There are 14 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2004 Toyota Highlanderin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
My car malfunctioned my tire locked up while I was driving on the high way causing me to spin out of control and skid all the way into a guard rail totalled my car out and not one air bag went off
The passenger airbag occupancy sensor in my car has stopped sensing a passenger has been stuck on "OFF" for the past 2-6 months (I believe) even when an adult is sitting in the seat. I don't know exactly when this problem began because there was never any warning light or error message which is a massive safety oversight since I could have been in accident with no knowledge that it wasn't working properly. The car is currently at the dealership and they are telling me it's $1300 to replace the sensor and that there is no way to bypass the sensor and just have it "ON" for the safety of my passenger. There is already a recall for this same system in newer Highlanders, but why is there no support for older Highlanders?
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR TWO DAYS NOW. THERE IS A BUZZING LIKE SOMETHING IS MALFUNCTIONING ON MY PASSENGER SIDE COMING FROM THE DASH I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO PEP BOYS AND THEY SAID THAT MY AIR BAG IS MALFUNCTIONING. IS RESULT OF THIS MY JOB WON'T LET ME DRIVE PATIENTS BECAUSE OF THE DANGER. THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE FIXED. I KNOW FOR A FACT IT'S THE AIRBAG BECAUSE TOYOTA TOLD WHEN I BROUGHT IT THERE BECAUSE PEP BOYS TOLD GO TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO CONFIRM AND IT WAS!. THIS HAPPENS IN MOTION AND A LITTLE WHILE IN MOTION. WHEN IT IS HUMID OUTSIDE THE BUZZING IS EVEN WORSER TO WHERE THE SIDE PANEL VY DRIVERS LEFT LEG VIBRATE.
CAR IN MOTION @45 MILES AN HOUR AT 8AM 12/29/14. DRIVER LOST CONSCIOUSNESS DUE TO MEDICAL EVENT, WHICH RESULTED IN AUTO RUNNING OFF ROAD AFTER HITTING CURB AND SIDEWALK, THEN HITTING A ROADSIDE FENCE AT AN ESTIMATED 45 MPH. THE CAR THEN ROLLED AND LANDED ON ROOF. DRIVER WAS SEAT-BELTED. NONE OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE COLLISION. DRIVER SUFFERED TRAUMA TO HEAD AND OTHER INJURIES. CAR WAS RATED BY INSURER AS COMPLETELY TOTALED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT AND WOULD ALSO INTERMITTENTLY SEIZE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000. UPDATED 1/7/15*CN UPDATED 06/3/2015 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY MALFUNCTIONED AND THE FABRIC MATERIAL STRAP BECAME FRAYED AND SHREDDED AT THE BUCKLE LOCATION. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (ATLANTIC TOYOTA IN LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS) AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED, BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000. *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT RETRACT OR UNLATCH INTERMITTENTLY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
THE PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR WARNING LIGHT CAME ON WHILE NOBODY WAS EVEN IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, WHILE TRAVELING ON A CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY. A CHECK OF THE TOYOTA OWNER'S MANUAL STATED THAT THE ENTIRE AIRBAG SYSTEM WOULD NOT FUNCTION IF THIS LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON FOR NO REASON AT ALL. SINCE WE LIVE NO WHERE NEAR A DEALER, NEAREST DEALER IS 100 MILES AWAY, I LET IT STAY THAT WAY FOR AWHILE. THERE WAS ALSO A SAFETY PROBLEM WITH DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS MODEL, WHERE THE ALWAYS ON DAYLAMPS MELT THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS AND LEAVE A VISIBLE MELTED BUBBLE, THAT THE DEALER REFUSES TO FIX BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T MANUFACTURE THE HEADLIGHTS AND THE VEHICLE YEAR AND MILEAGE IS OUT OF WARRANTY- BUT, WE STILL HAVE THE VEHICLE- THEY SHOULD STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. THEN, MOST RECENTLY, A SHUFFLING SOUND FROM BEHIND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL/ BEZEL CLUSTER OCCURRED AND MAKES THE WEIRD SOUND FOR 3 OR SO MINUTES SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME, ABOUT EVERY 2 TIMES NOW. THE SOUND USED TO MAKE A CLICKING SOUND FOR ONLY 1 MINUTE- SO, IT'S GETTING LOUDER, AND LONGER. WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY A MECHANIC THAT THE SUSPENSION/RODS/SHOCKS ARE BAD AND WILL NEED REPLACED- THAT IS AN EXPENSIVE FIX. *TR
MY 7 YEAR OLD GOT TRAPPED IN THE SEATBELT AND HE HAD TO BE CUT OUT. HE WAS SITTING IN HIS HIGH BACK BOOSTER WITH THE SEATBELT PULLED OVER AND BUCKLED. BEFORE UNBUCKLING, HE PUT HIS HEAD THROUGH AND UNDER THE SHOULDER BELT PORTION. AFTER DISENGAGING THE BUCKLE, THE BELT STARTED TO RETRACT, AND GOT CAUGHT ON THE ARMREST OF THE BOOSTER SEAT AND STARTED TIGHTENING AROUND MY CHILD. EVERYTIME HE WIGGLED OR MOVED TO GET OUT, IT TIGHTENED FURTHER TO THE POINT WHERE HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING. THERE WAS NO WAY TO MANUALLY LOOSEN THE BELT AS IT CONSTRICTED AROUND HIM FURTHER AND FURTHER LIKE A BOA CONSTRICTOR. I HAD TO SCREAM FOR HELP AT THE CAR WASH I WAS AT AND THE WORKERS BROUGHT SCISSORS TO CUT THE BELT AND GET HIM OUT. *TR
2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AIRBAGS NOT WORKING. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH AND SWERVED TO AVOID ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A LARGE PILLAR ON AN OVERPASS AND BOUNCED OFF OF IT INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE ALSO CRASHED INTO A SECOND PILLAR. THE DRIVER SUFFERED NO INJURIES. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY WITH THE MASSIVE IMPACT OF THE CRASH. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE AIR BAG SENSOR MUST BE STRUCK IN A SPECIFIC AREA FOR THE DEPLOYMENT TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,498.
WAS T-BONED ON DRIVERS SIDE AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK
THERE WAS A SEAT BELT LOCKING REEL FAILURE THAT HAD OCCURRED IN A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT IN A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. *AK THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE SIDE. *SC *JB
AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A NISSAN PATHFINDER CUT IN FRONT OF ME AND I CRASHED INTO HIM. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 MPH WHEN HE SUDDENLY VEERED INTO MY LAND. I TRIED TO BRAKE, BUT THERE WASN'T TIME AND I HIT THE BACK OF HIS PATHFINDER AND THEN SPUN AROUND AND HIT THE GUARDRAIL. THE SEAT BELTS EXPLODED, BUT THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, UPON EITHER IMPACT. THE FIREMEN JUST SHOOK THEIR HEADS IN DISBELIEF AND MY CAR'S DAMAGE (~$9000). MY HIGHLANDER WAS SUPPOSED TO BE BACK TO ME IN 2-3 WEEKS, BUT IT HAS BEEN NINE WEEKS AND THE CAR STILL ISN'T FIXED DUE TO BACK ORDERS AT TOYOTA. THE NUISANCE OF THE TOYOTA BACKORDERS MAKES ME VERY UNSATISFIED WITH TOYOTA. THE FAILURE OF THE AIR BAG TO DEPLOY IS SCARY AND MAKES ME VERY LEERY OF THE HIGHLANDER AND DECREASES MY FAITH IN TOYOTA, ONCE I DO GET IT BACK. (AL
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026