Toyota Highlander Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 3,965 NHTSA complaints, the Toyota Highlander years to avoid are 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 — the worst logged up to 6.2× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by transmission failures. Updated August 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of August 2026 · How we rate model years
No standout best year
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 403 | 254 | 13 | AVOID |
| 2009 | 134 | 75 | 9 | SOLID |
| 2010 | 238 | 96 | 10 | CAUTION |
| 2011 | 186 | 93 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2012 | 190 | 102 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2013 | 210 | 125 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2014 | 133 | 24 | 5 | SOLID |
| 2015 | 186 | 74 | 2 | SOLID |
| 2016 | 109 | 46 | 3 | SOLID |
| 2017 | 260 | 179 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2018 | 254 | 186 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 464 | 347 | 3 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 298 | 184 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 473 | 318 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2022 | 219 | 98 | 5 | AVOID |
| 2023 | 162 | 66 | 9 | AVOID |
| 2024 | 39 | 20 | 7 | SOLID |
| 2025 | 7 | 2 | 3 | N/A |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Toyota Highlander. Full methodology.
Common Toyota Highlander problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Toyota Highlander are transmission, brakes, electrical. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
UA80 transmission high-pitched whining noise during acceleration
· Toyota Highlander 2018–2022Corroborated by 24 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 594 transmission complaints across 2018–2022, typically 40,000–127,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $7,200–$12,000.
UA80 transmission high-pitched whining noise during acceleration
· Toyota Highlander 2018–2022Corroborated by 24 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 594 transmission complaints across 2018–2022, typically 40,000–127,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $7,200–$12,000.
ABS actuator and pump failure
· Toyota Highlander 2008–2010Corroborated by 24 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 143 brakes complaints across 2008–2010, typically 97,849–163,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $2,473–$3,145.
ABS actuator and pump failure
· Toyota Highlander 2008–2010Corroborated by 24 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 143 brakes complaints across 2008–2010, typically 97,849–163,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $2,473–$3,145.
Power door lock failure
· Toyota Highlander 2012–2015Corroborated by 3 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 114 electrical complaints across 2012–2015.
Power door lock failure
· Toyota Highlander 2012–2015Corroborated by 3 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 114 electrical complaints across 2012–2015.
Why these years stand out
2008 Toyota Highlander: 403 owner complaints on federal record, 254 of them severe, plus 13 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
2017 Toyota Highlander: 260 owner complaints on federal record, 179 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
2018 Toyota Highlander: 254 owner complaints on federal record, 186 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
2019 Toyota Highlander: 464 owner complaints on federal record, 347 of them severe, plus 3 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
2020 Toyota Highlander: 298 owner complaints on federal record, 184 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
2021 Toyota Highlander: 473 owner complaints on federal record, 318 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
2022 Toyota Highlander: 219 owner complaints on federal record, 98 of them severe, plus 5 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
2023 Toyota Highlander: 162 owner complaints on federal record, 66 of them severe, plus 9 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Toyota Highlander.
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FAQ
What years of the Toyota Highlander should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Toyota Highlander years to avoid are 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by transmission issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Toyota Highlander?
No single Toyota Highlander year stands out as a clear "best" in the federal data yet; the year-by-year table shows the full spread of verdicts.
How is the Toyota Highlander verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Toyota Highlander's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Toyota Highlander before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Toyota Highlander reliable?
The Toyota Highlander's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 3,965 NHTSA owner complaints, 2008, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 rate "avoid" — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Toyota Highlander?
The most-reported problem area for the Toyota Highlander is transmission, followed by brakes and electrical. Confirmed failures include ua80 transmission high-pitched whining noise during acceleration, ua80 transmission high-pitched whining noise during acceleration, abs actuator and pump failure. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Toyota Highlander across every model year on record. Retrieved August 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Toyota Highlander, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verify the flagged years in NHTSA's public database:
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.