2013 Toyota Highlander — Known Issues & Recalls

Your engine suddenly stopped while driving and won't start again. Your mechanic says the engine has seized and needs to be replaced at a cost of around $4,000. You're concerned because you've maintained the vehicle carefully and received no warning signs before this happened.

Your engine is burning excessive amounts of oil, requiring you to add oil every 2,200 miles. You may notice oil coming from the tailpipe when accelerating, and the check engine light hasn't appeared even when the oil level is critically low. This excessive oil consumption could lead to engine damage, overheating, or leaving you stranded if oil runs out completely.

Your engine is burning through oil much faster than normal, even though there are no visible leaks. You may have noticed the engine sound changed suddenly on the highway, followed by loud knocking noises, but no warning lights appeared on your dashboard. An ASE-certified mechanic confirmed this is an ongoing issue. The engine may need internal inspection to identify worn piston rings or valve seals that are allowing oil to burn.

Your engine's oil pressure warning light comes on suddenly telling you to turn off the car immediately, even though you're changing oil every 3,000 miles as recommended. The dealer tested your oil consumption at 1,500 miles with no problems found, but the issue keeps happening, and they've suggested you may need a new engine—possibly due to a faulty PCV valve. You're now changing your oil every 2 months to keep the engine running, and the check engine light has never turned on despite the warning. The fix will likely involve replacing the PCV valve or, if that doesn't solve it, replacing the entire engine.

Your ABS, traction control, and brake warning lights all came on at once on 9/30/2024, making it unsafe to drive. A Toyota dealership diagnosed an internal leak in the ABS module using error code 1391 and confirmed the ABS module assembly needs to be replaced. Toyota acknowledges this is a known issue covered by an expired service bulletin, but declined to help with repair costs or extend coverage.

Your ABS brake warning lights are all illuminated, indicating a brake system malfunction. Toyota has a voluntary customer support program that covers the cost of replacement parts if your vehicle is registered in the USA, but parts are not available for vehicles outside the US. The repair typically involves replacing the brake actuator and brake booster.

Your Highlander's sunroof drains are backing up and leaking water into the cabin, damaging electrical systems and creating mold. Water is also entering through roof rack mounting holes and collecting in the floorboards, causing rust on metal seat components and potentially affecting seat belts and hinges. The water damage has required multiple shop visits and may need replacement of sunroof drain lines, roof seals, and interior water damage restoration.

Your car's roof paint, especially around the sunroof area, has started peeling and flaking off after sun exposure. When you touched the damaged areas, more paint came off easily, leaving the surface feeling brittle and dry. Toyota previously had a Customer Support Program for paint issues on white vehicles, but it ended in 2024 before your car showed signs of the problem in mid-2025. Fixing this will likely require the roof to be repainted or having the affected area professionally refinished.

Your steering column is cracking and making noise, which feels like it might break while driving. The dealer acknowledges the issue is documented in Toyota's service bulletin but won't perform a simple maintenance fix and says you'll need to buy an expensive new steering column. This is a known problem affecting multiple Highlanders.

Your steering wheel locks up temporarily when you turn it quickly, preventing further movement in that direction until you turn the other way. A steering fault warning light may appear on your dashboard. You're also hearing a grinding or whining noise from the steering column when turning slowly, which is different from a typical power steering pump sound. This issue is getting worse over time and may require inspection of the steering column mechanism and electronic steering components.

Your sunroof suddenly shattered while you were driving at 60 MPH, with the glass bubbling upward and creating abnormal wind noise on top of the vehicle. No warning lights appeared before the failure. The dealer was unable to diagnose or repair the issue.

While driving at 60 MPH, you heard a loud noise from your vehicle. When you pulled over to check, you found no obvious damage, but when you opened the sunroof, broken glass shards fell into the cabin. The sunroof glass appears to have shattered on its own without being struck by any object. This could allow water, debris, and wind into your vehicle while driving.

Your vehicle's paint on the roof is peeling off while parked. You discovered this issue around 99,000 miles and found that Toyota has a Customer Support Program (ZKG) for this problem, but your vehicle's VIN wasn't included in the coverage. Fixing this will likely involve having the roof repainted or recoated by a professional.

Your liftgate won't close properly, even when you push it with force. The problem started intermittently but is happening more often. You've already had the liftgate motor replaced under warranty once before, and the dealer has diagnosed that it needs to be replaced again at around 100,000 miles.

You notice a persistent fuel smell while driving in slow traffic and after parking your car. Upon inspection, you find that the fuel injector rail end cap is leaking fuel slowly. This same component failure was recalled in 2014 Highlanders due to a faulty weld in the end cap, and your 2013 model appears to have the same defect—creating a potential fire hazard. The fix will require replacing the entire fuel rail assembly.

Your driver side airbags (curtain and seat airbags) deployed suddenly while you were parking, even though you didn't hit anything. Toyota investigated but couldn't find a reason for the deployment in the vehicle's data and declined to help. This is dangerous because if it happened while driving, you could have lost control and crashed.

Your curtain airbags (along the sides of the windows) deployed suddenly while driving in very cold weather (-10°F) at 75 mph, even though there was no crash or impact. The dealer was contacted but didn't diagnose or repair the problem. This could indicate a sensor malfunction or wiring issue that causes the airbags to deploy inappropriately in cold conditions.

Your car has experienced multiple incidents of unintended acceleration when you're slowing down for stops, even with your foot firmly on the brake. When this happens, the engine revs into high gear and braking pressure won't stop it—you have to shift to park and turn off the engine. These incidents have become more frequent in 2024, and one nearly caused a collision in a crosswalk. The dealer and Toyota blamed floor mats or shoes, but you believe the issue is with the acceleration or braking system itself. Diagnosing this will likely involve having a Toyota technician perform a detailed inspection of the throttle control system, brake system, and engine computer to identify any mechanical or electronic faults.

Your vehicle's driver's side rear wheel alignment is out of spec and cannot be corrected. This has caused uneven tire wear over the past 6 years, resulting in costly tire replacements. The suspension geometry appears to have a permanent camber issue that standard alignment procedures cannot fix.

While driving at 70 mph on the freeway, the tread separated from your tire, causing it to strike the vehicle's body and tear off the rear bumper and damage the rear quarter panel. The tire's internal steel belts and fabric layers failed without any impact from road debris. A highway patrol officer witnessed the incident, and the tire was sent to Michelin for investigation. You'll likely need a tire replacement and repair work on the bumper and quarter panel.