2005 Toyota Highlander — Known Issues & Recalls

Your brake pedal is going all the way to the floor when you press it, though it sometimes works normally on the next attempt. Your mechanic found a small leak inside the brake booster area of the master brake cylinder, which was previously replaced under a Toyota recall. The master brake cylinder will need to be replaced again to restore proper braking function.

Your brake fluid level drops significantly and needs refilling every 500 miles, likely due to a leak in the brake master cylinder. This is a serious issue because low brake fluid can cause brake failure, which nearly caused you to hit another vehicle. The fix will involve inspecting the brake master cylinder for leaks and replacing it if damage is found.

Your vehicle's automatic engine stop-start system at traffic lights and drive-thru lines sometimes fails to restart the engine when you release the brake, leaving your car unable to move. While you haven't needed a jump start yet, the engine has come close to not restarting on several occasions, creating a safety concern if the vehicle stalls unexpectedly in traffic or intersections. This issue has been reported by other owners, some of whom have needed to carry jumper cables. The problem may require diagnosis and repair of the stop-start system or battery charging system.

Your engine may have developed sludge buildup inside, which happens when oil breaks down and accumulates over time. This can restrict oil flow and cause engine damage if left unaddressed. Your mechanic can diagnose this by checking your oil and may recommend an engine flush or oil change to help clear it out.

You discovered that your 2005 Toyota Highlander's odometer reading was incorrect after purchase. The odometer showed 123,000 miles when you bought it, but Carfax records indicated the vehicle actually had 254,000 miles. This is a case of odometer fraud, which means the mileage was deliberately altered before the sale.

Your car's master window switch has developed an electrical short. This could prevent your windows from operating properly or cause electrical issues in that area of the vehicle. The switch assembly will likely need to be replaced to restore normal window operation.

While driving at 15 mph, you pressed the brake pedal but your vehicle accelerated instead and crashed into a fence at 20 mph. The airbags did not deploy during the crash, and you sustained injuries including lost teeth and back pain requiring hospitalization and dental work. The vehicle was totaled and never diagnosed by a mechanic or dealer. This suggests a potential issue with the brake system's ability to stop the vehicle or the accelerator becoming uncontrollably active when braking.

Your seat belt became locked and wouldn't fasten when you tried to put it on while driving. You had to continue driving without the seat belt in order to get your young child home safely. This is a serious safety concern since seat belts are critical for protection in a crash.

Your driver's seat belt locked up and wouldn't move, preventing you from wearing it safely. When you swerved to avoid a deer, your car shook uncontrollably. A seat belt retractor replacement or the entire seat belt assembly may be needed to restore proper function.

Your car was involved in a T-bone collision at an intersection while turning left. The airbag failed to inflate during the crash, which resulted in injuries to occupants' arms and legs. A fire also occurred following the collision. The airbag system may need complete inspection and replacement of failed airbag components.

Your vehicle was struck from behind at high speed in a multi-car collision, but your airbags failed to deploy even though the airbag warning light illuminated. This is a critical safety failure, as airbags are designed to protect you during exactly this type of crash. The issue likely involves a problem with the airbag sensor system, wiring, or deployment mechanism that prevented the bags from inflating when needed.

Your transmission is leaking fluid from the vent area onto the hot exhaust system. This is caused by a defective seal that allows fluid to escape. If the transmission loses all its fluid, it could suddenly fail while driving, which would be dangerous. The fix will involve replacing the defective transmission vent seal to stop the leak.

Your windows, moonroof, turn signals, reverse lights, running lights, and brake lights all stopped working at the same time, and your automatic headlight feature no longer functions—you now have to manually control the headlights or risk draining the battery. The hazard flashers still work, but the turn signals do not, and all visible fuses appear intact. Since multiple systems failed simultaneously, the issue is likely a faulty relay or a bad ground wire connection rather than individual switch failures.

Your 2005 Toyota Highlander's rear subframe was found to be heavily rusted when the vehicle was lifted at a mechanic's shop around 150,000 miles. The mechanic determined that the rusted subframe would need to be replaced. No warning lights indicated this problem before it was discovered.

Your child became unable to unlatch the seat belt from a Mifold booster seat (Model MF01/US, made May 2019) because the belt was extremely tight and wouldn't loosen. You had to cut the seat belt to free your child from the restraint. The seat belt was not replaced after this incident.

Your rear brake lights keep going out because the 10-amp fuse for that circuit keeps blowing, leaving you with no rear lights at all while driving. You've been replacing the fuse repeatedly but haven't found what's causing it to blow. The underlying cause—likely a short circuit or damaged wiring—needs to be identified and repaired.

After your Highlander was in a crash and repaired, several months later warning lights for the stability control and parking brake started appearing on your dashboard, and your radio and clock began malfunctioning. The dealer identified a faulty body control module as the cause and warned that other failures might follow. The fix will require replacing the body control module, which is the computer that controls multiple electrical systems in your vehicle.

Your passenger seat's heating element overheated and burned through the seat material. While this didn't cause a fire, the heated seat system has failed and caused damage to the seat itself. The heating element will likely need to be replaced or the entire seat may need to be re-upholstered.

Your front passenger window works intermittently, and your rear windows won't open or close electronically. You took your vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis, and while your car is included in a separate recall for vehicle speed control, the manufacturer says your vehicle is excluded from the recall that would cover the power window switch failure. The dealer hasn't confirmed when they can repair the window issues. The fix will likely involve replacing the power window switch or electrical components controlling the windows.

You received a recall notice in the mail for your vehicle. The complaint does not specify which system or component is affected by the recall.