Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2010 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When applying the brake slowly all of a sudden the car went full acceleration and crashed 500ft away at high speed. The car is crashed but available for inspection for a short period of time until the insurance company takes full posession. There are not open recalls. The only lights on the dash were for TPMS sensor.
I was backing out of a parking space at a taco bell when I noticed a car coming so I decided to stop and pull back into my parking space to let it pass. When I stepped on the brake my car suddenly accelerated in reverse and I stepped on the brake again, but my car continued to accelerate. I turned my car to avoid hitting the car and any other cars that May have been behind me. My car continued to accelerate and jumped a curb, crossed over a sidewalk and onto a lawn area behind taco bell. I stepped on the brake again trying to get my car to stop. I turned my wheels to keep from going into the drive up lane and finally got my car to stop.
As I slowly pulled into a parking space, the Highlander suddenly accelerated quickly, jumped the concrete parking stop and slammed into a retaining wall. It happened very quickly and unexpected. I am original owner. The vehicle has 56000 miles and has been serviced only by the dealer. The vehicle was drivable and was taken immediately to the dealer for 2 days to inspect the systems. Because of the amount of damage, the repair shop got the vehicle in immediately and estimate repairs at $10,000. I am very frightened of this vehicle right now as another incident like this could produce much worse results.
Driver backed out of an end parking space (nose in, curb in front and on right). Driver felt wheel (right side) go over curb (turned too quickly). Driver stopped, shifted to drive (forward) to get off the curb. When driver touched accelerator, the vehicle shot forward (seemed like 50 MPH). Left front of the Highlander creased the two side doors of the minivan parked adjacent on the left. The left front of the Highlander sustained grille damage, left fender, headlight and running light, driver door and left mirror. Fender pushed back prevented driver door from being opened. Air bags did not deploy. The Highlander was purchased 1/4/2010. The accelerator recall was performed by the dealer in March 2010.
Tl contact owns a 2010 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while sitting idle in a parking space, the vehicle abnormally accelerated without driver intent. The vehicle proceeded to jump a nearby curb, crashed with another vehicle and then a tree. The contact was able to bring the vehicle to a stop by shifting into neutral. The contact did not report any injuries. The manufacturer was contacted but would not provide any assistance. The contacts insurance company was handling the investigation. The current and failure mileages were 3,000.
I'd stopped on the residential street to let a car pass. After the car passed, I attempted to pull up along the curb to park, but the car accelerated and crashed into a tree. The brakes did not respond and the steering did not seem to respond. The space between acceleration and impact was 10-15 feet. It's like the car had a mind of its own, and I had no control. No warning lights came on and the airbags did not deploy. The passenger side headlight was smashed, the hood was smashed, front bumper and passenger side fender were also smashed. The only thing that stopped the car was the tree. Once it stopped, I simply turned the ignition off. I immediately called my insurance company and they told me to tow it to san francisco Toyota for mechanical inspection. I called san francisco Toyota and said that I was towing my car down and was told they'd be waiting for it. …
Vehicle accelerated of its own accord. On several succeeding occasions this Toyota Highlander has accelerated of its own accord. Vehicle has never crashed and after pulling over and placing vehicle in park, vehicle did not continue to accelerate. This Toyota has been serviced 3-4 times for this problem, including a specialist from another state who traveled to baton rouge to make a thorough inspection involving 2-3 hours. Verdict was no visible or other problem detected. Two months ago there was another recall on this vehicle and Toyota made the repair in the computer. Last week on May 20, 2014 I received another recall regarding this vehicle. This vehicle involves a steering column assembly containing a spiral cable with electrical connections involving the air bag. …
On jan.26,2010, I was stopped behind cars at a traffic light. My 2010 Toyota Highlander started creeping forward/I thought I'd taken my foot off the brake, and then the engine started revving to an outrageous level. The harder I braked the more the engine revvedand the car tried to jump forward. It was so loud the driver ahead of me turned around to see what was going on behind him. I thought I was going to rear-end him until I remembered to put the car in neutral. Eventually the engine returned to its normal rpms, but I was really shaken. I drove about 1 mile to my destination and called Toyota and had the car towed to their service area. They checked the car and after 24 hrs. Told me they couldn't find anything and my car was made in Japan so it wasn't under the recall. …
On March 28, I was driving our 2010 Toyota Highlander that we purchased at the end of December 2009 in a residential area when the gas pedal stuck and I was unable to apply the brakes to stop it. Luckily I was able to put it in neutral gear and coast to the side of the road without property damage or injury to anyone. I then called the 911 and the police came out. This car was involved in the recall and the fix was completed a few weeks ago. No one was available at any Toyota dealership to come out and pick up the car, so I had it towed using aaa to a local dealership. I had my four children in the car with me and can testify as to what happened. This is ridiculous. Their fix has nothing to do with what is really wrong with these cars. I loved Toyota until this happened. Something needs to be done before people get hurt from these cars. …
I have a 2010 Toyota Highlander base model. When cruiser control is activated and when the vehicle is moving slightly uphill, the vehicle usually accelerates to a speed that is much higher (over 5 mi/hr higher) than the set speed. This situation happened several times and was worrisome, especially when my wife was driving. I purchased the vehicle on December 28th, 2009. I guess that the local dealer (heiser Toyota, milwaukee) must be aware of the problem at the time of my purchase but pretended to not know the problem, because the specific salesperson (art stamos) told me and my wife during vehicle delivery that, in case of uncontrolled acceleration, we should put gear to neutral and firmly press brake pedal. …
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008-2010 highlander, model year 2009-2010 corolla, venza and matrix passenger vehicles. The accelerator pedal can get stuck in the wide open position due to its being trapped by an unsecured or incompatible driver's floor mat.
Remedy: Toyota will modify or replace the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles. Floor surface modifications are also being considered and will be included for any model for which it is deemed appropriate.
Vehicle speed control › Accelerator pedal
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 avalon, model year 2007-2010 camry, model year 2009-2010 corolla, corolla matrix, rav4, model year 2010 highlander, model year 2008-2010 sequoia, and model year 2007-2010 tundra vehicles.
Remedy: Dealers will install a reinforcement bar in the accelerator pedal which will allow the pedal to operate smoothly. GM will notify owners for the Pontiac vibe please see 10v-018.
Acceleration complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2010 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2010 Toyota Highlander, 10% of the model year's 216 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2010 Toyota Highlander acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 10V-023 (accelerator pedal, Jan 27, 2010); NHTSA recall 10V-017 (accelerator pedal, Jan 21, 2010). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2010 Toyota Highlander acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 5,000 miles, and 75% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.