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2014 Toyota Highlander

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2014 Toyota Highlander do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 186.5.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Compare all Highlander years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

93 reports with mileage · 42 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports1 fire reports6 injury reports

Seats complaints

2 reports
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Mileage unknown · May 7, 2015
Seats

WE PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED ON AUG 9, 2014. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 150 MILES THE PERSON IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT EXPERIENCES SEVERE BACK AND DISCOMFORT IN THE AREA OF THE TAILBONE. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY HARD TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE SEAT. I COMPLAINED TO THE SELLING DEALER AND THEY …

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WE PURCHASED A 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED ON AUG 9, 2014. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 150 MILES THE PERSON IN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT EXPERIENCES SEVERE BACK AND DISCOMFORT IN THE AREA OF THE TAILBONE. THERE IS SOMETHING VERY HARD TOWARDS THE BACK OF THE SEAT. I COMPLAINED TO THE SELLING DEALER AND THEY RECOMMENDED COMING BACK WHEN THE ZONE REP WAS IN AREA. I RETURNED A WEEK LATER AND MET WITH THE ZONE REP. SHE HAD ME SIT IN ANOTHER HIGHLANDER LIMITED AND ASKED IF IT FELT DIFFERENT, IT DID FEEL THE SAME. HER REPLY WAS "DIDN'T YOU SIT IN THE CAR BEFORE YOU BOUGHT IT?" I TOLD HER MY WIFE SAT IN THE BACK SEAT AND I DROVE, SALESMAN SAT IN RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTOMOTIVE UPHOLSTERY SHOP WHERE THE REMOVED THE LEATHER SEAT COVER AND DISCOVERED THE METAL SEAT HEATER MODULE AND WIRING DIRECTLY UNDER THE LEATHER AND ON TOP OF THE FOAM. THE SHOP CUT ABOUT 1/2 INCH INTO THE FOAM AND BURIED THE MODULE AND PLACED THE CUT OUT FOAM ON TOP OF IT. THEY ALSO DID THE SAME FOR THE SEAT BACK. I REQUESTED DEALER TO REIMBURSE ME THE $200.00 IT COST TO HAVE THE ABOVE MENTIONED WORK DONE; THEIR RESPONSE WAS THEY WOULD REQUEST TOYOTA TO COVER THE COST. A WEEK LATER I LEARNED THAT TOYOTA REFUSED TO PAY FOR A MODIFICATION THEY DID NOT APPROVE AND THEY FELT THE PLACEMENT OF THE MODULE WAS NOT A DEFECT. I THEN ASKED THE DEALERSHIP TO REIMBURSE ME AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID TOYOTA WOULD NOT AUTHORIZE THE EXPENSE. I TOLD HIM I WORKED FOR A GM DEALERSHIP AND SAW MANY MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE APPROVED BY GM. HIS RESPONSE WAS "CHEVROLET HAS TO ACCOMMODATE CUSTOMERS IN ORDER TO SELL CARS AND TOYOTA DOESN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE THEY SELL CARS AS FAST AS THEY ARE MADE. AND, WHEN TOYOTA SELLS TWO MILLION CARS AND ONLY A FEW HUNDRED CUSTOMERS COMPLAIN ABOUT AN ISSUE SUCH AS MINE TOYOTA ISN'T CONCERNED ENOUGH TO MAKE OR REIMBURSE A MODIFICATION;" UPON LEARNING THIS IS THE ATTITUDE OF TOYOTA, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A TOYOTA AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10715184

Mileage unknown · May 5, 2014
Seats

I PURCHASED MY 2014 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ON 4/24/14. I NOTICE A FEW DAYS LATER THAT THEIR WAS A CHIRP NOISE IN THE PASSENGER 2ND ROW WHILE DRIVING ( VERY ANNOYING). I TOOK IT TO DEALER AND IT WAS DIAGNOSIS THAT THE RAIL RACK SHOWS SIGN OF FRICTION AND POSSIBLE CAUSING IT CREATE THE CHIRP NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10586699

Official recalls

4

14V576000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Sep 19, 2014

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

14V272000 · Electrical System:software; Seat Belts

May 22, 2014

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:software

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence: In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

Seat Belts

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence: In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

14V274000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

May 22, 2014

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, through April 29, 2014. The affected vehicles may have a second row right-hand seat assembly that does not fully lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first, second and third adjusting positions. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the seat does not fully lock into the inboard seat track, the seat could move, increasing the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second row right-hand seat, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

14V051000 · Seat Belts:rear/other

Feb 7, 2014

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured November 20, 2013, through January 18, 2014. The third row middle seat belt assembly might not have been properly secured to the vehicle floor anchorage during vehicle assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A seat belt that is not properly secured to its anchorage could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row middle seat belt anchor, and, if necessary, properly secure it to the vehicle floor anchorage, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.