Owners have filed 5,038 complaints on the Toyota Highlander, covering 2001–2026. The system named most often is Power Train (744 reports). Worst years by volume: 2021, 2019, 2008; cleanest: 2026, 2025, 2024. 419 reports describe a crash, 54 a fire, 56 a death. On average the car was 4.7 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Toyota Highlander
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 5,038 Highlander complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Power Train 744 Read
Detailed Description of the Incident: I am reporting a recurring powertrain safety issue regarding the 8-speed automatic transmission (UA80-series) in my vehicle. [Symptoms] During cold-start conditions (outside temperatures below 30°F), the vehicle consistently experiences a violent jerk/shock and an audible clicking…
Car fire (total loss of vehicle) after hybrid malfunction. My family and I were traveling west bound on [XXX] near Crawfordsville Indiana on [XXX]. Trooper Chelsey Smith from the Indiana State Police (CAD # [XXX] ) came to the scene. Our car was traveling westbound at about 70 mph when I got a notification of "a…
As my wife had the wheels turned and was pulling up to the curb stop in a parking spot the car suddenly lurched forward without putting the accelerator on and went up and over the curb. Stop and hit a pole. My thoughts are is that the engine possibly changed from hybrid to gas or vice versa and as my wife’s foot was…
Electrical System 429 Read
>While exiting a highway my vehicle surged forward crashing into the vehicle in front of me.Engaging the brake, my car smashed into the van again. I had no control over the forward momentum of the car. >Both the driver & I were in danger of injury >The problem has not been addressed as my damaged car is being repaired…
The Check Engine light came on and I took it into Toyota of Downtown dealership where I was receiving periodic maintenance. After 2 days, they said the light was out but they hadn't found the cause. I could either leave if for a few more days or take it and bring it back if the light came on again. This was early…
The contact leased a 2019 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving slow and attempting to park in a parking space, the entire instrument panel flashed along with a chime. There was a loud noise coming from the engine while the vehicle propelled forward. The brake pedal was depressed to stop the vehicle…
Service Brakes 390 Read
I was involved in a car accident on 08/17/2010 while driving my 2008 toyota highlander that has 23000 miles on it. The accident caused me total damage to my car and put my life in danger due to failure in the break/acceleration system on the car. The car did not stop but accelerated even though when I was pressing the…
I was involved in a vehicle crash on 7-1-25. I had just pulled out of the gas station and was coming up to a stop sign so I was only going about 8mph I put my foot on the brake and nothing happened. I had my foot all the way down on the brake pedal because I saw a car coming and they were traveling at about 40mph. No…
When parked for 15 to 20 minutes with the engine running then moving forward the brakes do not work. According to san marcos toyota this is normal. Speed od vechile is less than 5 miles per hour no brakes and this caused a very minor rear end colluisn. According to service the brake booster shuts 0ff
Structure 282 Read
Weather conditions were severe due to a snowstorm, causing ice buildup on the road, low visibility, and slippery pavement. Despite driving cautiously, I lost control of the vehicle, which resulted in going off the road, down an embankment, and crashing into a tree. Immediately after the impact, I called 911 emergency…
The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, unattended an unknown vehicle crashed into the front bumper. A police report was not filed. There was no air bag deployment, fire, or injury. The contact attached the bumper to the vehicle. At the local dealer, where it…
Light impact caused bumper to disconnect from my 2021 highlander. The bumper retainer clips came off. The lower valence clips are stuck and cannot be detached without damaging the lower valence
Air Bags 269 Read
Involved in thee car t-bone collision that caused several injuries to upper and lower extremities. The air-bag failed to inflate. Vehicle was in motion at a controlled intersection on a rural road and turning left
The contact owned a 2023 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while his friend was driving at 45 MPH, he failed to yield when exiting the interstate at an exit ramp. As a result, the driver t-boned the passenger side of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle…
Vehicle was hit all the way around and was totalled with 4,000 miles. None of the airbags deployed
Steering 267 Read
On saturday, may 30th at approximately 8:30 I was moving our 2005 highlander from the street into our reserved parking space within our complex. As I was starting my right hand turn into the complex the car accelerator stuck. I hit the curb on the driver's/left side causing the vehicle to veer to the right. As the car…
Vehicle had a very loud high pitch whining noise the rapid accelerated I was braking and brakes were not working vehicle screen was flashing Vehicle Malfunction. Yes vehicle is available. I could not stop the vehicle I struck three signs and a lady fell down as i was approaching the the building very fast, hit a…
Headed westbound on 285 in Georgia; hit on passenger side front door and vehicle swerved several lanes and hit a wall going 60 miles per hour. The airbags did not deploy. I was injured badly and the vehicle was totaled
Vehicle Speed Control 213 Read
The contact's sister owned a 2008 toyota highlander. The contact's sister was driving and the vehicle accelerated across the interstate, hit an embankment and was struck by semi truck. The vehicle burned and the driver was killed as a result of the accident. The vehicle was destroyed but there was no investigation…
I was driving my car into an underground parking lot. I put on the brakes and they would not engage. I tried again. I eventually slammed into the wall at the end of the parking lot. My car caught on fire and I was hurt, taken to the hospital. The car was inspected and found to have no brake problems, so I was deemed…
Toyota highlander 2005. Peterboro , nh. 11 am. Driver was reported to pass vehicle on right in break down lane, then tried to pass another car by going into left lane and hit oncoming vehicle. Four people killed. Driver was very experienced --excellent safety record. I had been in his car with him hundreds of times.…
Engine 209 Read
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while his wife was driving in a parking lot at approximately 2 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated without the contact's wife having depressed the accelerator pedal. The vehicle crashed into a railing in the garage. The contact stated his wife had not…
Vehicle got stuck in shallow wet sand, within less than a couple mins of attempts to move forward and backward by spinning wheels , the car started smoking and became fully engulfed in flames. It was a total loss. The issue is the little that it took to start a fire like this - perhaps some component needs to have…
I was driving on a highway I heard a noise and smoke started coming from under the hood I pulled over and looked under the hood and saw smokr a tow truck driver who happened to be passing by pulled over and sure fire under the hood he put the fire out with a fire extinguisher I called nine-one-one four fire trucks to…
Highlander years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Back Over Prevention | — | — | |
| 2025 | Seat Belts | — | — | |
| 2024 | Electrical System | 4 | — | |
| 2023 | Air Bags | 11 | — | |
| 2022 | Air Bags | 12 | 1 | |
| 2021 | Air Bags | 16 | 3 | |
| 2020 | Air Bags | 12 | — | |
| 2019 | Air Bags | 22 | 1 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | 21 | — | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 18 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 14 | 1 | |
| 2015 | Air Bags | 16 | 6 | |
| 2014 | Air Bags,seat Belts | 5 | 1 | |
| 2013 | Air Bags | 24 | — | |
| 2012 | Air Bags | 15 | 3 | |
| 2011 | Air Bags | 14 | — | |
| 2010 | Air Bags | 17 | 1 | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | 6 | 5 | |
| 2008 | Air Bags | 38 | 13 | |
| 2007 | Air Bags,vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 1 | |
| 2006 | Air Bags | 24 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Air Bags | 30 | 4 | |
| 2004 | Air Bags | 29 | 2 | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | 28 | — | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | 18 | 5 | |
| 2001 | Air Bags | 14 | 1 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 1,762 |
| Average complaints per series | 2.9 |
| Worst single series | 23 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.7 years |
A model average of 2.9 hides a worst series at 23. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Highlander?
By complaint volume, 2021, 2019, 2008 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Highlander years are the cleanest?
2026, 2025, 2024 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Toyota Highlander have?
5,038 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2001–2026. Of those, 419 describe a crash and 54 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.