Reliability & cost of ownership
Toyota Highlander Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Toyota Highlander? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars where on file — then open the year you're shopping for its AI reliability outlook where NHTSA has enough data.
Toyota Highlander problems by model year
126 recall entries across 25 model years and 5,797 owner complaints across 28 model years on file, sourced from the federal NHTSA database. We couldn't confirm the NHTSA recall list for the remaining 3 model years — check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Toyota Highlander, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- power train1,062 complaints
- electrical system636 complaints
- unknown or other632 complaints
- service brakes592 complaints
- engine543 complaints
- structure446 complaints
- vehicle speed control445 complaints
- steering365 complaints