2023 Toyota Highlander power train problems
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2023 Toyota Highlander — 11% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Transmission failure at 106,000 miles, full replacement under extended warranty and new transmission is begging to fail at 109,000 miles.”
filed Sep 6, 2026
“Transmission failure under 50k miles. Replaced under powertrain warranty. UA81E incurred a whine that was prevalent at light acceleration over 40 mph. This is a known issue that spans multiple years at some point someone has to admit this is a design flaw.”
filed Aug 25, 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 | 7% |
| 2022 Highlander | 53 | 21% |
| 2021 Highlander | 219 | 43% |
| 2020 Highlander | 125 | 40% |
| 2019 Highlander | 194 | 40% |
| 2018 Highlander | 65 | 25% |
| 2017 Highlander | 72 | 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.