TOYOTA HIGHLANDER · model year

2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

244 NHTSA complaints, 22 crash reports, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2022TOYOTAHIGHLANDER carries 244 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 22 crashes, 2 fires, 16 injuries, and 3 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2022 HIGHLANDER is service brakes with 34 filings, followed by power train (31) and unknown or other (27). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 2022 HIGHLANDER. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

244
Complaints
22
Crashes
2
Fires
16
Injuries
3
Deaths
2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

244 filings

Crashes Reported

22 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES34
POWER TRAIN31
UNKNOWN OR OTHER27
AIR BAGS19
STRUCTURE:BODY16
STRUCTURE13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM12
ENGINE9
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM8
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING8
VISIBILITY/WIPER7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
EXTERIOR LIGHTING5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS5
SEATS4

Recalls (5)

23V72000026/10/2023

STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.

24V45200018/06/2024

TIRES

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander vehicles. The 20-inch accessory tires with an insufficient load rating for the vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) were installed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor

24V41900006/06/2024

TIRES

Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022-2024 model year Highlander L and Highlander LE vehicles equipped with the Blackout Package that includes 20" black alloy wheels and tires. The installed tires have an insufficient load rating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the

22V31000006/05/2022

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can fade, becoming illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor

26V12800005/03/2026

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.

Recent Complaints

20260219POWER TRAIN

Transmission failure of 2022 Toyota Highlander LE at 82,329 miles. Safety compromised due to possible roadside failure.

20260218SERVICE BRAKES

Component or system that malfunctioned: The braking system on my 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, specifically the transition between regenerative braking and hydraulic friction braking, appears to malfunction intermittently. During braking, the vehicle sometimes lurches or surges forward instead of slowing smoothly, especially at low speeds or when braking downhill. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk: The unexpected forward surge while braking increases stopping distance and creates uncertainty about braking performance, particularly in traffic or parking situations. This creates a risk of rear-end or low-speed collisions and reduces my confidence in the braking system. Problem reproduced or confirmed by dealer or service center: The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota dealership, and a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) software update intended to address braking behavior was performed at approximately 50,000 miles. However, the braking probl

20260218VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Component or system that malfunctioned: The braking system on my 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, specifically the transition between regenerative braking and hydraulic friction braking, appears to malfunction intermittently. During braking, the vehicle sometimes lurches or surges forward instead of slowing smoothly, especially at low speeds or when braking downhill. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk: The unexpected forward surge while braking increases stopping distance and creates uncertainty about braking performance, particularly in traffic or parking situations. This creates a risk of rear-end or low-speed collisions and reduces my confidence in the braking system. Problem reproduced or confirmed by dealer or service center: The vehicle was inspected by a Toyota dealership, and a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) software update intended to address braking behavior was performed at approximately 50,000 miles. However, the braking probl

20260214POWER TRAIN

Transmission failed at 63,000 miles, new transmission was installed.

20260211POWER TRAIN

UA80 Transmission failure @ 3.5 yrs old and 89k miles.

20260203STRUCTURE:BODY

Failure of the rear hatch power struts. Door not opening or closing properly.

20260127AIR BAGS

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok,

20260127AIR BAGS

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok. Front camera malfunction, RSA malfunction & Pre-collision malfunction.

20260127FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok. Front camera malfunction, RSA malfunction & Pre-collision malfunction.

20260127BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok. Front camera malfunction, RSA malfunction & Pre-collision malfunction.

20260127AIR BAGS

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok,

20260127AIR BAGS

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok, LTA malfunction, headlight system malfunction Pre-collision malfunction.

20260127FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok, LTA malfunction, headlight system malfunction Pre-collision malfunction.

20260127LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

Parked in sun and the SRS system malfunctioned, after power reset the system reset ok, LTA malfunction, headlight system malfunction Pre-collision malfunction.

20260124ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Throttle plate iced up in cold weather, causing computer to put the car in limp mode, creating a dangerous situation. Toyota had a TSB solution for this in 2023, but did not make the software update available until my vehicle failed.

20260116POWER TRAIN

My 2022 Toyota Highlander experienced transmission-related issues that affected the vehicle’s performance, reliability, and overall value. These problems caused inconvenience, safety concerns, and additional stress, and in some cases required diagnostic visits, repairs, or time without use of the vehicle. As a consumer who purchased the vehicle with the reasonable expectation of dependable operation, I believe compensation is warranted for the diminished value, disruption, and potential repair costs resulting from this defect.

20260116CHILD SEAT

The contact owns an Evenflo Car Seat, Model Number: 368124708, Model Type: Revolve 360 Slim, Manufactured Date: July 11, 2024. The car seat was being used in a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25C010000 (Child Seat). The contact stated that the head rest foam was exposed on the left and right sides of the headrest and that the child was picking out the foam as described in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and provided pictures of the failure. The contact was advised by a representative from the manufacturer that a repair kit would be sent in the mail to repair the car seat. The contact received the repair kit and found an 8-inch-long by 3/12-inch-wide strip of tape. The contact stated that the repair kit was inadequate to complete the repair on the head rest. The contact had not attempted to call the manufacturer back about the repair kit.

20260113ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The entire head unit in the center of the front console went crazy and started going blank, glitching out, and basically made it impossible to use any of the features associated with that screen unit. The 2022 Toyota Highlander's head unit controls infotainment (radio, streaming, navigation, phone) and integrates with vehicle settings for climate (auto AC, seat heaters/ventilators), lighting, door locks, and driver-assist features like Road Sign Assist and Parking Support Brake, with over-the-air updates available for connected models. It manages multimedia, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Wi-Fi, and vehicle alerts, offering deep customization for audio, display, and connectivity. We promptly took the car into the Toyota Dealer and they determined it was a bad head unit and I had to pick up the car and they made us drive the car for about 1 1/2 weeks broken, while the part was in transit. After the part arrived, we scheduled visit for that part replacement. They later c

20260108POWER TRAIN

Transmission failed at 75K with no warning lights or prior evidence.

20260108FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

I had been driving my 2022 Toyota Highlander XLE with 46k miles that I just got for about two weeks, so about 10 days out of the 14 i actually drove it from home to work and back home. Within those 10 days driving the SUV, 8 mornings and one afternoon the highlander engine had issues accelerating and shifting gears. Basically when pulling out on to a highway from a side street coming down a hill when pressing the gas to enter the highway and flow of traffic the engine stuttered from zero to 20mph causing the entire SUV to jerk repeatedly and the gears would have issues shifting from first to second. I had to let my foot off the gas pedal then press again repeatedly as the SUV kept jerking trying to accelerate forward stuck no more than 20 mph for 30 seconds then started to even out and climb up after a minute. I have caught this on video twice. This has caused me to hold up traffic on the highway behind me with no where to pull off because my particular side street comes out from a gul

Compare 2022TOYOTAHIGHLANDER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER have?
The 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER has 244 NHTSA complaints, 22 crashes, 2 fires, 16 injuries, and 3 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER?
The 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER?
Yes, the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER has 5 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER?
The most-complained component for the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER is SERVICE BRAKES with 34 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2022 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.