"How reliable is the 2019 Toyota Highlander?"

"Based on 576 NHTSA complaints, the 2019 Toyota Highlander has a median complaint mileage of 10000 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2019 Toyota Highlander?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Toyota Highlander is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 576 total complaints filed."

2019 Toyota Highlander: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 576 complaints

576

Total Complaints

10,000mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

4,100 25th Percentile

10,000 Median Mileage

22,847 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

158

Fuel/Propulsion System

Unknown Or Other

Engine

Electrical System

Fuel System, Gasoline

Service Brakes

Air Bags

Body

Vehicle Speed Control

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 20MPH, I WAS REAR ENDED BY SOMEONE GOING 55+MPH. DURING THE ACCIDENT, MY DRIVERS SEAT RECLINED AND THE HEADREST BROKE. ONE POST BROKE IN HALF AND THE OTHER SIDE PULLED OUT OF THE SEAT"

"THE GPS SYSTEM DOES NOT PROVIDE VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS; ONLY VISUAL. THIS CAUSES THE DRIVER TO REMOVE HIS/HER EYES FROM THE ROAD AND LOOK FREQUENTLY AND MONITOR THE SCREEN. I HAVE VISITED THE DEALERSHIP NUMEROUS TIMES BUT THERE ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE ISSUE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT ..."

"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. THIS IS VERY DISTRACTING AND ILLEGAL IN SOME STATES WHICH REQUIRE HANDS FREE PHONE."

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.

Power Train 158 complaints

25th: 10,000 mi Median: 51,000 mi 75th: 90,000 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 84 complaints

25th: 3,925 mi Median: 6,313 mi 75th: 14,500 mi

Unknown Or Other 70 complaints

25th: 650 mi Median: 4,100 mi 75th: 7,000 mi

Engine 67 complaints

25th: 5,000 mi Median: 13,000 mi 75th: 22,847 mi

Electrical System 55 complaints

25th: 300 mi Median: 5,100 mi 75th: 16,638 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 50 TX: 45 NY: 35 VA: 35 FL: 30 NJ: 25 MD: 21 AZ: 20 PA: 18 GA: 18

Who Files Complaints?

0.7%

Original Owners

99.3%

Second+ Owners

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
2016	137	24,000	Unknown Or Other	22
2017	348	20,380	Power Train	32
2018	328	15,163	Service Brakes	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.

Fuel Pump

Campaign 20V682000 | 04/11/2020

If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy par

Fuel Pump

Campaign 20V012000 | 13/01/2020

If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall began May 4, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 20TB02 and 20TA02 for Toyota vehicles and

Labels

Campaign 19V244000 | 27/03/2019

If the driver cannot read the label, they may unknowingly overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Compare Toyota Highlander

vs Honda Pilot →

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