Toyota Highlander XU70: common faults & what to check

You're looking at the XU70

2 engine variants are documented for this generation. Pick yours to narrow further, or keep reading for the generation as a whole.

2021–nowXU70 Selected2021–nowXU702.5 hybridHybridDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2021–nowXU70 Selected2021–nowXU703.5 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Toyota Highlander

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Toyota Highlander before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Costly issue

  Check the 12V battery date and health, and ask how the car behaves after being parked several days.

  See why

  12V auxiliary battery goes flat from parasitic drain

  Owners of 2021-onward Highlander/Kluger repeatedly report the small 12V battery going flat, sometimes on near-new cars, leaving the vehicle unable to start or wake. The 12V system runs the electronics and control modules (and on the hybrid it also boots the whole car), so it is sensitive to parasitic draws from the always-on telematics/DCM 4G module and to short-trip or long-idle-parked usage patterns that never fully recharge it. Because it is a low-current standby drain rather than mechanical wear, it typically shows up early in life or after the car has sat, not at high kilometres. Dealers sometimes find no fault on inspection; a healthier battery, telematics setting change, or a maintenance charger is the usual remedy.

  What you would notice

  • Car won't start or won't power up after sitting
  • Dead battery within days of a full charge
  • Warning messages or accessories not working on wake
  • Needs a jump start or hybrid ready-mode won't engage

  Typically $250–$900 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Fold each second-row seatback down and return it upright, confirming it locks with a positive click and won't tip forward when pushed.

  See why

  Recall: second-row seatback may fail to lock (26V128)

  On 2021-2024 Highlander (Kluger in NZ/AU) and Highlander Hybrid, the return springs in the second-row seat recliner assemblies can fail so a seatback does not lock upright after being adjusted. A back that isn't locked may not properly restrain an occupant in a crash. Toyota's recall 26V128 replaces the recliner return springs free of charge; confirm it was done on an imported car.

  What you would notice

  • Second-row seatback doesn't click firmly into the upright locked position
  • Seatback tips forward too easily
  • Rattle or movement from a second-row seatback
• Common issue

  Sit in the vehicle for a full test drive and cycle the head unit through reversing camera, audio, phone mirroring and climate screens.

  See why

  Infotainment screen freezes, blank-outs and random reboots

  XU70 Highlanders (sold as Kluger in NZ/AU) with the 8-inch or 12.3-inch multimedia head unit commonly suffer the screen going blank, freezing, becoming unresponsive to touch, or rebooting itself while driving, sometimes several times a day. Toyota addressed it under Technical Service Bulletin T-SB-0055-22, which in worse cases calls for replacing the multimedia integration control module with an updated part. This is a software and module trait of early XU70 build years rather than a wear item, so it can appear at very low kilometres and is not km-dependent. Many cases are covered under the basic warranty, and a Home plus Volume-Down hard reset often clears it temporarily.

  What you would notice

  • Screen goes black or blank while driving
  • Touchscreen unresponsive to inputs
  • System reboots itself repeatedly
  • Reversing camera or audio drops out
  • Bluetooth or CarPlay disconnects

  Typically $0–$2,500 to put right.

• Worth checking

  Check the front lower bumper cover is firmly attached along its whole edge with no sagging, gaps or missing clips; gently tug the lower corners.

  See why

  Recall: front lower bumper cover can loosen or detach (23V720)

  On 2020-2023 Highlander (Kluger) and Highlander Hybrid, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover can cause it to loosen or detach during normal driving, becoming a road hazard. Toyota's recall 23V720 repairs or replaces the upper and lower front bumper covers free of charge. Check the cover is secure and the recall was completed.

  What you would notice

  • Front lower bumper cover loose, sagging or with uneven gaps
  • Rattling or scraping from the front bumper
  • Bumper cover previously detached or refitted

Toyota Highlander service schedule

The 2 engines a 2022 Toyota Highlander was sold with, each with its own intervals. Pick your engine above to narrow this to one. These are the model’s intervals — the car’s own service book is the only thing that can tell you what has actually been done to it.

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