Representative model. Photo: MercurySable99, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recalls & complaints · NHTSA data

2009 Toyota Highlander recalls

Every recall campaign and owner complaint NHTSA has on file for the 2009 model year. Not every vehicle is affected by every campaign: check a specific car by VIN below.

Recall campaigns: 10
Park-it warnings: 0
Complaints: 174
Latest campaign: Jun 2, 2016

Recall summary by component10

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

Component	Campaigns	Latest	Campaign IDs
Equipment	3	Feb 3, 2010	10V035000 10V036000 09V223000
Seats	2	Jun 2, 2016	16V396000 14V743000
Air bags	2	Apr 9, 2014	14V168000 13V014000
Visibility	1	Oct 22, 2015	15V689000
Hybrid propulsion system	1	Sep 4, 2013	13V396000
Vehicle speed control	1	Jan 27, 2010	10V023000

Safety recalls10

NHTSA Recalls API · cached ≤24 h

0Park-it warnings

0Fixable over the air

Jun 2, 2016Latest campaign


Jun 2, 201616V396000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. DetailsHide details for campaign 16V396000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed. Risk If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire. Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B. Filed under Highlander Campaign NHTSA 16V396000 · Jun 2, 2016
Oct 22, 201515V689000	Visibility: power window devices and controls 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… DetailsHide details for campaign 15V689000 What's wrong 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. Risk 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. Filed under Highlander, Highlander Hybrid Campaign NHTSA 15V689000 · Oct 22, 2015
Nov 19, 201414V743000	Seats: front assembly seat heater/cooler Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V743000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring. Risk Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant. Remedy SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. Filed under Highlander Campaign NHTSA 14V743000 · Nov 19, 2014
Apr 9, 201414V168000	Air bags: frontal driver side If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. DetailsHide details for campaign 14V168000 What's wrong Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2008-2010 Highlander, and 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and General Motors Pontiac Vibe vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the steering column assembly contains electrical connections to the driver's airbag module housed in a spiral cable assembly, which includes a Flexible Flat Cable (FFC). Due to the shape and location of the FFC's retainer, the FFC could become damaged when the steering wheel is turned. Risk If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated. The failure of the driver's air bag to deploy in the event of a crash that typically necessitates deployment increases the risk of injury to the driver. Remedy Toyota will notify the Toyota vehicle owners, and General Motors will notify the Pontiac Vibe owners. Toyota sent owners an interim notification letter in May 2014 to advise owners of the recall. Toyota will mail owners a second letter when remedy parts are available. General Motors sent Pontiac Vibe owners an Interim letter on June 20, 2014 notifying them that parts are currently unavailable. General Motors sent notices to the Pontiac Vibe owners on September 15, 2014, that a remedy is available. The recall began on October 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-762-2737. Filed under Highlander Campaign NHTSA 14V168000 · Apr 9, 2014
Sep 4, 201313V396000	Hybrid propulsion system: inverter The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. DetailsHide details for campaign 13V396000 What's wrong Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support and the transistors may be heat damaged by the solder. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel. Risk The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash. Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign. Filed under Highlander Hybrid Campaign NHTSA 13V396000 · Sep 4, 2013
Jan 16, 201313V014000	Air bags: frontal sensor/control module-inactive If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the… DetailsHide details for campaign 13V014000 What's wrong Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed. Risk If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment. Remedy Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859. Filed under Highlander, Highlander Hybrid Campaign NHTSA 13V014000 · Jan 16, 2013

Merged from NHTSA model names: Highlander, Highlander Hybrid. Not every vehicle of a model year is affected by every campaign.

To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer (federal law; see limits).

Buying a used 2009 Toyota Highlander? Recalls cover the model; a history report checks one car's title, odometer and accident records. VinAudit history report → Sponsored · disclosure

Owner complaints by component174

NHTSA Complaints API · cached ≤24 h

174Complaints filed

8Involving a crash

5Involving a fire

10Injuries reported

Component	Complaints	%	Crashes	Fires	Injuries
Service brakes	55	32	2	0	1
Engine	27	16	0	2	0
Electrical system	23	13	0	2	0
Structure	16	9	2	0	0
Vehicle speed control	16	9	4	0	1
Steering	11	6	0	0	0
Hydraulic	10	6	0	0	0
Air bags	9	5	2	0	6
Tires	8	5	0	0	0
Unknown or other	8	5	1	1	0
Power train	8	5	0	0	0
Electric	7	4	1	0	0
Engine and engine cooling	6	3	0	2	1
Suspension	5	3	0	0	0
Visibility/wiper	5	3	0	0	1

16 more components with fewer complaints not shown. An owner can tag several components, so percentages add up to more than 100. Complaints are unverified owner reports, de-duplicated by NHTSA ODI number, merged from NHTSA model names Highlander, Highlander Hybrid.

Latest reports

Service brakes
“The contact owns a 2009 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud clunking sound.”
Filed 07/30/2025 · ODI 11677249
Service brakes
“1. Component/System that Failed: The component that has malfunctioned is the ABS actuator, which affects the vehicle’s anti-lock braking system.”
Filed 04/09/2025 · ODI 11653771
Air bags
“My airbag light came on and I don't understand why the airbag light came on. I took it to a auto shop and they said I would have to take it to a Toyato dealer.”
Filed 10/20/2024 · ODI 11620896

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2009 Toyota Highlander recall questions

How many recalls does the 2009 Toyota Highlander have?

NHTSA lists 10 safety recall campaigns for the 2009 Toyota Highlander. The most recent, 16V396000 (reported June 2, 2016), concerns seats. Not every vehicle is covered by every campaign; check a specific car by VIN.

What are the 2009 Toyota Highlander recalls for?

The largest group is equipment, with 3 campaigns. Others: seats (2), air bags (2), visibility (1). Each campaign below lists the defect, the risk and the free remedy.

What is the most common complaint about the 2009 Toyota Highlander?

Service brakes is the most-reported component, named in 55 complaints out of 174 filed with NHTSA (32%). Across all complaints, owners reported 8 crashs and 5 fires. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

How do I check if a recall is open on my 2009 Toyota Highlander?

Enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or the Toyota recall lookup. That shows campaigns still unrepaired on that exact car. Safety recall repairs are free at a franchised Toyota dealer.

Check a specific Toyota by VIN

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