2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems & reliability
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes → | 17 | 43% |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 7 | 18% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 13% |
| Engine | 4 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 8% |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 3 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 5% |
| Tires | 2 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 66,000 miles (middle 50% between 10,000 and 125,000 miles), based on 33 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2009 toyota highlander hybrid. While driving up a hill at 20 mph, the vehicle stalled and the abs, traction control, steering system, and battery warning indicators illuminated. In addition, "stop vehicle in a safe place immediately" appeared on the instrument panel. The contact had to depress…”
Engine · filed Jun 18, 2019
“Brakes failed shortly after the abs warning light went off. Dealer diagnosed this as a break actuator assembly failure. It looks like toyota had a warranty enhancement program for vehicle years 2006-2007. However, my 2009 appears to be having exactly the same issue, yet it's not covered by the program. Given the…”
Service Brakes · filed Mar 6, 2019
“Once car was sitting in a lot and another time, running on highway. Abs, brake,traction control, vsc lights came on also message display said abs message and brake message. Codes from abs dtc,s are all a c-0371, 1271 through 1278, 1281, 1346, & 1391. Seems to be same issue as the '06-'07 highlander hybrids and the…”
Service Brakes · filed Jan 19, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
- Steering Column Separation
Engineering Analysis EA18006 · opened Nov 16, 2018 · closed Apr 2, 2024
- Upper Steering Column Separation
Preliminary Evaluation PE18005 · opened May 4, 2018 · closed Nov 20, 2018
Technical service bulletins
117 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The 10 most recent:
This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year Repair Manual while…
T-SB-0009-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 13, 2026
OBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26.
T-SB-0119-15 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 13, 2026
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
Vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. This type of contamination can…
T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 3, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
Some 2005 – 2024 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 29, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 66,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.