2013 Toyota Highlander Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Highlander years
- About as many complaints as other years 14th of 30 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 207 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Highlander. That ranks 14th out of 30 Highlander model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (46 complaints, 22%), typically at around 54,427 miles. Complaints mention 26 crashes, 12 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 207owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 26complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 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 | 46 | 22% | 54,427 | — | — |
| Engine | 32 | 15% | 6,300 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 31 | 15% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 26 | 13% | 38,150 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 23 | 11% | 55,094 | — | — |
| Structure | 18 | 9% | 41,490 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 17 | 8% | 63,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 16 | 8% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 6% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 11 | 5% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 10 | 5% | 67,250 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 5 | 2% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 2% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 2% | 100 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 2% | 6,341 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 2% | 5,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 1% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 1% | 93,400 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 96,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 1% | 30,563 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 1% | 11,650 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 1% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 0% | 12,356 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Toyota Highlander recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seats
Problem: Toyota is recalling certain model year 2013 Highlander vehicles manufactured March 13, 2013, through August 6, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the second row left hand seat may not lock in place when positioned in the forward front or second adjusting position. As such, the vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
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.
I purchased a 2013 Toyota Highlander in 2018 or.2019 with 64,000 miles. I was told to go 5000 miles before changes. My oil was gone many times when I did this. I reported this to Toyota dealership.I eventually stopped using them because they were hearing my problem. The complaints of lack of power…
The factory Blizzard Pearl paint on this vehicle is experiencing severe chemical delamination down to the bare primer and sheet metal on multiple body panels. This structural failure aligns exactly with Toyota Customer Support Program ZKG. Large sheets of brittle paint regularly flake and peel off…
This is related to the Faulty Spiral Cable Assembly (HORN) that on line evidence suggests should have been a Toyota Recall item for this year and model. In 2014, Toyota issued a recall for 97,000 Hylanders for this very thing however it only covered 2008-2010 at that time. In review of safety…
After a hard braking session because of a car that pulled quickly in front of me the ABS light and check engine light came on with a code of C1391 - Abnormal leak in Accumulator. A warning message came on the info center saying I needed to take it to the dealer to have the brake system checked for…
2013 Toyota Highlander Limited sunroof drains continue to back up and dump water into the front and rear cabin, causing electrical issues and mold if not addressed immediately. Also the factory-installed roof rack mounting holes allow water to enter the cabin, causing damage to the headliner, which…
Other Toyota Highlander years
← 2012 Highlander · 2014 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 | 495 | 3 |
| 2018 Highlander | 268 | 4 |
| 2017 Highlander | 270 | 3 |
| 2016 Highlander | 111 | 2 |
| 2015 Highlander | 192 | 1 |
| 2014 Highlander | 136 | 4 |
| 2013 | 207 | 3 |
| 2012 Highlander | 182 | 2 |
| 2011 Highlander | 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 2013 Toyota Highlander?
Owners most often report steering, engine, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 46 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Toyota Highlander?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 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 2013 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.