Your vehicle report
2014 Toyota Highlander
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 136
- Received Mar 2014 to Sep 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Rear door latch fails to open or close26 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Tailgate or trunk latch fails19 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Glass shatters or cracks without impact10 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V576000Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.
- Recall #14V272000Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 1 fire, 6 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 11 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Rear door latch fails to open or close
- Tailgate or trunk latch fails
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 14 |
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 24 |
| 2019 | 20 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 9 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 8 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 7 |
| Total | 136 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 26 | 19% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 19 | 14% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 10 | 7.3% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 9 | 6.6% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 5 | 3.7% | – | |
| Exhaust smell enters cabin during acceleration | 5 | 3.7% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 2.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 2.9% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #14V051000 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 2.2% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 2.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V576000September 19, 201415,872 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #14V272000May 22, 201448,840 vehicles affected
electrical system: software; seat belts
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #14V274000May 22, 2014231 vehicles affected
seats: mid/rear assembly
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, through April 29, 2014. The affected vehicles may have a second row right-hand seat assembly that does not fully lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first, second and third adjusting positions. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
If the seat does not fully lock into the inboard seat track, the seat could move, increasing the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second row right-hand seat, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA recall #14V051000February 7, 20147,067 vehicles affected
seat belts: rear/other
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured November 20, 2013, through January 18, 2014. The third row middle seat belt assembly might not have been properly secured to the vehicle floor anchorage during vehicle assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
A seat belt that is not properly secured to its anchorage could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row middle seat belt anchor, and, if necessary, properly secure it to the vehicle floor anchorage, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2014 Toyota Highlander.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN