Toyota Highlander Problems by Year
NHTSA has 5,759 owner complaints and 51 safety recalls on file for the Toyota Highlander, across 30 model years (1997–2026). The 2021 model year has the most complaints (531). The most reported problem area overall is power train.
Toyota Highlander years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Highlander year: 2008, 2019, 2021. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2021 Highlander: 531 complaints, 4 recalls
- 2019 Highlander: 492 complaints, 3 recalls
- 2008 Highlander: 404 complaints, 11 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 1997 Highlander: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 1998 Highlander: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 2026 Highlander: 4 complaints, 0 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Toyota Highlander problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 1,040 | 25 | 29 |
| Electrical System problems | 634 | 26 | 16 |
| Service Brakes problems | 589 | 25 | 81 |
| Engine problems | 536 | 25 | 18 |
| Structure problems | 446 | 24 | 40 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 444 | 25 | 166 |
| Steering problems | 365 | 24 | 25 |
| Air Bags problems | 356 | 23 | 155 |
| Visibility problems | 318 | 26 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 269 | 22 | 15 |
| Visibility/wiper problems | 213 | 24 | 5 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 182 | 18 | 4 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 142 | 20 | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 137 | 19 | 27 |
| Tires problems | 134 | 24 | 2 |
| Seats | 92 | 22 | 5 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 87 | 19 | 6 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 85 | 18 | 6 |
| Seat Belts | 85 | 24 | 15 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 84 | 17 | 21 |
| Suspension | 70 | 20 | 3 |
| Wheels | 66 | 22 | 8 |
| Equipment | 54 | 18 | 2 |
| Lane Departure | 39 | 8 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 38 | 20 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 22 | 9 | 1 |
| Back Over Prevention | 17 | 8 | 3 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 13 | 10 | 3 |
| Child Seat | 8 | 7 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 8 | 5 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Other | 7 | 5 | 0 |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Parking Brake | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Insert, Padding | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Toyota Highlander problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2022: power train (54)
- 2021: power train (227) · service brakes (67) · structure (52)
- 2020: power train (126)
- 2019: power train (204) · fuel/propulsion system (87) · engine (69) · electrical system (56)
- 2018: power train (68) · service brakes (53)
- 2017: power train (76)
- 2015: electrical system (52)
- 2010: electrical system (53)
- 2008: service brakes (66) · engine (58) · air bags (57)
- 2006: service brakes (71)
- 2005: power train (51)
- 2004: power train (58)
- 2002: visibility (123)
All Toyota Highlander model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Highlander | 4 | 0 | 5★ | Back Over Prevention | |
| 2025 Highlander | 10 | 4 | 5★ | Vehicle Speed Control | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Highlander | 43 | 7 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Highlander | 186 | 9 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2022 Highlander | 262 | 5 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2021 Highlander | 531 | 4 | 5★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2020 Highlander | 320 | 4 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2019 Highlander | 492 | 3 | 5★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2018 Highlander | 268 | 4 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2017 Highlander | 270 | 3 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2016 Highlander | 111 | 2 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2015 Highlander | 192 | 1 | 5★ | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2014 Highlander | 136 | 4 | 5★ | Electrical System | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2013 Highlander | 207 | 3 | 4★ | Steering | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2012 Highlander | 182 | 2 | 4★ | Steering | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2011 Highlander | 181 | 5 | 4★ | Steering | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2010 Highlander | 216 | 10 | — | Electrical System | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2009 Highlander | 134 | 9 | — | Engine | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Highlander | 404 | 11 | — | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Highlander | 124 | 4 | — | Service Brakes | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2006 Highlander | 278 | 7 | — | Service Brakes | More complaints than other years |
| 2005 Highlander | 224 | 6 | — | Power Train | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2004 Highlander | 286 | 5 | — | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2003 Highlander | 258 | 2 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | More complaints than other years |
| 2002 Highlander | 301 | 2 | — | Visibility | More complaints than other years |
| 2001 Highlander | 137 | 3 | — | Visibility | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2000 Highlander | 0 | 0 | — | — | |
| 1999 Highlander | 0 | 0 | — | — | |
| 1998 Highlander | 1 | 0 | — | Electrical System | |
| 1997 Highlander | 1 | 0 | — | Visibility |
More from Toyota: all Toyota models · Toyota VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Highlander years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2008 (404), 2019 (492), 2021 (531) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Highlander year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Toyota Highlander?
Power Train, with 1,040 complaints across 25 model years.
How many recalls does the Toyota Highlander have?
51 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.