2009 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has received high safety ratings in various crash tests including a 5-star rating for the front driver side and a 4-star rating for the front passenger side. The vehicle also scored well in side crash tests, with a 5-star rating for both the driver and passenger sides. It has a rollover rating of 4, indicating a moderate risk of rollovers. Additionally, this car comes equipped with standard electronic stability control, which can help prevent skidding or loss of control.

Despite the good safety ratings, it is important to note that there have been 168 complaints and 10 recalls reported for this model. Consumers should stay informed about any reported issues and make sure that all necessary recalls are addressed to ensure the vehicle's safety performance remains optimal. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid does not feature forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

168

Recall Count

10

Investigation Count

3

Safety Rating

Not Rated

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Safety Features

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4-DR. w/SAB

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4-DR. w/SAB Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4-DR. w/SAB Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2006 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 4
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 4 4

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2006 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 5 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated Not Rated 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated Not Rated 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2006 Score 2009 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated Not Rated 5

Complaints for the 2009 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"brakes failed at a low rate of speed despite pumping them and pushing the petal all the way to the floor. several witnesses in the car support this narrative. vehicle ended up slowly rolling into the car in front of us. minimal damage to both. took it in to the dealership and they said the brakes appear fine."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2024-01-02
Complaint:
"2009 toyota highlander hybrid; mileage 97,849. while driving a red brake alert showed up along with an abs light, traction symbol and an encircled exclamation mark. this malfunction (which i now see is a known safety issue) shut down my regular braking system and i had to use the emergency brake to stop. a message appeared telling me to pull over to a safe spot and contact my dealer. a shrill high pitched sound also went off. how can a faulty designed abs module that blocks the braking system from working when it fails not be under a safety recall - just an expired safety bulletin? i was fortunate to think to use my emergency brake to stop to avoid an accident and injury to myself and/or others. vehicle was towed to gates toyota, south bend, in. if you wish to contact them regarding codes & costly repair bill expenses. i have a call in to the toyota headquarters resolution team and am waiting for them to contact me back on my case."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2024-01-12
Complaint:
"similar to what many other complainants have stated, the abs has apparently failed. there are clunking noises and warning messages to pull over and not drive the vehicle. this is a known issue on these vehicles and toyota did a very short recall that expired in 2020. the recall required that your vehicle was experiencing the problem at that moment, so everyone who has this issue after 2020 gets a $3k repair bill or an unsafe vehicle."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2022-02-12
Complaint:
"going down a hill with my family the suv was traveling at a speed of 65mph when suddenly another vehicle jump into my lane so i tried to brake with a fast push on the brake pedal but not too hard so i would stop the suv completely for the cars that were traveling behind so the suv made a weird noise and the lights on dash from the abs,service brake and other warning lights went on and the most scary thing is that from that moment the suv didnt respond safely to the road it was really hard for me to control it and there times that it didnt braked safely when it required to do so..i havent take the truck to a dealer but am about to do so i have the appointment for 05/06/2023 btw my suv is a 2009 toyota highlander hybrid and the suv hasnt being driven by anybody since then so i hope the authorities take matter on this situations thanks"
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2024-10-04
Complaint:
"the brake warning light has come on, including the abs, anti skid , and the triangle warning light. the obd 2 scanner is indicating code c1253. this indicates brake actuator, & or brake booster. this a known problem for toyota hybrid highlanders from 2008 to 2011. toyota knows there is a problem, has a posted a customer service bulletin (czn), but expired 2020. (this doesn't mean the part still can't fail.)the local dealer, and the toyota home office refuses to step in with any help. if this was a known problem by toyota, why isn't there a recall? if i'm driving the car and have an accident, from this part failure, is toyota liable, since this is a known problem? would appreciate any help, or you could direct me to who could help. thanks, [xxx]. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2025-04-04
Complaint:
"2008-2010 toyota highlander vehicles are at risk for a brake malfunction caused by the abs system. toyota issued a tsb in may 2019 but that was only covered if you had the issue during that specific time period of the issued tsb. the abs issue seems to be malfunction around 135000-150000 miles and cause a brake failure or lockup. since the tsb was issued, it voids 3rd party warranty coverage and toyota will not assist with cost at almost $3000 even though they are aware of the issue."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2022-01-05
Complaint:
"while driving i heard a clunking noise and warning lights for abs, slip indicator, brake warning system instructing me to pull over and service vehicle as it was unsafe to drive i took the vehicle to local dealership and they found that the abs actuator and brake pump had failed and needed to be replaced. while researching the issue i found that the manufacturer had issued an extended warranty service bulletin but did not issue a recall. i have included the service bulletin below."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2023-05-04
Complaint:
"why is there no recall for all these hybrid highlanders with brake actuator failures? my 2009 highlander has just over 70,000 miles. i was driving and this warning showed up on the screen: “brake (in red) brake malfunction” and underneath “stop the vehicle in a safe place immediately, and contact a dealer.” “abs check abs” and “check brake system” both of which say “have your vehicle checked by a dealer“. the dashboard also shows warning lights -warning light in yellow with an !), brake in red, and abs (!), and the anti-skid brake symbol is on - yellow with a car symbol and skid marks. i took it to the dealer in tucson (desert toyota - where i purchased it in 2018) and they diagnosed it: "dtc c1391 found brake actuator to leak internally. recommend replacement of brake actuator assembly and booster pump (booster pump due to possible weakened by running more since acutator is leaking internally)" the cost for repairing this is $2,945.96. i now see that this is far from unique - and it is a serious safety issue. why is this not a recall? i see that there have been earlier service programs to deal with this in earlier models and then a couple of years ago, toyota acknowledged it in later hybrid highlanders like 2008 and 2009 and periodically addressed it, but this should be a recall issue that has affected thousands of vehicles and persists. toyota needs to deal with this now. look at https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/customer-support-program-notification-zkc.1658588/page-2 - customer support program notification - zkc and you will see just how common this serious safety problem is."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2024-01-04
Complaint:
"braking system warning lights came on. prior to that the vehicle was making several clunking noises from the front and rear mostly when braking. the stopping distance while braking has been reduced to nearly double the distance while much more force is needed to be applied to the brake pedal to get the vehicle to come to a stop."
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2022-04-03
Complaint:
"brake actuator and pump assembly. if i drive the car toyota has told me it could be catastrophic when the brakes stop while i’m driving. yes, toyota inspected and gave the quote to me. this vehicle had 446,000 others fixed (2008-2010) under a “warranty” instead of a “recall”! the car has not stopped yet working, it’s parked because i don’t want to die or kill anyone. i can still drive it maybe 20 mph without using any brakes. the closest store to buy food is 16 miles one way! yes i have on the middle console screen: “brake (in red) brake malfunction” which then says underneath that “stop the vehicle in a safe place immediately, and contact a dealer.” “abs check abs” and “check brake system” both of which say “have your vehicle checked by a dealer“. and on the dashboard it shows lights (warning light in yellow with a !,) brake in red, abs (!), there’s actually a circle around the ! between the two ( ). than the anti-brake symbol is on which is yellow with a car symbol and skidmarks behind it. i have attached the photo of the inspection bill and the text from the toyota rep of how much it’s going to cost to repair. i did speak with the service manager, steve, who told me that the ntsb is who decides if there should be a recall on this type of thing or not. i feel like if there were 446,000 cars fixed this is a huge issue! mine should be included! i cannot drive the car so therefore i am stranded!"
Components Involved: SERVICE BRAKES
Date of incident: 2021-07-09

Recalls for the 2009 Toyota HIGHLANDER HYBRID

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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 of the power window master switch (pwms), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts."
Consequence:
If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
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 to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.

Component(s) Involved: VISIBILITY > POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
Date of incident: 2015-10-22

TOYOTA Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

TOYOTA ranks 3 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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