The radio keeps freezing up all the time along with the back tail light area going in and out. I keep smelling like burnt wire smell. Engine sound really rough.
2014 Toyota Highlander electrical problems
35 complaints (26% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 40,000.
- owner complaints
- 35
- of this car's complaints
- 26%
- typical mileage
- 40,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
- Horn1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Toyota Highlander electrical problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2014 Toyota Highlander electrical
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 14V272000 · Recall details
What 2014 Toyota Highlander owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I noticed the smell of wires burning, a billow of smoke started emitting from the two levers used to heat the seats near the gear shift area. I was on the freeway and immediately pulled to the side of the road, turned off the car and called 911 before any flames were seen. There were no warning signs, lamps or other symptoms until the smell of burning wires and the smoke.
The contact owns a 2014 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that a hybrid system warning alert was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the windshield wiring system had failed and that the windshield needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that the windshield failure was associated with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 18E107000 (Electrical System, Visibility). The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The windshield manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 190,000.
While driving car started singing and message came on dashboard about idling will cause the engine to turn off then the car turned off while I was driving it has happened multiple other times even after taking it to the dealership twice and then doing an update on it
Steering column locked on several occasions while driving. Electrical systems blink on and off. Exactly as described in the federal safety agency recall #15V144000 and as far I can tell the exact same part number.
The power rear hatch will not properly open or close. The safety of others are at risk due to several factors. For example, the door will not open properly causing hands, fingers, and other object to get jammed in the doorway when trying to close it manually or when the door closes automatically without warning. It also does not close properly when the hatch is not working properly which could potentially be an issue while traveling where objects could fall out of the vehicle and injure other drivers. There are several articles online reporting the issue and will only be fixed if the vehicle is under warranty. Many of these vehicles are out of warranty due to their age. There was no prior warning other than a beeping noise when the door would not close properly.
Door lock actuators not working. Can no longer use key fob to unlock/lock doors. Potential safety issue.
The rear door locks do not lock all the time making it possible for the kids in the back seat to open the doors while driving down the road on my 2014 highlander. It also makes it pretty easy for people to steal stuff from your car. This is a huge safety issue. It is a know issue and the internet forums are full of people with the same issue with zero help from the dealer. New lock mechanisms are 300 dollars. I have already had to replace one at 75k miles,. Now I have to do the other. The vehicle now has 100k.
Entune radio/headunit (hu) reboot itself while in a call. Reboot occurs while vehicle is in motion at any speed, during any driving condition. As the hu reboots, driver is unable to use rear-view camera and any other feature displayed in hu. Road attention is affected since driver is distracted by the screen going black and on again. Also if driver is in a call has to end call from the phone and call again using the phone.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 toyota highlander. The contact stated that the rear power doors and trunk made a buzzing noise and were inoperative. The contact referenced service bulletin number: sb0023-16 and the federal safety agency id number: 10134306 (structure, electrical system). Sparks toyota (located at 4855 highway 501, myrtle beach, sc 29526, 888‑847‑7870) was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
Questions about the 2014 Toyota Highlander electrical
Does the 2014 Toyota Highlander have electrical problems?
Owners have filed 35 complaints about the electrical of the 2014 Toyota Highlander, 26% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2014 Toyota Highlander electrical problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 40,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2014 Toyota Highlander electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 14V272000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Toyota Highlander have the most electrical problems?
The Toyota Highlander model years with the most electrical complaints are 2019 (56 complaints), 2010 (53 complaints) and 2015 (52 complaints).
Other 2014 Toyota Highlander problems
Body 32Visibility 10Transmission 9Acceleration 5Seat belts 5Steering 4Suspension 4Tires 4Brakes 3Engine 3Wheels 3Airbags 2Lights 2Locks 2Seats 2Driver assistance 1
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