2017 Toyota Highlander Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 76 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2017 Toyota Highlander, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 20,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “support program” (9% of reports).
- 76power train complaints
- 20,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $9,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 38%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.
- Support program: mentioned in 7 of 76 complaints (9%)
- Whining noise: mentioned in 7 of 76 complaints (9%)
- UA80 transmission: mentioned in 5 of 76 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2017 Toyota Highlander at $9,000, and half of them between $6,700 and $9,000.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2023–2026), 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 power train problems happen?
Based on 25 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 76 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 an injury.
Toyota Highlander power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Highlander | 1 | 25% | — |
| 2024 Highlander | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2023 Highlander | 20 | 11% | — |
| 2022 Highlander | 54 | 21% | 98,000 |
| 2021 Highlander | 227 | 43% | 59,674 |
| 2020 Highlander | 126 | 39% | 73,000 |
| 2019 Highlander | 204 | 41% | 64,000 |
| 2018 Highlander | 68 | 25% | 95,170 |
| 2017 Highlander | 76 | 28% | 20,000 |
| 2016 Highlander | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2015 Highlander | 7 | 4% | 80,000 |
| 2014 Highlander | 9 | 7% | 53,622 |
| 2013 Highlander | 11 | 5% | 16,000 |
| 2012 Highlander | 7 | 4% | 12,500 |
| 2011 Highlander | 16 | 9% | 17,000 |
| 2010 Highlander | 6 | 3% | 66,000 |
| 2009 Highlander | 7 | 5% | 7,824 |
| 2008 Highlander | 18 | 4% | 12,000 |
| 2007 Highlander | 8 | 6% | 14,045 |
| 2006 Highlander | 22 | 8% | 42,195 |
| 2005 Highlander | 51 | 23% | 45,000 |
| 2004 Highlander | 58 | 20% | 10,000 |
| 2003 Highlander | 13 | 5% | 65,725 |
| 2002 Highlander | 14 | 5% | 107,000 |
| 2001 Highlander | 13 | 9% | 70,750 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2017 Toyota Highlander. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Transmission failure after whining noise, taken to Toyota multiple times with no diagnosis. Today was informed the transmission is failing by another mechanic. 193,000 miles.
2017 UA80F AWD Toyota Highlander Transmission Failure at 145,000 miles with regular maintenance. Starts off delayed shifting and jerking when accelerating, accompanied with faint whistle/whirring sound from under the dash. with Transmission falls under the Toyota Customer Support Program ZJC TSB…
Our Toyota Highlander XLE which has 137000 miles on it has the very well documented "whine" issue with the UA80 transmission. This "whine" issue/failure has resulted in at least two TSB's to be generated by Toyota and is considered the beginning stages of a total transmission failure. It impacts…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2017 Toyota Highlanders have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 76 owner complaints about power train for the 2017 Toyota Highlander (28% of the 270 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 2017 Toyota Highlander power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 20,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2017 Toyota Highlander?
Owners report a typical cost of $9,000 (half paid between $6,700 and $9,000), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2017 Toyota Highlander?
The most frequent phrase is “support program”, in 7 of 76 complaints, followed by “whining noise” (7).
See all 2017 Toyota Highlander problems or power train problems across all Highlander years.