2023 Toyota Highlander Electrical Problems

Your 2023 Highlander's check engine light has come on multiple times (at least four occurrences), and you've also experienced secondary brake failure warnings. The dealer has inspected and attempted repairs twice, but the problems keep returning. You're preparing for a third service visit to address these recurring issues.

Your Highlander's 12.3-inch dashboard display screen goes blank when you start the car, while driving, or when you try to use the screen's applications. This prevents you from seeing important warning lights and information about your vehicle's condition. Toyota has acknowledged this issue as a safety recall since September 2025, but as of February 2026, they don't have a fix available yet. The repair will likely involve a software update or replacement of the instrument cluster display unit once Toyota releases a solution.

Your instrument panel isn't displaying important safety information while you're driving, and no warning lights are turning on to alert you. Toyota issued a recall (Campaign 25V595000) to fix this electrical system issue, but the repair parts aren't available yet, and the delay has gone longer than you feel is reasonable. The fix will likely involve replacing or reprogramming the instrument cluster electrical components once the parts become available.

Your instrument cluster display went completely blank and turned white while driving at 40 mph, leaving you unable to see your speed, fuel level, or warning lights for over 20 minutes. This is a serious safety issue because you couldn't monitor critical vehicle information while on the road. The problem occurred at about 29,500 miles and may require the instrument cluster to be repaired or replaced by a Toyota dealer.

The knock sensor harness on your Highlander has been chewed through twice in two months, likely by rodents on your farm. When this happens, your engine loses power. You suspect the wire's shielding may emit a low-frequency sound that attracts animals to chew it. The repair involves replacing the knock sensor harness and potentially rerouting or protecting it from rodent damage.

Your car hesitates and stutters when you accelerate or try to maintain steady speed, and the throttle response is unpredictable—sometimes it responds quickly to the gas pedal and sometimes it doesn't. This unpredictability feels unsafe because you're not sure how your car will respond. Your car has also nearly stalled out after you put it in park. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the electrical and engine systems, possibly replacing sensors or cleaning fuel injectors.

Your Highlander hesitates unpredictably when you accelerate gently to moderately in all driving modes, which is especially dangerous when crossing in front of oncoming traffic. A certified mechanic confirmed the problem exists, but your car's diagnostic system isn't detecting any fault codes, so the cause remains unclear. The fix will likely require advanced diagnostics to identify whether the issue is in the fuel system, ignition system, or engine control computer.

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V595000 (Electrical System); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while the vehicle was running, the instrument panel was black and failed to display critical safety information as intended.

Your liftgate opens and closes intermittently and makes an abnormal grinding sound. When you press the power liftgate button, it opens only 3 inches at a time and requires continuous button pressing to fully open. The dealer reset the liftgate system, but the problem persists and the cause hasn't been identified.

You received only one key fob with your new 2023 Highlander instead of the standard two. Toyota repeatedly delayed sending the second key fob, giving you different availability dates each time you called between February and July 2024. You eventually purchased a replacement key fob from a dealer for $400.20 in September 2024, an expense you wouldn't have incurred if Toyota had provided the second key as promised at purchase.

The consumer requested that this complaint be deleted and removed from the system.