The Lane Check

Home › Cars › Toyota › Highlander › 2022

2022 Toyota Highlander problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
30%
67 of 221 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2022 Toyota Highlander. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 30% of relevant complaints.

Better than 70% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 38 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 26%).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026

The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2022 Toyota Highlander have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 67 of 221 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2022 Toyota Highlander concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). For comparison, the 2021 scores 60% and the 2023 scores 28%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
67
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
259
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
5
17 crashes · 13 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN54 · 21%
STRUCTURE42 · 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER38 · 15%
SERVICE BRAKES38 · 15%
AIR BAGS29 · 11%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE21 · 8%

The years either side

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

How the 2022 compares with other Toyota Highlander years

Of the 14 Toyota Highlander years with enough complaints to score, the 2022 is the 6th-worst on engine and transmission share (30%). The worst is the 2019 (68%), the best the 2014 (9%). By volume, the 2022 drew 259 complaints (67 drivetrain), against 523 for the 2021 and 182 for the 2023.

Toyota Highlander years to avoid and best years →

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2022 Toyota Highlander

  • The mileage where it happens. When owners of the 2022 Toyota Highlander said the problem showed up, and the range most of them fell in.
  • Up to 15 owner reports, with the ones about your car's own engine first.
  • What to ask the seller and what to check on the test drive, for this car.
  • Two cars side by side, if you are deciding between them.

What one owner reported

POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYS08/22/2026CRASH1 INJURED
Because I am not an expert, I cannot say with certainty what exact vehicle components contributed to this incident. On August 17, 2026, at approximately 12:40 PM, I was slowly driving my 2022 Toyota Highlander XLE in a parking garage where I park my car every week. I saw a parking space, so I slowed down and began pre…

One of 67 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows up to 15, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

2022 Toyota Highlander engine and transmission recalls

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns on the 2022 Toyota Highlander, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

5 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
seats: mid/rear assembly: recliner26V128000 · Mar 2026
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back…
tires24V452000 · Jun 2024
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2021-2024 Highlander vehicles. The 20-inch accessory tires with an insufficient load rating for the vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating…
tires24V419000 · Jun 2024
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022-2024 model year Highlander L and Highlander LE vehicles equipped with the Blackout Package that includes 20" black alloy wheels and tires.…
structure: body: bumpers23V720000 · Oct 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Highlander & Highlander Hybrid vehicles. During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper…
equipment: other: labels22V310000 · May 2022
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2022 4Runner, Tacoma, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The load carrying capacity modification labels may not be permanent and can…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 3, 2026.

Checking one particular 2022 Toyota Highlander? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

Get a history report from EpicVIN Before you pay: EpicVIN’s $1 offer is a 3-day trial (up to 5 reports) that renews at $49.99 a month unless you cancel. Other plans are listed under “View all our packages” at checkout. We may earn a commission if you buy through this link. It does not change what this page reports.

Questions people ask about the 2022 Toyota Highlander

Does the 2022 Toyota Highlander have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 67 of 221 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2022 Toyota Highlander concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (30%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

What is the most common problem with the 2022 Toyota Highlander?

Going by NHTSA owner complaints, the most common problem filed against the 2022 Toyota Highlander is power train: 54 of 259 complaints (21%) name it, followed by structure (42) and service brakes (38). A complaint can name more than one component, so these overlap.

Is the 2022 Toyota Highlander reliable?

On the engine and transmission, nothing stands out: 30% of relevant complaints filed with NHTSA concern the drivetrain, below the 33% line where we call a signal elevated. That is better than 70% of the 1,790 model years we track. Among the 14 Toyota Highlander years we score, it ranks 6th-worst. Complaint data describes the model year, not one car, and it says nothing about trim, paint or electronics outside the drivetrain; an independent inspection still decides it.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2022 Toyota Highlander?

No. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns on the 2022 Toyota Highlander, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Toyota Highlander years are better?

Among the Toyota Highlander years we track, the 2014 (9%), the 2010 (13%) and the 2015 (13%) have a lower engine and transmission complaint share than the 2022 (30%). Manufacturers fix things mid-generation, so the year before or after can be a different car. Every year side by side: https://thelanecheck.com/cars/toyota-highlander

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

Check a VIN

Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.