2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Highlander Hybrid years
- Not enough data 7th of 22 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 9 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. That ranks 7th out of 22 Highlander Hybrid model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (4 complaints, 44%). There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 9owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 4 | 44% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 11% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 11% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 11% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 11% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 11% | 19,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: 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 in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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 customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.
Structure:body:bumpers
Problem: 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.
Risk: A detached front bumper cover can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Electronic stability control (esc):control module:software
Problem: Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
Seats; air bags
Problem: 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.
Risk: Improper deployment of the seat-mounted side air bag increases the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds (DP22005) — opened Jan 27, 2023, closed Aug 7, 2023, led to recall 22V063000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
After driving on an interstate and having my foot on the brake - the car jumps forward and accelerates. It has done this for a couple years, and it continues to happen more frequently. Sometimes it just jumps forward when you are driving through town and go to slow down. This seems like a safety…
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 75 MPH, the front passengerâs and driverâs side top shield assembly and the engine cover under components became detached from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The…
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall…
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V865000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not available. The contact stated…
Other Toyota Highlander Hybrid years
← 2019 Highlander Hybrid · 2021 Highlander Hybrid →
See all Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
Similar Toyota models
Embed this 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
Owners most often report air bags, service brakes, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 4 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 Toyota Highlander Hybrid a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Highlander Hybrid model years, the 2020 has too little data to compare, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.