I was in a head on collision and seat belt didn't hold me in place and airbag did not deploy. I hit the steering wheel.
2023 Toyota Highlander airbags problems
12 complaints (6% of all complaints for this car). 8 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- crashes
- 8
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Toyota Highlander airbags problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2023 Toyota Highlander airbags
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Air bags: frontal: driver clockspring/spiral cassette
- What is wrong
- Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- A deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1‑800‑331‑4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA08. Lexus' number for this recall is 23LA02.
Recall number 23V480000 · Recall details
What 2023 Toyota Highlander owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at 60–65 MPH, the contact's vehicle crashed into the passenger's side of an oncoming vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. In addition, the contact stated that it was a very hard impact on an older model vehicle. The contact stated that the older model vehicle was made of steel. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. The contact was transported to the local medical center. The contact sustained severe sternum bruising, full spine whiplash, severe pain in the neck, both shoulders, and the upper back area. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was not inspected by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,125.
I was in an accident today in this vehicle . Upon impact, traffic was suddenly stopped on the highway. The air bags didn’t deploy and the automatic emergency breaks didn’t engage. Impact was so hard three vehicles were Involved.
Air bags did not deploy during accident Black box did not record any incident occurred and vehicle was totaled vehicle black box data was downloaded by manufacturer representative accident report was submitted On October 28 2025 a deer ran in front of us and we hit it at approximately 55mph vehicle was determined to be totaled after insurance adjuster reviewed Sheriff deputy and tow truck driver both said air bags should have deployed. Upon receiving the pdf file of black box raw data, it states that no incident happened. I asked a relative who works for a major airline manufacturer and the opinion of their analyst for data recorders is that the computer seems to have been defective. Toyota however states the accident did not meet the parameters to register an incident. I find this answer highly suspicious at best.
A vehicle turned in front of me as I was going down the highway and I collided with the vehicle at 44 mph. The airbags of my car did not deploy but the airbags of the other vehicle did deploy.
My wife was hit from the driver side, causing car to deviate and have a head on collision with a fire hydrant. No airbags deployed. Side or front.
The contact owned a 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH on a heavy snow weather condition, the vehicle lost traction, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a tree, where the vehicle came to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. No air bags deployed. The contact sustained injuries to his neck, chest, and shoulder. The contact sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed by the insurance provided for further investigation. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Vehicle was hit all the way around and was totalled with 4,000 miles. None of the airbags deployed.
The contact owned a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at 45 MPH, he failed to yield when exiting the interstate at an exit ramp. As a result, the driver t-boned the passenger side of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the contacts insurance provider. A police report was filed and injuries were reported. The contact transported himself to his physical therapist and was treated for a nondescript injury to his left shoulder. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000.
I was in an accident on [XXX] on [XXX] in Elizabeth, Indiana in front of the casino. They changed a two lane road into a one lane road by using mobile traffic lights. As I tried to brake, the car sped up and the car auto corrected in the lane on the left when I tried to avoid the impact by going right. When I crashed into the other vehicle, my air bags did not deploy. I hurt my back, neck, and chest(from the seatbelt/impact). I had no choice or option to avoid impact. On my left was oncoming traffic. To my right was the River. In the front of me, was the other car. I wore my seatbelt until the 911 operator told me to get out of the car to check on the other driver who said he was fine. The vehicle is a total loss. My Insurance Company, USAA, is in the process of giving me a settlement. I released the car to them. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Questions about the 2023 Toyota Highlander airbags
Does the 2023 Toyota Highlander have airbags problems?
Owners have filed 12 complaints about the airbags of the 2023 Toyota Highlander, 6% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2023 Toyota Highlander airbags problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2023 Toyota Highlander airbags?
Yes, 1 recall: 23V480000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Toyota Highlander have bad airbags?
The Toyota Highlander model years with the most airbags complaints are 2008 (58 complaints), 2021 (42 complaints) and 2020 (32 complaints).
Other 2023 Toyota Highlander problems
Body 32Engine 28Seats 23Brakes 21Transmission 20Fuel system 17Electrical 13Driver assistance 11Acceleration 9Tires 5Visibility 5Seat belts 4Wheels 4Locks 3Steering 2
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