New Toyota Highlander SUVs Recalled for Stall Risk

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Owners of brand-new 2020 Toyota Highlander SUVs may soon need to take their vehicles back to their dealer to have recall repairs performed. The automaker is recalling more than 38,000 Highlanders because they may stall while driving and cause a crash.

The problem is caused by the vehicle’s automatic stop-start feature, a fuel-saving measure that can shut the engine off when the car is not moving. In this case, the system may mistakenly shut off the engine when the car is in motion. This is particularly risky when traveling at high speeds.

To fix the problem, Toyota dealers will perform an update to the vehicle’s engine management software. The automaker says this software is not used on any other Toyota or Lexus vehicles. Highlander Hybrid models are not included in this recall, either.

Toyota spokesman Ed Hellwig told CR that the affected vehicles will not be at risk of stalling if drivers manually turn off the auto stop-start feature after initially starting the car.