2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
Vehicles › Toyota › Highlander Hybrid › 2010
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
These records cover every 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
4 recalls name the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Newest first.
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window…
If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating…
The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign.
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota…
An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013…
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
The hybrid inverter failed when accelerating from a red light. A loud clunk was heard and the car would not move forward. The engine was still running but car would not accelerate and had to be pushed out of the road. "Check hybrid system" warning flashed. Car was towed to a dealer who confirmed that it was not covered by the warranty at 9 years, 117K miles (warranty IS 8 years, 110K miles). The previous recalls for the hybrid inverter had been completed ~3 years ago and so the recall also would not cover the repair. The quoted cost of the repair IS ~$11K.
All doors and hatch do not lock with the key fob or with the power locks on both the passenger and driver side doors.
ABS - code -1391,this IS second time,first time(2016) was changed this part -44510-48080
While using the tailgate close button on the key fob,car shut off and parked, a loud bang was heard while the door was closing and the door jammed, slightly opened and immovable. Had to take the car to a certified toyota repair facility to get the closing servo disconnected so the door would shut. Manual operation of the door IS the only way to open and close at this time. Nothing was blocking the door as it was closing and complete repair appears to be very expensive. Back door hinges appear to be slightly out of line but door will close manually. T-sb-0038-15 addresses a problem similar to this but the door would open - in this case it would not until the toyota serviceman removed the servo.
I almost got in to an accident on 5/11/2018 due to the ABS system not stopping the vehicle while driving in I-95. I got a warning light on the dash as I was pressing the brakes, later the car did not wanted to stop, but it did not prevent me from hitting the other car. I press on the emergency brake and I was able to stop the car. later, I took the car to get diagnose and put error codes c1391, ABS accumulator leak or malfunction. contacted delray toyota in delray beach, fl and they deny to do a recall when there IS an extented warranty recall on camry and prius model line for the same problem. called toyota corp. And they are denying to do anything to fix the safety problem with this vehicle. they stated that since there were not enough buyers for this model, they will not cover or make a recall on safety for the public. I have found over all the internet complaints about the same issue. I am looking for a resolution. a picture of the errors codes on the vehicle IS included on the complaint.
Defective intermediate steering shaft. Clunking, etc. Seems dangerous, no recall.... This IS one complaint to add to the numerous others. toyota, when are you going to do something about this?
I was driving to pick up my son when a brake malfunction warning light came on indicating a problem with ABS system. after picking up my son I went directly to the dealer and the found the problem was given by code c1391, a brake accumulator vacuum leak. was told vehicle was unsafe to drive without repair, internal pressure loss could prevent car from stopping in a panic situation. although it appears this IS covered by warranty extension for some model years of highlander, camry and prius, toyota would not extend same courtesy to me, nor was dealer able to offer me a goodwill adjustment. pump assembly and actuator assembly parts and repair cost about $5300.00. vehicle was purchased new from the dealer, had all recommended and necessary maintenance at dealer on dealer schedule. *bf *tr
Very common problem IS being reported in all of the highlanders of 2008 forward. At low mileage, the steering column has a bearing in it called a stub shaft but apparently gets loose leaving to a clunk and looseness in the steering. It IS so common that our dealer has to keep multiple replacement parts in stock. People are reporting this within the 36,000 mile warranty, my car began to do it at about 60,000 miles. It IS a $700 repair. Loss of control of the vehicle IS possible.
Accelerator moved to full speed as backing up began. Auto plowed 110 feet full speed through plants and trees, coming to a stop by some trees. Car was parked on private driveway. Driver slightly injured. Rear end car damage IS $6,000+.
Door locks on passenger front and rear, driver front and rear, have all been replaced or repaired at least twice due to malfunctions. as of december 2015, the locks are failing again for a third time, creating a safety hazard. locks don't work. they will either stay locked, failing to open, or now, they will not lock at all. this IS an ongoing problem that has never been fixed properly. keeps recurring.
While driving down a road without warning one of the ignition coils failed causing the engine and the car to immediately stop in traffic. fortunately, we were on a rural road and going less than 30 mph, but on a freeway at speed we would have been in an extremely dangerous situation. the highlander hybrid unlike most cars will not run at all with an ignition coil failure. Thus, there IS a risk of a sudden loss of power. the toyota dealer was unable to offer any explanation other than thee things happen. the vehicle had only 80,000 miles, had been maintained by toyota dealers on a regular basis and IS five years old. I have been driving for 58 years and have never experienced an ignition coil failure.
When I depress the brake to make a consistent smooth stop if the vehicle hits bumps the car seems to loose its braking power and almost feels like it slips out from under me as it lurches ahead. this problem IS consistent in that it happens in the same spots under the same conditions. it seems as though it could be hazardous in certain conditions. *js
2010 toyota highlander. consumer writes in regards to vehicle electrical problems and recall parts not available. *smd after the dealer informed the consumer, the part was not available. The consumer continued to drive the vehicle for the rest of the week. Four day later, the vehicle would not turn on after an extremely cold day. The consumer called for a jump, thinking it was the battery. The service technician came out and it was discovered, the battery was not the issue, but maybe some other type of electrical issue, as the vehicle sounded as if it were trying to turn over, but wouldn't. also, the car alarm was going off intermittently for hours for no reason. The consumer called another dealer, about getting the vehicle fixed, but was informed the part was on national back order. *Jb
The inverter failed and the car stalled on a busy freeway (I-5) during a dark, rainy evening. The car could not make it all the way to the side of the shoulder and stopped partially blocking a lane. It was extremely dangerous and the driver, my wife, was lucky not to be injured. *tr
My toyota highlander hybrid has extremely poor braking in snow / icy conditions. even at extremely low speeds (10 to 15 mph), the car skids for tens of feet before coming to a halt. three times so far, it caused dangerous situations because the car kept going despite full engagement of the brakes. once, I narrowly missed being hit by a 53' truck because my car rolled into a major street, just barely getting by before the truck came through. I have attempted to talk with the dealer - the response IS that hybrid cars brake differently. I have driven cars for over 30 years, and I know there IS a defect in how the car's hybrid system IS engaging the braking functionality. its a shame that a car that cost 50K on the road has such a serious problem that the manufacturer and its dealers refuse to acknowledge. *tr
TL* the contact owns a 2010 toyota highlander hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the wheel bearing sensor needed to be replaced. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the same failure on three occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The approximate failure and current mileage was 77,000. *tr
TL* the contact owns a 2010 toyota highlander hybrid. The contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled. The contact towed the vehicle to a dealer. The dealer performed a diagnostic test. The test showed a defective coil pack which caused the vehicle to stall. The dealer replaced the coil as well as the battery. The failure mileage was 25,400.
Multiple battery failures requiring jump starts: seven (7) times since I bought this SUV in feb 2011. three times there was a possible known cause for the battery drain: the passenger vanity mirror light was left on for 15 minutes, 2 hours, and an unknown length of time. none of these three episodes was significant enough to cause a completely dead battery in one that has been evaluated as in excellent condition. I drive in the mountains all winter. getting stranded in an isolated place can be deadly due too exposure, risk of collision on single lane snow-occluded roads with 2-WAY traffic and fast snow plows. other toyota highlander hybrid owners have had the same problem. Twice now the dealer has said there IS "no problem" with the battery. I am pursuing correction through the local toyota customer relations manager and will follow through with toyota's customer experience center and the california dispute settlement center if a prompt local solution IS not achieved. http://answers.edmunds.com/question-we-have-a-2010-toyota-highlander-hybrid-the-battery-is-constantly-dying-on-it-example-leave-door-open-10-minutes-and-it-s-dead-144840.aspx *js
Keyless fob resulted in car being left on all night in enclosed garage. The design defect in not automatically turning the engine off when the fob leaves the immediate area IS well-known. The additional problem in the toyota highlander hybrid IS that the green power light goes on when you turn off the car, leading the driver to believe that the power IS now on, when in fact it IS off. The driver then steps on the brake and presses power again, thinking that they are now turning the car off because the power button IS no longer green. The hybrid engine IS silent when the car starts, so the driver leaves the area with the fob thinking the car IS off, when in fact it IS on all night in a closed garage, as happened with us. *tr
2010 toyota highlander hybrid. Consumer states that vehicle IS suppose to be all wheel drive, however the hybrid system IS not compatible with the all wheel drive system *tgw the consumer stated when the vehicle would slide, the hybrid system shut down the all-wheel drive system because the computer was trying to prevent damage to the generator which IS a part of the hybrid system. *Jb
Hybird system overrides all wheel drive system when tires slip disabling the system, in effect rendering it nonfunctional, so that the generator IS not damaged. combustion engine will not turn on and when you hit gas nothing happens. I had to be towed out. Service quoted after examining "did experience concern trac/vcs cuts power to wheel when slippage occurs. unfortunatly, there IS no way to disable this. Everything works as designed." my 2006 highlander hybrid had similar incident almost causing me to be run over as power cut off on highway and I was told the computer needed to be reset and it was fine. a car equipped with all wheel drive should function as a all wheel drive not be designed to be non functional when it IS needed. the first time a barely survived getting to the side of the highway. This time I had to be towed on top of a mountain two hours from anywhere in snowshoe west virginia. Service anticipates no way to correct.
TL* the contact owns a 2010 toyota highlander hybrid. The contact was driving approximately 20 mph, during braking there was a delay in the response time. The failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was able to continue in operation. Additionally, when in an idling position the vehicle would shake causing a jerking motion to occur. The authorized dealer was notified of the malfunctions which there were no resolutions. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 1,000.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
On November 16, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an Engineering Analysis (EA18-006) as an upgrade to a Preliminary Evaluation (PE18-005). The investigation focused on allegations of steering wheel separation from the lower steering column after using the tilt and/or telescoping mechanism. Given the separation occurring when operating the tilt and/or telescoping function and failure of both shear capsules to maintain the lower steering column mounting position, potential for shear capsule damage in the known failures due to collisions, the overall low rate of occurrence, and the updated manufacturer documentation, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that no safety-related defect exists. The agency reserves right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances. A detailed summary of the investigation is attached to this closing resume. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
On May 4, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE18-005 to investigate three allegations of steering column separation for Model Year (MY) 2008 through 2013 Toyota Highlander vehicles. Two (2) of the 3 complaints were received by ODI in April 2018 and occurred while the vehicle was in motion. Since opening PE18-005, one (1) additional VOQ involving steering column separation has been received. This incident occurred while the vehicle was stationary.As part of PE18-005, ODI examined the field data, warranty data, and relevant technical information submitted by Toyota in response to the PE18-005 information request letter. Ten (10) additional incidents of steering column separation were identified. Four (4) of these instances occurred while driving. During PE18-005, ODI confirmed that the steering columns in the subject vehicles are equipped with breakaway capsules that are designed to collapse/shear during certain types of vehicle collisions. This design feature aims to reduce driver injury severity from impact with the steering wheel in frontal vehicle collisions. There is no direct method for detecting when the capsules in the subject vehicles have sheared. If the driver operates the tilt/telescoping feature after the breakaway capsules have separated, the steering column may drop out of position and could subsequently detach entirely from the rest of the steering assembly. Loss of steering while driving may cause a loss of vehicle control, which could lead to a vehicle crash.To date, ODI has identified 14 incidents involving complete steering column separation, 6 of which occurred while driving. One of these incidents involved a minor crash. Additionally, there have been 16 events where the steering column dropped from the dashboard mounting brackets, but column separation did not occur. Four of these incidents happened while driving. Of these 30 total separation/drop incidents, 5 of the vehicles have evidence of minor collision repairs months or years prior to the steering column failure.This investigation has been upgraded an to Engineering Analysis (EA18-006) in order to 1) conduct a more detailed analysis of the conditions that may cause the steering column breakaway capsules to separate and 2) assess factors that may contribute to the problem of failing to detect and repair breakaway capsules after they have separated. Toyota has recently revised their repair manual and issued a Collision Repair Information Bulletin to help address the second concern.The VOQs associated with this investigation can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI complaint numbers: 11141761, 11083623, 11083280, 10888043.
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.