Problems · by component
2013 Toyota Highlander electrical system problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Highlander cite electrical system, 12% of all 212 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
26
12% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The factory Blizzard Pearl paint on this vehicle is experiencing severe chemical delamination down to the bare primer and sheet metal on multiple body panels. This structural failure aligns exactly with Toyota Customer Support Program ZKG. Large sheets of brittle paint regularly flake and peel off while driving at highway speeds, creating a projectile and visibility hazard for following motorists. Despite this being a known manufacturing defect, the vehicle falls outside of Toyota's arbitrary 10-year secondary extension window, leaving a recognized factory flaw unremedied.”
“THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND DRIVER DOOR LOCK/ACTUATOR DOES NOT WORK. THE PASSENGER DOOR FIRST HAPPENED 1 TO 1.5 YEARS AGO. I HAVE NOT FIXED IT BECAUSE OF THE OUTRAGEOUS COST. NOW, THE DRIVER DOOR ACTUATOR/DOOR LOCK IS EXHIBITING THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND WILL SOON CEASE TO WORK. TOYOTA HAS NO WARRANTY PROGRAM OR RECALL ON THIS EVEN THOUGH IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL. I THINK HAVING YOUR DOOR LOCKS NOT WORK IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND REQUEST THAT THIS BE FOUND TO BE AN ISSUE TOYOTA MUST COVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR”
“FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR DOES NOT WORK, MAKING LOCK INEFFECTIVE AND NOT WORKABLE. TOYOTA CLAIMS THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE. UNSURE HOW INEFFECTIVE LOCKS ARE NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, ESPECIALLY ON A CAR THAT IS NOT THAT OLD. *TR”
“THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND HAS TWICE HAD RATS CHEWING ON THE COOLANT TEMPERATURE CENSOR WIRING. THESE ARE THE ONLY WIRES THEY'VE CHEWED ON SO FAR. I FEEL THE SOY BASED WIRING THAT TOYOTA USES IS TO BLAME SINCE MY NEIGHBORS ARE NOT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VEHICLES THAT ARE PARKED OUTDOORS. A CLAIM WITH USAA HAS BEEN FILED.”
“THE DOOR LOCKS STOPPED WORKING AND I WAS FORCED TO PAY TO REPAIR THEM AFTER OWNING CAR FOR LESS THAN 6 MONTHS. THE POWER WINDOWS FAIL TO OPERATE AT RANDOM TIMES. THERE WAS A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THE 2010 TOYOTA YARIS WINDOW PANEL. THE CAR JUMPS OR SKIPS WHILE ACCELERATING.”
“MAINTENANCE LIGHT IS ON AT ALL TIMES FOR THE FORWARD PASSENGER SEAT, MAKING AIRBAGS USELESS. READ IT CAN POTENTIALLY BE A WIRE. IT HAS BEEN REPORTED ON OTHER VEHICLES. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND RECALL AS PASSENGERS WILL BE UNSAFE AND COULD HAVE GREAT BODILY HARM WITH THIS DEFECT.”
Showing 6 of 26 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.