"How reliable is the 2016 Toyota Highlander?"

"Based on 137 NHTSA complaints, the 2016 Toyota Highlander has a median complaint mileage of 24000 miles. The most common issue is Unknown Or Other."

"What are common problems with the 2016 Toyota Highlander?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2016 Toyota Highlander is Unknown Or Other, accounting for a significant portion of the 137 total complaints filed."

2016 Toyota Highlander: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 137 complaints

137

Total Complaints

24,000mi

Median Mileage

Unknown Or Other

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

6,778 25th Percentile

24,000 Median Mileage

40,100 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Unknown Or Other

Service Brakes

Electrical System

Air Bags

Engine

Exterior Lighting

Tires

Visibility/Wiper

Steering

Wheels

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHEN I PURCHASED THIS 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LE IN MID DECEMBER, I DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL I GOT IT HOME, THERE WAS NO INTERIOR REAR DOOR RELEASE. NO RELEASE BUTTON ON THE DASH AND NO INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP, FOUND MY SALESMAN AND ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS AN INTERIOR DOOR REL..."

"WE SPECIAL ORDERED THE 2016 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER LIMITED PLATINUM MODEL. WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN A TOWN APPROX 180 MILES AWAY. I WAS THE DRIVER BACK HOME. I AM 6' 1" AND WIFE IS 5' 3". WE ORDERED THE ADJUSTABLE MEMORY SEATS WHICH ARE GOOD. THE SAFETY PROBLEM WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IS THE HEADRESTS. FO..."

"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 PLAYS MUSIC THEY CAN NOT BE HEARD AT ALL R..."

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.

Unknown Or Other 21 complaints

25th: 1,203 mi Median: 21,475 mi 75th: 38,000 mi

Service Brakes 19 complaints

25th: 16,250 mi Median: 26,500 mi 75th: 33,750 mi

Electrical System 14 complaints

25th: 16,500 mi Median: 25,000 mi 75th: 41,000 mi

Air Bags 10 complaints

25th: 6,600 mi Median: 10,000 mi 75th: 18,000 mi

Engine 9 complaints

25th: 7,100 mi Median: 46,000 mi 75th: 56,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 18 IL: 12 MA: 9 NY: 8 FL: 8 TX: 7 WI: 6 CO: 6 GA: 6 PA: 6

Toyota Highlander — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2001	158	53,000	Vehicle Speed Control	28
2002	335	70,000	Visibility	27
2003	316	94,000	Engine	43
2004	335	55,675	Automatic Transmission	42
2005	289	52,991	Vehicle Speed Control	50
2006	344	68,483	Service Brakes	38
2007	159	60,500	Service Brakes	15
2008	502	77,900	Service Brakes	59
2009	177	58,000	Engine	7
2010	271	52,000	Electrical System	28
2011	228	52,355	Steering	16
2012	228	48,000	Steering	20
2013	279	30,500	Steering	44
2014	155	38,500	Electrical System	8
2015	242	30,800	Electrical System	19
2017	348	20,380	Power Train	32
2018	328	15,163	Service Brakes	38
2019	576	10,000	Power Train	38
2020	318	12,995	Power Train	19
2021	516	15,000	Power Train	29
2022	252	17,781	Service Brakes	22
2023	194	28,000	Unknown Or Other	14
2024	42	-	Unknown Or Other	9

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Electrical System

Campaign 18E107000 | 27/11/2018

The ECM damage may result in the engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.

Wanda will notify owners, and service centers will replace the windshields, and inspect the ECM for damage, having it replaced, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2019. Owners may contact Wanda customer service at 1-864-281-2760.

Wiring

Campaign 16V775000 | 24/10/2016

If the brake fluid level is low and is not detected, the braking performance may be decreased, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this G03.

Labels

Campaign 16V420000 | 09/06/2016

An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

General Vehicle Maintenance

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly

Compare Toyota Highlander

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Vehicle Rankings

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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