2020 Toyota Highlander: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
56%
155 of 275 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
56% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2020 Toyota Highlander are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Worse than 74% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 36 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 50%).
Looking at a specific Highlander?Check its VIN: the full report, quotes about its own engine, and whether its recalls are still open. First report free.
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
In my 2020 Highlander I approached a stop sign at a "T" intersection behind 4 other cars. After stopping and looking to see road was clear of oncoming traffic, I pulled out and started my left turn. As I was turning into my lane the car engine turned OFF and the steering wheel was LOCKED in the left position. There …
I WAS AT A STOP SIGN IN MY 2020 HIGHLANDER WAITING TO TURN LEFT ONTO A BUSY ROAD. UPON TURNING LEFT ONTO PA STATE HIGHWAY 999, THE HIGHLANDER ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS "LOCKED" INTO A LEFT POSITION. THIS CAUSED THE CAR TO CONTINUE TURNING INTO THE OPPOSING LEFT LANE RESULTING IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION…
Three of 155 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (4)
AIR BAGS
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid vehicles. Incorrect seat trim covers on one or both of the f…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander vehicles equipped with a 3.5 L, V6 (2GR-FKS) gasoline engine. Due to an Engine Con…
STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact t…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2020 Toyota Highlander
Ask the seller whether the transmission has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown shuddering, slipping, delayed or harsh shifts, or a whine at speed.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many transmission faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the transmission.
4 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A transmission already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
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.
