2014 Toyota Highlander Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Highlander years
- Fewer complaints than other years 20th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Toyota Highlander. That ranks 20th out of 30 Highlander model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (35 complaints, 26%), typically at around 40,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 1 fire, 6 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
- 136owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2014 Toyota Highlander 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 35 | 26% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 33 | 24% | 33,300 | — | — |
| Structure | 32 | 24% | 48,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 9 | 7% | 53,622 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 4% | 21,235 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 4% | 26,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 4% | 15,750 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 3% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 3% | 25,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 3% | 19,975 | — | — |
| Visibility | 4 | 3% | 133,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 2% | 57,374 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 2% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 2 | 1% | 36,350 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 5 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2014 Toyota Highlander recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Electrical system:software; seat belts
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seat belts:rear/other
Problem: 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."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Transmission failing beginning at 60,000 miles. Safety issue because car shudders and refuses to accelerate at seemingly random times. My mechanic said this is a known issue and recommended transmission flushing. We've been doing this for six years at lesser and lesser intervals before the problem…
Component: Latches/Locks â Power Door Lock Actuator I am the original owner of a 2014 Toyota Highlander AWD, currently with 88,000 miles on it. I have experienced six power door lock actuator failures on this vehicle. All replacements were OEM Toyota parts, and all repairs were paid out of…
The radio keeps freezing up all the time along with the back tail light area going in and out. I keep smelling like burnt wire smell. Engine sound really rough.
The driverâs-side rear spoiler on my 2014 Toyota Highlander Limited AWD has melted, bubbled, and warped. The vehicle has been stored 100% of the time in a fully enclosed garage with no windows since new. It has only 65,000 miles and has received all service exclusively at authorized Toyota…
I noticed the smell of wires burning, a billow of smoke started emitting from the two levers used to heat the seats near the gear shift area. I was on the freeway and immediately pulled to the side of the road, turned off the car and called 911 before any flames were seen. There were no warning…
Other Toyota Highlander years
← 2013 Highlander · 2015 Highlander →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Highlander | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 Highlander | 10 | 4 |
| 2024 Highlander | 43 | 7 |
| 2023 Highlander | 186 | 9 |
| 2022 Highlander | 262 | 5 |
| 2021 Highlander | 531 | 4 |
| 2020 Highlander | 320 | 4 |
| 2019 Highlander | 492 | 3 |
| 2018 Highlander | 268 | 4 |
| 2017 Highlander | 270 | 3 |
| 2016 Highlander | 111 | 2 |
| 2015 Highlander | 192 | 1 |
| 2014 | 136 | 4 |
| 2013 Highlander | 207 | 3 |
| 2012 Highlander | 182 | 2 |
| 2011 Highlander | 181 | 5 |
| 2010 Highlander | 216 | 10 |
| 2009 Highlander | 134 | 9 |
| 2008 Highlander | 404 | 11 |
| 2007 Highlander | 124 | 4 |
| 2006 Highlander | 278 | 7 |
| 2005 Highlander | 224 | 6 |
| 2004 Highlander | 286 | 5 |
| 2003 Highlander | 258 | 2 |
| 2002 Highlander | 301 | 2 |
| 2001 Highlander | 137 | 3 |
| 2000 Highlander | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 Highlander | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 Highlander | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 Highlander | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota Highlander problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2014 Toyota Highlander?
Owners most often report electrical system, unknown or other, structure problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 35 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2014 Toyota Highlander?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2014 Toyota Highlander a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Highlander model years, the 2014 has fewer complaints than most years, 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.