2017 Toyota Highlander: jerking or lurching

Filed Oct 5, 2026 · Transmission · VA

2017 UA80F AWD Toyota Highlander Transmission Failure at 145,000 miles with regular maintenance. Starts off delayed shifting and jerking when accelerating, accompanied with faint whistle/whirring sound from under the dash. with Transmission falls under the Toyota Customer Support Program ZJC TSB 016018. my VIN did not fall in their ViN Database “range”. Multiple reports on same issue posted online from other Highlander and Sienna models who were also denied free coverage, free replacement, or free repair as stated in Customer Support Program and quoted over 15,000 for repair. This is an extremely expensive repair and is a safety issue that can lead to multiple crashes, operating failure, and poses a risk for injury/death.

Filed Apr 21, 2025 · Transmission · GA

My 2017 Highlander XLE AWD had complete transmission failure at 106,000 miles. Toyota has an extended coverage warranty for this but according to them my VIN number was not included even though it failed for the same reason as the recalled transmissions. Loud whining started around 100,000 miles on acceleration around 30mph and continued to get louder. From a dead stop it is very slow to accelerate and misses 3rd gear and jerks. There is a TSB out on this and the extended customer satisfaction extended warranty ZJC but they refuse to cover. I was also told by Toyota corporate that even if my VIN was affected they would not cover due to all maintenance not being done at a toyota dealership. I am the 4th owner and should not be penalized for this. My case number with Toyota is Toyota Brand Engagement Center Case 250416002071

Filed Mar 13, 2024 · Fuel system · 125,000 miles · WV

The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started jerking, the RPM decreased, and the vehicle started losing motive power. The message "Reduced Engine Power" was displayed. The contact stated that she came to a complete stop at a traffic light. The contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete top, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle jerked increasingly while driving. The contact veered to the side of the road, where she remained. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring for months. The vehicle was previously taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the low-pressure fuel pump had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V682000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

Filed Oct 31, 2023 · Transmission · GA

About two weeks prior to the transmission failing, I started hearing a high-pitched whining coming from the transmission, difficulty shifting, and lurching forward when engaging the gear. On the evening of October 4th, my wife was driving at 65 mph on a busy freeway in Atlanta when the vehicle lost acceleration. She was nearly hit while stopped on the freeway. Fortunately, kind motorists got out of their cars and pushed her to the side of the road. The car was towed to a Toyota service shop, and we were advised they could not do the repairs. The mechanic stated it was a known internal Toyota issue. I did some research online and found hundreds of posts from Highlander owners of 2017-18 vehicles complaining about issues with the transmission failing. I found Toyota Customer Support Bulletin POL [XXX] dated 4/18/2019, REPAIR COVERAGE FOR UA80 TRANSMISSION ON CERTAIN 2017-2018 MY SIENNA AND CERTAIN 2017-2018 MY HIGHLANDER VEHICLES. The mechanic said the failure code with a failed transaxle and all the symptoms my vehicle experienced were consistent with the bulletin. My time period for the bulletin was for cars produced from November 2016 to December 2017. My vehicle’s manufacturing date was 12/8/2016. Toyota claims my vehicle although produced during this time was not impacted. It is my belief that Toyota was aware of multiple failures on UA80 transmissions on vehicles produced from 2016 to 2020 and deliberately identified a smaller number to avoid a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 9, 2023 · Engine · GA

I am writing in reference to a new Toyota Highlander that I purchased in December of 2016. The reason I chose Toyota over a Ford or GM SUV was Toyota’s long history of producing reliable vehicles. I researched and relied on Consumer Reports which gave the Highlander and Honda Pilot the highest rating for customer satisfaction and reliability. About two weeks ago I started hearing a high-pitched whining coming from the transmission, difficulty shifting, and lurching forward when engaging the gear. Last Wednesday my wife was driving on a busy freeway in Atlanta when the vehicle lost acceleration. She was nearly hit while stopped on the freeway. Fortunately, kind motorists got out of their cars and pushed her to the side of the road. The car was towed to a Toyota service shop, and we were advised they could not do the repairs. It was a known internal Toyota issue. I did some research online and found hundreds of posts from Highlander owners of 2017-18 vehicles complaining about issues with the transmission failing. I found Toyota Customer Support Bulletin ,[XXXXXXXX] REPAIR COVERAGE FOR UA80 TRANSMISSION ON CERTAIN 2017-2018 MY SIENNA AND CERTAIN 2017-2018 MY HIGHLANDER VEHICLES. We called Toyota support on 10/9/23 and spoke with a customer service representative named Amber who then transferred us to Vena. They advised based on the VIN number our vehicle was not covered. Vena advised that since all our service was not at a Toyota dealership, they could not honor the repairs. The bulletin stated “after the Primary Coverage, the Secondary Coverage is applicable for 10 years from the vehicles date of first use, regardless of mileage”. The cost of this repair is over $6,000. The bulletin list Highlander 2WD and 4WD SUVs. The representative could not explain how the VIN number exclusions are determined and applied to our SUV. My father-in-law retired from the GM Assembly Plant and as I understand parts are shipped from multiple locations to the assembly pla INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

Filed Sep 1, 2021 · Engine, Transmission · CA

The car jerks upon acceleration. It is so pronounced that it causes whiplash in driver and passenger

Filed Aug 24, 2021 · Electrical · CO

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission failure & power steering control replacement. Yes available to inspect How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? We were on a family trip with two young kids in the mountains and going very low speeds... maybe 10 miles per hour. Our car stopped working. In the middle of a rush hour in heat at the top of the mountain, we had to get from the far left lane to the far right to stop. While trying to get over, the car jerked, revved, and we almost got into accidents because I just couldn't get the car to go without delayed reactions and then jerked to a fast motion. VERY UNSAFE! At the same time, check engine light, ABD, and sensor lights flashed on. I got on the side to turn the car off and on again and tried to go a little at a snail pace speed and still the same thing happened. We had to get towed over 100 miles away to our home with young kids. When we got it looked at, the transmission company let me know we had to replace it and we had a unsalvageable transmission and we needed to purchase a new one. He also ,mentioned he was suspicious because he doesnt regularly get my type of car but coincidentally he has seen at least 3 with the same make model and even color in his shop in the last couple of months. The sensor lights were a completely separate problem that happened at the same exact time, very suspicious. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes on both issues Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? only transmission company and certified Toyota servicer Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Both warning lights appeared after the first jerking and dangerous switching lanes event. once we got over, all lights came on

Filed Feb 25, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 23,000 miles · PA · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 2017 toyota highlander. Contact stated that while driving at various speeds, without warning the vehicle would violently shake intermittently, lurch and accelerate. The contact stated that while driving in a parking lot the vehicle inadvertently accelerated while driving through a crosswalk. The brake pedal was depressed to stop the vehicle. The contact stated due to the vehicle lurching and shaking, she has sustained injuries to her tongue, neck and back. No medical attention was needed. The contacted stated that various warning lights would illuminate, the moon roof would randomly open and close, as well as the vehicle would shift gears violently. The vehicle was taken to dealer whom performed a software update. The contact stated that these were ongoing failures. The vehicle was taken to toyota of greensburg (4964 us-30, greensburg, pa 15601 (724) 552-2761) where the failure could not be duplicated and diagnostic testing results found no failure. The contact stated that an inspector from the manufacturer toyota was to inspect the vehicle however, no final reports have been completed. The contact mentioned that the inspector stated that he was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact was awaiting call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

Filed Sep 9, 2019 · 5,500 miles · TN

My vehicle has app. 6500 miles on it. The steering has a herky jerky feeling to it at times and now it's started making a popping noise that I don't know where it's coming from or if it has anything to do with the steering. All this happens when I'm driving on any type of surface. When I had the tires rotated in june, I was not informed of any problem but there is clearly something going wrong. It's a little difficult stating a starting time but it hasn't gone away.