2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 114,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “check vsc” (9% of reports).
- 74electrical system complaints
- 114,500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $13,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 48%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Check vsc: mentioned in 7 of 74 complaints (9%)
- Inverter failed: mentioned in 6 of 74 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid at $13,000, and half of them between $12,500 and $13,000.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2010–2018), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 65 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 74 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire.
Toyota Highlander Hybrid electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 11% | 6,000 |
| 2022 Highlander Hybrid | 2 | 33% | 26,500 |
| 2021 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 7% | 77,900 |
| 2017 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 33% | 10 |
| 2015 Highlander Hybrid | 2 | 50% | 16,425 |
| 2014 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 50% | 17,200 |
| 2012 Highlander Hybrid | 1 | 11% | 86,000 |
| 2010 Highlander Hybrid | 2 | 9% | 19,000 |
| 2009 Highlander Hybrid | 3 | 8% | 103,600 |
| 2008 Highlander Hybrid | 35 | 18% | 123,000 |
| 2007 Highlander Hybrid | 28 | 25% | 115,250 |
| 2006 Highlander Hybrid | 74 | 20% | 114,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2007 highlander hybrid and lexus rx400h passenger cars manufactured from february 16, 2005, through august 30, 2006. A module inside the inverter module may contain inadequately soldered transistors that during high-load driving, may be damaged by heat caused by the large current. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel.
Risk: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota/lexus mailed an interim owner notification on july 19, 2011 to advise owners of this recall and the fact that they will receive a future notice when parts become available to complete repairs. Toyota dealers will inspect the hybrid inverter production number to determine whether the inverter contains suspect transistors and replace the module free of charge. Owners may contact toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 toyota highlander hybrid. The contact stated that the vehicle did not start and the hybrid warning indicator illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle was repaired three previous times by naguabo auto toyota (carretera 31 km 3.9, naguabo, pr 00718) regarding…
Intermittently, while driving down the road, all of the dash lights come on, there is a high beeping sound, and the brakes stopped functioning properly. The brakes either need to be matched with extreme force or the brakes will slam by barely touching the brake pedal. Toyota acknowledges that this…
First a loud ringing happened and car would not stop. We have serviced car regularly, brakes are new, but car does not stop. Trying to brake at the intersection, stop light and highlander would not stop. Put us in danger almost led me into accident, was told it was the abs system and that toyota is…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrids have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 74 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid (20% of the 370 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 114,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
Owners report a typical cost of $13,000 (half paid between $12,500 and $13,000), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
The most frequent phrase is “check vsc”, in 7 of 74 complaints, followed by “inverter failed” (6).
Other 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems
See all 2006 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems or electrical system problems across all Highlander Hybrid years.