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EquipmentPart report

2009 Toyota Highlander Equipment Problems

Complaints
2about this part
Share
1%of 134 total for the year
Median mileage
2,827miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 2 complaints about the equipment of the 2009 Toyota Highlander, 1% of the 134 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 2,827 miles. 3 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“My 2009 Toyota Highlander with keyless start allows the vehicle to shut off when not in park and the vehicle starts moving. It also will turn off in reverse, or neutral and will turn back on in neutral and will also turn off in drive. This does not feel safe and should be immediately investigated. The vehicle should have to be in park to turn off and start like all other cars with keys to start the vehicle. Local dealer investigated but said all keyless start vehicles operate this way and didn't indicate there was a fix to the situation.”

NHTSA complaint #10279530, filed 2009-08, 1,030 miles

“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the air conditioning unit failed four times. The contact stated the repairs were made by an authorized dealer and the unit would work for a short time before failing again. In addition, the door locks would fail intermittently. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer due to the failure of the air conditioning unit. The vehicle was left with the dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. The failure mileage was 4,624.. …”

NHTSA complaint #10347080, filed 2010-08, 4,624 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Equipment: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202210%
202010%
201910%
201721%
201511%
201411%
201331%
201121%
201042%
200921%
200892%
200722%
200621%
200584%
2004104%
200331%
2002114%
200143%

Other parts of the 2009 Toyota Highlander

Brakes
26 complaints
Engine
23 complaints
Electrical system
20 complaints
Body and structure
15 complaints
Vehicle speed control
14 complaints
Steering
11 complaints
Air bags
8 complaints
Other or unknown
7 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
7 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
7 complaints
Tires
6 complaints
Engine cooling
5 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2009 Toyota Highlander

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology