2014 Toyota Highlander Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe problems with the power rear liftgate and door lock actuators, which frequently show up in the 20,000-60,000 mile range and, for the liftgate, sometimes in cold weather. A second cluster of complaints covers the infotainment/navigation screen blanking or rebooting while driving, and a smaller number describe sunroof or moonroof glass detaching or leaking. Most reports describe gradual, intermittent failures rather than sudden ones, and several owners say the dealer could not reproduce the problem or that repairs were quoted at owner expense.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Power liftgate fails to open or close

   • 30 complaints (22%)
   • median 45,000 mi at 4.3 yrs old (25 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2025

   Complaints describe the power rear hatch opening only a few inches, stopping with a long beep, or refusing to latch closed, so owners end up forcing it by hand. Several report it happens only in cold temperatures or after the vehicle has sat, and some say the dealer replaced the support struts or the liftgate power unit without a lasting fix. Owners also describe the door resisting strongly when moved manually. Mostly reported between roughly 5,000 and 90,000 miles, with several owners noting it occurs in cold weather below freezing.

   What to check: Cycle the power liftgate several times, ideally on a cold morning, and watch whether it travels fully and latches without beeping. Ask whether the struts or liftgate power unit have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rear lift door (hatchback) does not stop if an arm or body part is in the way once the button to close is pushed. My hair got caught in the lock and the door was closing so I tried to stop it with my arm and it kept closing on my arm with my hair caught and my arm is severely bruised. The vehicle was in park and shut off in my driveway”

   NHTSA complaint #10901965, filed 2016-08, 50,182 miles

   “Lift gate will not open or close in cold temperatures. We have taken it to our local dealer in battle creek, michigan several times but the issue has not been resolved. Each time the problem has occurred the vehicle was parked. We do not wish to injure ourselves trying to open our back door. This vehicle is used in our delivery business and it is necessary to frequently use our back door.”

   NHTSA complaint #11060733, filed 2018-01, 75,770 miles
2. 2
   Electrical system

   Door lock actuators stop locking or unlocking

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe doors that will not lock or unlock with the remote or the switch, sticking locks, and having to lock doors manually. Complaints often mention one actuator failing and then the others following over the next months, and some note rear doors that can be opened from inside while driving because the lock did not engage. Dealers typically replaced individual actuators, and owners report the repair was quoted at their own cost once warranty ended. Reported from around 13,000 to 100,000 miles, often beginning near the end of the warranty period.

   What to check: Test each door's lock and unlock cycle with both the fob and the interior switch, and ask how many actuators, if any, have already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The rear door locks do not lock all the time making it possible for the kids in the back seat to open the doors while driving down the road on my 2014 Highlander. It also makes it pretty easy for people to steal stuff from your car. This is a huge safety issue. It is a know issue and the internet forums are full of people with the same issue with zero help from the dealer. New lock mechanisms are 300 dollars. I have already had to replace one at 75k miles,. Now I have to do the other. The vehicle now has 100k.”

   NHTSA complaint #11321275, filed 2020-04, 75,000 miles

   “My Highlander has had a total of 14 (including the 4 original) door actuators in the 4 passenger doors. The 1st failed at about 13k miles. I have about 75k miles now. As soon as (or shortly after) a failed one has been replaced, the issue travels to another door. That pattern has continued to reach the total number of actuators so far. The 15th actuator will soon be installed. Toyota would not take responsibility for this issue once the warranty expired, even though it originated long before warranty expiration. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11141093, filed 2018-10, 13,000 miles
3. 3
   Electrical system

   Navigation/infotainment screen blanks or reboots

   • 24 complaints (18%)
   • median 35,850 mi at 3.7 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2026

   Complaints describe the navigation or Entune screen going blank, freezing, or restarting repeatedly while driving, sometimes losing route guidance in traffic. Owners also report voice commands and Bluetooth failing to connect, and one notes the map only accepts certain selections while the vehicle is moving. According to the complaints, dealers described it as a known software issue rather than a hardware fault. Mostly reported from a few thousand to about 65,000 miles, occurring intermittently while driving.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Spend time with the radio and navigation on during a test drive, and ask whether the head unit has been updated or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My navigation system stop working on city, and highways while driving. It is getting worse .I live in martin tn. While driving to, and in memphis tn it stop over ten time ,and on the way back at least nine times. We was relieving on it but failed. When we needed it the most.”

   NHTSA complaint #10892310, filed 2016-08, 36,700 miles

   “While driving in houston tx. Using the nav system the screen went blank. In heavy traffic during rush hour about 5 pm. I acutally missed my turn and had to pull into a parking lot. Shut the car off and re started it. Screen blanked out again while parked. I had to resort to my cell phone. I m new to the area. Toyota tells me this is a common problem with its softwear. I feel this should have been a recall. This could have caused an accident. It was very disturbing while looking for directions and the screen goes blank.”

   NHTSA complaint #11118160, filed 2018-08, 40,000 miles
4. 4
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Sunroof or moonroof glass detaches or leaks

   • 12 complaints (9%)
   • median 51,379 mi at 5.5 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report a loud wind noise or thud followed by finding the moonroof glass missing from the roof, with no impact or damage to the surrounding frame apparent. Others describe water entering through a panoramic roof and soaking the seats and carpet, particularly when the vehicle is parked facing uphill or driven in heavy rain. Complaints describe one dealer replacing the glass and another declining to cover leak repairs after warranty. Reported from around 55,000 to 170,000 miles, with leaks tied to rain and parking angle.

   What to check: Inspect the sunroof glass and seals, check the headliner and carpets for water stains, and run water over the roof during the test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Around 55,000 miles driven, my panoramic roof started leaking into pillars. It caused both rear drivers side and passenger side seat wet and carpets wet. My roof leaks whenever there is rain. Roof does not leak when my car is parked down hill, but it leaks whenever car is parked uphill. Roof also leaks driving in highway in heavy rain. I contacted Toyota, but they said I have to pay for the leak since it is out of warranty. They said I have to replace pretty much everything include sunroof.”

   NHTSA complaint #11301543, filed 2020-01, 55,000 miles

   “The vehicle was in motion, at 60 MPH, south bound on rte 495 south in foxboro, ma at 2:35 on dec 29, 2019. Driver heard a thud on the roof, pulled over to the breakdown lane, opened the moonroof shade and discovered that moonroof glass was gone. There was no evidence of shattered glass. Driver did not see any other vehicle or person that was damaged or injured. Driver was traveling alone. On inspection repair shop did not see any damage to roof or window frame and no glass shards.”

   NHTSA complaint #11297451, filed 2020-01, 47,759 miles

Buying note. Check the power liftgate and all door locks carefully, since these two items account for a large share of owner complaints on this model year, and confirm whether the infotainment system has been updated or replaced. Verify that open recalls for the fuel line, seat belt anchorages, and airbag ECU software were completed on the specific vehicle.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.