Toyota Highlander Steering Problems
Owners have filed 365 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Toyota Highlander across 24 model years. The 2012 model year has the most (46). The words owners use most often: “steering shaft” (18% of reports).
- 365steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 25mention a crash
- 13mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- $820typical repair cost reported by owners
- 16%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.
- Steering shaft: mentioned in 66 of 365 complaints (18%)
- Clunking noise: mentioned in 25 of 365 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical steering repair on the Toyota Highlander at $820, and half of them between $690 and $1,150.
Based on 34 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2020), 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 steering problems happen?
Based on 279 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 365 complaints, 25 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 13 an injury.
Toyota Highlander steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Highlander | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Highlander | 2 | 1% | 49,050 |
| 2022 Highlander | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2021 Highlander | 9 | 2% | — |
| 2020 Highlander | 6 | 2% | 15,592 |
| 2019 Highlander | 8 | 2% | 4,000 |
| 2018 Highlander | 10 | 4% | 11,808 |
| 2017 Highlander | 4 | 1% | 106,000 |
| 2016 Highlander | 6 | 5% | 32,000 |
| 2015 Highlander | 25 | 13% | 35,000 |
| 2014 Highlander | 4 | 3% | 24,000 |
| 2013 Highlander | 46 | 22% | 54,427 |
| 2012 Highlander | 46 | 25% | 68,000 |
| 2011 Highlander | 34 | 19% | 85,000 |
| 2010 Highlander | 21 | 10% | 81,000 |
| 2009 Highlander | 11 | 8% | 91,366 |
| 2008 Highlander | 40 | 10% | 92,500 |
| 2007 Highlander | 6 | 5% | 68,000 |
| 2006 Highlander | 16 | 6% | 85,500 |
| 2005 Highlander | 26 | 12% | 55,000 |
| 2004 Highlander | 35 | 12% | 50,556 |
| 2003 Highlander | 6 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2002 Highlander | 1 | 0% | 140,000 |
| 2001 Highlander | 1 | 1% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Air bags:frontal:driver clockspring/spiral cassette; steering:column
Model years: 2023
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Toyota Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, Lexus RX350, 2023-2024 NX250, and NX350 vehicles that may have been incorrectly repaired under previous NHTSA recall number 23V-480. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag will not deploy as intended, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 25LA02.
Air bags:frontal:driver clockspring/spiral cassette; steering:column
Model years: 2023
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023 Corolla, Corolla Cross, Corolla Cross Hybrid, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Tacoma, 2023 Lexus RX350, RX350 Hybrid, RX500 Hybrid, 2023-2024 Lexus NX250, NX350, and NX350 Hybrid vehicles. An electrical connection inside the steering column's spiral cable assembly may be insufficiently welded, causing the connection to separate and deactivate the driver's air bag. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A deactivated driver's air bag that does not deploy as intended increases the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spiral cable assembly, if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 8, 2023. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TA08. Lexus' number for this recall is 23LA02.
Steering:electric power assist system
Model years: 2015
Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The steering wheel heating component burned my fingers twice due to a malfunction. I had to attempt to pull over immediately because the steering wheel began smoking and the pain from my finger/hand. Dealership confirmed and fixed issue and the wheel is no longer available to inspect. I was burned…
I bought a vehicle in cash three weeks ago at Universal Toyota located at [XXX] . Two days later, I called the sellers [XXX] and [XXX] to have a noise fix /checked. It turns out the transmission is bad/damaged and of course it's not safe to drive. Universal Toyota donât want to fix it (expensive)…
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle stalled and abruptly stopped in traffic at a traffic light. The driver exited the vehicle. The vehicle failed to restart, and the steering wheel was inoperable. The contact was concerned the vehicle might…
[XXX] was turning left onto [XXX] from [XXX]. Two lanes turn left. She was in the inside lane. The traffic light was red, and when it turned green, she started to turn. Partway through the turn, the steering became unresponsive. She couldn't get it to turn left, and she could not complete the turn…
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the infotainment screen would go blank and the system would turn on inadvertently. This issue became more frequent, occurring approximately every 10 seconds. The power steering…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Toyota Highlanders have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 365 owner complaints about steering 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 steering?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix steering problems on the Toyota Highlander?
Owners report a typical cost of $820 (half paid between $690 and $1,150), from 34 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Toyota Highlander?
The most frequent phrase is “steering shaft”, in 66 of 365 complaints, followed by “clunking noise” (25).
Other Toyota Highlander problems
- Power Train problems (1,040)
- Electrical System problems (634)
- Service Brakes problems (589)
- Engine problems (536)
- Structure problems (446)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (444)
- Air Bags problems (356)
- Visibility problems (318)
See all Toyota Highlander problems.