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2009 Toyota Highlander Recalls, Complaints & Specs

9 safety recalls list the 2009 Toyota Highlander, and owners have filed 134 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

9
safety recalls
134
owner complaints to NHTSA
6 / 5
complaints citing a crash / fire
19–26
MPG combined (EPA)

9 safety recalls for the 2009 Toyota Highlander

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

  1. Seat heater/cooler (seats)

    NHTSA 16V396000 Reported 7,749 vehicles potentially affected Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and…

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer…

  2. Power window devices and controls (visibility)

    NHTSA 15V689000 Reported 1,814,284 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

    Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing…

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected…

  3. Seat heater/cooler (seats)

    NHTSA 14V743000 Reported 3,233 vehicles potentially affected Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression…

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January…

  4. Inflator module (air bags)

    NHTSA 14V168000 Reported 1,486,413 vehicles potentially affected Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly,…

    Remedy: Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall. Toyota will mail…

  5. Seats and air bags: sensor/control module-inactive

    NHTSA 13V014000 Reported 3,235 vehicles potentially affected Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model…

    Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota…

  6. Labels (equipment)

    NHTSA 10V035000 Reported 271,417 vehicles potentially affected GULF STATES TOYOTA, INC.

    Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

    Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on may 27,…

  7. Labels (equipment)

    NHTSA 10V036000 Reported 153,418 vehicles potentially affected SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

    Southeast toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2011 passenger vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

    Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact southeast toyota at…

  8. Accelerator pedal (vehicle speed control)

    NHTSA 10V023000 Reported 1,126,915 vehicles potentially affected TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

    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. This recall is an expansion of a campaign of 3.8 million other toyota…

    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. Initially,…

  9. Labels (equipment)

    NHTSA 09V223000 Reported 27,080 vehicles potentially affected TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, INC.

    Toyota is recalling 27,080 model year 2005 through 2010 passenger cars built from september 1, 2005 to may 4, 2009. These vehicles were not equipped with load carrying capacity modification labels which fails to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims."

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and provide them with a new, accurate label to be installed over the inaccurate label free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2009. Owners may contact toyota at 1-888-270-9371.

134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 2009 Toyota Highlander have filed 134 complaints with NHTSA; 6 describe a crash and 5 describe a fire. Reports cite 9 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 68,405 miles. Complaints peaked in 2010 with 21 filed that year.

Most-reported components

What owners are reporting

“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud clunking sound. The ABS, the parking brake, and the tractio”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, July 30, 2025 · Service brakes, hydraulic

“1. Component/System that Failed: The component that has malfunctioned is the ABS actuator, which affects the vehicle’s anti-lock braking system. The issue has been diagnosed and confirmed by two indep”

Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 9, 2025 · Service brakes

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 2009 Toyota Highlander (Highlander 2WD, Highlander 4WD, Highlander Hybrid 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined19–26 mpg
City / Highway17–27 / 23–27
FuelRegular
EPA classSport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD
Engine4/6 cyl, 2.7/3.3/3.5 L
TransmissionAutomatic (S5); Automatic (S6); Automatic (variable gear ratios)

Compare Toyota Highlander model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Toyota Highlander model year in NHTSA's database.

Model yearRecallsComplaints
1997 Toyota Highlander01
1998 Toyota Highlander01
2001 Toyota Highlander3137
2002 Toyota Highlander2301
2003 Toyota Highlander2258
2004 Toyota Highlander5286
2005 Toyota Highlander6224
2006 Toyota Highlander7277
2007 Toyota Highlander4124
2008 Toyota Highlander11404
2009 Toyota Highlander9134
2010 Toyota Highlander10216
2011 Toyota Highlander5181
2012 Toyota Highlander2182
2013 Toyota Highlander3207
2014 Toyota Highlander4136
2015 Toyota Highlander1192
2016 Toyota Highlander2111
2017 Toyota Highlander3269
2018 Toyota Highlander4268
2019 Toyota Highlander3490
2020 Toyota Highlander4319
2021 Toyota Highlander4529
2022 Toyota Highlander5260
2023 Toyota Highlander9184
2024 Toyota Highlander742
2025 Toyota Highlander410
2026 Toyota Highlander02

Checking a specific 2009 Toyota Highlander

How do I know if my 2009 Toyota Highlander has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 9 campaigns currently list the 2009 Toyota Highlander; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Toyota dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 09V223000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Toyota models

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.