Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 20% | — |
| 2024 | 2 | 5% | 13,000 miles |
| 2023 | 11 | 6% | — |
| 2022 | 31 | 12% | 20,000 miles |
| 2021 | 21 | 4% | 5,000 miles |
| 2020 | 12 | 4% | 21,000 miles |
| 2019 | 14 | 3% | 8,000 miles |
| 2018 | 12 | 4% | 76,000 miles |
| 2017 | 6 | 2% | 2,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 3% | — |
| 2015 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2012 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2010 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% | 218,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 1% | 182,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 0% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
I was involved in a vehicle crash on 7-1-25. I had just pulled out of the gas station and was coming up to a stop sign so I was only going about 8mph I put my foot on the brake and nothing happened. I had my foot all the way down on the brake pedal because I saw a car coming and they were traveling at about 40mph. No automatic braking nothing worked. I had no control. I just prayed that I hope this doesn't hurt. None of my airbags deployed. My car is now totaled and of course I got the ticket because I did not have control of my vehicle. I strongly believe this has to do with the brakes and how it switches from electric to gas in my hybrid vehicle. Toyota has recalled prior years 2020 to 2022 hybrids for this exact issue. This is a huge safety issue and thankfully I am alive to make this complaint. …
I was in an accident on [redacted] on [redacted] in Elizabeth, Indiana in front of the casino. They changed a two lane road into a one lane road by using mobile traffic lights. As I tried to brake, the car sped up and the car auto corrected in the lane on the left when I tried to avoid the impact by going right. When I crashed into the other vehicle, my air bags did not deploy. I hurt my back, neck, and chest(from the seatbelt/impact). I had no choice or option to avoid impact. On my left was oncoming traffic. To my right was the River. In the front of me, was the other car. I wore my seatbelt until the 911 operator told me to get out of the car to check on the other driver who said he was fine. The vehicle is a total loss. My Insurance Company, USAA, is in the process of giving me a settlement. I released the car to them.
The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the backup camera would intermittently fail to operate as the screen would appear blank. The contact also stated that the warning chime would fail to alert the driver to people or objects in the vicinity of the vehicle while reversing. The dealer was notified of the failure, and the contact was given an estimate for a diagnostic. After negotiating with the dealer, they agreed to reset the vehicle's sensors; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the backup camera was not covered under the warranty. The contact then stated that while backing out of a parking space, the back up system failed to alert her of her proximity to another parked vehicle; as a result, the contact crashed into a parked vehicle. …
My father in law drove my highlander car and got into an accident on 8/27/2024. Front of the car was damaged but did not deploy the airbags. And as far I know it is equipped with automatic braking system but the damaged looks really bad.
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently attempted to navigate the steering and lane direction to the opposite direction of where the contact was attempting to steer the vehicle. This caused the contact to manually steer the vehicle into the center lane. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who inspected the vehicle but could not diagnose the cause of failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle lane sensor and steering assist sensor were performing as intended. The contact was concerned that the sensor should be adjusted so that the sensor would not have to adjust so easily while the contact was driving. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 5,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the display screen malfunctioned and displayed a solid black screen. During the failure, several functions and features could not be accessed or activated, including the front and rear defrosters. The contact was unable to clear the front and rear windshields, which created a visibility hazard for the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the display screen unit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 45,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that upon the depression of the brake pedal, the vehicle would intermittently surge forward without warning. The contact stated that he would shift the vehicle into neutral to stop the vehicle from surging. The contact also stated that the blind spot monitor's unavailable warning message would intermittently appear on the instrument panel. The contact had taken the vehicle to Bayside Toyota and Waldorf Toyota and each dealer was unable to duplicate or diagnose the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera screen displayed a black screen. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
Related recalls (1)
Back over prevention › Display function
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models.
Remedy: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Highlander years have collision avoidance problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2022 (31), 2021 (21), 2019 (14), 2018 (12) and 2020 (12) model years. Collision Avoidance complaints make up 12% of all complaints for the 2022.
Is there a recall for Toyota Highlander collision avoidance problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 25V-744 (display function, Oct 30, 2025). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Toyota Highlander collision avoidance problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 47,000 miles; 67% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic emergency braking (52 mentions), followed by the warnings (42).
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.