Monday, September 21, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2022 Toyota Highlander problems & reliability

245 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Toyota Highlander, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
245
Recall campaigns
5
Fire reports
1 (0%)
Crash reports
16 (7%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.

NCAP overall rating
Not rated
NHTSA 5-star program
EPA fuel economy
23–36 MPG combined
City 21 · highway 29 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
160
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

6 complaints report injuries (13 injured, 1 deaths reported).

Federal crash records (FARS 20202023): 2022 Toyota Highlander vehicles were involved in 32 fatal crashes with 13 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Power Train51
Structure42
Service Brakes37
Unknown / Other35
Air Bags23
Electrical System17
Forward Collision Avoidance16
Seats14
Engine10
Fuel/propulsion System10

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

All 25 reported components →

Common symptoms owners describe

Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.

Mileage when problems occurred

Among the 29 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 27,500 miles (middle 50% between 13,000 and 50,000 miles).

under 20k
12
20–40k
7
40–60k
5
60–80k
3
80–100k
1
100–150k
1
150k+
0

Complaints by incident year

21
22
23
24
25
26

What owners report

  • Unknown concerned the safety warning has been issued since 3/5/26. As of today (9/13/26), the problem has not been solved

    Seats · filed Sep 16, 2026

  • The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed around an S-curb, the vehicle jerked into the nearby lane. The local dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

    Electrical System · filed Sep 15, 2026

  • I would like to file a complaint regarding Toyota’s known brake surge issue addressed in Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0059-23. I believe this is a serious safety issue because the unexpected braking or brake surge when stopping can potentially cause a driver to lose control of the vehicle or contribute to an…

    Service Brakes · filed Sep 15, 2026

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Technical service bulletins

160 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2022 Toyota Highlander. The 10 most recent:

  • Some 2020 – 2026 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a water leak from the roof rack attachment clips. This may be caused by the sealant in the roof channel obstructing the proper seating…

    T-SB-0040-24 Rev1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 25, 2026

  • Some 2020 – 2024 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the air conditioner does not cool due to a leak and/or corrosion in the rear underbody air conditioner tube and…

    T-SB-0021-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 18, 2026

  • OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.

    T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2026

  • Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.

    T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 28, 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

  • Some 2020 – 2023 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a condition in which the Power Back Door (PBD) will not open or close and/or stops moving while opening or closing. A modified PBD unit…

    T-SB-0086-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 18, 2025

  • Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’…

    22TE09 · Service Campaign · issued Sep 17, 2025

  • The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and…

    T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign · issued Jun 13, 2025

  • To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system…

    T-TT-0780-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025

  • To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system…

    T-TT-0780-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 2025

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 2022 Toyota Highlander has 5 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 2022 Toyota Highlander?

  • · 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.
  • · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 27,500 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Toyota or NHTSA.