10V-017
Sticking Accelerator Pedal (CTS friction lever)
2010 Highlander, part of the 2005-2010 Avalon / 2007-2010 Camry / 2009-2010 Corolla, Matrix and RAV4 / 2008-2010 Sequoia / 2007-2010 Tundra campaign: the friction lever in the pedal assembly can wear smooth and, with condensation on it, make the pedal hard to depress, slow to return or stuck partly down. Remedy installs a reinforcement bar in the pedal. This is the pedal-mechanism recall, separate from the floor-mat entrapment campaigns of the same era — confirm which one a seller is talking about. Note that some third-party recall feeds omit this campaign on the 2010 Highlander; the VIN lookup at nhtsa.gov is authoritative.
15V-689
Power Window Master Switch — short / melt (fire risk)
Covers 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid inside a large Toyota/Scion/Pontiac Vibe campaign (Toyota C0M). Grease was applied inconsistently to the sliding contacts inside the driver-door master switch during manufacture; without it, moisture and debris can short the switch, overheat it and melt the assembly. Remedy is inspect and lubricate, or replace the switch circuit board if damage is found. Cycle every window from the driver's master switch before you buy — gritty action, intermittent operation or any scorch smell at the door panel is the tell.
14V-168
Spiral Cable / Driver Airbag May Be Deactivated
Covers 2008-2010 Highlander (plus 2006-2008 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, 2009-2010 Tacoma, Corolla, Matrix and the Pontiac Vibe). The flexible flat cable inside the steering-column spiral cable assembly can be damaged by the shape and location of its retainer as the wheel is turned; if it tears, the driver airbag loses connectivity and will not deploy. Remedy replaces the spiral cable assembly. An airbag warning lamp that is on — or a lamp that has been bulbed out — should stop the deal until the VIN is checked.
13V-014
Passenger Occupant-Sensing Calibration (Southeast Toyota accessory installs)
Southeast Toyota Distributors campaign covering 2009-2013 Highlander and 2009-2010 Highlander Hybrid among many models. When SET added accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, the passenger occupant-sensing system calibration may never have been re-tested, so the front passenger airbags may not deploy or may deploy inappropriately for the occupant's size. Remedy tests and recalibrates the sensors. Only affects cars distributed through SET (Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas), and aftermarket-look seat trim is the visual cue.
16V-396
Accessory Seat Heaters — short circuit / fire (SET, regional)
Southeast Toyota Distributors campaign on 2005-2011 Highlander and 2006-2010 Highlander Hybrid fitted with dealer-installed accessory seat heaters using a copper-strand element. Compressing the seat cushion can damage the wiring and short the element. The remedy is to disconnect the heater and refund what the buyer paid for it — so a car that has had this recall performed has dead seat heaters by design, not a fault. Regional: SET-distributed cars only.
14V-743
Accessory Seat Heaters — earlier wave (SET, regional)
The earlier Southeast Toyota seat-heater campaign, covering 2006-2011 Highlander among a long list of models. Same defect and same disconnect-and-refund remedy as 16V-396. Regional: SET-distributed cars only.
13V-123
Load-Capacity Label Accuracy (SET, regional)
Southeast Toyota campaign on 2010-2013 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid: cars were delivered with tire-and-loading labels outside the one-percent accuracy FMVSS 110 allows after dealer-added weight, so an owner reading the door label could overload the vehicle and its tires. Remedy is a corrected label. Paperwork-grade, but an open label recall on a VIN is a cheap fix and there is no reason to leave it open.
10V-035
Load-Carrying Capacity Labels (Gulf States Toyota, regional)
Gulf States Toyota campaign on certain 2005-2010 vehicles sold between September 2005 and June 2008 without the required load-carrying-capacity modification labels (FMVSS 110). Remedy replaces the certification and loading labels and corrects the owner's manual. Regional: Gulf States-distributed cars (Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi).
Multiple
Open recalls — VIN check
This Highlander's recall history is unusually distributor-heavy: five of the eight campaigns above were issued by Southeast Toyota or Gulf States Toyota rather than by Toyota Motor Corporation, so which ones apply depends on where the car was originally delivered, not just its build date. 10V-036 shows up in some 2010 Highlander searches but scopes to 2006-2009 Sienna only and does not apply here. Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and require every open recall closed before purchase.