Toyota
Toyota Highlander years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2019, 2021 and 2022. Best years: 2016 and 2024.
The 2019, 2021 and 2022 Toyota Highlander draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2019 has 486 complaints (61 for each year on the road), 2021 has 521 complaints (87 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 257 complaints (51 for each year on the road), against a median of 30 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2021 is transmission failure (103 reports).
- 2,762complaints
- 29recall campaigns
- 11model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2019
Most reported: stalling (83 reports, median 16,000 miles) and transmission failure (68 reports, median 89,000 miles).
2021
Most reported: transmission failure (103 reports, median 72,000 miles) and brake wear (67 reports, median 36,000 miles).
2022
Most reported: brake wear (38 reports) and airbag (28 reports).
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- No single year holds most of the file. The busiest, the 2021, has 19% of the 2,762 complaints across 11 model years.
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Brake wear leads in 5 of the 11 model years and has the most reports overall, 311. Pooled across the years, half of the 107 owners who gave a mileage for brake wear were under about 25,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 7% of Toyota Highlander complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 16 of its 110 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 1 of the 10 model years where owners report brake wear have a recall on the same system: 2018. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 530, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 589 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: HJUdall, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Third generation (XU50)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 124 | 10 | 5 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (18) | 43,000 |
| 2015 | 191 | 16 | 2 | Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (21) | 35,000 |
| 2016 best | 110 | 10 | 3 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (19) | 28,000 |
| 2017 | 267 | 27 | 4 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (48) | 25,000 |
| 2018 | 266 | 30 | 5 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (58) | 29,000 |
| 2019 avoid | 486 | 61 | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (83) | 52,000 |
Photo: Kevauto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Fourth generation (XU70)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 317 | 45 | 4 | Transmission fails or needs replacement (57) | 63,000 |
| 2021 avoid | 521 | 87 | 4 | Transmission fails or needs replacement (103) | 61,000 |
| 2022 avoid | 257 | 51 | 5 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (38) | 50,000 |
| 2023 | 181 | 45 | 9 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (18) | 29,500 |
| 2024 best | 42 | 14 | 7 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (8) | 30,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2025 (10).
Year by year
2024 Toyota Highlander best
42 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). 4 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 7 recalls, including 26V-128 on the seats and 25V-872 on the seat belts.
2023 Toyota Highlander
181 owner complaints, 45 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (18 reports), seat belt (18 reports) and airbag (12 reports). 12 reports involved a crash and 12 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 26V-128 on the seats and 25V-744 on the backup camera.
2022 Toyota Highlander avoid
257 owner complaints, 51 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (38 reports), airbag (28 reports) and transmission failure (21 reports, median 70,000 miles). 16 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 26V-128 on the seats and 24V-452 on the tires.
2021 Toyota Highlander avoid
521 owner complaints, 87 for each year on the road (2.9 times the model median). Most reported: transmission failure (103 reports, median 72,000 miles), brake wear (67 reports, median 36,000 miles) and airbag (42 reports). 16 reports involved a crash and 18 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 26V-128 on the seats and 24V-452 on the tires.
2020 Toyota Highlander
317 owner complaints, 45 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: transmission failure (57 reports, median 71,000 miles), brake wear (39 reports, median 21,000 miles) and airbag (32 reports). 15 reports involved a crash and 20 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 23V-865 on the airbags and 23V-720 on the structure.
2019 Toyota Highlander avoid
486 owner complaints, 61 for each year on the road (2.1 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (83 reports, median 16,000 miles), transmission failure (68 reports, median 89,000 miles) and misfire (41 reports, median 20,000 miles). 22 reports involved a crash and 18 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 20V-682 on the fuel system and 20V-012 on the fuel system.
2018 Toyota Highlander
266 owner complaints, 30 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (58 reports, median 27,000 miles), stalling (25 reports, median 43,100 miles) and airbag (19 reports, median 22,000 miles). 23 reports involved a crash and 25 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 18V-211 on the brakes and 20V-682 on the fuel system.
2017 Toyota Highlander
267 owner complaints, 27 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (48 reports, median 44,000 miles), brake wear (29 reports, median 22,000 miles) and misfire (25 reports, median 34,000 miles). 18 reports involved a crash and 26 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 20V-682 on the fuel system and 18E-107 on the electrical system.
2016 Toyota Highlander best
110 owner complaints, 10 for each year on the road (0.3 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (19 reports, median 28,000 miles) and airbag (10 reports). 14 reports involved a crash and 10 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 18E-107 on the electrical system and 16V-775 on the electrical system.
2015 Toyota Highlander
191 owner complaints, 16 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (21 reports, median 52,250 miles), brake wear (15 reports, median 10,500 miles) and stalling (13 reports, median 65,500 miles). 17 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 18E-107 on the electrical system and 15V-144 on the steering system.
2014 Toyota Highlander
124 owner complaints, 10 for each year on the road (0.3 times the model median). Most reported: infotainment (18 reports, median 36,700 miles) and tailgate or liftgate failure (14 reports, median 54,790 miles). 5 reports involved a crash and 6 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 18E-107 on the electrical system and 14V-272 on the electrical system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM).
The second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during seat back adjustment.
The 20-inch accessory tires with an insufficient load rating for the vehicle's Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) were installed.
During normal vehicle operation, minor impact to the front lower bumper cover may result in the cover coming loose or detaching.
The installed tires have an insufficient load rating. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Compare the Highlander with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Highlander vs Honda Pilot2014 to 2024
- Highlander vs Ford Explorer2014 to 2023
- Highlander vs Hyundai Palisade2020 to 2024
- Highlander vs Kia Telluride2020 to 2024
- Highlander vs Nissan Pathfinder2014 to 2023
- Highlander vs Jeep Grand Cherokee2014 to 2024
- Highlander vs Subaru Ascent2019 to 2021
Questions
What Toyota Highlander years should you avoid?
The 2019, 2021 and 2022 Toyota Highlander draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2019 has 486 complaints (61 for each year on the road), 2021 has 521 complaints (87 for each year on the road) and 2022 has 257 complaints (51 for each year on the road), against a median of 30 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2021 is transmission failure (103 reports).
What are the best years for the Toyota Highlander?
The 2016 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2016 has 110 (10 a year) and 2024 has 42 (14 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Toyota Highlander?
Brake wear, with 311 reports across the 11 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2016, 2018, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
How many recalls does the Toyota Highlander have?
29 recall campaigns cover the Toyota Highlander model years 2014 to 2024 on this site. The widest, 18E-107 on the electrical system, covers 5 model years.
How many Toyota Highlander complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
7% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for brake wear on the Toyota Highlander?
On 1 of the 10 model years where owners report it: 2018.