Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Engine oil filler cap had interior motor part , melt through while driving , almost hurling all the way through , 2 inch cylindrical part viewed when opening hood to inspect damage . Braking , trac and vsc engaged and motor failed almost dieing , abs allowed brake pedal to go to floor with vehicle just stopping enough to move from traffic . No injuries and No collisions happened due to violent engine combusting or braking disabled , incident happened at 10 mph entering a parking lot .
When starting it would make grinding noise,sounds like metallic noise until the engine oil starts circulating.Dealer said that its normal due to cold starts but this can happen even when the engine is up to temperature.Toyota refuse to remedy the issue.
The coolant pump pulley broke and engine got overheated and stopped on a major highway and had to be towed. The vehicle has less than 60K miles on it. Dealer tells me that both the engine and water pump have to be replaced and would cost over $9,000.
August 6, 2015 I was driving northbound on hwy 45. After about 20 minutes on the road my 2009 Toyota Highlander began to smoke, the oil pressure warning light came on and I pulled over to the side of the road. Within a few minutes, black smoke was pouring out from underneath the hood. Within another minute or two the SUV was on fire and soon the front half was completely engulfed in flames. I thought it would explode. Two milwaukee fire department teams arrived and extinguished the fire. Thank god no one was hurt and my children were not in the car. Accident report bmz14xn was filed with milwaukee county. Prior to the fire that totaled the Highlander, an emergency repair was made to the Highlander on November 3, 2014. That night the engine began to make a strange noise and the oil warning light went on. …
I was turning into a parking lot and I started getting "low oil pressure" alerts on my dashboard. I was worried if it was a sensor issue and kept moving till I parked my vehicle. Upon further investigation, I saw that oil had started to drip from where I had turned, and when I parked the car the oil drip got bigger and had pooled under the vehicle. Based on the information I got from the Toyota dealership, this was a known issue which starts as a small leak but due to pressure, the oil cooler pipe bursts open. This known problem is documented here: https://www.toyoheadquarters.com/threads/2007-2011-Toyota-sienna-Highlander-and-venza-engine-oil-cooler-pipe-leak-lsc-ze2.358/ Toyota refused to pay my repair bill as I was over the mileage requirement by 2700 miles. I cannot understand why Toyota did not consider this a safety issue/recall. …
I was driving down the interstate in wisconsin during rush hour when I took off my cruise control to slow down to take the next exit. I noticed an abnormal down shift when I took off the cruise control. Almost immediately the oil and traction control lights came on. As I slowed to the stop sign at the end of the exit the display screen began dinging and read low oil pressure and immediately stop the car and turn off the engine. I immediately pulled over once out of the way of traffic and shut down the car. Upon checking the oil there was none on the dipstick. There was oil dripping down from the grill all underneath the car including in the front tire wheel wells. I also heard knocking from the engine, so I am concerned that the lifters and the top end of the engine May be compromised. This a known issue with Toyota, who has refused to issue a recall for faulty oil lines and seals. …
March 10, 2016 vehicle was taken to dealer for oil change. Parked vehicle after return home (10 miles drive between dealership and home) same day and after a few hours, noticed all oil had leaked from vehicle. Vehicle was towed back to dealer that day. Upon investigation dealer said the problem was the oil cooler pipe. Dealer said Toyota issued a technical service bulletin t-sb-0201-11 over 5 years prior that issued a repair procedure to replace this oil cooler pipe. Dealer replaced oil cooler pipe under warranty per technical service bulletin and assured me that no damage to the engine was "apparent" after the repair. July 18, 2016 returned to same dealer for a problem with the engine making a loud knocking sound upon fast acceleration. Dealer diagnosed problem as a rod knock and confirmed it was due to the oil cooler pipe leak from March. …
Oil cooler hose burst in car. Yo have about 20 seconds to turn the engine off before it seizes up because all the oil is pouring out of the car. We had it towed to midas dealership and they fixed it. I called Toyota because I noticed they had a customer support program covering this problem. I was told if I would have taken it straight to the dealership, it would be covered but instead I had to submit paperwork which I did. Well it is not covered. They are claiming that the part on the invoice is not covered. However, the oil cooler hose that burst which is original to the car was rubber and the Toyota replacement part is metal. They are merely not covering this because it is not a recall and they are not getting in trouble for it. It is a huge safety issue, as when this bursts (with no heads up), you have only a few seconds to get to the side of the road and turn off the engine. …
Noticed large oil puddle in driveway. Had car towed as oil loss could have caused fatal damage to the engine. The oil line was diagnosed as dry rotted and needed to be replaced. The replacement oil line was vastly different than that of the original line indicating a problem with the previous design. The leak began while driving and we were able to trace the oil for miles leading home. The oil indicator light did not come on to warn of low oil. Toyota did recall other vehicles for the same problem however not this particular make and model. After talking to Toyota's recall department I was told if I had had the repairs taken care of at a Toyota dealership I May have been able to be reimbursed slightly (a percentage of the bill) however since I used the shop of my choice there is no option for any reimbursement.
3 times over the last month, while I was driving my vehicle, the car suddenly lost power while I was driving on the highway. All the dashboard lights flashed on, check engine light and warning lights illuminated. The vehicle lost power, the accelerator was not working, and I was just barely able to pull the car over to the side of the road. Car turned off and was able to turn back on, now with illuminated check engine light and check hybrid system warning light illuminated. This is a big safety issue as the car is losing power in the middle of the road while my foot is on the accelerator. The first time this happened I was able to pull a couple codes from the code reader. Codes were: u0001 & u0100 the second and 3rd time this happened there were no codes coming up on the code reader.
Engine complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2009 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2009 Toyota Highlander, 21% of the model year's 134 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Toyota Highlander engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2009 Toyota Highlander, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Toyota Highlander engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.