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What 6 owners told NHTSA about the 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (6)Brakes (2)Electrical system (2)Engine (2)Body & structure (1)Speed control (1)Steering (1)

Newest first · 6 complaints

Mar 5, 2026SteeringElectrical system

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that the second-row seats had been making an abnormal rattling sound. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an abnormally strong foul odor inside the vehicle. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the car wash, the contact was informed that the foul odor was coming from the steering wheel. The contact stated that the foul odor was stronger while the steering heater was engaged, causing the contact to suffer from headaches. The contact stated that the foul odor was transferred to the driver's hands, requiring the driver to thoroughly wash his hands. The contact had not received medical assistance. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was only included in the second-row seats recall. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The dealer was not yet contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11722206

Oct 21, 2024Electrical system

The contact's wife owns 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 70 MPH, the vehicle shut off with the "Maintenance Required Visit Your Dealer" message displayed. The contact’s wife restarted the vehicle and immediately pulled over to the shoulder. Despite the failure, the contact's wife was able to drive back to the residence. The contact stated that prior to the failure, a similar warning light illuminated and disrupted the contact's ability to use the GPS feature. The contact called the local dealer and scheduled an appointment. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

NHTSA ODI 11620999

Oct 10, 2024Speed control

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several different occasions to be diagnosed; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

NHTSA ODI 11619151

Sep 17, 2024Body & structureEngine

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the driver’s side of the vehicle. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and became aware that the front lower bumper had detached on the driver's side and was dragging on the road. The bumper was attached by one screw. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V72000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the dealer and repaired under the recall. The dealer informed the contact that the grill shutter had been damaged and needed to be repaired. The contact stated that after retrieving the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was informed that the grill shutter had not been repaired correctly causing the check engine warning light to be illuminated. The dealer repaired the vehicle again. The contact stated that after repairing the vehicle, while driving approximately 40 miles down the road, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that underneath the grill shutter had not been repaired. The dealer had been contacted and informed that the failure had reoccurred. The vehicle had not been returned to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired again. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the repair would be up to the dealer to repair the vehicle. The failure mileage was 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11615057

Aug 20, 2024BrakesEngine

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a traffic light, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the engine surged. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer on several occasions, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA ODI 11609670

Jul 27, 2023Brakes

The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH and slowing down for a traffic signal, the contact felt as if the brakes had failed. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle was still rolling forward. The contact stated that he depressed the brake pedal with more force and eventually the brakes grabbed and stopped the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure had become a recurring failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ODI 11534894

Working with the data? Download all 6 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 13, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid verdict →