2020 Toyota HIGHLANDER - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

"on more than 50 occasions while coming to a stop or slowing down i have experienced a surge forward while applying the brakes. it has happened at stop signs, stop lights, going downhill. i cannot duplicate on demand. several times it has surged me past a stop sign/stop light while i still had my foot on the brake. also, when the surge happens, i have to push harder on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. i took it to the dealership on 9/2023 and was told it was not a problem that could be replicated and it has happened several times since then."

"was following a truck that was pulling a utility trailer. we had just stopped and started moving again when when he suddenly stopped. i had just sped up maybe going 10 to 15 mph when i applied my brake, the brakes did not engage until after i hit the trailer in front of me and jammed it into truck it was being pulled by.i had front end damage and radiator damage and the car was not drivable. i had noticed previous to this that at times at low speeds the brakes would not engage and would need to be double tapped to get them to engage. could go weeks without it happening or could happen multiple times in a day. no consistency to the issue."

"on several occasions while coming to a stop or slowing down i have experienced a surge forward while applying the brakes. it has happened at stop signs, stop lights, going downhill. i cannot duplicate on demand. several times it has surged me past a stop sign while i still had my foot on the brake. also, when the surge happens, i have to push harder on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. i have had the hub replaced as well as the wheel censer and i still have the problem. i took it to the dealership on 8/15/22 and it has happened several times since then."

"it does occasionally when coming to a complete stop sign to seems to jolt forward . i have taken it to the local toyota dealer as a safety concern and was told after they analyized the computer data couldn’t find any problem . yet it seems to keep happening"

"unknown. brakes have temporary failure midway through braking. the pedal feels like it drops and the car ceases to brake. you press down hard quickly, and it takes a second for the car to then brake again. naturally the car jerks, at time throwing people forward and locking seatbelts. this happens most frequently going downhill, and happens at a variety of different speeds. dealership says there is no issue. it happens multiple times a week, if not multiple times a day. while i typically drive with adequate space for this failure, i cannot control other drivers. i almost rear ended a person who cut in front of me from the right lane when the braking failure occurred."

"my car frequently accelerates suddenly when i am actively braking. i will begin braking, start to slow down, then the car will accelerate, jolt forward, then start braking again. this puts me at risk for having an accident at stop lights and any time i should be braking. i have an appointment to take it to the dealer. it does not happen every time i am braking and it is not easily reproducible, however it has started happening more often. i have no warnings. an independent auto shop has looked at it and they believe there is a problem when my car is switching from regenerative to hydraulic braking."

"we purchased the highlander a few days ago from a toyota dealership. there are currently no recalls that have not been addressed and the car seemed to be in great condition. driving the last few days there have been times that the brakes just don't function properly. i went online to see if this was an issue that had been reported. i found this description below and it is exactly my experience as well. this site has the other complaints that match my experience. feeling like you don't have brakes for a few seconds is going to lead to accidents. i have a 2005 highlander and i am sad i spent so much money and would feel safer driving my old car. it has not been confirmed by a dealer, or inspected, and there are no lights on the vehicle. i don't know where to go for an honest assessment. https://m.carcomplaints.com/toyota/highlander/2020/brakes/service_brakes.shtml i have experienced brake issues, on any slight decline where the braking system will let up as if the braking is not working for a moment, and also, a jerk forward once stopped. this will lead to an accident and potentially, a pedestrian getting hurt if not addressed. i took it to the dealer and they stated they could not replicate the issue, therefore, did not run diagnostics on the vehicle and will do nothing else for me. i have great concern this will lead to an accident and after 30 years of driving, i'm having to constantly think of leaving enough room between myself and other cars to avoid an accident, and adequate room for a brake malfunction. i have another 2020 hybrid toyota that does not have this issue. so, it is not an issue with all hybrids. - berkley, mi, usa"

"on several occasions the brakes will get very weak and you have to apply normal than normal pressure. there’s a second where it feels like the brakes have failed. all occasions have been on dry flat roads. this last occasion i was turning into a grocery store driveway and in the turn the brakes failed and i had to press hard and turn harder or i would have ran into the car leaving the driveway. it’s not the hybrid system. i’ve owned prior toyota hybrid and the brakes don’t give out like this. sometimes it’s less that 5mph but it’s also done it at 10-15mph. both times the batteries are not fully charged so there isn’t any reason why the regenerative breaking should be suddenly shutting off causing the breaks to feel soft."

"i have experienced brake issues, on any slight decline where the braking system will let up as if the braking is not working for a moment, and also, a jerk forward once stopped. this will lead to an accident and potentially, a pedestrian getting hurt if not addressed. i took it to the dealer and they stated they could not replicate the issue, therefore, did not run diagnostics on the vehicle and will do nothing else for me. i have great concern this will lead to an accident and after 30 years of driving, i'm having to constantly think of leaving enough room between myself and other cars to avoid an accident, and adequate room for a brake malfunction. i have another 2020 hybrid toyota that does not have this issue. so, it is not an issue with all hybrids."

"several times while applying the brake, particularly when braking slowly and often either downhill or turning a corner, there seems to be a gap in the braking. it feels like i have let my foot of the brake, but i have not. it is very brief. i have taken this to the dealer and they indicated they were able to replicate it and tried to fix it, but the problem has continued. for the approximate date asked about below, it has probably happened at least 50 times and it's happened with our two household drivers."