2019 Toyota Highlander engine problems

“Transmission is failing and accelerating past 40mpg produces very loud sound that seems it could break any moment. It is available for inspection. Safety is compromised as it could experience failure and abruptly lose ability to accelerate. Problem has been confirmed by independent service center who has also contacted Toyota Dealership regarding possible replacement and about the issue at hand. Has not yet been inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance rep. No warnings and it first occurred June 2026 of this year. Contacted Toyota Brand Engagement Center and denied any assistance.”

“My husband was driving my car out of town, and while driving approximately 70 mph, my car stopped going. When he pressed the gas pedal, the engine revved, but did not move forward. He had to coast down the interstate and pull over on the side of the road. He said he almost got tear ended by a semi-truck. I called roadside assistance through my insurance company and it took them 2.5 hours to get to us. We had to have it towed about 70 miles to a shop and pay $184.00. The body shop we towed it to said it is the transmission. He said he knew it to be a common issue with 2019 Toyota Highlanders. I looked it up online and found several instances of similar stories. There was no warning.”

“I am writing to formally document a series of unresolved mechanical issues with my vehicle, culminating in a complete transmission failure, and to request assistance in resolving this matter. The timeline of events is detailed below: *Winter 2024: I first noticed a persistent buzzing sound originating from the engine compartment. Because this symptom primarily occurred during low ambient temperatures, I initially attributed it to the cold weather. The mileage on this vehicle was around 50k miles. *Spring 2024: I contacted the dealership to report the noise. I was advised that the issue was likely related to a worn belt. Subsequent inspection, however, proved this diagnosis to be incorrect, and the root cause of the noise remained unresolved. *Fall 2024: The engine buzzing returned. Concurrently, a severe driveability issue emerged. On multiple occasions after shifting from Park to Drive, the vehicle failed to engage the gear properly, behaving as though it were in Neutral and preventing any acceleration. This would occur while driving and stopped at redlights, which posed a major safety concern as I was transporting my newborn and young child with me. *…”

“The car is was a 2019 Toyota Highlander with approximately 125,000 miles. White Smoke started appearing in the exhaust. Quickly after that, the check engine light appeared and started blinking, meaning the engine was misfiring. We brought to the dealership, and they found that cylinder 4 of the engine was damaged (scoring on the inside of the cylinder wall). The engine was releasing metal particles in the oil. Further, the cylinder would not hold oil or coolant pressure, and was burning both oil and coolant. The only fix was to replace or rebuild the engine.”

“My transmission is now missing the 3rd gear and left me and my kids stalled in traffic as I was turning in oncoming traffic. Toyota dealership confirmed that was the problem upon inspection.”

“Our 2019 Toyota Highlander currently has 54,605 miles. In August 2025, when the vehicle had 50,236 miles, we brought it to the Toyota dealership to address a whining noise coming from the transmission. At that time, the vehicle was still under the manufacturer’s warranty. The dealership performed a transmission service during that visit. Within the following weeks, however, the whining noise returned, and the vehicle began experiencing hard and delayed shifting. Our children and grandchildren have recently moved to Washington, and we had planned to drive there to visit them. Unfortunately, we are now reluctant to drive the vehicle due to safety concerns, as we have been advised that the transmission may be failing. The dealership has now recommended a full transmission replacement. Because the original concern was reported while the vehicle was still under warranty, we believe the issue should have been properly diagnosed and resolved at that time. However, the problem was not addressed, and the vehicle is now outside the warranty period, with Toyota declining to cover the cost of the replacement transmission. Given that the problem was first reported while the…”