RecallRepo

2020 Toyota Highlander Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2020 Toyota Highlander has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 1,792,627 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 355 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 20, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 23V865000 2023-12-20 999,901 affected
Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop…

Consequence

An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed in February 2024. Some final remedy owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. Letters will continue to be mailed in phases through January 2026. Owners may contact Toyota…

STRUCTURE 23V720000 2023-10-26 750,795 affected
Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.

Consequence

A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will repair or replace the upper and lower front bumper covers as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed April 22, 2024. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB12/23TA12.

SEATS 20V633000 2020-10-14 3,121 affected
Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander and Highlander hybrid vehicles. Incorrect seat trim covers on one or both of the front seats can prevent the seat-mounted side air bag from deploying properly.

Consequence

Improper deployment of the seat-mounted side air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front seats and replace the seat trim covers as necessary, free of charge. The recall began December 11, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TB14 / 20TA14.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 20V162000 2020-03-19 38,810 affected
Defect

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020 Highlander vehicles equipped with a 3.5 L, V6 (2GR-FKS) gasoline engine. Due to an Engine Control Unit (ECU) programming error, fuel may not be correctly supplied to the engine while using the stop and restart feature.

Consequence

Improper fuel supply programming can result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECU, free of charge. The recall began May 15, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA06.

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN
117
2crashes1injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
40
2crashes2injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
33
4crashes2injuries
AIR BAGS
32
3crashes5injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
18
2crashes3injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
17
1crashes
ENGINE
16
2crashes3injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
14
1crashes1injuries
STRUCTURE
10
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
10
2crashes2injuries
Total complaints355

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The transmission can suddenly fail even at very early mileages. This is almost certainly related to t-sb-0008-21 that has defined a narrow number of transmissions though it appears to affect many more than outlined. This could cause sudden failure while operating the vehicle at any point in time…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-07-07

“I pushed the brake and swerved and the car kept going and a greater speed and surged into a house.”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2026-06-28

“I pushed the brake and swerved and the car kept going and a greater speed and surged into a house.”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2026-06-28

“I pushed the brake and swerved and the car kept going and a greater speed and surged into a house.”

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM · reported 2026-06-28

“I am submitting this complaint regarding a sudden and unexpected transmission failure in my 2020 toyota highlander. The vehicle experienced a major transmission malfunction without any prior warning signs, dashboard warning lights, diagnostic messages, or noticeable drivability issues. The failure…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-06-22

“Transmission stalls in situations where speed is needed. For example when merging into traffic all of a sudden no power then when gear finally engages there a huge thump and feels like being hit from behind.”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-06-18

“The transmission (the ua80) has been known to have several issues and my transmission has normal driving on it, has had its fluids replaced, and is now experiencing the same issue that others are experiencing.”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-06-14

“The 8 speed toyota transmission is defective and my transmission started to whine very loudly. I was told that it could freeze/lock up on me at any time so I had a rebuilt transmission put in my car. I am told toyota new about this defect.”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2026-06-13
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2020 Toyota Highlander as of July 20, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.