2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    brake hydraulics

    9 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AND THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT…"~6,600 mi, complaint #1411084
    • "BRAKES DID NOT WORK AND CAR WENT THROUGH A 4 WAY STOP SIGN. DATES WENT OUT: SEPTEMBER 2019, OCTOBER 2019. BRAKES FAILED ON A NORMAL DAY DRIVING UNDER 30 MPH IN RESIDENTIAL AREA."~6,700 mi, complaint #1605803
    • "WHEN I AM ON REGULAR SPEED AND PUSH THE BREAK PADDLE THEN STARING IS SHACKING AND IT'S HAVE JUST 10000 MILES ON IT"~9,000 mi, complaint #1572534
    • "WHILE PARKING IN A PUBLIC PARKING LOT, AT IDLE SPEED, THE BRAKES DID NOT STOP FORWARD PROGRESS. CAR STRUCK THE CURBING, CLIMBED ONTO THE DIVIDER, CROSSED THE DIVIDER AND BUMPED A PARKED CAR ON THE OTHER SIDE. WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION, I PUMPED THE BRAK…"~28,000 mi, complaint #1496865
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (PRIORITY TOYOTA SPRINGFIELD, [REDACTED ADDRESS], SPRINGFIELD, VA 22150, [REDACTED PHONE]) TO…"~30,000 mi, complaint #1509083
  2. #2

    glass and windshield

    6 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "SINCE APRIL WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET OUR WINDSHIELD REPLACED. THE LOCAL AUTO GLASS DEALER BROUGHT OUT 3 SEPARATE WINDSHIELDS THAT DIDN'T FIT BEFORE THE FINALLY DISCLOSED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WE NEEDED HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR SOME TIME. APPARENTLY THERE AR…"~17,000 mi, complaint #1394545
    • "WHILE MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY THE SUNROOF SHATTERED, IT WAS NOT STRUCK BY ANYTHING BUT SHATTERED WITH NO OUTSIDE INFLUENCE CAUSING GLASS DEBRIS ."~30,000 mi, complaint #1393758
    • "VEHICLE REAR WINDSHIELD EXPLODED FOR NOT REASON. VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR TWO DAYS SAME SPOT IN HOME FENCE AREA AND I STARTED IT AND SHUT THE DRIVER DOOR AND IMMEDIATELY HEARD A SOUND AND LOOKED THE REAR MIRROR AND IT WAS GONE MEANING COMPLETE SHATTERED IN PIECE…"~30,000 mi, complaint #1520422
    • "THE REAR WINDSHIELD ON OUR 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER EXPLODED WITHOUT ANY PROVOCATION. PULLING INTO AN EMPTY PARKING SPACE UPON PLACING THE CAR IN PARK, THE READ WINDSHIELD EXPLODED AND SHATTERED INTO PIECES. NOTHING HIT IT. NOTHING BANGED INTO IT. JUST EXPLO…"~39,000 mi, complaint #1568386
    • "THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED BY THE DEFROSTER. FROM THE CENTER OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE BREAK IS ON THE INSIDE GOING DOWN TO THE DEFROSTER AND THEN ACROSS THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE WHEN IT WAS STARTED, THE DEFROSTER WAS PUT ON…"~42,350 mi, complaint #1549500
  3. #3

    engine stall or no start

    7 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "MY CAR ENGINE STARTED ON ITS OWN AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. I WENT SHOPPING AT WALMART AND PARKED MY 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER XLE IN THE PARKING LOT. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND PUSHED THE ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE CAR. MY FAMILY AND I EXITED THE CA…"~640 mi, complaint #1343231
    • "JULY 3, 2016: WE BOUGHT THE CAR. JULY 23 5PM I FILLED UP WITH GAS AT THE CHEVRON. DROVE TO WEST LA FOR 15 MILES ON THE 10 FWY WITH MY FAMILY IN THE CAR, NO PROBLEM TO VISIT MY MOM. 8:30PM WE LEFT HER HOUSE TO GO HOME. WE DROVE ON THE STREET FOR TWO MINUTE…"~834 mi, complaint #1305685
    • "WHENEVER THE WEATHER IS COLDER LIKE 35 DEGREES OR LOWER I AM HAVING ISSUES STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ALREADY CHANGED THE BATTERY BUT IT DID NOT HELP. I HAD THE VEHICLE BY THE DEALER FOR 10 DAYS BUT THEY COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. IN THIS TIME I HAD TO PAY…"~7,100 mi, complaint #1441600
  4. #4

    sunroof

    7 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL EXPLOSION SOUND. ONCE THE CONTACT EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND PULLED OVER, SHE OBSERVED THAT THE SUN ROOF HAD FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED…"~12,000 mi, complaint #1415639
    • "DRIVING SOUTH ON 12/20/2017, ON US-287 NEAR THE OKLAHOMA/TEXAS BORDER WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES VISIBLE IN FRONT OF US OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC, THE FRONT SECTION OF OUR SUNROOF SUDDENLY EXPLODED. LUCKILY THE SHADE WAS DRAWN OR SMALL PIECES OF GLASS WOULD HAVE FALLEN…"~19,500 mi, complaint #1437137
    • "HEADED TO WORK AT 5:35 AM ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15, 2020, AT 55 MPH ON MY DAILY COMMUTE IN MY 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER, WESTBOUND ON I-70 BETWEEN THE CENTRAL PARK AND 270 EXITS, AND MY SUNROOF EXPLODED. 22 DEGREES, CLEAR DAY, MODERATE TRAFFIC WITH STEADY FLOW, N…"~67,784 mi, complaint #1637474
  5. #5

    tire failure

    2 stranded, 5 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "ON NOVEMBER 27 2017 THE RIGHT REAR TIRE SUFFERED A MAJOR BLOWOUT CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO STABILIZE THE VEHICLE. AAA PLACED THE SPARE ON THE VEHICLE AND WE DROVE IT TO LAKELAND TOYOTA IN LAKELAND FLORIDA. THEY GAVE US A RENTAL V…"~6,805 mi, complaint #1429681
    • "LEFT REAR TIRE ON OUR 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER BEGIN TO LOOSE AIR WHILE PASSING A SEMI TRUCK ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE TIRE PRESSURE ALARM NOTIFIED THE DRIVER OF TIRE PRESSURE LOSS FOR AN EMERGENCY STOP. UPON A COMPLETE STOP THE TIRE PRESSURE HAD DROPPED AB…"~27,000 mi, complaint #1462299
    • "2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH OEM TOYO 245/55R19 OPEN COUNTRY M&S 103T TIRES AT ABOUT 70 MPH ON I95 SOUTH BOARD NEAR BRUNSWICK GA (EXIT 38?) , A LOUD BANG WAS HEARD AND THEN THE BUMPING MADE IT OBVIOUS A TIRE HAD FAILED SO THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WELL OF THE ROA…"~28,500 mi, complaint #1496188
    • "The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: Evolution H/T, Tire Size: 245/55/R19, DOT Number: UPPIILE. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 55-65 MPH, the rear driver's side tire unexpectedly had…"~61,000 mi, complaint #2055556
  6. #6

    airbag system

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE 2016 HIGHLANDER HIT THE REAR OF THE CAR IN FRONT OF IT THAT HAD SLOWED FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON 1-25-16 AND THE CAR WAS TRANSPORTED TO A TOYOTA AUTO BODY SHOP ON THE 26TH. SINCE THEN HIGHLAND…"~1,384 mi, complaint #1269411
    • "I OWN A 2016 HIGHLANDER LIMITED PLATINUM AND AFTER A MAJOR ACCIDENT I HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE SAFETY CLAIMS. YESTERDAY MY WIFE WAS IN A ROLLOVER (2 FULL ROTATIONS) ACCIDENT IN HER 2016 HIGHLANDER PLATINUM. CAR WAS DESTROYED, HER HEAD HIT BOTH THE…"~10,000 mi, complaint #1328290
    • "I HAD AN ACCIDENT ON MY CAR GOING 50 TO [REDACTED ADDRESS] CURVED AND I DID NOT I WENT INTO THE TOP OF THE DITCH HIT FRONT END AND WENT AIRBORN 30 TO 50 FEET IN THE AIR OVER THE PERSONS DRIVWAY. I LANDED ON MY BACK BUMPER WHICH THEN PROPELLED ME BACK INTO THE…"~18,000 mi, complaint #1329883
    • "TAKATA RECALL'DASHBOARD AIRBAG ICON WILL NOT RRSET"~42,000 mi, complaint #1561150
  7. #7

    adas collision warning

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "ON 6/4/2017 AT 7:23 PM, PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM (PCS) BEEPED AND LIT UP "BRAKE" EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME WAS AT LEAST 4 CAR LENGTHS AWAY AND IT WAS TRAVELING FASTER THAN MY VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED TWICE BEFORE IN MARCH 2017. THE PCS WARNING CAME UP EVEN…"~5,790 mi, complaint #1382386
    • "AT LOW SPEEDS SUCH AS SLOWING FOR A STOP SIGN VEHICLE RANDOMLY BRAKES BY ITSELF WITH SUDDEN STOPPING OF VEHICLE. OCCUPANTS AND ITEMS IN VEHICLE ARE THROWN FORWARD. NORMAL BRAKE PRESSURE APPLIED. HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH MYSELF AND MY WIFE WHILE DRIVING. VEHICL…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1595212
    • "VEHICLE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM ACTIVATING RANDOMLY WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES NEARBY. DASH DISPLAY LIGHTS UP WITH WARNING ACCOMPANIED WITH RAPID BEEPING WHILE DRIVING. MULTIPLE TIMES NOTED ON VIDEO FROM DASH-CAM. HAS COME ON WHILE CHANGING LANES AND CAN CAUSE AN…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1595219
    • "I'VE HAD TWO SERIOUS INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE CAR'S AUTO BRAKING SYSTEM WE BOUGHT AS PART OF A SAFETY PACKAGE. BOTH WERE IDENTICAL. EACH TIME I WAS DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY AND THE CAR DETECTED A POTENTIAL SIDE IMPACT CRASH. BOTH TIMES, I SAW THE HAZARD IN TI…"~65,000 mi, complaint #1616708
  8. #8

    other

    3 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "WE BOUGHT TIRES AND FOUND THEM TO DEFECTIVE WITHIN A FEW DAYS IN WHICH YOU HAVE 30 DAYS TO GET REFUNDED OR PAY THE DIFFERENCE FOR ANOTHER TIRES .WE DID UPGRADE TO MICHELIN TIRES BUT NOT GET THE FULL REUND FOM THE DEFECTIVE TIRES THAT GOODYEAR WANTED TO HAVE RE…"~500 mi, complaint #1455466
    • "I LOADED A KAYAK THAT IS ABOUT 13' LONG AND WEIGHS 60 LBS. ONTO MY TOYOTA FACTORY CROSSBARS. WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WE HEARD CRACKING AND POPPING NOISES. THINKING IT WAS THE STRAPS IN THE WIND, I PULLED OVER ONLY TO FIND THE STRAPS SECURE. WE WERE ON A…"~16,500 mi, complaint #1434128
  9. #9

    mirror

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WE RELIED ON CONSUMER REPORTS GLOWING REPORTS OF TOYOTA HIGHLANDERS WHEN PURCHASING OUR NEW, 2016 MODEL LE HIGHLANDER. HOWEVER, WE ARE VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE DRIVER FRONT VISIBILITY TO THE SIDES IS OBSCURED BY THE OVERLARGE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS A…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1294089
    • "The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the front right passenger's side view mirror suddenly fractured. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The…"~64,000 mi, complaint #1957015
  10. #10

    stability and traction control

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM ACTIVATES RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING ON SMOOTH ROADWAY, DRY ROADS. DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND TCS LIGHT FLASHES IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER."~25,000 mi, complaint #1595220
    • "WHEN DRIVING, PERIODICALLY, UNDER NO PARTICULAR ROAD OR WEATHER CONDITION, THE "CHECK AWD SYSTEM," "ABS," "BRAKE" AND "STABILITY CONTROL" WARNING LIGHTS LIGHT UP. WHEN WARNING LIGHTS ARE ON, ONLY THE FRONT WHEELS WILL DRIVE AND STABILITY CONTROL IS INACTIVE.…"~38,000 mi, complaint #1602484
    • "COMPLAINT FILES 3/18/2019 COMPLAINT # 11189699 ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM FAILS IN WET WEATHER. SNOW OR SLUSH OR HEAVY RAIN. FAILURE 7 TIMES. RESETS ITSELF WHEN WEATHER DRY. SENSOR IS CRACKED OR FAULTY. DEALER SAYS OWNER COST. IT SEEMS A TOYOTA FACTORY DEFECT…"~50,000 mi, complaint #1568095
  11. #11

    steering electric assist

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 30,000 MILES EPS FAILURE STEP ON THE BREAK IN THE MORNING EPS FAILURE WITH THE FLASHING LIGHT SHUT IT OFF STEP ON THE BREAK AGAIN START IT AND SOMETIMES IT'S BACK TO NORMAL READ ABOUT THE 2015 HAVING THIS PROBLEM TRULY THING THIS TRUCK…"~23,000 mi, complaint #1702053
    • "I WAS JUST PROCEEDING FROM A STOP AT A 4 WAY INTERSECTION GO VERY SLOWLY WHEN I RECEIVED A WARNING ON MY DASHBOARD SAYING "EPS FAILURE, STEERING WHEEL HARDER TO TURN". I WAS THEN PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, ALMOST AS IF THE POWER STEERING WAS…"~41,000 mi, complaint #1512090
    • "MONDAY 2, 2020 AND ON THE FRIDAY BEFORE AND 2 OTHER TIMES ,THE STEERING WHEEL ICON WOULD SHOW ON DASH. AND ON AT LEAST TWICE WHILE DRIVEING STEERING WOULD LOCK UP SO BAD ,IT REQUIRED YOUR WHOLE BODY WEIGHT TO TURN A SMALL AMOUNT . THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE KI…"~56,125 mi, complaint #1703956
  12. #12

    brake pads and rotors

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "DRIVING DOWNHILL OR AT SPEEDS OVER 70 MPH, THE BRAKES WERE NOT EFFECTIVE TO STOP THE VEHICLE SAFELY. THE VEHICLE VIBRATES AND WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITH CONFIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAD DONE ONLY 25,000 MILES AND UNDER MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY. THE DEALER SIMPLY…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1492707
    • "STARTED COMPLAINING ABOUT BRAKES AT 10,000 MILES. THE DEALER TURNED REAR ROTORS AT 28,000 AND INSTALLED NEW PADS. NOW AT 37,000, THE FRONT ROTORS ARE WARPED ALSO. CANNOT BE TURNED DOWN.NO COVERAGE FROM THE DEALER. DEFECTIVE ROTORS ARE MY COMPLAINT. TOYOTA FORU…"~37,000 mi, complaint #1568558
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD METAL RUBBING ON THE FRONT BRAKES. THE FRONT BRAKE PADS, ROTORS, AND CALIPERS WERE REPAIRED BY ORLAND TOYOTA ([REDACTED ADDRESS], TINLEY PARK, IL 60487), BUT T…"~77,000 mi, complaint #1593849
  13. #13

    engine internal

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "NOTED FUEL ECONOMY CONTINUES TO DROP AND NOWHERE NEAR ADVERTISED MILEAGE. LAST TRIP IN VEHICLE NOTED 20 MPG ON ADVERTISED 27MPG. AROUND TOWN MILEAGE DROPPING BELOW 19 MPG."~51,000 mi, complaint #1595214
    • "CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR INOPERATIVE DURING NORMAL USE"~56,000 mi, complaint #1712750
    • "ENGINE IS MAKING A AUDIBLE KNOCKING SOUND THAT INCREASES WITH ENGINE RPM. THE SOUND IS EMITTING FROM THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE ENGINE (UNDERNEATH/TO THE RIGHT OF THE OIL PAN ON THE SIDE NEAREST TO THE PULLEYS AND SERPENTINE BELT). I HAVE REPORTED THIS…"~82,000 mi, complaint #1738500
  14. #14

    engine cooling

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving [REDACTED ADDRESS], the contact pulled over and heard water dripping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence and then to the deal…"~90,723 mi, complaint #1815934
  15. #15

    infotainment head unit

    2 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "INTERIOR LIGHTS ON AND OFF; WARNINGS E.G .HOOD OPEN WHEN NOT; DID NOT (LIGHT) ALERT CARS ALONG SIDE OR PASSING; MODULE CRACKED BY TAPPING TO DELETE PHONE #S PUT INTO SYSTEM BY TOYOTA TECH, NAVIGATION STARTED ON ITS OWN AND IT WAS INCORRECT!; MAPS INCORRECT T…"~8,000 mi, complaint #1640321
    • "TWO SEPARATE ISSUES: 1. RAIN SENSING WIPERS ACTIVATE RANDOMLY ON CLEAR DAYS, SUN SHINING. WIPERS WILL WIPE ON TIME WHILE DRIVING RANDOMLY. A SEVERE DISTRACTION. 2. CRUISE CONTROL DISPLAY ACTIVATING RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING WITH NO VEHICLES NEARBY IN FRONT…"~25,000 mi, complaint #1595221
  16. #16

    lighting exterior

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT ON DARK, HILLY ROADS, THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE THE ROAD PROPERLY. IT IS AS IF THE LIGHTS ARE MASKED HORIZONTALLY WITH THE TOP HALF DARK. IT IS EXTREMELY SCARY TO BE DRIVING ON DARK COUNTRY ROADS THAT ARE HILLY. WHEN YOU ARE TRA…"~39,800 mi, complaint #1469283
  17. #17

    phone connectivity

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "LACK OF HANDS FREE PHONE CALLING. TOYOTA AND APPLE IPHONE 11'S ARE NOT SYNCING AND CAUSING A SAFETY ISSUE."~47,000 mi, complaint #1635796
  18. #18

    seat mechanism

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WHEN SEATED ON FRONT PASSENGER RIGHT SIDE THE SEAT DOES RETURN TO NORMAL SHAPE. CONTACTED TOYOTA THEY REFUSED TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM"~8,500 mi, complaint #1291979
  19. #19

    trunk or liftgate

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "THE LIFTGATE HIT MY 73 YEAR OLD MOTHER IN THE HEAD KNOCKING HER BACKWARDS WITHOUT ANY SAFETY FEATURE STOPPING OR REVERSING THE DOOR AS IT CLOSED."complaint #1641876
    • "After shopping, we went to open the trunk of our Highlander by pressing the button. As it opened, we heard a crunching sound from the top but the trunk continued to open. It then reached the point where suddenly the top spoiler was dislodged and the back win…"complaint #1778126
  20. #20

    wiring harness

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "CAR'S AWD STARTED NOT WORKING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS WAS "CHEWED" UP BY RODENTS. THEY STATED THEY SEEN IT BEFORE DUE TO A ORGANIC BASED OIL ON THE HARNESS WIRES."complaint #1492536
    • "I had bought my vehicle 5 months ago in an authorized Toyota dealer, on Easter Day we got on the vehicle drove 15 minutes from home to the park, parked my vehicle, turn it off and went to the park are next to where my vehicle was parked, from where i was sitti…"complaint #1809216
  21. #21

    abs module

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WITH OUR TWO DAUGHTERS (AGES 12 AND 14). IT HAD JUST STARTED TO SNOW AND MY WIFE SAID THE ROAD WAS SLIPPERY SHE PUT THE CAR INTO LOW GEAR AND TRAVELED SLOWLY. SHE WAS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM OUR HOUSE WHEN SHE COULD NO LONGER CONTRO…"~28,000 mi, complaint #1354109
  22. #22

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "BRAKES HAVE A SLIGHT VIBRATION WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS IN THE CITY AND SOMEONE IS STOPPED ON THE FREEWAY. MY LIGHTS HAVE DIMMED DRAMATICALLY SINCE I FIRST PURCHASED NEW. THE PASSENGER SIDE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT IS FULL OF MOISTURE. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE…"~35,000 mi, complaint #1515656
  23. #23

    adas lane keeping

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "I PURCHASED THE TOP OF THE LINE LIMITED PLATINUM MODEL IN ORDER TO GET SAFETY FEATURES. HOWEVER, THE WARNING CHINES FOR LANE DEPARTURE, BACK UP CROSS TRAFFIC PROTECTION ETC. ARE VERY FAINT WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER CARS THAT HAVE THESE FEATURES. WHEN THE RADIO PL…"complaint #1263195
  24. #24

    battery and charging

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the trunk power switch failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the trunk power switch was enabled to unlock, however the trunk door did not unlock.…"~48,000 mi, complaint #2042021
  25. #25

    brake booster

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2 years ago I pulled my car, that was backed into the driveway out to turn it around to face in to the garage. As I pulled forward going very slowly I pressed on the brakes and the rubber pad on the pedal came off and caused my foot to come off of the pedal. I…"complaint #1819750
  26. #26

    cruise control conventional

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE IS ON A DECLINE THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT MAINTAIN THE SET SPEED. I NOTICED THIS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE ON THE INTERSTATE TRAVELING BETWEEN 65-75 MPH. EACH TIME THERE WAS A CAR AHEAD OF ME AND I NARROWLY AVOID…"complaint #1362353
  27. #27

    door latch and hinge

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The driver side rear passenger door can not be opened,either by remote or manually. This poses a threat to the safety of passengers in the rear seat area in the event of a crash. First responders would need to take other measures to tend to any injured passeng…"complaint #2019194
  28. #28

    driveshaft axle cv

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Had cv boot and control arm work at 30k miles caught it in time in 2021 and dealer fixed it. 2 years later same issue if i had bot taken it to dealer and just did oil changes myself cv boot and control arm would break during operation. Seems like they have s…"complaint #1939623
  29. #29

    fuel pump

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2016 toyota highlander le model v-6 cylinder. The FUEL PUMP runs after engine has been turned off for several hours, even up to as many as 8 hours. This situation can be heard in a closed in garage, in the completely quiet of night time, and at multiple…"complaint #1952802
  30. #30

    instrument cluster

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER DOES NOT DISPLAY KPH (KILOMETERS PER HOUR) FOR DRIVING IN CANADA. THE NUMBERS ARE ON THE SPEEDOMETER HOWEVER, NOT ILLUMINATED AND IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WHILE DRIVING. THIS SHOULD BE BASIC INFORMATION WHILE DRIVING IN CANADA. AS I UNDE…"~14,000 mi, complaint #1393391
  31. #31

    interior trim

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "2ND ROW PASSENGER SEAT, 60 PORTION SQUEAK ON BUMPY ROADS, ISSUE COMING FROM FOLDING CABLES MECHANISM, DEALERSHIP CAN'T REPLACE THE SEAT DUE TO HIGH COST AND ALSO CAN'T FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE, VERY ANNOYING NOISE FOR AN EXPENSIVE CAR MODEL XLE"~20,000 mi, complaint #1569921
  32. #32

    key fob and immobilizer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "MY WIFE TURNED OFF THE KEYLESS IGNITION OF OUR VEHICLE WHILE THE TRANSMISSION WAS STILL IN DRIVE. SHE STEPPED OUT OF THE CAR AND IT ROLLED BACKWARDS. FORTUNATELY THE GARAGE DOOR WAS CLOSED OTHERWISE SHE MAY WOULD BEEN HIT BY THE CAR DOOR OR THE CAR WOULD HAVE…"~4,200 mi, complaint #1369855
  33. #33

    noise or vibration unspecified

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHISTLING/SQUEAKING NOISE FROM ENGINE WHEN TURNED OFF AFTER DRIVING. TOOK A VIDEO AND SHOWED DEALER WHO THOUGHT IT WAS UNUSUAL BUT NO DIAGNOSIS ON MULTIPLE VISITS."~46,000 mi, complaint #1595215
  34. #34

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHEN THE CAR IS FULLY LOADED, THE PARKING BRAKE FAILS TO KEEP THE CAR FROM MOVING WHEN ON A HILL."~20,000 mi, complaint #1447331
  35. #35

    parking sensors

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "PARKING SENSORS AND PARK ASSIST RANDOMLY TURNS ITSELF OFF. WILL NOTICE THE SENSORS NOT DETECTING WHILE BACKING UP AND NOTICE DASH LIGHT IS NOT ILLUMINATED. NOT FUNCTIONING WHEN BACKING AND PARKING."~47,000 mi, complaint #1595222
  36. #36

    starter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, IT AUTOMATICALLY TURNED ON WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD TO PUSH THE IGNITION SWITCH TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE WHEN T…"~35,000 mi, complaint #1428804
  37. #37

    steering column

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Steering column can become worn prematurely causing loose steering and possibly loose control "complaint #2179404
  38. #38

    suspension struts shocks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TOWING CAPABILITIES ARE NOT CONGRUENT WITH THE SPECIFICATION PER MANUAL... REAR SUSPENSION IS VERY WEAK AND CANNOT HANDLE THE WEIGHT OF THE CABIN CARGO AND THE WEIGHT OF TRAILING UP TO 5,000 LBS SAFELY... MULTIPLE PICTURES (1 ATTACHED) TAKEN BUT DID NOT DRIVE…"~2,500 mi, complaint #1317778
  39. #39

    throttle and pedal

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "I WAS IN A PARKING LOT TRYING TO PARK MY CAR I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BREAK TO STOP THE CAR AND PUT INTO REVERSE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED INSTEAD OF STOPPING. THE HARDER I PUSHED THE BREAKS THE FASTER IT ACCELERATED AND HIT THE CAR PARKED IN FRONT OF ME."~15,000 mi, complaint #1390036
  40. #40

    transfer case awd

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TWICE THE AWD SYSTEM HAS FAILED. 12/28/2016 AND MARCH 17/ 2019. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON THE THE 4WD SHUTS DOWN ALONG WITH THE TRAC AND VEHICLE STABILITY SYSTEM. UNDER BOTH TIMES THE CAR WAS BEING OPERATED IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS OF DEEP HEAVY SNO…"~50,000 mi, complaint #1549542
  41. #41

    wiper and washer

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The tail lights on the back tailgate hatch are leaking and have been leaking. The leaks are getting progressively worse and the lights are filling up with water. The vehicle has been garage kept, has low mileage, and has never been wrecked. I feel like this is…"complaint #1827177

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for TOYOTA HIGHLANDER directly.