2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid filed 40 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 40
involving a crash: 2

What fails most often

1 Service brakes 73% of all complaints
2 Engine 10% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 8% of all complaints
4 Hybrid propulsion system 8% of all complaints
5 Fuel/propulsion system 5% of all complaints
6 Tires 5% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
8 Air bags 3% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Service brakes: 29 complaints (73% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engine: 4 complaints (10% of all).
Electrical system: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Hybrid propulsion system: 3 complaints (8% of all).
Fuel/propulsion system: 2 complaints (5% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 40 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine12 · 30%
brake failure3 · 8%
knocking, grinding or other noise3 · 8%
unintended acceleration3 · 8%
jerking, harsh shifts2 · 5%
loss of power / limp mode2 · 5%
stalls while driving2 · 5%
airbag warning light1 · 3%
battery drain1 · 3%
hesitation when accelerating1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Service brakes	29	1
Engine	4	0
Electrical system	3	0
Hybrid propulsion system	3	0
Fuel/propulsion system	2	0
Tires	2	0
Vehicle speed control	2	1
Air bags	1	0
Electronic stability control	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Powertrain	1	0
Seat belts	1	0
Structure	1	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I arrive at a parking lot on flower avenue strip driving slowly into a parking space in front of a clinic, at a very low speed, when the car suddenly accelerated--by the time I hit the brakes attempting to stop, it was in the office of of maternal and child care, unstoppable--fortunately, it was on a sunday afternoon…
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2016-08-26 · NHTSA complaint #10899033
While driving up a hill at 20 mph, the vehicle stalled and the abs, traction control, steering system, and battery warning indicators illuminated. In addition, "stop vehicle in a safe place immediately" appeared on the instrument panel.
Service brakes · 2019-06-18 · NHTSA complaint #11220968
Brakes failed shortly after the abs warning light went off. Dealer diagnosed this as a break actuator assembly failure. It looks like toyota had a warranty enhancement program for vehicle years 2006-2007. However, my 2009 appears to be having exactly the same issue, yet it's not covered by the program.
Service brakes · 2019-03-06 · NHTSA complaint #11184733
Abs, brake,traction control, vsc lights came on also message display said abs message and brake message. Codes from abs dtc,s are all a c-0371, 1271 through 1278, 1281, 1346, & 1391. Seems to be same issue as the '06-'07 highlander hybrids and the '04-'09 prius.
Service brakes · 2019-01-19 · NHTSA complaint #11170887
While driving 30 mph, the contact heard a clunking noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle lost power and failed to accelerate or restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer immediately noticed that the vehicle seemed to consume abnormal quantities of oil.
Engine · 2015-11-02 · NHTSA complaint #10787806
We took the vehicle to the dealer in for a 5,000 mile service maintenance. After our service advisor looked over the vehicle he said we needed new set of tires as the current ones were at the wear indicators.
Hybrid propulsion system · 2013-12-28 · NHTSA complaint #10557530
Warning messages came on "check brake system-have your vehicle checked by dealer immediately" and then "check hybrid system-stop the vehicle in a safe place (as if I had a choice since the vehicle stopped itself0, immediately contact dealer" had it towed to dealer who did a check and informed me that the problem is a…
Engine · 2013-09-21 · NHTSA complaint #10544729
The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, the check hybrid system warning light illuminated then the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the hybrid inverter would have to be replaced.
Hybrid propulsion system · 2013-02-25 · NHTSA complaint #10499998

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

201016
20111
20121
20134
20152
20165
20174
20183
20194

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,948 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Highlander Hybrid has 38 complaints (22 years in the data). This year has 40, about average.

What to check before buying

Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Hybrid propulsion system. HV battery state, hybrid codes, water ingress.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 40. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (30%), brake failure (8%), knocking, grinding or other noise (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2009 Toyota Highlander Hybrid from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2009 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.