Toyota Highlander

Where it stands out against its peers

• Power train: more complaints than 95% of 2021 cars — 41% of its 494 complaints, where an ordinary 2021 car has 14%.
• Structure: more complaints than 93% of 2021 cars — 10% of its 494 complaints, where an ordinary 2021 car has 4%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• POWER TRAIN — 182 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• SERVICE BRAKES — 42 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 35 owners reported this, 1 involving a crash
• AIR BAGS — 28 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM — 23 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 14 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

27% of 2022 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 13V014000

  If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

  Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

• 13V123000

  An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.

  Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

• 14V051000

  A seat belt that is not properly secured to its anchorage could increase the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the third row middle seat belt anchor, and, if necessary, properly secure it to the vehicle floor anchorage, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in March 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

• 14V148000

  If the seat does not lock into the seat track, there may be an increased risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the second row left hand seat so that it will lock into the seat track, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

• 14V272000

  In the event of a crash, a larger front passenger seat occupant may not be properly restrained and be at an increased risk of injury.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will install a software update in the air bag electronic control unit, free of charge. The recall began on June 27, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

• 14V274000

  If the seat does not fully lock into the inboard seat track, the seat could move, increasing the risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the second row right-hand seat, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

• 14V576000

  A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace any of the suspect fuel delivery pipes free of charge. The recall began November 17, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

• 15V144000

  An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.

  Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.

18 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• Pedestrian alert sounds

  Defect petition, opened January 2023, closed August 2023.

• Steering Column Separation

  Engineering analysis, opened November 2018, closed April 2024.

• Upper Steering Column Separation

  Preliminary evaluation, opened May 2018, closed November 2018.

• Power Window Master Switch Fire

  Engineering analysis, opened June 2012, closed February 2013.

• Power Window Master Switch Fire

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2012, closed June 2012.

• Hybrid inverter failure - vehicle stall

  Preliminary evaluation, opened February 2011, closed July 2011.

• Unintended and Uncontrolled Acceleration

  Recall query, opened February 2010, closed March 2011.

• Sudden loss of power steering assist

  Preliminary evaluation, opened November 2006, closed March 2007.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Toyota filed 24 bulletins about the 2026 Highlander.

• Structure: 1
• Wheels: 1
• Other: 22

• 2026 model year Toyota vehicles are equipped with driver side floor mat retainers to secure the floor mat in the correct position. In addition, some models may also utilize retainers for passenger… · July 2026
• Some 2020 – 2026 model year Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles may exhibit a water leak from the roof rack attachment clips. This may be caused by the sealant in the roof channel obstructing… · July 2026
• During the manufacturing process, tires are mounted on the vehicle as matched sets to help reduce conditions such as pulling or drifting. If the wheels are replaced or refinished before vehicle… · July 2026
• A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load.… · July 2026
• Long-term or off-site storage requires special care to maintain vehicle condition. The following guidelines should be performed to minimize vehicle component/part degradation due to extendedvehicle… · July 2026
• OBSOLETE NOTICE February 12, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0005-26. · March 2026
• A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and service life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load.… · March 2026
• OBSOLETE NOTICE February 6, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see L-SB-0009-25. · March 2026

16 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.