2020 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER Structure Problems

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V72000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the contact was informed that the recall could not be performed due to a damaged bumper clip. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, however the recall repair was not performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer denied performing the recall repair.

The rear hatch door will not close or open and just sit there.And dings, you have to manually close it and open it most times and it never fully sucks up and latches fully and it doesnt notify you on the hood display of the car , so when we were driving down the road, we heard loud hissing and road noise coming from the rear and come to find out the rear hatch had never fully closed or latched itself fully.And it hangs up constantly.

We own a 2020 Toyota Highlander, and both of the exterior door handles for the backseat have broken. The first in Jan 2025 and the second a few days ago. When the first was repaired (a different door) I was told this happens often on Toyota doors and is to be expected. If this is true why are stronger components not being used in manufacturing? The first doorhandle was replaced totaling $370 and now we are going to have to replace the second. It is disheartening to know that you can purchase a car that is supposed to be so safe, but if something were to happen I might not have a way to open the door to get to my children in the back seat.

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.

In reference to NHTSA Recall no. 23V-720 I have made several attempts to have the recall remedied at a certified dealer, dealership is 4hrs away, round trip. On 3 separate occasions I made appointments online for maintenance plus recall. In between 2nd and 3rd remedy attempt lower bumper detached on the highway into traffic. My own vehicle ran it over, several cars swerved on the roadway to avoid the obstacle, some successful and some hit it head on sending it across multiple lanes, it was lastly struck by a semi truck and unrecoverable. On the 3rd attempted I questioned why the recall was not being completed. I was told recalls need to be on a separate appointment. 4th attempt was for the only recall and was turned away because of damage on the upper bumper. Damage was chipped paint and a slight crease near the fog lamp hole. Damage was caused by the upper bumper flapping in the wind while driving since it was no longer braced by lower bumper. I was provided a flow chart by the maintenance manager stating that I needed to repair my bumper before the safety recall could be performed. I showed my recall notice that stated if damage was found on the upper bumper, both upper and lower would be replaced. I asked if my vehicle was going to be evaluated and was told no. A few days later I received a voicemail(missed the call) that my parts had arrived and an appointment had been made for me. I did not ask them to order the parts, I did not plan on returning to them because of their flippant attitude towards my safety. I felt obligated and trapped to return to them since they ordered the parts. I replaced my bumper but did not paint it yet. I figured since the chipped paint was a deciding factor to my safety it would be better not to have it in case other paint damage occurred. (why does paint matter on a safety recall?) Went to 5th attempt and was turned away because my upper bumper was unpainted. I have made appt with new dealer. This is not a reasonable time-frame.

It’s been a known issue that Toyota Highlander has transmission problems under 100k miles from 2016-2021 or later (social media sites confirmed such). My vehicle require a trans axle replacement as well as the struts are leaking oil and my vehicle has less than 62k miles and is only 5 years old. This is being covered under my extended warranty but parts are on back order After doing research many owners complain about a whining noise showing acceleration of vehicle . If left unfixed this leads to transmission gears slipping and eventually needing an entire replacement Some owners also complain about leaky struts. My car has an issue with leaky struts and is being fixed under warranty Some owners say they need an entire new transmission and after that is replaced the rear transaxle goes and needs replacement Toyota is not putting a recall on this but it’s a known issue. Owners are asking to have this put out as a recall by toy. All parts are on back order and takes several months before transmission can be repaired or replaced. This tells me there are hundreds if not thousands of Highlander’s having the same issue This is a Toyota problem and is related to building transmission in the factory..recall the older vehicles and do better in the factory

While driving on a highway, with little traffic around, our sunroof exploded, sending shards of glass down. It produced a sound of a gunshot and quite possibly could have resulted in such a distraction to cause a wreck. The vehicle has not been inspected but insurance agents has been contacted. There were no warnings at all.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the front lower bumper cover detached from the vehicle, causing debris to scatter onto the highway, while the damaged bumper cover was dragged underneath the vehicle. During the failure, the vehicle sustained excessive front-end damage, and damages to the undercarriage and fender liners. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who confirmed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,260.

Mileage: 51,260

See attached document for complaint.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure). The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the front bumper detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the upper and lower bumper, underpinning, wheel well assembly covers, and other unknown parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

Mileage: 89,000

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH and changing lanes, the front lower bumper cover suddenly separated from the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the front lower bumper cover assembly was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V72000 (Structure) which the contact related to the failure. The manufacturer was contacted for reimbursement, but the manufacturer denied reimbursement. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MHP, the contact's husband became aware that there was unknown part had loosened on the front of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the front bumper assembly was detaching. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Mileage: 30,000

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the front lower bumper cover had detached on the front passenger's side and was swinging while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be repaired at an auto body collision shop due to a crack on the front lower bumper cover, prior to the recall repair. The contact stated that the dealer failed to honor the recall repair because the recall repair involved repairing or replacing the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Mileage: 40,000

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while inspecting the vehicle after an oil change, she noticed that the front lower bumper assembly was detached and was hanging down. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front of the vehicle while driving. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that the recall repair could not be performed unless she paid a fee to repair a scratch on the bumper. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Mileage: 7,000

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure), however, the part to repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable time to remedy the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact was informed by an independent mechanic that the front bumper had begun to detach from the vehicle on the driver's and passenger’s side ends of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was later referred to an independent body shop for service. The contact then discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

We were driving at around 70 mph on lane #3 on [XXX] near Auburn CA at around [XXX] on [XXX] with 2 passengers and some baggage in the trunk. No baggage were on the roof rack. Traffic was light and no vehicle was directly ahead of us at the time. Weather was cloudy. Suddenly we heard a loud bang above us, like a gun going off. I opened the sunroof cover and found the sunroof glass shattered. After exiting the freeway and parking, we found only the sunroof glass was damaged. The glass was shattered but still intact. There was no damage to the roof or roof racks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V720000 (Structure) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

About once or twice a week as I'm slowly braking to make a turn or stop, the car will surge forward. I have to depress the brake harder, and it does stop or keep slowing. I'm very concerned that if this happens as I'm stopping at a cross walk, someone could be hurt. I took it to the dealer who couldn't replicate it, so said it wasn't a safety issue. There are lots of forums that describe this with highlanders. My partner can feel it happen too. I'm not sure if it's the braking system or engine. My guess is engine because it seems to be a power surge. It's inconsistent, and happens in all kinds of weather, hot/cold, dry/wet. No warning lights, or messages. Happens a lot, but I'm using the example of earlier this week. You're welcome to inspect if you want. It is a hybrid and one of my friends said it might be switching systems, but our other car is also a hybrid and doesn't have anything like this happening.

Driving at highway speeds of 75 mph (posted speed), front bumper fell off of car. Outside temperature was 107 degrees. Bumper was lodged under car and all insulation peeled off of wheels. Had to pull all parts from under car and around wheel openings and was able to continue to destination. No accident occurred as the result of this as I was able to safely pull over to side of road.

The contact's wife owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, his wife noticed that the front passenger's side carpeting was extremely wet. Upon investigating the failure, both the contact and his wife noticed that the carpeting underneath was extremely soaked. The contact stated that both he and his wife used towels to soak up the water. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the HVAC evaporator drain hose was clogged, which caused water to leak into the front passenger's side of the vehicle. The independent mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to Toyota Technical Service Bulletin Number: 0080-19 (HVAC Evaporator Drain Hose Clogged Due to Insect Intrusion) and referred the contact to the dealer for the repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 12,300.

Mileage: 12,300

While driving on the freeway, with no prior damage, the front bumper came lose and dragged under vehicle.

In April 2022, the sunroof on our 2020 Highlander Hybrid spontaneously exploded (without impact) while driving on the freeway. It was like a loud shotgun went off in the cab of our SUV. We were showered with glass and small cut to my wife's hand. Thankfully there was no traffic otherwise it could have easily caused an accident, putting us and others at risk. The local Toyota Dealership (where we purchased the car from in 2020) took photos (half the glass broke out, the remaining glass had glass shards pointed upwards like a volcano). The Service representative originally advised us that Toyota would likely pay to replace the sunroof and pay for our rental car (as we had just begun a 2-week trip), but then later refused, stating that the sunroof must have had a chip in it or was impacted (which were absolutely false claims). They stated that I must submit it to my insurance who they billed for $2,410 (sunroof assembly remove & replace, new glass, clean-up detail glass shards, supplies/materials, labor), and $500 of which I would have to pay for a deductible. After many difficult emails and telephone conversations, Toyota Corporate finally agreed to pay my $500 deductible but then later handed me a Goodwill Settlement Agreement to sign, stating the matter is resolved and I would take no further action. I refused to sign it, because I had a $1,900 Car Rental bill (less $450 from my insurance), that Toyota refused to pay. There were no warning messages or symptoms. It is a manufacturing defect that Toyota refuses to acknowledge so that customers and their insurance companies get stuck with all of the bills.

The front portion of the panoramic sunroof/moonroof blew out with a loud boom while my husband and I were driving on interstate 75 south in Florida. The flying glass could have injured us had the shade not been closed or if it had been raining and possibly caused an accident. I saw that another person had the same experience with a 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE with a panoramic moonroof listed on Toyota Nation on Oct 3, 2019. It has not yet been inspected. Insurance company was notified. No warnings or symptoms of the exploding moonroof occurred prior to the failure. It just happened today about 1 1/2-2hr ago.About 6pm.

Several times pulling out from stop signs I failed to see cars coming from the passenger side. On August 4th 2021 I failed to see a car until it was directly in front of me and I collided with it. Wondering how I could have failed to see it I started doing research on the internet. I discovered others had this same problem also involving an accident. It was brought to my attention the mirrors are large and placed high in regards to the passenger window. I noted others sighted their height as part of the problem. I have a bad back and kept my seat low to ease getting in and out of the vehicle. My vehicle was totaled but the air bags never deployed and no one was injured.

SO WHEN I WAS DRIVING AROUND SPEEDS OF 70MPH THE HIGHLANDER STARTS TO WOBBLE AND THE DRIVER MIRROR SHAKING I WENT TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT COULD BE A RECALL IN FUTURE AND DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. HAD IT FOR LESS THEN ONE YEAR

Mileage: 4,190

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY ON A HOT TEXAS DAY WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN THE VICINITY AND NO DEBRIS ON THE ROAD AND THE MOON/SUN ROOF EXPLODED (SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT IN THE CAR). THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW AND ONLY HAD 4,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED AT THE LOCAL TOYOTA DEALER BEING EVALUATED BUT THEY ARE DENYING IT AS A WARRANTY ISSUE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE THREATENING SINCE IT WAS A VERY LOUD SOUND AND THANKFULLY WE HAD THE INSIDE COVER CLOSED TO THAT WE WERE PROTECTED FROM THE GLASS.

Mileage: 4,000