the manufacturer date it doesn't fall within that area this is a manufacturer air due to a bolt not being bent over far enough I feel with the transmission issues that it can cause like serious problems including safety among ourselves or others in Toyota is ignoring this is when brought to them

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and attempting to accelerate, the transmission whined abnormally loud. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced due to internal failures. The vehicle was not repaired because the warranty had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by the local dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

Transmission developed whine at 64,000 miles similar to the whine/issues experienced for customers covered under Toyota's ZJC Customer Support Program. My VIN was not in the range of impacted units, but had the same issue/failure.

Vehicle experienced whining noise when decelerating. Toyota dealer service technician documented the noise as coming from the transmission due to an issue with the pinion shafts. Our safety was put at risk by a potential for the transmission no longer working when driving. There were no warning lamps, messages, etc. prior to the failure. The failure occurred around 136,000 miles. All recommended services, including on the transmission, occurred at the same Toyota dealer service.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving uphill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle decelerated and rolled backwards unexpectedly. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was inspected by a mechanic friend and diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 92,000.

The transmission makes a whining noise, especially when pulling, as in driving up an incline. I took the 2018 Highlander to Rusty Drewing Toyota in Jefferson City, MO to be diagnosed. They said the transmission needs to be replaced. In researching the problem, I found a bulletin/recall: 7A61K20482. The bulletin says the serial number must be before 7A617E03416. I want to get on your list and hopefully, be able to get some kind of relief for this problem.

Vehicle started making a whining noise and diagnosed at Lancaster Toyota as needing a new transmission at a cost of $8500. Ended up having transmission replaced at a local transmission repair shop for $7000.

Vehicle was driving on street and check engine light came on. Took vehicle to service provider and is related to recall. No remedy for recall has been developed -- currently driving a loaner car.

Wife was driving and out of nowhere axle to the transfer case broke leaving her stranded in the middle of the road. Seems like transmission had been a common issue in these vehicles around the same year

After vehicle has warmed up engine RPM speed drops to near 500 when brake engaged at stop lights and vehicle idles rough and attempts to stall. Shifting to neutral brings RPM speed back up and idles smooth again. Problem occurs daily over last two months. Vehicle is near new, 1750 miles. Auto stop start feature is not engaged. Taken to dealer who advised no problem found. Returning to dealer again for another try and hopefully better results.

Driving down the street when an alarm went off stating "braking power low" and to "stop immediately". Vehicle to be towed and taken to local car dealership. Over the phone, the dealership claims no braking element has been recalled for my particular vehicle, however other highlanders from the same year model were recalled for braking issues (vacuum pump.) have been having issues with the "start/stop system malfunction" alarm going off as well for several months, but dealership states it will not affect the drivability of the vehicle.

I’ve always had issues with my breaks since I purchased my car. Today when I tried to turn on my car I received a message stating breaking power low. I did not have that issue last night nor had I seen it before. My car will not start

10/10 Tapped pedal into Drive: Toyota Highlander 2018 Car sped off at 50mph with my foot on brake for 3 minutes Holding brake down and down-shifting did nothing Vehicle stopped when it hit a pole destroying passenger-side fender and bumper Airbag did not deploy Unintended acceleration/sticky pedal as reported early this century when Toyota recalled 80,000 vehicles. On 11/17/2023 an ER or Black Box four hour test/investigation was performed and I was told I would have results 12/28. Zero! When I telephone to report I was supposed to have EDR test results in 30 days, the operator (not the unreachable quality control personnel) tells me, "Well review of your crash results could take longer than 30 days." need to have a safe car to drive to work but this one has a potentially deadly defect

1.) Bluetooth connects without issue to iPhone (for both media and phone) however during a phone call (incoming/outgoing) the car system will drop the call after about 2 mins of talk time. The phone then disconnects from the car & will only re-pair once the system restarts. 2. ) The safety hazard is due to distracted, hands required operation of the phone due to Bluetooth system not working properly 3.) The issue has been under 'warranty' for nearly 2 years at my dealer. There is currently no resolution. Dealer admits the fault is due to a compatibility issue of various vendors supplying the head unit, bluetooth/radio unit, and software. 4.) At the instruction of the manufacturer, the dealer has refused to replace any hardware.

On 11/22/2025, We were done shopping and when we tried to open the trunk it made weird squeaky sounds and we tried to close it but it suddenly self destructed. There was a loud noise and it shattered instantly and there was glass everywhere.

The windshield has warps and creates blurry vision. Glass has been replaced 3 times so far from Toyota Dealership and issue continues to be there. Car has been in service for a month now. Glass manufacturer: Pilkington

I own a Toyota Highlander 2018 LE. I have been servicing it regularly at authorized Toyota delaership service centers. I have around 28000 miles on it. While trying to start the car this morning, the car wouldn't start, the brake feels hard and won't depress, and the dashboard displays the message" Braking Power Low STOP in a Safe Place See Owner's Manual"

The incident involves a 2018 Toyota highlander v6 AWD that was purchased new on june 1, 2018. As my 12 year old son was buckling himself into the 2nd row driver-side seat today, the seat belt ripped apart in his hands. The sudden-motion locking mechanism never engaged, and no undue force (except for what one would expect from a normal 12 year old) was applied when pulling the seatbelt from its stowed position. When I personally inspected the remaining seven (7) seatbelts, both the 3rd row driver-side and passenger-side seatbelts failed under minimal stress (far less than my full body weight or strength).