2011 Toyota Highlander Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Highlander years
- About as many complaints as other years 18th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Highlander. That ranks 18th out of 30 Highlander model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (34 complaints, 19%), typically at around 85,000 miles. Complaints mention 14 crashes, 8 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 181owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 14complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2011 Toyota Highlander problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 34 | 19% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 27 | 15% | 44,663 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 25 | 14% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 23 | 13% | 42,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 17 | 9% | 123,350 | — | — |
| Power Train | 16 | 9% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 8% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 7% | 64,300 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 12 | 7% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 6% | 50,100 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 8 | 4% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 3% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 3% | 12,638 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 2% | 47,110 | — | — |
| Tires | 3 | 2% | 7,200 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 61,003 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 2 | 1% | 1,980 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 1% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 70,772 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 5,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2011 Toyota Highlander recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Visibility:power window devices and controls
Problem: Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Seats; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Steering Column Separation (EA18006) — opened Nov 16, 2018, closed Apr 2, 2024.
- Upper Steering Column Separation (PE18005) — opened May 4, 2018, closed Nov 20, 2018.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Toyota Highlander. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale but contacted by a dealer. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 122,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the…
1. The 3.5L V6 Engine (2GR-FE) failed due to the subsequent loss of lubrication caused by the rupture of the Oil Cooler Pipe (Rubber component), a manufacturing defect known under TSB T-SB-0201-11 (ZE2 Program). The failed engine is currently available for inspection by request at the independent…
Steering wheel air bag did not deploy in front end MVA
Our car had a major oil leak from the engine Oil Cooler Pipe Manifold at the bottom of the engine (front). My research has concluded that this has been a known issue with various Toyota models with the 2GR-FE engine, however Toyota has not issued a recall and the local dealership has never…
Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding persistent safety issues with my 2011 Toyota Highlander V6 AWD. Specifically, I have experienced significant problems related to the engine timing guide, timing chain, transmission system, which pose a risk to both vehicle occupants…
Other Toyota Highlander years
← 2010 Highlander · 2012 Highlander →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Highlander | 4 | 0 |
| 2025 Highlander | 10 | 4 |
| 2024 Highlander | 43 | 7 |
| 2023 Highlander | 186 | 9 |
| 2022 Highlander | 262 | 5 |
| 2021 Highlander | 531 | 4 |
| 2020 Highlander | 320 | 4 |
| 2019 Highlander | 492 | 3 |
| 2018 Highlander | 268 | 4 |
| 2017 Highlander | 270 | 3 |
| 2016 Highlander | 111 | 2 |
| 2015 Highlander | 192 | 1 |
| 2014 Highlander | 136 | 4 |
| 2013 Highlander | 207 | 3 |
| 2012 Highlander | 182 | 2 |
| 2011 | 181 | 5 |
| 2010 Highlander | 216 | 10 |
| 2009 Highlander | 134 | 9 |
| 2008 Highlander | 404 | 11 |
| 2007 Highlander | 124 | 4 |
| 2006 Highlander | 278 | 7 |
| 2005 Highlander | 224 | 6 |
| 2004 Highlander | 286 | 5 |
| 2003 Highlander | 258 | 2 |
| 2002 Highlander | 301 | 2 |
| 2001 Highlander | 137 | 3 |
| 2000 Highlander | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 Highlander | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 Highlander | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 Highlander | 1 | 0 |
See all Toyota Highlander problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Toyota Highlander?
Owners most often report steering, structure, visibility/wiper problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 34 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Toyota Highlander?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2011 Toyota Highlander a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Highlander model years, the 2011 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.