•What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Transmission and power train failure during normal operation. Vehicle was occupied by mother and two small children. Vehicle produced a whining noise, delay in shifting and power failure. No warning lights appeared to give any indication of failure prior to occurring. Vehicle is available for inspection. •How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Vehicle stalled during normal operation. No warning indicators were present. No ability to proceed to shoulder. Traffic hazard in middle of road. Possibility of being rear ended increased. Exiting the vehicle in traffic to determine fault increase probability of being struck. Two young children seated to the rear should vehicle be rear ended due to sudden stop could cause catastrophic injuries or death. •Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, vehicle was taken and diagnostic conducted by Glendora Toyota. Vehicle was kept overnight. Dealer determined that vehicle had a transmission failure. Multiple articles and bulletins by Toyota indicating and acknowledging transmission failures in 2019 Toyota Highlander. •Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Vehicle has only been inspected by Glendora Toyota service personnel. •Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning lights or indicators. Whining noise was heard prior and taken to Glendora Toyota for diagnosis. They advised no problems with vehicle.
2019 Toyota Highlander transmission complaints
Page 5 of 8: complaints 101 to 130 of 217, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Issue 1: I reported transmission issued to the dealership/service center where I purchased the car. They assured me its just the electronic transmission trying to find the right gear while driving. Continued to complaint about the jerks and shifting. Dealer warranty expired, then they agreed that I needed a new transmission. Fortunately I had an outside extended warranty otherwise they'd probably would have waited until that ended too. Status post the transmission, tuning, sensor replacements, spark plug replacement, and TPMS replacements all in one service. Prior to my warranty expiring, AWD, engine light and hard transmission shifts began with the new transmission. Returned repeatedly from April to November with no resolution. However, they did have me pay to replace sensors I had replaced in April several times and obtain a new battery. Issue 2: After "new" batter the car's electrical issues worsened resulting in a power failure while driving at 75 miles an hour and losing complete control of the vehicle. The power failure shut down the electronic shifter, power steering, All Wheel Drive, Traction control in raining conditions and ultimately the power assisted brakes. returned the vehicle to the service department for additional "testing" after taking a video of the fault messages were the car electrical systems shut down to auto start stop function warning light. I'm a skill driver and was able to avoid crashing during the incidents. The photos are from the latest day I dropped the vehicle off for review I took a video of the vehicle powering down for their records. They are now stating since they can't figure it out maybe I should pay them to replace the electrical wiring harnesses throughout the vehicle; a cost which exceeds the vehicle's worth to me. I'm convinced now more than ever they knew there was an electrical issue with the vehicle but waited me out and if I would have crashed and died all the blame would have been on me.
My vehicle was taken into Toyota dealership for diagnostics after experiencing a whine noise from transmission after driving. Toyota confirmed that I will need a new transmission. After researching I found that there is a defect in the transmissions for my specific type. It has been reported for years but Toyota has not addressed. Since it is a transmission failure this could lead to a breakdown while driving on highways and could risk my safety and other drivers. The estimated repair cost are currently above $8K.
Owners of 2017–2022 Toyota Highlanders, 2017–2020 Siennas, and 2018–2020 Camrys are experiencing serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions. Toyota quietly acknowledged the problem in Technical Service Bulletins T-SB-0160-18, T-SB-0008-21, and a limited Customer Support Program (CSP ZJC)—but only offered coverage to a narrow group of VINs. Thousands of other affected vehicles were left out, even though they show the same exact symptoms.
Transmission failure. Vehicle is at this time still operational however the transmission has developed the ever so common whining sound and sluggish shifting. Upon fluid inspection metal filings can be seen and replacement has been recommended by repair shop. The whining has been evident for some time but after investigating this issue decided to have inspected. This inspection was just completed on 11/14/25
Our 2019 Toyota Highlanders transmission is gone. The car has 83,000 miles. I have been researching online and found out that Toyota is very much aware of the problem. They're refusing to help me. They're basing it on our VIN#. No recalls. I just want them to acknowledge that the issue needs to be addressed NOW.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact previously owned a 2017 Toyota Highlander and heard the same whining sound coming from the transmission. The contact stated that when the 2017 Toyota Highlander was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased, the contact was offered a trade of the 2017 Toyota Highlander for the 2019 Toyota Highlander. Following the failure of the 2019 Highlander, the vehicle was taken to two different dealers to be diagnosed. The first dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle but stated that the vehicle was operating normally. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched the failure online and determined that the 2017 Highlander and the 2019 Highlander had the same model transmission, UA80F - CVT transmission. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
Transmission failed at 143,000 miles. Initially vehicle lost acceleration and would not go over 60mph. Then vehicle would not go into drive, and instead rolled backwards. Vehicle was towed to dealership where they provided a report saying it needed a new transmission that would cost $9,000. No warning lights were ever present on vehicle, it just stopped operating.
Vehicle stalled on highway. Went into limp mode. Took to Toyota and they said I need a new transmission. The car only has 139k miles. 2019. I purchased it 1 year ago from Toyota with 101k miles.
Whining noise when accelerator is pressed. Potential failed transmission.
My car does have a similar transmission as the one that was recall in Siannas, and Camrys. I have experience the same serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions.
Bearly 60 k miles and transmission is going out I got a Toyota because it was reliable did all the required maintenance and Toyota won’t even help
While driving, I began noticing a high-pitched whining or buzzing noise when pressing the accelerator, particularly at low speeds. The sound resembles an electric or remote-control car and rises in pitch with engine RPMs. The noise disappears when I release the gas pedal. A mechanic initially suspected a wheel bearing, but after further inspection, it appears the noise is coming from the transmission or drivetrain. I later discovered that this issue is widespread among 2017–2020 Toyota Highlander models equipped with the UA80E/UA80F 8-speed automatic transmission, which has been associated with internal gear and pump whine. Toyota has issued Customer Support Program POL19-04 and Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0008-21 addressing similar transmission whine and gear damage, but my vehicle is outside the standard 5-year/60,000-mile warranty and was not included in the extended coverage list, even though the symptoms match exactly. The problem appears to be a design or component defect within the UA80-series transmission, leading to premature wear and potential failure. This can affect drivability, safety during acceleration, and could result in transmission failure without warning.
2019 Toyota Highlander XLE with 94,000 miles. This past Friday, the transmission started slipping...slow to move while pushing the gas pedal. After about 20 minutes, was slipping less. Pulled code P2757 off of OBD. By Monday, the car wouldn't move despite revving up to 3500-4000 rpm. Reverse would work, but not first gear. Called AAA and had it towed to a shop. Shop didn't give me codes, but said there were several. They reported that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH uphill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact heard a grinding sound and smelled an odor coming from the front of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
My car was having trouble shifting gears and then every single light came on indicating a big problem. The check engine light came on, it said ABS off and went through a bunch of different things saying they all turned off and would barely roll at 2mph. I took it in and it needs a full transmission replacement at barely 73,000 miles. Upon looking into it, I saw online that this is a common issue that Toyota still has not issued an official recall for despite it being a very common issue. It’s a 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE and should not be having these issues this early on.
Engine revs up to 5k rpm by itself and barely moves forward when stepping on the accelerator. When it does move it’s only up to 40 miles per hour only and the engine will rev up to 5k rpm without moving any faster.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a high-pitched whining sound coming from the vehicle. In addition, the contact became aware that the transmission was shifting abnormally rough. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was unavailable.
The 2019 hylander started whining when pressing the gas pedal. I had it checked out and found that it needs a new transmission but it is so prevalent of an issue with this vehicle that the transmission is on severe back order. Every complaint on the department of transportation website about this vehicle are about this issue save a handful. We should not be liable to pay for this repair nor for a rental car for months while we wait for the parts.
,At approx. 76,000 miles, we begin to hear a whine with acceleration. We also begin experiencing slight hesitation? It was diagnosed at The Williams Toyota Dealership in Big Flats New York 9/22/25. The dealership indicated the final drive gear bearing is starting to fail and we need to replace the transmission at the cost of $7472.00 plus tax. We are aware of the several class action lawsuits that have been filed against Toyota regarding the UA80E/F 8-speed automatic transmissions. The litigation covers multiple Toyota models 2017 model year and onward including the Highlander.
A couple of days ago, I started hearing a faint whining noise coming from my vehicle when I pressed on the gas pedal. When I brought my vehicle into the dealership today for my 100,000 mile service, I advised them of such. After raising the concern, I was told that there was an issue with my car's transmission and that it was not covered by the warranty as the warranty for that part ended at 75,000 miles. After looking up this issue and the cost to replace, I learned that this transmission issue is a prevalent issue with 2017-2021 highlanders with over 60,000 miles. This issue is so prevalent that there is a huge backorder for parts needed to fix this specific issue. I have owned multiple Toyotas because of their reliability. I had a 4 runner that I used past 225,000 miles with no issues. The fact that I'm having an issue with a transmission issue with a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles on it that I always service every 5,000 miles at the Toyota dealership I bought the vehicle at is huge red flag and is making me reconsider my allegiance to the Toyota brand. The dealer has quoted me a price of $7,500 to fix the issue. I believe that Toyota should make this right as it is clear that this is a known and prevalent issue with the highlanders. In fact, I'm surprised given the number of people complaining online that it is not the subject of a recall. As a lawyer, this sounds like an issue ripe for a class action. That being said, I am hoping that Toyota will work with me and pay for the repair and/or furnish me with a new car credit.
The transmission was checked by Toyota at 55,000 miles for whining sound. Technician advised that it is a normal sound for that type of transmission and it is ok. The sound continued to get louder , so we took it to 2 independant garages and they advised that the noise is the transmision going bad. At 64,000 miles we took it back to the same dealer to tell them we thought it was the transmission. The technician road with us and said he thought it was the brakes or something else. After returning from the test drive with the technician, 3 technicinians looked at it and agreed that the transmission is bad and should be replaced. The factory warranty expired at 60,000 miles and Toyota is not honoring that we took it to them for the same problem prior to warranty expiration. They are advsising that it has not completely failed yet, so it's not a problem. I do not want to drive my vehicle for any distance or at highway speeds for fear of failure in a dangerous area or stranded during bad weather.
The car only has 73, 000 miles on it and Toyota said it needs a new transmission. The car starting making a "whining" sound on acceleration so we took it into Toyota for diagnostic. We also found out that the Rav 4, Sequoia and Tacoma were all recalled for this same year for transmission issues. Toyota is trying to charge us $10,000 to have the transmission replaced since it is no longer under warranty.
Transmission failure
Transmission whine at 63k miles
Transmission failure. Car will not drive or reverse. Engine turns on. I’m told that transmissions are on back order with no ETA.
I have 2019 Toyota Highlander and it has less than 78k miles. A few months ago ago it started barley noticeable wheezing sound and then it got progressively worse. I took it to a the mechanic and he said it was the transmission. It expensive to fix and I saw that a lot if people are complaining about the same problem. I think Toyota should be responsible for replacing the faulty transmissions. My car has been sitting in the driveway because I can’t fix it.
Car Manufactured in April 2019. Transmission failure at 113,000 miles. Before failure, the transmission had a whine and lag when accelerating from a full stop, creating an unsafe situation when pulling into traffic. The cost to repair is over $9,000, and the part is on backorder for several months. The NHSTA facilitated a voluntary service bulletin with Toyota that extended the warranty for the Highlander model years 2017 to 2018 for issues related to the UA80F transmission. The service bulletin should extend to the 2019 model year, as the issues are the same and the transmission model is the same, and possibly for models built early in 2019, which likely have transmissions built or component parts from 2018.
Erratic shifting, dangerous hesitancy and slow starts when pulling into traffic, whining. Took the car to the Toyota Dealer on 08/19/2025, diagnosed as having a failing transmission (detailed service invoice attached).
Transmission went out at 93,000 miles. Toyota dealer confirmed the car needs a new transmission and wants me to pay $7500 for it. This seems ridiculous for these to go out the early. I follow all the regular maintenance schedules
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