2015 Toyota Highlander — Known Issues & Recalls

Your panoramic/moon roof suddenly shattered and collapsed into the back seat while you were driving, with no apparent cause. Glass fell into the rear seating area, creating a safety hazard for any passengers, especially children, who could have been injured by the falling glass.

Your trunk lid isn't working reliably. It may not open fully when you try to lift it, or won't open at all, and sometimes it gets stuck and won't close properly. The trunk latch or lift mechanism will likely need inspection and repair or replacement.

Your front tires are wearing out unevenly on the outer edges even after getting a front-end alignment. You're also experiencing a rumbling vibration from the front tires when you accelerate from a stop. This uneven wear pattern suggests a suspension or alignment issue that may need further inspection beyond the initial alignment service.

Your steering suddenly failed while driving — the dashboard showed a warning that you'd lose steering, then the dashboard went blank and you completely lost the ability to steer. Your engine stayed on, but you had to pull into a parking lot. The steering and dashboard came back on minutes later, and the dealer couldn't find any error codes despite checking the battery, alternator, and belt. There's a known recall for this exact problem on 2015 Highlanders, but your vehicle's VIN wasn't included in it. The fix will likely involve a software update or electrical system repair to restore reliable power steering function.

Your steering became difficult to turn while driving, and your check engine light came on with a code pointing to the speed sensor. A mechanic temporarily fixed it by disconnecting the battery to reset the sensor, but the problem kept returning every couple of weeks until it finally stopped about a month later. The steering difficulty during turning felt dangerous while driving. The fix likely involves replacing or properly diagnosing the faulty speed sensor.

Your Highlander's tailgate won't open or close automatically and keeps beeping. You're not sure what's causing it. The issue likely involves the tailgate's automatic operation system or its sensors, and may require diagnosis and repair of the motorized tailgate mechanism.

Your vehicle's white pearl paint is peeling off the roof and possibly the sides. This is a cosmetic issue with the paint finish that affects your car's appearance.

Your right front passenger airbag turns off after a few minutes once someone sits in that seat and buckles the seatbelt, even though the airbag indicator initially shows it's on. At the same time, your dashboard displays false warnings about an unfastened seatbelt and a faulty airbag, even though the passenger is buckled in and seated. The seatbelt buckle has been replaced and the seat sensors have been recalibrated without fixing the problem, suggesting a deeper electrical or sensor issue with the right front passenger airbag system. The repair will likely involve diagnosing and replacing faulty seat occupancy sensors, wiring, or the airbag control module.

Your vehicle experienced unintended acceleration on a highway, reaching 100 mph without your control. You were forced to drive off the road into obstacles to stop the vehicle, resulting in a total loss. This issue involves the speed control system and requires immediate investigation by a technician to determine the root cause.

Your driver's seat heater is producing a burning smell even when turned off, which is a potential electrical hazard. Removing the fuse stops the smell but disables the seat heater entirely. This appears to be a known issue in 2015 Highlanders that in some cases has led to fires and melted interior components, with no warning lights to alert you beforehand. The problem likely requires professional diagnosis and replacement of the faulty seat heater element or its wiring harness.

While driving at 65 mph, your vehicle suddenly stalled and the steering wheel became hard to turn. Your check engine light and several other warning lights came on. After pulling over, you were able to restart the vehicle after waiting 45 minutes. The independent mechanic couldn't diagnose the problem, and the dealer charged you for diagnostic testing without fixing it. The issue may be related to a known electrical system recall.

While driving at 20-30 mph with no warning signs, your dashboard suddenly displayed an "Engine Failure - Turn off Ignition" message. Within 30 seconds, smoke poured from under the hood and the entire front of the vehicle caught fire, forcing you to pull over and evacuate with your daughter. Toyota's inspector found no evidence of oil leaks, wiring damage, or a specific defect, leaving the cause of the fire undetermined.

While your Highlander was idling at a gas station, your wife noticed a burning smell coming from the dashboard near the infotainment system, followed by flames shooting out. Your wife and children safely exited the vehicle, and the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. Your wife suffered minor burns on her hand. The vehicle has not yet been diagnosed or repaired as of the report.

Your driver's side mirror is positioned too far out and too large, blocking your view of crosswalks and lane center dividers when turning left. The mirror's glare can also make it hard to see the road ahead. This blind spot has caused you to nearly hit obstacles and resulted in damage to your left strut and wheel alignment from hitting a pothole you couldn't see.

Your Highlander has been idling too high during normal driving, making it difficult to slow down quickly when needed. You were involved in a rear-end collision where your vehicle struck a stopped truck, and you received a ticket for not reducing speed in time. The high idle speed made it challenging to stop quickly in the driving conditions you experience, and this issue could be more dangerous in wet or slippery weather.

Your check engine light came on while driving, and you noticed the transmission was shifting hard. You switched to manual drive mode to get to your destination. The issue appears to involve both the engine and transmission systems.

Your Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) system is unreliable—it works intermittently and sometimes doesn't function at all. This means you may not receive alerts when there are vehicles in your blind spots, which could affect your ability to safely change lanes. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the BSM sensors and wiring, and possibly replacing faulty components or recalibrating the system.

Your rear U-joint (the component that connects your driveshaft) was found to be loose and required replacement at 167,361 miles. A loose U-joint can cause vibration and noise while driving, and if left unaddressed, could lead to driveshaft failure. The fix involves removing and replacing the rear U-joint with a new one.

Your exterior lights keep burning out repeatedly. This could affect visibility and safety, especially at night or in poor weather conditions. You may need to replace the bulbs frequently or have the electrical system checked to see if something is causing premature failure.

Your car's paint is peeling off, which Toyota has confirmed is a manufacturing defect covered under their Consumer Support program. However, that program expired in July, and Toyota says they can't help even though the peeling just started last week. Fixing this will likely involve sanding down the affected areas and repainting the affected panels.