2019 Toyota Highlander Engine Problems
Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2019 Toyota Highlander, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 13,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “hybrid malfunction” (7% of reports).
- 69engine complaints
- 13,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 9%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Hybrid malfunction: mentioned in 5 of 69 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 29 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 69 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Toyota Highlander engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Highlander | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2024 Highlander | 5 | 12% | — |
| 2023 Highlander | 28 | 15% | 30,500 |
| 2022 Highlander | 10 | 4% | 17,781 |
| 2021 Highlander | 47 | 9% | 39,050 |
| 2020 Highlander | 17 | 5% | 8,000 |
| 2019 Highlander | 69 | 14% | 13,000 |
| 2018 Highlander | 33 | 12% | 14,800 |
| 2017 Highlander | 47 | 17% | 20,400 |
| 2016 Highlander | 9 | 8% | 46,000 |
| 2015 Highlander | 10 | 5% | 66,670 |
| 2014 Highlander | 3 | 2% | 57,374 |
| 2013 Highlander | 32 | 15% | 6,300 |
| 2012 Highlander | 17 | 9% | 31,900 |
| 2011 Highlander | 17 | 9% | 123,350 |
| 2010 Highlander | 12 | 6% | 90,403 |
| 2009 Highlander | 23 | 17% | 82,518 |
| 2008 Highlander | 58 | 14% | 112,500 |
| 2007 Highlander | 7 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2006 Highlander | 19 | 7% | 102,000 |
| 2005 Highlander | 6 | 3% | 81,000 |
| 2004 Highlander | 16 | 6% | 113,000 |
| 2003 Highlander | 41 | 16% | 115,000 |
| 2002 Highlander | 7 | 2% | 140,000 |
| 2001 Highlander | 2 | 1% | 161,349 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2019 Toyota Highlander. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I am writing to formally document a series of unresolved mechanical issues with my vehicle, culminating in a complete transmission failure, and to request assistance in resolving this matter. The timeline of events is detailed below: *Winter 2024: I first noticed a persistent buzzing sound…
The car is was a 2019 Toyota Highlander with approximately 125,000 miles. White Smoke started appearing in the exhaust. Quickly after that, the check engine light appeared and started blinking, meaning the engine was misfiring. We brought to the dealership, and they found that cylinder 4 of the…
My transmission is now missing the 3rd gear and left me and my kids stalled in traffic as I was turning in oncoming traffic. Toyota dealership confirmed that was the problem upon inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2019 Toyota Highlanders have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 69 owner complaints about engine for the 2019 Toyota Highlander (14% of the 492 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2019 Toyota Highlander engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 13,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2019 Toyota Highlander?
The most frequent phrase is “hybrid malfunction”, in 5 of 69 complaints.
Other 2019 Toyota Highlander problems
See all 2019 Toyota Highlander problems or engine problems across all Highlander years.