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2014 Toyota Highlander problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
9%
12 of 138 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2014 Toyota Highlander. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 9% of relevant complaints.

Better than 98% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2014 Toyota Highlander have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 12 of 138 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota Highlander concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (9%). For comparison, the 2013 scores 26% and the 2015 scores 13%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
12
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
138
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
5 crashes · 6 injuries

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM36 · 26%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER33 · 24%
STRUCTURE32 · 23%
POWER TRAIN9 · 7%
VISIBILITY/WIPER7 · 5%
SEAT BELTS5 · 4%

The years either side

2010
13%
27 of 238
2011
19%
32 of 186
2012
15%
27 of 191
2013
26%
48 of 212
2014
9%
12 of 138
2015
13%
22 of 192
2016
15%
14 of 111
2017
54%
135 of 267
2018
46%
112 of 267
2019
68%
317 of 489
2020
56%
157 of 317
2021
60%
282 of 523
2022
30%
67 of 259
2023
28%
46 of 182

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2014 Toyota Highlander

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN09/28/2026
Transmission failing beginning at 60,000 miles. Safety issue because car shudders and refuses to accelerate at seemingly random times. My mechanic said this is a known issue and recommended transmission flushing. We've been doing this for six years at lesser and lesser intervals before the problem reappears. Our lo…

One of 12 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Toyota Highlander?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2014 Toyota Highlander involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 5 in total. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings14V576000 · Sep 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.

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

Fix: 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.

4 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
electrical system18E107000 · Nov 2018
Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire…
electrical system: software14V272000 · May 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…
seats: mid/rear assembly14V274000 · May 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…
seat belts: rear/other14V051000 · Feb 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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model; one of NHTSA's listings did not answer when this page was built, so the list may be incomplete. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2014 Toyota Highlander? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2014 Toyota Highlander

Does the 2014 Toyota Highlander have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 12 of 138 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota Highlander concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (9%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2014 Toyota Highlander?

Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign on the 2014 Toyota Highlander involving the engine, transmission or fuel system, out of 5 in total: 14V576000 (fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Toyota Highlander years are better?

The 2014 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Toyota Highlander years we track (9%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2014 Toyota Highlander?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2014 Toyota Highlander shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.