2019 Toyota Highlander

Transmission failure resulted in sudden loss of power while driving, creating a safety risk in traffic. Vehicle was unable to accelerate and required immediate repair. Put myself and my children at risk, as the car suddenly died while I was driving it. Prior to this, there were not issues. Has been routinely maintained and only has approx 83k miles. Toyota agreed that the transmission is the only issue with my car but won't cover the cost to replace it (10k) or the cost of a loaner vehicle. I have been without a car for almost a month while the (refurbished) transmission is on backorder.

Good Morning, I purchased a 2019 Toyota Highlander at a Toyota dealership and the transmission has died at 68,000. It died while driving in heavy traffic with my kids in the car. Toyota has completed an inspection of the transmission and determined that it needed to be replaced. They also said that because the transmissions are in back order due to all of the failures, I would have to wait 45-60 days to get a remanufactured transmission. I've also heard that they are replacing these transmissions with the same ones that are failing and only offering a 1 year warranty. Ive already spoke with Toyota Brand engagement and they told me that there was nothing that they could do.

Transmission began to manifest gear shifting issues. Took to mechanic shop to have diagnosed and found premature wear. The recommendation was to replace this transmission. However there are no factory replacements for this transmission and the only alternative is a used transmission replacement. Parts can't be sourced for even a rebuild. This vehicle has 96k miles on it. In review of recommended, routine services for this vehicle, transmission service is not recommended due to being a "sealed" transmission. Apparently this is a known issue as documented by Toyota under TSB "CSP ZJC". In this particular situation there have not been any warning lights. Replacement quote for a used transmission was $15,000 on 01/12/2025.

After 3 weeks of inconsistent shifting with the automatic transmission and whining and clunking, the car failed to go into gear at all yesterday 1/5/26 while driving near Dulles airport. I had it towed, was told the transmission failed and then I found that this is a systemic design issue with the 2017-2022 cohort of gas V6, 8 speed, AWD Highlanders. Repair will be between $5K and $10K.

With under 80,000 miles, my 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE needed a full transmission replacement. Noticed some rough gear changes for about 2-weeks (mostly changing from Park to Drive), then on my drive home from work, the RPM spiked high and all the sensor lights came on (AWD, Check Engine, etc). I drove the rest of the way with hazard lights in limp-mode. Took my car into a Toyota dealer service center (Kenosha WI), they did not make any repairs - just disabled the sensor lights and did a test drive - ended up keeping a 2nd day and replaced transmission fluid since they were seeing oddities with shifting. Within 1 week, the same thing happened. This time, I could hardly make it above 20 mph, basically no acceleration. Received 2 quotes from independent transmission specialists / repair shops - both confirmed I needed a new transmission. They said the car is unsafe to drive until it is replaced. This was right near my 6-year 100,000 warranty. Perhaps a few months beyond 6 years. Toyota opted not to make any repairs / improvements. Left the car in unsafe condition for me and my kids. Toyota then quoted $16,346 for a new transmission. Other quotes I received were $10,000 LESS than Toyota, using new Toyota parts. Seemed like price gauging to me.

We began to hear a whine coming from the front of our 2019 Highlander. The tone of the whine got higher as we picked up speed. We went immediately for a preliminary review at the dealer who indicated that it was a known transmission problem in several model years, and the whine would only become more pronounced. We further understood that the very same transmission in our 2019 Highlander has been covered by a recall in years just prior and after 2019, but not for our particular VIN. Nevertheless, it is obvious to even the Toyota dealer mechanic that it is the same issue. The car has been carefully used and maintained since purchasing it new--it only has approximately 74,000. We expect our transmission fix or replacement to be covered.

Per my mechanic (fyi: 56k miles on vehicle): I test drove the vehicle and can hear a noticeable whine type noise when accelerating the noise goes away when getting off throttle. I put it on lift and the noise is coming from the transmission pump and sounds like cavitation. I checked the fluid level and it was overfull, very dark and has some very fine metal debris in the fluid. Something is coming apart inside the transmission has caused a catastrophic failure. The transmission will need replaced. I called Toyota to check availability and these transmission are on a restricted order. The dealer would need to call corporate Toyota to see what is needed to even order one. Usually a restricted order means they are on the edge of a back-order or having problems with the part and are working on a resolution or update. I did not see any recalls, service campaigns, or technical service bulletins for this transmission, but it sounds like the 2017-2021 V6 AWD UA80F transmissions are having issues. It is a long shot, but given the low mileage, you could try contacting Toyota to see if there is anything they can do for you. I know the factory warranty is 60 months or 60,000 miles on the powertrain. You are out on the time, but if they are having a known issue, then maybe they will help you.