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Reliability report · 2019 Toyota Highlander · Updated July 2026 · ~$2,700/yr fuel · what it costs to keep →

The loudest Highlander year in our data — buy the fixed transmission, not the whine.

By 2019 the eight-speed automatic (UA80) is the mechanically revised unit — Toyota's launch fixes were in by mid-2018 — so this is not the trial-year gamble that 2017 is. But the 2019 has the largest federal complaint file in our Highlander data, and it is almost entirely one thing: a high-pitch transmission whine on acceleration that owners' dealers diagnose as internal failure at 55,000–140,000 miles, past the powertrain warranty, quoting $6,000–$11,000 to replace.

The redeeming detail is that Toyota extended the transmission warranty, so a whine caught in time may still be covered — verify the current window by VIN. Pair that with the standard third-gen timing-cover oil-leak check, and 2019 is a good year mechanically; it is 'loud' because of high-mileage transmission complaints, not because it is a bad car. A late-2018 build offers the same drivetrain with a smaller file.

Evidence: 469 NHTSA complaints · 3 recall campaigns · 6 mechanic & forum sources

Canary status

Squawking

What that means: 469 federal complaints — the most of any year in our Highlander set — overwhelmingly the eight-speed automatic's whine as it fails at higher mileage, outside warranty. The 2019 has the revised eight-speed, but the failures now surfacing at 55k–140k miles are the story, alongside the third-gen timing-cover oil leak.

CalmChirpingSquawkingFainted

469

Federal complaints

3

Recalls

$6,000–$11,000

Out-of-warranty UA80 replacement (owners' dealer quotes)

Federal crash tests

5-star scale
Overall
Frontal crash
Side crash
Rollover

Tested variant: 2019 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD (NHTSA VehicleId 13214)

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) →

Known issues

Ranked by the cost of ignoring them. Every claim carries its source.

UA80 eight-speed whine — high-mileage failures out of warranty

major

The dominant pattern in the 2019 file: a high-pitch whine on acceleration (often 25–55 mph) that owners take to a dealer and are told is internal transmission failure, with replacement quoted at $6,000–$11,000 out of warranty. Owners cite Toyota service bulletins (T-SB-0008-21 and others) and a warranty extension; a Toyota dealer email covering the UA80 traces the root cause to an assembly defect (an insufficiently bent washer tab letting an internal nut loosen). Failures cluster from ~55k to ~140k miles — past the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty for many owners. On the test drive, a whine that rises with acceleration and a scan-tool reset can't cure is a walk-away sign; if the car still has transmission coverage, that changes the math entirely — verify it by VIN.

This problem spans 2017–2022 — the full UA80 eight-speed automatic story →

Replacement under extended coverage

$0

Out-of-warranty UA80 replacement (owners' dealer quotes)

$6,000–$11,000

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2019 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (UA80 dealer email, fuel-pump settlement, recall documents) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (Car Care Nut 2014–2019 buying guide)

Front timing-cover oil leak (3.5L V6)major

The final third-gen year still carries the notorious front timing-cover oil leak. Because the engine must be dropped to reseal it, the out-of-warranty repair is $2,000–$4,000 (mechanic estimate). Inspect that the engine and timing-cover area are dry before buying — an oil-coated engine is a negotiation or a walk-away. The vacuum pump on this V6 can also knock at idle (a TSB item).

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications (UA80 dealer email, fuel-pump settlement, recall documents) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (Car Care Nut 2014–2019 buying guide)

$2,000–$4,000

Timing-cover reseal, out of warranty (mechanic estimate)

Low-pressure fuel pump recall — and the settlement programmoderate

The 2019 is covered by the Denso low-pressure fuel-pump recall (20V-012 and its expansion 20V-682): the in-tank pump can fail and stall the engine, remedied by a free replacement. The December 2022 court settlement created a Customer Support Program — quiet extended coverage — for certain 2014–2020 vehicles repaired under the recall. Verify the recall shows completed by VIN.

Sources: NHTSA complaint database, 2019 Highlander + Highlander Hybrid · NHTSA manufacturer communications (UA80 dealer email, fuel-pump settlement, recall documents)

$0

Recall pump replacement

Known nuisances: rotors, bulbs, radio, paintminor

Warped front rotors under city braking (recurring), frequent bulb replacements, infotainment reboots and Bluetooth drops, and Blizzard Pearl / Super White factory paint peeling (Toyota program for 2008–2018). Standard third-gen texture — worth knowing, not structural.

Sources: NHTSA manufacturer communications (UA80 dealer email, fuel-pump settlement, recall documents) · Independent mechanic channel transcripts (Car Care Nut 2014–2019 buying guide)

The transmission needs to be changed and it will cost me $11,000. There are many complaints online about these UA80 transmissions.
6 mechanic & owner sources

Open recalls

Free fixes at any Toyota dealer. Run the VIN — “completed” isn’t always completed.

  1. 20V-012Denso low-pressure fuel pump (original campaign) can fail and stall the engine. Free pump replacement.open
  2. 20V-682Expansion of the low-pressure fuel-pump recall covering 2017–2019 Highlander among many models. Free improved-pump replacement.open
  3. 19V-244Gulf States Toyota load-capacity label text may become illegible across many 2019 models. Corrected labels provided free.open

What it costs to keep

The purchase price is what you negotiate. These are the numbers you live with afterward — each one sourced, none of them blended into a fake total.

The ownership picture — 2019 Highlander

Two sourced numbers. No fake total.

Fuel

23 MPG combined (20 city / 27 highway) for the FWD, 3.5L on the EPA federal fuel-economy test.

Source: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA) — EPA’s federal fuel-economy test, recomputed with current gas prices. EPA record 40747 (Highlander).
Other builds EPA lists: AWD, 3.5L 22 MPG · FWD, 2.7L 22 MPG · Hybrid AWD, 3.5L 28 MPG.

$2,700/yr

at $4.15/gal · 15,000 mi/yr · 55/45 city/hwy · pulled Jul 12, 2026

Repair risk

What this specific year is known to need. Pulled from the issues above — the repairs owners actually report, at the costs they report them. Averages from other sites blend every year together; these are this year’s own numbers.

Source: this report — 01 Known issues.

Replacement under extended coverage$0
Out-of-warranty UA80 replacement (owners' dealer quotes)$6,000–$11,000
Timing-cover reseal, out of warranty (mechanic estimate)$2,000–$4,000
Recall pump replacement$0
Why there’s no single “cost to own” number: sites that promise one are guessing at your insurance quote, your annual miles, and your luck. These are the numbers we can actually source — and each one carries its receipt.

Shopping this year?

Get the printable pre-purchase checklist and an alert if this year’s recall sheet changes.

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Have a specific one in your sights?

The VIN is on the listing. We’ll check this exact car — build, open recalls, and whether the “completed” repairs stayed fixed.

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Before you buy

Print this
  1. 01Test-drive at 25–55 mph and listen for a transmission whine on acceleration — the 2019's signature failure mode.
  2. 02If a whine is present, price in a $6,000–$11,000 replacement unless remaining transmission coverage is confirmed by VIN.
  3. 03Check the engine and timing-cover area are dry — an oil-soaked engine means a $2,000–$4,000 reseal.
  4. 04Verify the low-pressure fuel-pump recall (20V-012 / 20V-682) shows completed.
  5. 05Confirm the 19V-244 label recall and inspect Blizzard Pearl / Super White paint for peeling.
  6. 06On high-mileage cars (80k+), weigh a late-2018 build with the same drivetrain and a smaller complaint file.

Own one already?

The canary watches your VIN — new recalls and the mileage where known issues start.

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vincanary.com/toyota/highlander/2019