Toyota Highlander Reviews

My 2021 Toyota Highlander AWD's transmission failed at roughly 90,000 km: hesitation and jerking from a stop, worsening once the transmission warmed up, plus a whining noise. An independent transmission specialist and my Toyota dealership independently reached the same diagnosis — full transmission replacement needed. The dealership quoted over $9,000.

I own a 2022 Highlander with gps navigation. Just recently navigation isn’t giving correct directions. I go to locations all over my area but now directions are not correct. I went to Kerry Toyota in Florence KY for service and asked about upgrading the system. Was told there was no current upgrade so it couldn’t be done at this time and it would be $169 to upgrade which is bull because everything is done thru internet with a push of button. I travel a lot and used my gps all the time. I’m not paying for update and subscription fees. I guess I will now have a great feature I love and can’t use and will have to use Waze which at least works free. Will consider this feature when buying a new car.

I have a 2020 Toyota Highlander LE AWD. Toyota announced an issue with airbags in 2023. The issue didn't have a solution until summer 2025. This is unacceptable. This is my 3rd Toyota in about 20 years. I'm looking at a different manufacturer for my next purchase. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: **. Report Date: **. Vehicles Affected: **

My 2024 Toyota Highlander XLE hybrid was involved in a severe head-on collision. The damage was extensive enough to total the car. The bumper was bent and thrown open. The fender shattered into pieces. The engine was heavily damaged and badly exposed and protruded. Fluids were leaking everywhere. Both front doors were warped and didn’t open or close properly. YET, the airbags did not deploy. A technician at the body shop says the airbags must have been defective. Be cautious.

Toyota Highlander GPS, In order to subscribe to the GPS Services, you are required to agree to having your driving habits monitored and reported to insurance companies. I find this an invasion of my privacy. They require a fee to use the service and then require that I give up my privacy as well. My driving habits have nothing to do with using the GPS. I was not informed at purchase that this would be a requirement. The navigation is a significant part of using the vehicle. I will not consent to being monitored; therefore, this is a significant loss of use to me.

We bought a .23 Highlander after having a Tundra for 14 years.

I own a hybrid Grand Highlander. It's a great car but the entire experience around it has been awful. No second key, and no warning we wouldn't get one - it's been 4 years you could have built 4 chip factories by now. Dealers are price gouging on popular models charging thousands over sticker simply because they can because Toyota doesn't stop them. The app you're supposed to use as a second key crashes every other time you open it. Completely awful. There are a million beeping warnings on the car that have to be turned off to make it enjoyable to drive.

On a trip, the Charging System light in our 2012 Toyota Highlander didn’t fade after starting the engine. Long story short, we took the Highlander to the nearby Lancaster (CA) Toyota service department where it was repaired a using a Toyota-spec, refurbished alternator, provided through Toyota Parts. A few weeks later, on a drive to Pismo Beach I noticed the Charging System light returned intermittently and took the SUV back to Lancaster (50 miles away from our home near San Fernando) upon our return. They replaced the new, faulty alternator under the part warranty but told me the wiring harness had been damaged by over-charging (17v) from the faulty part. Again, a Toyota-supplied part at a Toyota dealership service center.

I leased a new 2022 Toyota Highlander from Holman Toyota of Mount Laurel, NJ in April 2023. In August 2023, during a routine maintenance visit, I was told that two tires were bald (less than 4/32" of tread available and the other two tires would need to be replaced soon). This with 15,000 of local driving on the car. The dealer stated there's no warranty on the tires as they're factory installed. I contacted Toyota and they confirmed this. I reached out to the tire manufacturer and they agreed to prorate the tires but it would cost me $850 to replace all 4 tires.

I bought a brand new Highlander 2023 no miles, on July 2, on July 8 the engine light and break collision system turn on, we went back to Precision Toyota Tucson. The car was on the service from July 8 until August 29, on September 6 engine light turn on back again same error, we went back to the dealer. We got a call on Sept 8 everything is fine with the car but there is a problem with the computer and the light could turn on after 10, 20 or 100 miles, we don’t want a brand new car with this BIG ISSUE!!!!

Quality on decline - corporate and dealer service work in concert to avoid warranty work at all costs. 2019 Tacoma with bad differential under 10K miles purchased new - 4 visits, Toyota case, Failed NCDS claim, and finally get them to acknowledge howl from rear end. Finally replace carrier assembly and note excess shavings. Ridiculous to get things covered (NCDS is a gimmick and in bed with auto manufacturers). Same thing happened with transfer case seal leaking - another 3 visits, 1 failed attempt (leaked worse) before fixed.

I have 2008 Toyota Highlander hybrid 52K mileage inverter burn no recall. Its cost $11000 and unnecessary fault they recommend. Beware all hybrid Toyota. It's totally scams, not friendly. Toyota customers service is bad.

The 2019 Toyota Highlander Platinum has plastic wheel covers. These are supposedly the premium wheels for this model. Unfortunately, I didn't notice this when I bought the vehicle used with 19k+ miles. Flaking of the wheel covers occurred in the first 3 years so I brought it to the attention of the dealer. Local dealer told my wife, when she took it in for service, that it was only dirt. Therefore, on the next service trip I had to take it in and mark the flaking spots on all four wheels (3+ flaking spots on all 4 plastic rims). Flaking is not normal wear and tear. These are poor quality defective parts on the vehicle. By this time my extended warranty and company warranty were no longer applicable. Very disappointed that Toyota went to lowering the quality of this vehicle and not standing behind defective products. Got "0" support from the dealer and corporate Toyota.

Spoke to Toyota customer service for support on my Highlander brake failure last week, one hour on the phone, without a response on what assistance would be provided. Was asked to call in a few days for a response, they would not email or call me back. Today, approximately one week later, called back only to wait again for a response. Final response no assistance approved for a systematic brake failure.

Max Range Hybrid 450 with full tank. Called Toyota Customer Service received no response. (Call Back.) Range calculation on Highlander and on RAV4 inaccurate. Dealer useless. TOYOTA Customer service appears useless 7-28-2021.

Not happy with Toyota Highlander hybrid. I just bought this platform, drove only 4000KM and my front Wheels making noise and losing control on highway. It was very dangerous. My family was in the car. Took to dealership. They told me, "Your wheel bearing is faulty. Need to replace." Since 3 weeks I’m driving Rental vehicle. My sitting in shop. I bought it brand new. What type of material Toyota use? I’m very upset with Toyota. BAD EXPERIENCE!

Bought a 2019 Toyota Highlander XLE from Expressway Toyota of Boston. I am a first time Toyota owner; I will never buy an American brand name vehicle again. My highlander is the Blizzard Pearl White color, black interior full bench rear seat (no rear captain chairs). I bought it with 12 miles on the car and now one year and a half later I have 17,000 miles. No defects or mechanical issues. Very smooth ride. I find the seats comfortable. They do not hurt as others say after long rides. Maybe because everyone's body is different. I have no rattle or wind noises in the cabin. On the highway 70-75 is a good cruise speed and gets good gas mileage. Anything over 80 tends to drink more gas faster. The highlander has plenty, of cup holders and storage space and charging ports.

I love my Toyota Highlander for its comfort, performance, convenient loading, ability to change from 3rd row seating to full cargo, reliability, customer service on service issues, all the “extras” that are available with the Highlander Ltd and mostly I love the way it looks!

The Toyota Highlander Hybrid 2006 is a very comfortable, spacious, smooth car. One of the best features is gas/mile. When you turn engine on it is so quiet that you might think you did not start the car. I love everything about my Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Make sure to keep up the maintenance and this car will not fail you????❤️

This car has many great safety features and has helped me many times avoid collisions, especially when backing up. The voice directions on the navigation doesn’t always work correctly and the low tire pressure warning is overly sensitive. And it doesn’t tell you which tire is low. I would also like a digital MPH indicator. Other than that, I am extremely pleased with the Highlander.

The Highlander is a fun vehicle to drive, however, it has some comfort issues. The front seats have headrests that keep your head looking downward (especially if your hair is tied back). They’re not adjustable and the front seats aren’t very comfortable for longer trips. Also, there’s blind spots and issues with switching lanes - constantly having to check. It has some good features like back passenger seats that are adjustable, easily fold up or down and ample leg room.

My 2005 Highlander has just hit 243,000 miles and shows no signs of stopping soon. I do the recommended maintenance and change the oil regularly, but have had no hugely expensive repair bills. She has been a workhorse for my business running a concession stand for my husband (which involves toting a lot of heavy cases of water, sports drinks, etc,), and when our kids still lived at home, we drove twice a year from St. Louis, MO to Orlando, FL for family vacations. This has been the best vehicle I have ever owned, comfortable to drive and supremely dependable. Honestly, I kind of wish she would stop being so dependable, so I could get a newer, prettier Highlander (just kidding. Mostly).

I love my Highlander for many reasons: ease of exit and entry, ability to load a lot inside and outside the vehicle, visibility, good gas mileage for its size. The drawbacks are things like gas mileage in town is only about 16 mpg and the paint is starting to peel, and the height is such that I have to use a small ladder to wash or even clean all of the windshield.

We love our Highlander, Toyota has been good to us (this is our 3rd Toyota). We needed a 3rd row since our son was heading off to college we needed more room for traveling! It has served us very well!

2005 Toyota Highlander has leather seats, seat back warmer, nice wheel style, and extra row of seats. I love it! Plenty of room, reliable on the road. Very comfortable with good visibility. I have had it since 2005 and it is still in the best of shape. I do keep up with the recommended maintenance.

Toyota got it right with the Highlander. It is right sized, extremely comfortable for all passengers and the ergonomics are simply awesome. Have had zero mechanical problems after 5+ years of use. Our family loves this car and we still think of it as "new". If we needed to replace a car, I'd buy another one & have 2 Highlanders.

Purchasing my Highlander was a win from the beginning. The dealership, salesman and manager were very patient and helpful. I test drove every possible option, and many twice! My Highlander is such a pleasure to drive. The upgrades and details of this vehicle make this vehicle a very comfortable ride.

Great ride, get a lot for your money, no mechanical issues, lots of power, 0-60 and top speed very good. Passing on the highway is really good. More than enough power. Leg room in the 2nd row is great even with the front row seats all the way back. 3rd row as expected.

BEST CAR EVER!!! 2006 and I am only owner and car has 187000 miles and still runs GREAT! Would buy this same year & model...if I found a one owner vehicle. Used to help move more people than I can count.

Most solid vehicle I've ever driven and/or owned. Not even a minor rattle. Handles beautifully and has plenty of power. The design could be a bit better, but I've seen the new 2020 and that design is spectacular. Really can't say anything negative about it. I love it.

Car is comfortable and reliable. There is a new feature on my 2019 that shuts off the engine when you are at a full stop - a gas savings innovation, but I wonder what kind of stress it places on the car battery. Scared me half-to death the first couple of times.

My 2017 highlander starter went out. Toyota has none available and has to order it from Japan and then wants to charge me almost $1000.00 for parts and labor. Even wanting to charge me that outrageous price there is no ETA in the part. Toyota needs to make this right. I can’t be the only 2017 Toyota Highlander owner that has a bad starter.

2013 Limited Highlander overall is a nice SUV. What is disappointing, is the parts that should last a lifetime are poor designed, cheap and very expensive. For example, the rear wiper motor is over $300Cad and the gear is made of plastic. It will wear out under force from motor, especially in winter. Can't buy the gear to replace. The gear is not fully engaged with the motor gear. They could've designed it for have more contact to handle more force. Profile on the plastic gear should've been covers the shape of the motor gear by half the diameter. Comparing the price for same year GM with open window style models at 1/3 the price (not sure how poorly is made).

Our well maintained 2011 TOYOTA Highlander’s engine broke down. We don’t know what happened. This car is always on time for service at the dealership. One day, the engine started to sound like it's drowning, check engine light and VSC light came on. Replaced all spark plugs and 3 coil packs, still didn’t work. Toyota dealership suggested to tear down the engine to find out what’s the issue is. Initial charge is $4,800. Ugh!! It’s could reach $10K If further damage found.

TOYOTA. We purchased a fully loaded 2014 Highlander because of we loved Toyota and liked the safety ratings and quality (so we thought). Within a year our power liftgate began not opening or closing at times. We have taken it to the dealership and other certified body shops and no-one can seem to pinpoint the issue and we have now spent a lot of money trying to get this to work. As a mom of two young children not being able to use the power liftgate leaves the back of our vehicle USELESS! If I wanted a small vehicle I would not have sent the money on a vehicle to offer a third row/cargo area. What gets me is that the 2012/2013 model is recalled for this same issue and Toyota will not step in to fix our problem. I am frustrated because we take it in and it's $$$ to diagnose the issue. They reset the computer and it works for a few times up and down and then starts to malfunction AGAIN.

I bought a brand new hybrid Highlander 2019 less than 5 months ago and the check engine came on 4 times already. First time when the car only had 2351 miles. I brought my car to Roseville Toyota, they reset the computer then less than a week, the check engine light came on again, brought the car back to the dealer and had to wait for 2 weeks before the parts shipped to the dealer. Then the part came, it was fuel sensor, got it replaced then 2 weeks later, the light came on again. The dealer had to replace the fuel pump, then fuel line... now it seems to be okay. I tried to contact Toyota headquarters, the manager said Toyota couldn’t do anything to compensate for my time off to get my car fix. So, to everyone who plans to buy a hybrid Toyota, think twice before buying it or find others brand instead.

I am unable to find the warranty on the tire. When you go to the site they say they will replace if unusual wear but there is not warranty period listed. When I try to contact them online... the site takes you to site to fill in and I filled in several times...then the site takes you to the captcha box of I am not a robot and then gets stuck.

Not a bad vehicle by any means. Even with its shortcomings, it's better than the competition. With that said, what kind of 4 wheel drive vehicle does not have a front recovery hook? Even my Prius has one. Toyota customer service (?) is clueless on how to answer this question and simply provides nonsensical answers. Is the front end too weak to support towing? Oops, kind of worried now. Hey Toyota, time to come clean on this mistake.

I have a Toyota Highlander 2018 limited, an expensive vehicle. Over the weekend my wife got a thin bed sheet she was using to protect the floor area. The rear hatch would not work. We took it to Toyota and they said we have to completely replace the system to the tune of 800.00. This is crazy. There is not a fusible link or something-it's a design flaw at best. Toyota should own up to this and reimburse the owners. My dealer said this is not uncommon.

My 2016 Toyota Highlander Limited's voice recognition and navigation system are practically useless. Will ask to find a location and it will start trying to call someone. I have retrained it multiple times with no affect. The navigation system will never take the best way. I have had it want to take me 10 miles out of the way when I am a block away from my destination. If either of these are a selling point for you, don't get roped in.