Toyota Highlander Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 142 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Toyota Highlander across 20 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (15). The words owners use most often: “rear brake” (8% of reports).
- 142exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 31%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.
- Rear brake: mentioned in 12 of 142 complaints (8%)
- High beam: mentioned in 10 of 142 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 84 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 142 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 4 a fire.
Toyota Highlander exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Highlander | 12 | 5% | — |
| 2021 Highlander | 8 | 2% | 20,000 |
| 2019 Highlander | 4 | 1% | 14,280 |
| 2018 Highlander | 5 | 2% | 8,250 |
| 2017 Highlander | 4 | 1% | 12,190 |
| 2016 Highlander | 9 | 8% | 35,000 |
| 2015 Highlander | 10 | 5% | 45,665 |
| 2014 Highlander | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2013 Highlander | 5 | 2% | 16,000 |
| 2012 Highlander | 2 | 1% | 1,000 |
| 2011 Highlander | 5 | 3% | 12,638 |
| 2010 Highlander | 12 | 6% | 53,500 |
| 2009 Highlander | 2 | 1% | 79,250 |
| 2008 Highlander | 3 | 1% | 75,556 |
| 2006 Highlander | 7 | 3% | 66,600 |
| 2005 Highlander | 9 | 4% | 52,991 |
| 2004 Highlander | 14 | 5% | 81,000 |
| 2003 Highlander | 15 | 6% | 124,000 |
| 2002 Highlander | 12 | 4% | 100,000 |
| 2001 Highlander | 2 | 1% | 126,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists exterior lighting for the 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.
Head lights for newer vehicles are coming very bright and are pointing higher than normal safety levels causing on coming traffic feels like these lights are on high beam, which causes blinding issues for on coming traffic.
SRS air bag system malfunction, front camera unavailable, RSA malfunction, pre-collision system malfunction, headlight system malfunction and LTA malfunction lights came on.
Pre-collision system malfunction, headlight system malfunction, LTA malfunction and SRS airbag system malfunction lights came on.
PKSB malfunction, pre-collision system malfunction, headlight system malfunction, LTA malfunction and SRS airbag system malfunction lights came on.
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear taillight covers cracked due to the high outdoor temperatures, and there was condensation inside the taillight housing. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the rear…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Highlanders have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 142 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the Toyota Highlander. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Toyota Highlander exterior lighting?
No recall currently lists exterior lighting for this vehicle.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Toyota Highlander?
The most frequent phrase is “rear brake”, in 12 of 142 complaints, followed by “high beam” (10).
Other Toyota Highlander problems
- Power Train problems (1,041)
- Electrical System problems (634)
- Service Brakes problems (589)
- Engine problems (536)
- Structure problems (446)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (444)
- Steering problems (365)
- Air Bags problems (356)
See all Toyota Highlander problems.