2011 Toyota Highlander: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 228 complaints
228
Total Complaints
52,355mi
Median Mileage
Steering
Top Issue
16
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
24,991
25th Percentile
52,355
Median Mileage
83,750
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Steering
33
Visibility/Wiper
25
Electrical System
20
Engine
17
Body
15
Power Train
15
Unknown Or Other
14
Service Brakes
13
Vehicle Speed Control
12
Visibility
10
Severity Assessment
16
Crashes
0
Fires
10
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE NEW HEADLIGHT DESIGN ON THE 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER CAUSES THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS TO APPEAR AS IF THERE IS A VISOR ON THE LIGHTS. WHEN TRAVELING ON LEVEL ROADS OR GOING UP HILL THE HEADLIGHTS BEAM THROW DISTANCE IS EFFICIENT WITH THE VISOR EFFECT. HOWEVER, WHEN GOING DOWN H..."
"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT STARTED MOVING ON ITS OWN. THE GEAR SHIFT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN PARK IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON SINCE IT WAS TURNED OFF BY PRESSING A BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECH..."
"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT STARTED MOVING ON ITS OWN. THE GEAR SHIFT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN PARK IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON SINCE IT WAS TURNED OFF BY PRESSING A BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECH..."
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Steering
33 complaints
25th: 48,000 mi
Median: 90,000 mi
75th: 102,396 mi
Visibility/Wiper
25 complaints
25th: 39,765 mi
Median: 50,000 mi
75th: 63,227 mi
Electrical System
20 complaints
25th: 25,000 mi
Median: 57,250 mi
75th: 102,000 mi
Engine
17 complaints
25th: 82,170 mi
Median: 123,350 mi
75th: 152,500 mi
Body
15 complaints
25th: 30,000 mi
Median: 46,000 mi
75th: 70,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
CA: 26
VA: 21
TX: 18
FL: 13
GA: 13
MA: 11
NY: 11
MD: 10
NJ: 8
PA: 7
Who Files Complaints?
0.9%
Original Owners
99.1%
Second+ Owners
Toyota Highlander — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (5)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Seat Heater/Cooler
Campaign 16V396000 | 02/06/2016
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
Seat Heater/Cooler
Campaign 14V743000 | 19/11/2014
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Power Window Devices And Controls
Campaign 15V689000 | 22/10/2015
If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-
Sensor/Control Module-Inactive
Campaign 13V014000 | 16/01/2013
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag de
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Labels
Campaign 13V123000 | 09/04/2013
An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-
Protect Your Steering System
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Get a wheel alignment annually or after hitting a significant pothole
- Don't hold the steering wheel at full lock for more than a few seconds
- Check power steering fluid monthly on hydraulic systems
- Address wandering, vibration, or play in the wheel promptly
- Replace worn tie rod ends before they cause tire wear
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28