2007 Toyota Highlander problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (26) · Vehicle Speed Control (16) · Electrical System (9)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Toyota Highlander model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
95 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Seats:front Assembly:seat Heater/Cooler 2016-06-02 · campaign 16V396000 · 7,749 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heat
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Seats:front Assembly:seat Heater/Cooler 2014-11-19 · campaign 14V743000 · 3,233 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:other:labels 2010-02-03 · campaign 10V035000 · 271,417 vehicles
Defect: GULF STATES TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2010 VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1, 2005 AND JUNE 2, 2008 WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Risk: THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
Fix: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
Equipment:other:labels 2010-02-03 · campaign 10V036000 · 153,418 vehicles
Defect: SOUTHEAST TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005-2011 PASSENGER VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 110, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS." THESE VEHICLES WERE SOLD WITHOUT THE REQUISITE LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY MODIFICATION LABELS.
Risk: A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Fix: DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SOUTHEAST TOYOTA AT 1-800-301-6859.
Service bulletins (171)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-01-07 · T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2005 – 2026 toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. the purpose of this service bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
the condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. if these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof,
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
to prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. the purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer.
Structure:body 2024-12-06 · T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. if these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfa
Structure:body 2024-12-05 · T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
toyota vehicles are currently protected with rapgardtm protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. this material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. follow the removal procedure in this bulletin to remove the rapgardtm protective film wi
Structure:body 2024-12-03 · T-SB-0062-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vehicles may occasionally be subjected to contamination by airborne iron particles shed from railroad tracks, train wheels, exposure to heavy machinery facilities, grinding, welding, etc. this type of contamination can be identified by the presence of small, red or brown particles on the paint surfa
Showing the 6 most recent of 171 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-05 · Service Brakes“the brake actuator for the hybrid system has failed. my vehicle brake pedal is difficult do depress and unsafe to drive. this is a known issue with other toyota hybrids that have been recalled but for some reason the highlander is not recalled even though it uses the same problem part as the recalled vehicles. the replacement part and repair is ty…”
2025-09-22 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 299,150 mi“odometer fraud. the contact owns a 2007 toyota highlander. the vehicle was purchased from a private seller on facebook marketplace on 9/3/2025. the mileage at the time of purchase was 129,950. the contact wanted a larger vehicle and called another dealer on facebook marketplace to trade the vehicle and was provided the most recent mileage recorded…”
2025-07-04 · Service Brakes“2007 hybrid abs brake actuator problem. the primer motor continues to run to prime the pump even when car if off. the humming noise changes when you press on the brakes to load knocking groaning noises. no dash warning signs. i bought this car used and it has always made the humming noise since i bought it. i thought this was normal for a hybrid…”
2025-05-29 · Vehicle Speed Control“my vehicle about a year ago started to display the dash lights for the vsc, abs, and emergency brake however there was no indication from the feel of the brakes as they were applied, or any indication that something was wrong with the vehicle. i had my brakes replaced on my rear tires, and for a time the lights went off. in april of 2025, the light…”
2025-04-10 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 240,126 mi“odometer fraud. the contact purchased a 2007 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. the vehicle was a private sale. at the time of purchase, the mileage was 116,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 240,126. t…”
2024-05-25 · Service Brakes“subject: urgent safety concern - recurring issues with toyota highlander hybrid models dear national highway traffic safety administration, we owned the car since almost new, after repeated attempts with toyota, like others 300k customers from their own site, i am writing to file a formal complaint regarding persistent safety issues with toyota h…”
2023-03-31 · Wheels“only six months after installation as a set of 4 new tires at sam's club in may 2021, multiple cracks start to develop around the rims on both inside and outside of the tires. with time, the cracks grow in size. this happens on two tires, one is on the front passage side, and the other on the rear driver side.…”
2023-01-09 · Service Brakes“while driving a vehicle came across me and when i pressed on the brake hard, the car would stop normally, and abs, brake, vsc came on the display along with a high pitch sound. i quickly reacted by pressing the e-brake and shift to b - braking mode to be able to stop or slow down. the dealer said it was the brake actuator that failed and its out of…”
2022-12-30 · Engine“the vtt - i oil line leaks oil may burst …”
2022-10-15 · Service Brakes“driving at about 50 mph on two lane road, the vsc and abs lights come on with a little chime warning, along with some other warnings. check vsc is also in the small screen instead of the odometer. toyota knows about abs actuator issues on this vehicle, but toyota did not extend the warranty beyond 150k miles and 10 years. this could be a safety iss…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.