MODELYEARINDEX

Which Toyota Highlander years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2021, 2019 and 2018 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Toyota Highlander Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2021 vs model median 2.5×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 87
Brakes 54
Airbags & Restraints 45
Avoid

2019 · 2021

Best

2012 · 2016

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.84× 119 C
2011
0.68× 109 B
2012
0.68× 90 B
2013
1.29× 161 C
2014
0.53× 81 B
2015
1.01× 153 C
2016
0.67× 99 B
2017
1.50× 194 D
2018
1.43× 199 D
2019
2.33× 290 F
2020
0.99× 162 C
2021
2.49× 420 F
2022 P
1.81× 313 D
2023 P
1.39× 239 D
2024 P
0.42× 54 B
2025 P
0.12× 13 A

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2019 F 290 reports · median 7,000 mi

  1. Fuel System 93

    Severe hesitation when gas is applied, especially when crossing heavy traffic and instant power/quick acceleration needed. Also noted when going around corners, after car has slowed down below 5 MPH to make the corner. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 38

    The contact owns a 2019 toyota highlander. When the contact pushed the ignition start button, the vehicle failed to start. The failure occurred multiple times. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 25

    The voice commands for the vehicle do not work which requires the driver to look at the navigation screen or scroll through their phone book rather than using the bluetooth features. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

32 crash · 19 injuries

2021 F 420 reports · median 10,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 87

    The contact owns a 2021 toyota highlander. The contact stated his wife pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine while the vehicle was in reverse. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Brakes 54

    We are experiencing pcs is not working, we were driving on freeway when cars stopped suddenly and not even displaying any warning signal of 'brake' on that moment, we were so close to impact a trailer, second time… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Airbags & Restraints 45

    Traveling south bound on sc11 (in seneca south carolina) a vehicle that was traveling east bound, failed to stop and traveled across my path. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

24 crash · 3 fire · 20 injuries

The best year for the Highlander

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2012 is the best-scoring Highlander model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 78.1 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2014 at 0.53× this model’s median, against 0.68× for 2012.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2012 0.68× 90 B
2016 0.67× 99 B
2014 0.53× 81 B

Recalls

40 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
10V017000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL 2010 2,230,661
20V012000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2018, 2019 1,830,752
15V689000 VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS 2010, 2011 1,814,284
20V682000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2017–2019 1,525,742
14V168000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010 1,486,413
10V023000 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL 2010 1,126,915
25V744000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2023–2025 1,024,407
23V865000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION 2020, 2021 999,901
23V720000 STRUCTURE:BODY:BUMPERS 2020–2023 750,795
25V595000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL 2023–2025 591,377
26V128000 SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY:RECLINER 2021–2024 550,007
10V035000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS 2010 271,417

+ 28 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2021 were reported at a median of 10,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Toyota Highlander years should you avoid?
2021, 2019, 2018 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Toyota Highlander model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Toyota Highlander?
2012 is the best-scoring Toyota Highlander model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 78.1 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Toyota Highlander have?
40 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Toyota Highlander model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2021 Highlander
Complaints in window
420
Severity-weighted
565
Model median (weighted)
227
vs model median
2.49×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
4
Open investigations
0
Score 27.8 F