I’m not sure I’d characterize what I wrote as hyperbole. I understand your point about a sample of 1. Interestingly my sister & bro-in-law had a 2020 Highlander rental over the summer and had the same thing happen though.
The recall describes pretty much exactly what happened to me (and to my sister’s rental) and I verified that the recall was not conducted on that car (the rental car agency later confirmed that the recall was not done). So maybe it wouldn’t hold up in a court of law, but circumstantially, it all fits.