2023 Toyota Highlander power train problems
16 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2023 Toyota Highlander — 9% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The transmission developed hesitations at take off, a whine at low speeds and over time got louder. Diagnosis by the dealer confirmed yet another bad eight speed transmission failure. This vehicle has 41K miles.”
filed Jul 30, 2026
“My 2023 Toyota Highlander was experiencing a high pitch whiny noise when accelerating. I looked up on line and saw that this could be a failing transmission issue. I took it into the Toyota Dealership , 6321 West Canal Drive, Kennewick, WA 99336. They confirmed my concerns. They said the…”
filed Jun 2, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Power Train problems in other Highlander years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Highlander | 3 | 8% |
| 2022 Highlander | 47 | 21% |
| 2021 Highlander | 199 | 41% |
| 2020 Highlander | 120 | 40% |
| 2019 Highlander | 187 | 40% |
| 2018 Highlander | 60 | 23% |
| 2017 Highlander | 70 | 27% |
| 2016 Highlander | 1 | 1% |
| 2015 Highlander | 7 | 4% |
| 2014 Highlander | 8 | 6% |
| 2013 Highlander | 11 | 5% |
| 2012 Highlander | 7 | 4% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2023 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.