YearToAvoid

2009 Toyota Highlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

35/100

#14 most-complained of 21 Highlander years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2009 Toyota Highlander has 134 owner complaints and 9 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 35 out of 100 — #14 highest of 21 Highlander model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is engine (41 complaints, 31% of the total). Complaints report 6 crashes, 5 fires, and 9 injuries.

Complaints
134
Recalls
9
Crashes / fires
6 / 5
Injuries / deaths
9 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
20
18 city / 24 hwy

Top 2009 Toyota Highlander problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine41 (31%)
  2. Brakes26 (19%)
  3. Electrical System22 (16%)
  4. Structure & Body19 (14%)
  5. Steering11 (8%)
  6. Suspension, Wheels & Tires11 (8%)
  7. Other9 (7%)
  8. Airbags8 (6%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain7 (5%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers7 (5%)
2009 Toyota Highlander complaints: complaints filed per quarter142009 Q12011 Q12013 Q22015 Q32017 Q32019 Q32021 Q32024 Q1
166 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q1 to 2025 Q3; peak 2010 Q1 (14).

2009 Toyota Highlander recalls

9 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

    Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

  2. NHTSA 15V689000Oct 22, 2015Visibility & Wipers1,814,284 vehicles

    Visibility:power window devices and controls

    Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.

    Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.

  3. NHTSA 14V743000Nov 19, 2014Structure & Body3,233 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

    Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

See all 9 recalls for the 2009 Toyota Highlander →

2009 Toyota Highlander fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
20 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,250
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2009 compared with other Highlander years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2007Best5123419.5
2008Avoid804041119.5
2009Good35134920
2010Caution602161020
2011Good25181520

All Toyota Highlander years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Toyota Highlander a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2009 Toyota Highlander ranks #14 of 21 among Highlander model years (Complaint Index 35/100, verdict: Good). It has 134 complaints and 9 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Toyota Highlander?
The most reported problem areas are engine (41 complaints), brakes (26 complaints), and electrical system (22 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 60,000 miles.
Does the 2009 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2009 Toyota Highlander, most recently reported 2016, covering structure & body, visibility & wipers, airbags, and other.
What is the fuel economy of the 2009 Toyota Highlander?
EPA rates the 2009 Toyota Highlander at 20 MPG combined (18 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,250. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.