2019 Toyota Highlander Transmission & Power Train Problems
NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How power train ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 465 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2019 Toyota Highlander overview page.
What owners report
“THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND JERKED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE…”NHTSA complaint 11387843 — filed 01/13/2021
“WHEN I AM DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SEARCHES FOR THE CORRECT GEAR. IT'S VERY ROUGH AND AT TIMES HAS MADE DRIVING UNSAFE. THIS…”NHTSA complaint 11372465 — filed 10/30/2020
“LACK OF RESPONSIVENESS IN ACCELERATION FROM A STOP; SLUGGISH RESPONSE TO PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR WHILE MOVING AND ATTEMPTING TO…”NHTSA complaint 11366807 — filed 10/28/2020
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Power Train complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2019 Toyota Highlander have transmission & power train problems?
Power Train is the most-reported problem area on the 2019 Toyota Highlander: 182 of 465 complaints on file (39.1%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2019 Toyota Highlander have in total?
465 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 22 involved a crash, 1 involved a fire, 18 reported injuries, and none reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's power train category include?
NHTSA groups complaints about the transmission (automatic or manual), driveline, axles, transfer case and related parts under a single component category called POWER TRAIN. This page reports that category as NHTSA defines it.
