2016 Toyota Highlander problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Service Brakes (16) · Engine (8) · Electrical System (8)
🧭 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
71 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (3)
Visibility:windshield 2018-11-27 · campaign 18E107000 · 8,202 vehicles
Defect: Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM).
Risk: The ECM damage may result in the engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System:wiring 2016-10-24 · campaign 16V775000 · 7,056 vehicles
Defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Highlander vehicles manufactured May 26, 2016, to September 16, 2016. The brake fluid level sensor may not be connected to the wire harness, preventing the sensor from detecting the brake fluid level. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: If the brake fluid level is low and is not detected, the braking performance may be decreased, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:other:labels 2016-06-09 · campaign 16V420000 · 4,253 vehicles
Defect: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (269)
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
Electrical System 2025-08-20 · T-TT-0790-25 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using bluetooth hands free. this is caused by the phone hands free volume being too low.
Electrical System 2025-06-13 · T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · Service Campaign
the air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. the procedures outlined in this service bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 269 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-01 · Seat Belts“the component involved was the vehicle's seat belt/restraint system. while my daughter was wearing the seat belt, it became stuck around her waist/abdomen and became extremely tight. the belt continued to tighten and would not loosen or release normally. the seat belt had to be cut in an emergency to free my daughter. my daughter was sitting in t…”
2026-09-10 · Exterior Lighting:tail Lights · 70,200 mi“the contact owns a 2016 toyota highlander. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear taillight covers cracked due to the high outdoor temperatures, and there was condensation inside the taillight housing. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the rear taillight covers needed to be replaced. the vehicle …”
2026-02-22 · Steering“steering column can become worn prematurely causing loose steering and possibly loose control …”
2026-02-05 · Steering“i was on hwy 27 headed south bound at bellecita rd in davenpoerrt, fl. this is a busy four way intersection. i moved into the left hand turn lane. when the left turn green light came on i began my u-turn to head north bound. the steering wheel would not respond to my input and the vehicle kept going straight into oncoming traffic. it took a great d…”
2026-01-20 · Wheels · 💥 crash“i was driving on a 2-lane road early in the morning with light snowfall. there was about 1" of snow on the road, with the roads not yet plowed or treated as it was the beginning of the snowfall. about 15 minutes into my trip, i was on a relatively flat and straight stretch of the road and let up on the gas paddle to avoid going too fast -- was pr…”
2025-11-20 · Tires“**nature of safety defect within 13,000 miles of normal mixed highway and light off-road use on a toyota highland, one tire developed a sidewall bubble and all four tires exhibited extreme and uneven tread wear—far below the advertised 50,000-mile treadwear warranty. the remaining tread depth on all four tires is already under 2/32" in multiple loc…”
2025-10-27 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“i was traveling on an interstate going home from work. my speed was approximately 65mph. i noticed traffic slowing up ahead. i began to drop my speed (cost down), as i was approaching the traffic the car in front of me was applying their brakes; i had already began to apply mine. i was applying more pressure to my brakes to slow down more as the pe…”
2025-08-15 · Tires“p245/55r19 103t nitto crosstek2 bw. vehicle pulls to different directions when the tires are cross swapped. i have taken the vehicle to 4 to 5 wheel alignments within 3 months and 3 different shops after the purchase of the tire. recently i took the vehicle big o tires and they _verified the tires have "radial pull" / tire conicity due to manufact…”
2025-05-13 · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings“on multiple (3-5), but not all, occasions at the same location my pre collision warning and automatic breaking appear to have been triggered as i approached an expansion plate at the edge of a bridge. the pre collision warning sounded, then the brakes were automatically applied. after a few seconds the braking stopped and my car proceeded normall…”
2025-01-13 · Tires · 61,000 mi“the contact owns a 2016 toyota highlander equipped with cooper tires, tire line: evolution h/t, tire size: 245/55/r19, dot number: uppiile. the contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 55-65 mph, the rear driver's side tire unexpectedly had a blowout. the contact's wife pulled over to the side of the road. the contact arrived on…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.