NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 138 owner complaints for the 2014 Toyota Highlander (including the hybrid).
Recalled components: fuel system, electrical system, seats, and seat belts. Most-described problem: liftgate or tailgate problems (18 complaints, 13%). Most-reported area: electrical system (36 complaints, 26%; median mileage when it happened: 39,500).
Fewer complaints than a typical Highlander year
The 2014 drew 40 owner complaints in its first three years, against 114 for a typical Highlander year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
No Highlander year stands out enough to avoid; best years: 2016 and 2017. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Sienna, and Highlander and model year 2015 Lexus RX350 vehicles. Fuel may leak from the one of the fuel delivery pipes in the engine compartment.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA listing: HIGHLANDER.
Electrical system
May 22, 2014
software
Fails federal standard 208 (occupant crash protection)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The affected vehicles may have improper software installed in the air bag electronic control unit (ECU) for the operation of the front passenger seat belt force limiter, and as a result, the force limiter may use the restraint setting designed for small occupants, such as those that weigh approximately 110 pounds, for all occupants regardless of their size. As such, some of these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured April 23, 2014, through April 29, 2014. The affected vehicles may have a second row right-hand seat assembly that does not fully lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first, second and third adjusting positions. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: If the seat does not fully lock into the inboard seat track, the seat could move, increasing the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second row right-hand seat, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
The third row middle seat belt assembly might not have been properly secured to the vehicle floor anchorage during vehicle assembly. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Risk: A seat belt that is not properly secured to its anchorage could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row middle seat belt anchor, and, if necessary, properly secure it to the vehicle floor anchorage, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2014 Highlander vehicles manufactured November 20, 2013, through January 18, 2014.
NHTSA listing: HIGHLANDER.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Electrical system (Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry C, 18E-107).
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2014 Toyota Highlander.
What owners report
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Highlander. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Liftgate or tailgate problems18 · 13%
Median 50,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Door lock or latch problems15 · 11%
Infotainment or touchscreen failures8 · 6%
Suspension parts (struts, ball joints, control arms)4 · 3%
Median 39,500 miles at failure, from 26 reports with mileage
Body structure32 · 23%
Most named: body (23); body, hatchback/liftgate (5) · Median 48,000 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
Powertrain9 · 7%
Visibility/wiper7 · 5%
Seat belts5 · 4%
Speed control5 · 4%
Steering4 · 3%
Unknown or other33 · 24%
Median 33,300 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Toyota Highlander recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2014 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Highlander drew the most (152) and the 2014 drew 40.
Owner complaints
2014: 138 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Toyota Highlander
Model year
Complaints
2010
238
2011
186
2012
191
2013
212
2014
138
2015
196
2016
116
2017
270
2018
271
2019
492
2020
326
2021
537
2022
265
2023
191
2024
42
2025
10
2026
2
Safety recalls
2014: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Toyota Highlander
Model year
Recalls
2010
11
2011
5
2012
2
2013
3
2014
4
2015
1
2016
2
2017
3
2018
4
2019
3
2020
5
2021
5
2022
6
2023
9
2024
7
2025
4
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
What are the most common 2014 Highlander problems?
In the 138 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2014 Toyota Highlander, the problems described most are liftgate or tailgate problems (18), door lock or latch problems (15), and infotainment or touchscreen failures (8). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2014 Toyota Highlander safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2014 Toyota Highlander earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2014 Toyota Highlander?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2014 Toyota Highlander.
How do I check if my Highlander has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Toyota dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.