2019 Toyota Highlander Power Train

transmission problems at 62000 miles high pitched whine with acceleration

2019 Toyota Highlander with approx 178000 miles, UA80E transmission sudden failure while traveling approximately 30 mph, on city street. Manually pushed vehicle to safety away from traffic and unto a parking lot. That same evening drove vehicle about 20 feet to a more secure parking spot. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN MOVED SINCE 12/15/25. No leaks, no spills etc EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

The transmission failed while going up a steep hill the car lost power and shut off. Could have caused seriously property and body damage if traffic or people were around. Luckily no accident happened but could certainly cause an accident if the circumstances are different. Please make an official complain so this could be fully investigated.

Our transmission is making a high pitched whining sound when accelerating.

premature failure of UA80F transmission with 80,000 miles on vehicle which has been regularly serviced and maintained. Failure symptoms demonstrated match documented cases exactly resulting in the ultimate and complete failure of the transmission resulting in the vehicle being towed in to the dealer for a repair. Repair bill upwards of $10,000 however being told parts not available leaving me with a 40k vehicle that is unable to be repaired.

At around 107,000 miles, we started hearing griding/whining noises from the engine compartment. After multiple inspections from 3 different auto shops a Toyota dealership confirmed the transmission and transfer case had failed and needed to be completely replaced. There were NO warning lamps, messages or other symptoms besides the griding/whinig noise prior to the failure. After the Toyota dealership diagnosed the issue, we stopped using the vehicle until Toyota could make the necessary repairs for the vehicle to be safely driven. The Toyota dealership made the necessary repairs that we paid for on 10/28/25. We are aware that this is a known defect by Toyota on the UA80 Transmission and Technical Service Bulletins have been released. We demand a recall and our out of pocket repair cost money back of $12,623.31.

I have 2019 Toyota Highlander and it has less than 78k miles. A few months ago ago it started barley noticeable wheezing sound and then it got progressively worse. I took it to a the mechanic and he said it was the transmission. It expensive to fix and I saw that a lot if people are complaining about the same problem. I think Toyota should be responsible for replacing the faulty transmissions. My car has been sitting in the driveway because I can’t fix it.

My vehicle was taken into Toyota dealership for diagnostics after experiencing a whine noise from transmission after driving. Toyota confirmed that I will need a new transmission. After researching I found that there is a defect in the transmissions for my specific type. It has been reported for years but Toyota has not addressed. Since it is a transmission failure this could lead to a breakdown while driving on highways and could risk my safety and other drivers. The estimated repair cost are currently above $8K.

Owners of 2017–2022 Toyota Highlanders, 2017–2020 Siennas, and 2018–2020 Camrys are experiencing serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions. Toyota quietly acknowledged the problem in Technical Service Bulletins T-SB-0160-18, T-SB-0008-21, and a limited Customer Support Program (CSP ZJC)—but only offered coverage to a narrow group of VINs. Thousands of other affected vehicles were left out, even though they show the same exact symptoms.

Transmission failure. Vehicle is at this time still operational however the transmission has developed the ever so common whining sound and sluggish shifting. Upon fluid inspection metal filings can be seen and replacement has been recommended by repair shop. The whining has been evident for some time but after investigating this issue decided to have inspected. This inspection was just completed on 11/14/25

Our 2019 Toyota Highlanders transmission is gone. The car has 83,000 miles. I have been researching online and found out that Toyota is very much aware of the problem. They're refusing to help me. They're basing it on our VIN#. No recalls. I just want them to acknowledge that the issue needs to be addressed NOW.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, there was an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact previously owned a 2017 Toyota Highlander and heard the same whining sound coming from the transmission. The contact stated that when the 2017 Toyota Highlander was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased, the contact was offered a trade of the 2017 Toyota Highlander for the 2019 Toyota Highlander. Following the failure of the 2019 Highlander, the vehicle was taken to two different dealers to be diagnosed. The first dealer had not diagnosed the vehicle but stated that the vehicle was operating normally. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched the failure online and determined that the 2017 Highlander and the 2019 Highlander had the same model transmission, UA80F - CVT transmission. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

8-speed automatic transmission failing. Noticeable whining sound that increases with acceleration, however no warning lights or messages. Metal shavings found in fluid upon inspection by independent mechanic. This is exactly in line with the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by plaintiff [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine revs up to 5k rpm by itself and barely moves forward when stepping on the accelerator. When it does move it’s only up to 40 miles per hour only and the engine will rev up to 5k rpm without moving any faster.

A wine and hard shifting, toyota does not agree. I experience this issue several times a day. Taking it into the dealership again to try to diagnose.

A whinning noise can be heard from car while driving. Vehicle has just under 60k miles and dealer is saying the transmission is failing and it would need to be replaced. There was no warning lights or indication on display.

We have noticed a whinning noise as we accelerate the vehicle. Doing some investigation online I came across a lot of threads with the same issue. Seems to be the transmission. Reached out to a Toyota tech friend and he mentioned it is the transmission. They have had several Highlanders and Camry with the same issue.

Whining noise when accelerator is pressed. Potential failed transmission.

My car does have a similar transmission as the one that was recall in Siannas, and Camrys. I have experience the same serious transmission issues—including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions.

Bearly 60 k miles and transmission is going out I got a Toyota because it was reliable did all the required maintenance and Toyota won’t even help

2019 Toyota Highlander XLE with 94,000 miles. This past Friday, the transmission started slipping...slow to move while pushing the gas pedal. After about 20 minutes, was slipping less. Pulled code P2757 off of OBD. By Monday, the car wouldn't move despite revving up to 3500-4000 rpm. Reverse would work, but not first gear. Called AAA and had it towed to a shop. Shop didn't give me codes, but said there were several. They reported that the transmission needed to be replaced or rebuilt.

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH uphill and depressing the accelerator pedal, the contact heard a grinding sound and smelled an odor coming from the front of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

My car was having trouble shifting gears and then every single light came on indicating a big problem. The check engine light came on, it said ABS off and went through a bunch of different things saying they all turned off and would barely roll at 2mph. I took it in and it needs a full transmission replacement at barely 73,000 miles. Upon looking into it, I saw online that this is a common issue that Toyota still has not issued an official recall for despite it being a very common issue. It’s a 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE and should not be having these issues this early on.

Car Manufactured in April 2019. Transmission failure at 113,000 miles. Before failure, the transmission had a whine and lag when accelerating from a full stop, creating an unsafe situation when pulling into traffic. The cost to repair is over $9,000, and the part is on backorder for several months. The NHSTA facilitated a voluntary service bulletin with Toyota that extended the warranty for the Highlander model years 2017 to 2018 for issues related to the UA80F transmission. The service bulletin should extend to the 2019 model year, as the issues are the same and the transmission model is the same, and possibly for models built early in 2019, which likely have transmissions built or component parts from 2018.

A couple of days ago, I started hearing a faint whining noise coming from my vehicle when I pressed on the gas pedal. When I brought my vehicle into the dealership today for my 100,000 mile service, I advised them of such. After raising the concern, I was told that there was an issue with my car's transmission and that it was not covered by the warranty as the warranty for that part ended at 75,000 miles. After looking up this issue and the cost to replace, I learned that this transmission issue is a prevalent issue with 2017-2021 highlanders with over 60,000 miles. This issue is so prevalent that there is a huge backorder for parts needed to fix this specific issue. I have owned multiple Toyotas because of their reliability. I had a 4 runner that I used past 225,000 miles with no issues. The fact that I'm having an issue with a transmission issue with a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles on it that I always service every 5,000 miles at the Toyota dealership I bought the vehicle at is huge red flag and is making me reconsider my allegiance to the Toyota brand. The dealer has quoted me a price of $7,500 to fix the issue. I believe that Toyota should make this right as it is clear that this is a known and prevalent issue with the highlanders. In fact, I'm surprised given the number of people complaining online that it is not the subject of a recall. As a lawyer, this sounds like an issue ripe for a class action. That being said, I am hoping that Toyota will work with me and pay for the repair and/or furnish me with a new car credit.