Toyota Highlander Hybrid Problems by Year
NHTSA has 824 owner complaints and 26 safety recalls on file for the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, across 22 model years (2004–2025). The 2006 model year has the most complaints (370). The most reported problem area overall is service brakes.
Toyota Highlander Hybrid years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Highlander Hybrid year: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2021. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 2006 Highlander Hybrid: 370 complaints, 6 recalls
- 2008 Highlander Hybrid: 197 complaints, 6 recalls
- 2007 Highlander Hybrid: 110 complaints, 2 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 2005 Highlander Hybrid: 1 complaint, 1 recall
- 2014 Highlander Hybrid: 2 complaints, 1 recall
- 2017 Highlander Hybrid: 3 complaints, 2 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 Hybrid problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes problems | 230 | 12 | 13 |
| Electrical System problems | 151 | 12 | 3 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 78 | 9 | 9 |
| Hybrid Propulsion System | 75 | 8 | 1 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 75 | 10 | 22 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 64 | 8 | 1 |
| Engine | 58 | 11 | 0 |
| Steering | 41 | 9 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 39 | 4 | 7 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 37 | 6 | 2 |
| Power Train | 37 | 6 | 1 |
| Air Bags | 29 | 8 | 8 |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 27 | 9 | 2 |
| Structure | 24 | 13 | 2 |
| Tires | 18 | 5 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 11 | 5 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| Wheels | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| Suspension | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| Traction Control System | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Equipment | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Seats | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2008: service brakes (94)
- 2006: service brakes (76) · electrical system (74)
All Toyota Highlander Hybrid model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 3 | 5★ | — | |
| 2024 Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 4 | 5★ | — | |
| 2023 Highlander Hybrid | 9 | 6 | 5★ | Structure | |
| 2022 Highlander Hybrid | 6 | 4 | 5★ | Electrical System | |
| 2021 Highlander Hybrid | 15 | 4 | 5★ | Air Bags | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2020 Highlander Hybrid | 9 | 4 | 5★ | Air Bags | |
| 2019 Highlander Hybrid | 6 | 0 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | |
| 2018 Highlander Hybrid | 5 | 0 | 5★ | Unknown or Other | |
| 2017 Highlander Hybrid | 3 | 2 | 5★ | Engine | |
| 2016 Highlander Hybrid | 6 | 0 | 5★ | Service Brakes | |
| 2015 Highlander Hybrid | 4 | 0 | 5★ | Electrical System | |
| 2014 Highlander Hybrid | 2 | 1 | — | Electrical System | |
| 2013 Highlander Hybrid | 5 | 0 | — | Air Bags | |
| 2012 Highlander Hybrid | 9 | 0 | — | Structure | |
| 2011 Highlander Hybrid | 5 | 1 | — | Vehicle Speed Control | |
| 2010 Highlander Hybrid | 22 | 4 | — | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2009 Highlander Hybrid | 40 | 4 | — | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2008 Highlander Hybrid | 197 | 6 | — | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2007 Highlander Hybrid | 110 | 2 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2006 Highlander Hybrid | 370 | 6 | — | Service Brakes | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2005 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 1 | — | Electronic Stability Control (esc) | |
| 2004 Highlander Hybrid | 0 | 1 | — | — |
More from Toyota: all Toyota models · Toyota VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Toyota Highlander Hybrid years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 2006 (370), 2007 (110), 2008 (197), 2009 (40), 2010 (22), 2021 (15) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Highlander Hybrid 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 Hybrid?
Service Brakes, with 230 complaints across 12 model years.
How many recalls does the Toyota Highlander Hybrid have?
26 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.