Toyota Highlander Toyota Highlander

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Toyota Highlander repairs by problem area

Engine (25%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)

Brakes and Traction Control (12%)

Suspension and Steering (13%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (27%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (8%)

Other (8%)

Chart based on 1174 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Toyota Highlander.

Toyota Highlander other repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (2%)

$500 - $999 (8%)

$100 - $499 (34%)

< $100 (55%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 83 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2018 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

295-horsepower 3.5L V6 8-speed shiftable automatic AWD

2000 mi Broken liftgate arm that damaged inside of vehicle upon closing. Repaired arm and paint damage. 
39000 mi Persistent squeak in rear of vehicle when going over bumps. Turns out it was a loose spare tire mount… it was tighten down the squeak disappeared. No suspension issues. 

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2016 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

1000 mi

US $75
Rear passenger tire side wall started separating. Dealer and Toyo Tire company said it wasn't their fault and they said it was road damage. , but the separation clearly wasn't road damage as there was no other marks or damage on the tire. The tire company agreed to a one time "good will" settlement of 75% coverage of the cost . I paid $75.00 out of pocket . 

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2016 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

28000 mi Rear hatch pistons needed to be replace. Premature rusting and noisy when opening. 
33500 mi Infotainment system was locking up on startup. Dealer updated the software. 

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2015 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

30000 mi

US $500
Rear hatch powerlifters were making a bad binding sound on opening & closing. Lubrication did nothing, replacement of both lifters was required. 
68000 mi

US $1200
the spring arm of hatch door got jammed 

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2015 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

29000 mi Noticed water in driver side tail light. Dealer order new part under warranty. Waiting for part to come in. 
46000 mi The left tail light was half filled with water. Was worried that it would short out. Dealer said it was out of warranty. I told him it was a common problem with these cars. He laughed and said I would have to pay for the tail light and installation. 
111600 mi Rear wiper wouldn't sweep fully unless rear window was really wet. I removed rear wiper arm, cleaned and lubricated the shaft and reinstalled. It has been working fine since. 
15000 mi The driver side window makes a squeaking noise when being rolled up. 
26900 mi Window strip on driver side began rubbing against the window after being repaired. Would have needed repair again, had I kept the vehicle. 

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2014 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

34780 mi Headlights replaced due to manufacturing defect. Marks on the inside of both lenses. Faint now but I wasn't sure they wouldn't get worse over time. 
23000 mi Automatic rear hatch brought in to dealer twice for malfunction. After second trip, dealer replaced mechanism. Works better now, but is very slow to open and close. 

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2013 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

31300 mi Defective windshield replaced under warranty. Windshield cracked from the edge up toward the center and left under the rear view mirror. Windshield was either defective glass or damaged during manufacture. Replaced without any problems. 
45000 mi

US $150
Replace failed tire pressure sensor 
55000 mi Drivers side window noisy when closing. Window drive mounting bolts needed tightening 

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2013 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

48360 mi Tire blow out on highway Power lift arm ripped out of rear hatch door frame. Estimate cost $5000.00- Out of Warranty 
54609 mi Power Lift Arm ripped out of rear hatch door rame stripping threads. (Reported Japanese Aluminum Refinery sold contaminated aluminium to Honda used in rear hatch. New Toyota Canada Enhanced Warranty is for 8 years or 240000km). 
57041 mi

C $230
Replace Windshield, Rock Shots, Sub Zero Temperature 

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2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

13000 mi Seat belt buckle needed replacement 
52000 mi Drivers side sun visor will not stay put & keeps falling down to obscure the view. I am living with it for now because the new parts alone are estimated at close to $300. 

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2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

124000 mi

US $300
normal servicing (oil, filter, tire rotation, etc) plus installed all LED exterior lighting. Nice improvement in night driving (we live in rural NH and there is not much street lighting here). 
69500 mi Swollen lug nuts caused OEM wrench not to fit. Belle Tire replaced all 24 with different lugs FREE. 
8000 mi Replace master power window control unit. 
73000 mi

US $750
Driver door handle broke off 
17000 mi struts in the hatch started squeaking. Toyota ordered the part for replacement. 
68000 mi

US $200
A bolt had come out of the window making it not roll down and up correctly. The bolt was put back on. 

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2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

245-horsepower 3.5L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

105400 mi

C $2100
Need to replace the cable that allow to unlock the hood 

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2011 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

90000 mi Liftgate piston was squealing and not lifting rear gate to 100%. Replaced piston. 
38000 mi Left tailgate hinge bent by automatic lift. Apparently well known, but ignored defect by Toyota. 
38000 mi Dealer replaced two bent hinges[at my expense] Then said it was the motor. Cost of motor $1200 plus labor. Opted to go to manual operation. Well known Toyota problem that should be a recall item. Toyota no help. 
50000 mi Entire rear tailgate and motor replaced. Dealer did repair after persistence. 

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2011 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

101000 mi Drivers side window was opening at an angle and not closing correctly. Bolt holding the window clamp had come loose and vibrated out inside the door. New coat of loc-tite and 20 minutes of work fixed the issue. 
31400 mi Rear hatch automatic opener/closer failed & dislodged from mounting point resulting in part replacement & body work 
88000 mi The arm that connects the power liftgate broke again, about a year after it was repaired the first time. This time we need other parts, as the part we replaced is stripped and the part needs to be welded on this time. 
20000 mi Seal for rear window replaced due to shrinking of original 
35320 mi

C $200
Rear wiper motor, linkage and rear window struts have failed. Despite low mileage and extended warranty only motor will be covered.Dealer has patched as best he could while we wait for parts. Dealer went to bat for me with Toyota to have them honour my warranty on rear wiper. Dealer was helpful but Toyota had an adversarial approach from the start. 
41000 mi

US $180
Drivers side window glass became separated from mounting and fell into door cavity. Dealer stated bolts had fallen out of mechanism. 

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2011 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

245-horsepower 3.5L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

70340 mi Driver side window not closing. 
59520 mi Driver side window previous problem was fixed 
130200 mi

C $300
Replaced Windshield Wiper Transmission Linkage 

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2011 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

187-horsepower 2.7L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

48360 mi

C $46
Driver's window not descending properly, sometimes a portion of the window not in the door completely. 

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2010 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

97000 mi

US $400
The back hatch/door's struts/shocks fail to keep it raised and open-- as in the only way to open and keep it open is to physically hold it up. All methods of raising it have this same result (key fob, manually, driver button) 

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2010 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

56000 mi

US $100
Driver door window was making a popping sound. Dealer repaired following Toyota TSB. 
41000 mi

US $240
Driver's side sun visor broke, and it would not properly go down. It went down too far (in the down position) which was a safety issue because I couldn't see in front of me. 
31000 mi Windows do not function properly (cannot open or close). Dealer ordered part but did not repair. Water freezes in doors. Shop could not figure out why because weep holes were clear of junk 
43500 mi

US $750
Rear hatch latch was defective causing constant warnings about the rear hatch being open. Car alarm would occasionally be set off, too. 
37000 mi One of the pins holding the drivers side window fell out, inside the door. The glass tilted erratically when raising/lowering the window. Dealer fixed it "no charge" while in for an oil change and out of warranty, since oil change took 4hr! 
34000 mi Bolt fell out from drivers side electric window. The window would not go all the way down and would slam shut in the up position. 
81200 mi Recurring problem- loose bolt in window scissor mechanism. Caused window to slam shut in closed positipn. Repaired myself this time. Used lock-tight to secure bolt. 
118000 mi

US $4
Per Costco mechanic-aluminum cover on lug nuts allows road water and salt to get between lug nut and cover causing corrosion. The cover swells up larger than the 24mm. It is Difficult to remove the lug nuts. Replace lug nuts or gap. 

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2010 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

245-horsepower 3.5L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

10000 mi driver window, clip & track. window would drop, not stay up. 

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2010 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

187-horsepower 2.7L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

63900 mi

US $78
Window was making noise when going up. Second time it happen since owning vehicle. 
34200 mi

US $154
driver side window not operating correctly. Bolt replaced. 

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2010 Toyota Highlander 4-door

6-cylinder CVT AWD

77700 mi

US $375
Power window mechanism - wouldn't work 

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2009 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

108020 mi

C $420
Rear wiper arm seized, and the electrical grid didn't fully work. Solution was to replace the rear window. 
35000 mi Hood latch alarm failure. Hood latch was replaced under warranty. 

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2009 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

187-horsepower 2.7L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

28000 mi Alarm system going off. TSB identified problem as hood switch. Hood switch replaced under warranty. 

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2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic FWD

66900 mi

US $450
Driver's side front window came off track, track was bent, new window assembly installed 
87000 mi

US $450
Automatic window opener came off track, driver side front, bent the lifter which had to be replaced 

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2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

270-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD

19220 mi Abnormal Noise from tailgate. Shocks defect identified by Dealer. Parts ordered. All covered by warranty parts installed free of charge 1 week later. problem resolved. 
59520 mi

C $600
Drivers window bracket bolt came loose, fell out and resulted in the bracket breaking. Window was fine but dealer stated the bracket couldn't be repaired only replaced at a cost of 300 plus install plus inspection, plus retinting. 

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2008 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

209-horsepower 3.3L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

11160 mi

€70
Oem (not toyota) metal valve cap sticks to the valve because of galvanic corrosion. During yearly service the garage mechanic broke the valve by unscrewing it. Tire pressure warning sensor inside tire had to be replaced with a used one ($35+shipping). 

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2007 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

215-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed automatic AWD

110700 mi Passenger side windshield wiper does not spray. 
114000 mi Fixed windshield wiper jet nozzle by replacing wirh new dealer part. 

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2007 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

208-horsepower 3.3L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

84000 mi Window off track 

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2006 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

215-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed automatic FWD

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2006 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

208-horsepower 3.3L V6 Hybrid CVT FWD

130000 mi

US $250
The framework the operates the passenger window was bent and had to be replaced. 
126800 mi

US $400
Power windows in rear stopped working due to sliding of glass-holding trim piece out of place. 
143500 mi Left rear window came off track. 
181000 mi Right Rear Window came off track. Was replaced under warranty by SAFELITE 

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2006 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

208-horsepower 3.3L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

110000 mi

US $350
The seat belt would not retract and it could not be repaired. front passenger seat belt was replaced. not covered under warranty due to age and mileage. 
105000 mi

US $500
Tailgate latch failed. Tailgate could not be opened at all due to failure. Repair required replacement of entire latch mechanism inside tailgate. 
38000 mi

US $39
Windshield washer pump clogged with gravel,dirt. 
39000 mi

US $30
Window jumped track, replaced into proper position. 
114000 mi

US $110
Hood latch replacement 

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2005 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

230-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed automatic AWD

117500 mi Back passenger side power window quit working. The lifting arm had come off the track. Fixed it and then it happened again. Ended up putting it back on, raising window completely, and pulling fuse so the problem wouldn't repeat. 
158000 mi The other rear passenger power window has also now quit staying on the track and had to manually raise it and remove fuse. Now both rear passenger power windows are inoperable. 
82000 mi Could not raise right rear passenger window 

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2004 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

230-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed automatic FWD

119000 mi

US $100
Passenger rear window came off track and was repaired. No parts required. 
295000 mi

US $50
both rear windows were not rolling up/down. Had to glue window back onto bottom rail, as it had come loose on both windows. 
173000 mi

US $130
in for routine maintenance. got call from dealer. hood latch failed. hood will not stay closed. dealer ordered part. returned next day to install. 

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2004 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

230-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed automatic AWD

64480 mi vibration noise - told it was the tire. 
241760 mi

C $160
Rear wiper blade assemply 
309380 mi

C $450
Hood cable has been replaced, $200. Earlier in a month I have decided to clean up the battery which has to be replaced before the winter anyway. One of the bolts that holds the battery in place but that was solidly rusted in snapped. The attempt to drill it out was not successful (shop had to use welding to fix it). So I took car to the shop to fix it and replace battery at the same time as the cost of servicing the battery is a one third of replacing. $250. 

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2004 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

160-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD

109200 mi

US $75
Rear window fell off the track and got stuck in the 'open' position. 
147000 mi

US $300
Exhaust rusted through and leaking upstream of downstream cat. Replaced pipe and downstream cat. 200 for parts plus labor. 

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2003 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

220-horsepower 3.0L V6 4-speed automatic AWD

108000 mi

US $500
Rear side window stuck in down position. 

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2003 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

155-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic AWD

143220 mi

C $250
Windshield Wiper transmission broke. Replaced 

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2002 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

220-horsepower 3.0L V6 4-speed automatic FWD

106600 mi

US $200
Driver-side sun visor replaced - would not stay up. 

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2002 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

220-horsepower 3.0L V6 4-speed automatic AWD

113800 mi

US $103
Passenger side sun visor would not stay up. Replaced visor. 

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See TrueDelta's information for all Toyota models.

Toyota Highlander Other Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Toyota Highlander problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.