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2009 Toyota Highlander HybridProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 40 owner complaints about the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, most often about the service brakes. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-689 the manufacturer reports only 46% of affected cars repaired.

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
80
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years75% below the Highlander Hybrid median · #4 of 6 years by complaints
Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 46%Owner complaints403 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage126kService brakes, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 18, 2019. Updated daily. Photo: Spanish Coches, CC BY 2.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has problems

40 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes171
Service brakes, electric71
Service brakes, hydraulic50
Engine40
Hybrid propulsion system30
Electrical system30
Tires20
Vehicle speed control21
Fuel/propulsion system20
8 other systems81

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

4 recalls

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

46%repaired · 2017 Q1

Visibility: power window devices and controls

Recall 15V-689 · Oct 22, 2015 · 1,814,284 vehicles · 828,698 repaired

Risk. 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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Hybrid propulsion system: inverter

Recall 13V-396 · Sep 4, 2013 · 133,081 vehicles

Risk. The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive

Recall 13V-014 · Jan 16, 2013 · 3,235 vehicles

Risk. 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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Other: labels

Recall 09V-223 · Jun 15, 2009 · 27,080 vehicles

Risk. INCORRECT LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS COULD RESULT IN THE VEHICLE BEING OVERLOADED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.

Best & worst years

2009 vs. every other Highlander Hybrid year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Highlander Hybrid median. How we score

'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid safety ratings

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Pedestrian alert soundsDP22005 · closed Aug 7, 2023
    Led to recall 22V-063
  2. Steering Column SeparationEA18006 · closed Apr 2, 2024
    No recall
  3. Upper Steering Column SeparationPE18005 · closed Nov 20, 2018
    No recall
In owners' words

What Highlander Hybrid owners report

Recent service brakes complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL AT 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, STEERING SYSTEM, AND BATTERY WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, "STOP VEHICLE IN A SAFE PLACE IMMEDIATELY" APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE…
Complaint 11220968 · Jun 18, 2019 · 124,842 miles
BRAKES FAILED SHORTLY AFTER THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WENT OFF. DEALER DIAGNOSED THIS AS A BREAK ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY FAILURE. IT LOOKS LIKE TOYOTA HAD A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR VEHICLE YEARS 2006-2007. HOWEVER, MY 2009 APPEARS TO BE HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE, YET IT'S NOT COVERED BY THE…
Complaint 11184733 · Mar 6, 2019 · 215,000 miles
ONCE CAR WAS SITTING IN A LOT AND ANOTHER TIME, RUNNING ON HIGHWAY. ABS, BRAKE,TRACTION CONTROL, VSC LIGHTS CAME ON ALSO MESSAGE DISPLAY SAID ABS MESSAGE AND BRAKE MESSAGE. CODES FROM ABS DTC,S ARE ALL A C-0371, 1271 THROUGH 1278, 1281, 1346, & 1391. SEEMS TO BE SAME ISSUE AS THE '06-'07 HIGHLANDER…
Complaint 11170887 · Jan 19, 2019 · 168,200 miles

Own a 2009 Highlander Hybrid?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.