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All cars · Toyota Highlander · Transmission

Toyota Highlander transmission problems by year.

Worst years for transmission complaints per car sold: 2019 (195 complaints), 2021 (211 complaints), 2020 (122 complaints). Fewest since 2010: 2016, 2024, 2015.

Toyota Highlander
Photo shows a 2022 Toyota Highlander. Dietmar Rabich, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · background removed

Transmission complaints owners filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) for each model year, per 100,000 cars sold. A complaint counts when it's filed under the transmission, or under the power train and the owner describes the transmission (shifting, slipping, gears, CVT). It's an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.

2001910.4 per 100K sold20021210.6 per 100K sold2003119.2 per 100K sold20045642.1 per 100K sold20054734.2 per 100K sold20062116.2 per 100K sold200786.3 per 100K sold20081514.3 per 100K sold200967.2 per 100K sold201033.3 per 100K sold2011109.9 per 100K sold201243.3 per 100K sold201343.1 per 100K sold201474.8 per 100K sold201542.5 per 100K sold201610.5 per 100K sold20175927.3 per 100K sold20186526.6 per 100K sold201919581.4 per 100K sold202012257.5 per 100K sold202121179.9 per 100K sold20225122.9 per 100K sold2023116.5 per 100K sold202422.2 per 100K sold20250no sales data

What owners describe

Delay or hesitation15%
Transmission replaced15%
Hard or jerky shifting9%
Lost power while driving9%
Slipping6%
Shudder2%

Share of this model's transmission complaints that mention each symptom. One complaint can mention several.

In owners' words

Transmission went out at 94,000 mils. Loud whinning noise and vechicle very loud sounds like a disel truck once cranked.

2021 Toyota Highlander owner · NHTSA complaint

Transmission is making a loud whine when accelerating. Dealer says the transmission cannot be repaired and must be replaced

2021 Toyota Highlander owner · NHTSA complaint

Quick answers

Which Toyota Highlander years have transmission problems?

By transmission complaints filed with NHTSA per car sold, the worst Toyota Highlander years are 2019, 2021, 2020.

What are common Toyota Highlander transmission problems?

Owners most often describe delay or hesitation, transmission replaced, hard or jerky shifting.

Which Toyota Highlander years have the fewest transmission complaints?

Since 2010, the Toyota Highlander years with the fewest transmission complaints per car sold are 2016, 2024, 2015.

See every problem, not just the transmission: Toyota Highlander reliability by year. How we count

Updated

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