2020 Toyota Highlander engine problems
16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2020 Toyota Highlander — 5% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“While on the freeway vehicle stalled when accelerating and engine stopped, I had to pull over to the side of the road to avoid accident. Turned vehicle back on and started making a whinning noise. Vehicle was taken in and found out the transmission is no good at 89k. Also found out that a lot of…”
filed Oct 14, 2025
“On September 2, 2025, the vehicle’s Hybrid System shut down on cold start and the vehicle would not start. A dealer inspection reported coolant had entered cylinder #4, allegedly causing the engine block to warp, the cylinder head to crack, and the head gasket to fail. This was a sudden…”
filed Sep 27, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Due to an Engine Control Unit (ECU) programming error, fuel may not be correctly supplied…Campaign 20V162000 · Mar 19, 2020
Engine problems in other Highlander years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Highlander | 4 | 10% |
| 2023 Highlander | 27 | 16% |
| 2022 Highlander | 10 | 4% |
| 2021 Highlander | 44 | 9% |
| 2019 Highlander | 69 | 15% |
| 2018 Highlander | 33 | 13% |
| 2017 Highlander | 44 | 17% |
| 2016 Highlander | 9 | 8% |
| 2015 Highlander | 9 | 5% |
| 2014 Highlander | 3 | 2% |
| 2013 Highlander | 31 | 15% |
| 2012 Highlander | 17 | 9% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2020 Toyota Highlander
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.