Toyota Highlander Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2019 draws 5.17 complaints per run and the 2007 1.59, a 3.3-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age, so 67.5% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Power Train, with 989 complaints, typically at 4.6 years.

Toyota Highlander years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Toyota Highlander — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2025	1.13	9	8	too new
2024	1.3	43	33	too new
2023	2.88	184	64	too new
2022	1.9	259	136	too new
2021	2.62	526	201	too new
2020	2.2	314	143	yes
2019	5.17	486	94	yes
2018	3.53	258	73	yes
2017	3.28	262	80	yes
2016	2.21	106	48	yes
2015	2.66	178	67	yes
2014	2.25	124	55	yes
2013	2.77	197	71	yes
2012	2.66	173	65	yes
2011	2.78	161	58	yes
2010	1.96	212	108	yes
2009	1.81	116	64	yes
2008	3.97	365	92	yes
2007	1.59	105	66	yes
2006	3.65	237	65	yes
2005	3.34	177	53	yes
2004	3.67	231	63	yes
2003	4.18	205	49	yes
2002	5.72	223	39	yes
2001	3.24	107	33	yes

ROWS 25·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Among the 11 Toyota Highlander years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2019, 2008, 2006; the three worth hunting are 2007, 2010, 2020.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Toyota Highlander — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	635	12.4%	covered
1 year	553	23.2%	covered
2 years	477	32.5%	covered
3 years	511	42.5%	you pay
4 years	643	55%	you pay
5 years	577	66.3%	you pay
6 years	482	75.7%	you pay
7 years	328	82.1%	you pay
8 years	230	86.6%	you pay
9 years	176	90.1%	you pay
10 years	118	92.4%	you pay
11 years	129	94.9%	you pay
12 years	85	96.5%	you pay
13 years	70	97.9%	you pay
14 years	62	99.1%	you pay
15 years	45	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 32.5% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 67.5% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 29% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Toyota Highlander, the early trouble is Unknown Or Other and Structure — reported at around 3.9 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Power Train at 4.6 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Toyota Highlander — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Power Train	989	4.6 yrs	28	1
Service Brakes	711	5.6 yrs	100	1
Unknown Or Other	603	3.9 yrs	34	10
Electrical System	580	4.8 yrs	14	22
Engine	513	5.4 yrs	18	17
Structure	413	3.7 yrs	39	2
Vehicle Speed Control	396	3.8 yrs	151	6
Steering	338	5.5 yrs	23	1

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Highlander's vehicle class. Per production run, the Jeep Grand Cherokee draws 5.35, the Ford Explorer 5.03 and the BMW X5 3.37, against 2.92 for the Highlander. That is the fewest complaints of the group.

FIG.05·Toyota Highlander — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Highlander	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Jeep Grand Cherokee	34,130	335	1993–2026
Ford Explorer	37,445	390	1991–2026
BMW X5	2,982	198	2000–2026
Cadillac Escalade	2,020	129	1999–2026
Hyundai Palisade	2,347	33	2020–2026
Toyota Sequoia	3,209	134	2000–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Toyota Highlander

Recalls128 campaigns Fuel economy36 mpg best Common problems5,877 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices6,817 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2001–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Toyota Highlander reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.92 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.

Which Highlander years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2019, 2008, 2006. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2007, 2010, 2020. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Highlander problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 4 years of age. The most reported system is Power Train, typically at 4.6 years, followed by Service Brakes.

Will the warranty cover Highlander problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 32.5% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 29% of the complaints here.

Is the Highlander more reliable than the Jeep Grand Cherokee?

Yes: 2.92 complaints per production run for the Highlander against 5.35 for the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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