First of all do a search for undoing a Toyota door panel. You’ll see how it’s really not rocket science to switch out an actuator. But then you’ll see how there’s not a gull durn thing about the 2nd gen Highlander 2009-2012’s panel removal.I’ll try to wake you through but you own responsibility for damage. First get those plastic panel vehicle tools; they make things easier for tinkering.Remove the plastic cover where the side mirror rests. So it from the window side.Pop loose the plastic cover behind the inside door handle to expose the 10mm/Phillips screw & remove.Pop open the brown faux wood trim from the top which is held by plastic tabs. They reveal two Phillips screws, the other two of the three that anchor the door panel. The lower screw is deep inside a tunnel.Return to the juncture of the panel on the mirror side. Wedge your tool between the door and panel and begin popping loose the retaining tabs and then you can grab beneath the panel popping along the bottom, up the right side past the actuator, then along the top. I kinda lifted some while pulling out and the panel comes free.The actuator is anchored by 3 Torx screws. Tinkerers, get a set here because they’re used on most cars. Undo and place in a safe spot.There is plastic to carefully pull away from the door. Unplug the unit by the one set of power plugs that is secured by a tab you push in and then pull.Examine your new actuator. There are two cables that fit into that plus one metal rod that fits BEHIND the actuator. I didn’t know about that rod so reach around to feel it behind the old one you’re about to remove. Jiggle the actuator to slide that metal rod free and you’ll have to twist the unit clockwise to free it from the metal ridge inside the door. Lift it free and it still is attached by the two cables.Examine from YouTube videos of the older Highlanders and how the old actuator holds the two cables. Open the black plastic tab to expose the ball shaped end. Pop each cable free of the unit’s body. Rotate the ball end 1/4 turn to unlock. The second has thin metal shank that is Z shaped. Carefully free that as well. Attach the Z shaped end and then the ball end of those cables and anchor them to the body of the new unit.This is the part that I had forgotten when installing: reach in to find that heavy steel rod that attaches to the outer door handle. That end goes into the white plastic hole of the arm of the new actuator. Once you’ve slid it through, lift the actuator unit and swing it back around that ridge and set it into place and hand screw the 3 Torx screws.MAKE SURE to plug the unit with the power cable (I forgot that too lol). Test that the unit operates by remote and power buttons. Wait to manually lock and unlock the button for now.Also check to make sure that the latch is properly ready. It’s the black swing arm that latches your door. Mine was closed and when I tried shutting the door it didn’t latch. Pull the outside handle which I think opened the latch.Tighten all Torx screws. Check once more that there’s power before reattaching the door panel. Go in reverse to assemble and then test.Mine on a 2011 Limited Highlander works flawlessly now. All operations are retained, from manual locking to using the power buttons, the remote and also the automatic unlock when you walk up and put your hand inside the outer handle. You can’t beat the price and value. I’ve saved hundreds by doing the homework and having the patience to DIY!

Quick and easy to replace a failed OEM actuator with this one. Works as intended without issue. Simpler to replace this whole part than replace just the motor inside

The power lock on my 2008 Toyota Highlander stopped working with either the power button on the inside, or the key fob. This had gone out before, but the car was under warranty, so Toyota fixed it for $0, but estimated an $800 ($350 part + labor) price tag. It wasn't worth $800 for me to fix it, so I saw this and thought I'd give it a shot for $35. For the price difference, I was skeptical if this was the right part or would work. A few Youtube videos later and the door works great! Easy to get to on the Highlander with Youtube help and easy to get out. Two things to watch out for: (1) make sure to re-insert the outside door handle rod into a slot on the side of the actuator when reassembling. I didn't even know that was in there because you can't really see it when taking it out and there wasn't a video specific to the 2008 Highlander. (2) Make sure the wires stay clipped in position. One had popped out when re-assembling, so I used electrical tape to keep it in place. Thanks for saving me $800!

I suspect the quality is inconsistent with this manufacturer. Others seem to have no issue. However, mine almost left me stuck with being unable to open the door manually from outside or inside. It was someWhat ok for a few days. (The ‘somewhat’ is described below)The lock was installed by a skilled and trusted mechanic. His comment was that the entire actuator unit would not line up with latch pin quite right. The door would stay shut after slamming it harder than I normally would. After a few days passed the door would not unlatch from the inside our outside handle. Luckily, after fiddling with the remote lock and unlock for a few minutes, the handle released the door open. I’m not sure if the actuator mechanism ‘unstuck’ itself somehow.Needless to say, it would have been a massive headache to fix if I didn’t get lucky. I imagine that the door panel would have to be ripped open with a latched door to access the broken actuator. This would likely destroy the panel and require a new one.My suggestion is that you purchase the OEM unit instead from Amazon. It was $100 more, but it installed perfectly, lined up perfectly, and operates with 0 issues. With a little research, you’ll find it on Amazon. It’s roughly $130. I compared it to the cheap unit and OEM. The cheap unit looks and feels substantially worse than the OEM/$130 unit.

The item is cheaper than the dealer part. It is a great match and fit for the broken part. However I have replaced this part twice in 3 years. Might be worth it to buy the warranty.

Exact fit and finish of OEM part. OEM part did not last, so a none OEM part can’t be any worse, and is hundreds of dollars less.

Fit perfect easy install!

Worked

One by one, each of the 4 automatic door locks on our 2013 Toyota RAV4 had stopped working. My husband frequently drives this vehicle on gravel roads and, over a period of years, the door lock actuators had become clogged up with dirt and dust. Fixing each door lock at the dealership would have been over $500 per door. As each door lock stopped working, my husband would watch a few YouTube how-to videos, and then remove the door panel, remove the door lock actuator, carefully open up the door lock actuator box, clean the dirt & corrosion, and then re-assemble. No cost, but a very arduous process taking 4-6 hours per door. When the front passenger door lock actuator stopped working a second time a year or so after being cleaned, we discovered that you could buy these low-cost replacement parts. It was easy to find the right part to order, and he installed it in less than an hour. Well worth the cost for the part, and it works great! UPDATE August 2023: This part failed after 2 years and we are having to re-order a new part and replace it. Even if this part only lasts 2 years, it’s still worth it to replace it yourself, given how expensive it is to have it done at the dealership.

The item arrived fast packed really good. Pretty easy install.

I installed the unit on my Lexus IS250, and the door worked fine for a week.Now, it’s not opening properly from the inside. It is poor quality, I’ll be returning it.

I know this product has lots of great reviews, but I didn’t have a good experience with my left/right actuator. The driver side wouldn’t lock after installed ( and yes, it was installed correct). It made noise when I tried to lock the door, like the motor wasn’t switching over to lock the door. So I re installed the factory actuator.And the right side locks/unlocks, But only with the key fob. When I try to use the keyless entry by using my hand to unlock, nothing happens. And it seems like the cables aren’t tight enough because the lock doesn’t change when you lock/unlock it by hand. I know they cost ALOT more, but I’ll be ordering the OEM ones and returning these.