2022 Toyota Highlander power train problems

“The contact owns a 2022 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the transmission was shuddering however, the vehicle was able to be driven to the residence. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer associated the failure with the transmission. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 105,000.”

“On September 23, 2026, at approximately 7:30 AM, I was driving the vehicle in a parking garage at an estimated speed of approximately 10 mph. While driving over a curve in the parking garage and applying the brakes to slow the vehicle and maneuver into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own despite the brakes being applied. The vehicle struck the metal wire safety fence and then came to a stop. Prior to this incident, over the preceding 2–3 months, I had experienced intermittent problems with the transmission. Specifically, when shifting from neutral to reverse, the transmission would occasionally become temporarily stuck or fail to engage properly. It would then begin functioning after a small tap. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? : Possibly transmission How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? There was no one else in the parking garage as it was early in the morning, otherwise it could have resulted in loss of additional property and possibly injuries. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Going to consult…”

“Vehicle begin making grinding noises, and stalling during accelerating and also fuel smell. Took vehicle into Toyota Waldorf, MD dealership for diagnostic. At 58,000 miles, 2022 Toyota Highlander XLE stalls to accelerate due to front differentials failing, causing large chunks of metal on the drain plug indicating internal failure. Vehicle needs transmission and front differential replaced. I have 4 children, 3 of them still small, and driving with the fuel smell would impact them greatly as 1 of my children has asthma. It's also a hazard to be on the road with this vehicle as it can stall at any moment, causing a traffic incident. The problem has been reproduced by dealer, who is refusing to approve the fix under the 60,000 mile Power Train Warranty. There were no other warning signs, no check engine light came on, no issues prior to me hearing this grinding noise and stalling.”

“Vehicle begin making grinding noises, and stalling during accelerating and also fuel smell. Took vehicle into Toyota Waldorf, MD dealership for diagnostic. At 58,000 miles, 2022 Toyota Highlander XLE stalls to accelerate due to front differentials failing, causing large chunks of metal on the drain plug indicating internal failure. Vehicle needs transmission and front differential replaced. I have 4 children, 3 of them still small, and driving with the fuel smell would impact them greatly as 1 of my children has asthma. It's also a hazard to be on the road with this vehicle as it can stall at any moment, causing a traffic incident. The problem has been reproduced by dealer, who is refusing to approve the fix under the 60,000 mile Power Train Warranty. There were no other warning signs, no check engine light came on, no issues prior to me hearing this grinding noise and stalling.”

“While accelerating, the vehicle produces a loud whining noise from the transmission area underneath the vehicle. I took the vehicle to Modern Toyota in [XXX] on XXX at 103,287 miles. The dealer diagnosed the condition and their invoice states the vehicle "needs the transmission replaced due to a gear whine." The estimated repair cost is approximately $10,498. This vehicle is equipped with the UA80E 8-speed automatic transmission. Toyota documented this same condition in Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0008-21, which describes a whine or grind noise from the transmission caused by the front carrier assembly pinion shafts, and prescribes transaxle replacement as the repair. My vehicle exhibits the identical symptom and requires the identical repair. The vehicle is the original purchase, bought new on XXX. The failure occurred outside the 60,000-mile powertrain warranty limit, leaving the full repair cost to the owner. This appears to be a widespread defect affecting UA80-equipped Toyota vehicles across multiple model years, and I am reporting it so it is on record.”

“Car started to have a whining noise only when accelerating at 122,000 miles took it to the Toyota dealer where I bought it from. They did a diagnostics and told me it was the transmission and that it cost almost 10,000 to fix it. Car did not have no check engine light at all.”