2012 Toyota Highlander Toyota Highlander 2012

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2012 Toyota Highlander repairs by problem area

Engine (10%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (10%)

Brakes and Traction Control (15%)

Suspension and Steering (13%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (31%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (7%)

Other (13%)

Chart based on 68 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2012 Toyota Highlander.

2012 Toyota Highlander repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (10%)

$500 - $999 (9%)

$100 - $499 (34%)

< $100 (45%)

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

Chart based on 58 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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

Toyota Highlander in Virginia, United States
Mar 2012 - Jun 2018
Aug 2017

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. 
Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States
May 2015 - Jun 2018
Jan 2018

50000 mi

US $150
Battery and terminal replacement 
Toyota Highlander in South Carolina, United States
Mar 2015 - Jun 2022
Oct 2021

163560 mi

US $24
Replace thermostat. 
Toyota Highlander in Nevada, United States
Mar 2012 - Apr 2013
Apr 2013

13000 mi
Seat belt buckle needed replacement 
Toyota Highlander in Florida, United States
Jul 2016 - Jul 2023
Sep 2016

40000 mi
Strut tower broke, made a loud noise going over bumps. Repaired under the dealer 60 day warranty. During repair they stripped a bolt and had to replace entire strut. 
Jun 2021

120000 mi

US $1600
Replaced all 4 VVT solenoids 
Apr 2023

155000 mi

US $700
Replaced rear struts 
Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States
Nov 2011 - Jul 2022
Dec 2015

123000 mi

US $1000
Replaced faulty wheel bearing left rear. 
Toyota Highlander in Texas, United States
Nov 2011 - Sep 2019
Jul 2013

27000 mi
Drip rail molding came loose on both sides of the roof. Dealer replaced them with an updated piece at no charge. 
Nov 2013

32000 mi
Battery was leaking around terminal post causing corrosion. Battery was replaced under warranty. 
Jan 2017

40300 mi
Driver seat frame broken. 

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2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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

Toyota Highlander in Ohio, United States
Aug 2017 - Jan 2022
Dec 2017

78000 mi

US $120
5 percent of the time the starter would not crank. Starter was replaced and issue went away. 
Toyota Highlander in Kentucky, United States
Sep 2016 - Jun 2018
Oct 2017

145000 mi
Popping noise from back door opening and closing, Toyota extended the warranty for this problem 
Toyota Highlander in Michigan, United States
Jul 2016 - Jan 2022
Jun 2017

58000 mi

US $150
Replaced Battery 
Jul 2018

69500 mi
Swollen lug nuts caused OEM wrench not to fit. Belle Tire replaced all 24 with different lugs FREE. 
Toyota Highlander in Oregon, United States
Dec 2013 - Jul 2015
Feb 2013

8000 mi
Replace master power window control unit. 
Toyota Highlander in New Hampshire, United States
Oct 2017 - Jan 2022
Dec 2017

67000 mi
Bought car with a little bit of factory extended powertrain warranty still valid. Heard pinion gear whine when driving, found that Toyota has a Service Bulletin out for a batch of improperly honed pinion gears, took to dealer. Dealer verified and put in a remanufactured transaxle under warranty per the service bulletin. Excellent service, no hassles, car is now perfect! Way to go, Toyota! 
Mar 2018

76000 mi

US $40
One headlight burned out. I replace all four rather than wait for them to go one at a time. Also, I live in rural NH so I put in a full set of extra bright but legal bulbs rather than standard bulbs. Much better on back roads with no street lights! 
Oct 2021

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). 
Toyota Highlander in Tennessee, United States
Feb 2016 - Jun 2018
May 2017

69000 mi

US $100
T-SB-0034-13 (Steering Intermediate Shaft Noise) Quote: Some 2008 – 2013 model year Highlander and Highlander HV vehicles may exhibit a clunk, pop, or knock-type noise when turning the steering wheel left or right. A new intermediate shaft has been developed to address this condition. 
Toyota Highlander in Arizona, United States
Feb 2014 - Jan 2022
Apr 2018

72000 mi

US $4500
Torque converter threw a "check engine" code...dealer replaced entire transmission. 
Sep 2020

97000 mi

US $889
Defective alternator 
Toyota Highlander in Ohio, United States
Sep 2021 - Dec 2022
Jun 2022

161000 mi

US $200
Flush & fill transmission fluid 
Dec 2022

156000 mi

US $1200
Alternator and battery 
Toyota Highlander in New Jersey, United States
Oct 2014 - Jun 2022
Aug 2020

85000 mi

US $100
Tire pressure sensor. Fault was not fixed 
Toyota Highlander in Illinois, United States
Nov 2017 - Feb 2022
Jan 2018

104000 mi

US $380
Check engine light on accompanied with erratic shifting. Car would die at stop lights and could only be re-started in neutral. Dealer found park-neutral safety switch faulty. Replaced switch and car now drives normal. Cyclical loud whirring noise similar to tire noise heard from rear of car. Noise would get louder the faster it was driven. Left and right rear wheel bearings bad. Replaced with aftermarket from an independent shop. 
Toyota Highlander in Minnesota, United States
Aug 2015 - Jun 2018
Jun 2018

63000 mi

US $150
Replaced coil on one cylinder 
Toyota Highlander in Kansas, United States
Jan 2012 - Apr 2021
Feb 2016

74600 mi

US $60
Headlight Out 
Jan 2017

87000 mi

US $180
New Battery 
Toyota Highlander in Washington, United States
Feb 2012 - Oct 2021
Jun 2017

81000 mi

US $300
Replace front and rear brakes. 
Mar 2018

95000 mi

US $200
Brake service rear 
Toyota Highlander in Missouri, United States
Sep 2012 - Oct 2012
Oct 2012

11000 mi
Clicking noise 50% of the time when shifting from park to drive/reverse. Dealer has replaced the shift mechanism twice. Now they are telling me that this is a common sound on highlanders. 
Toyota Highlander in California, United States
Jun 2013 - Jun 2021
Jan 2014 struts in the hatch started squeaking. Toyota ordered the part for replacement. 
Dec 2014

30000 mi
Blower for air condition and heater had to be replaced. Seal in back hatch window was coming off so dealer replaced it. Air condition has a slight squeak when it runs. 
Apr 2017

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. 
Jun 2017

70000 mi

US $347
Right Rear Wheel Bearing went bad. 
Toyota Highlander in Washington, United States
Jun 2012 - Jun 2018
Sep 2012

4000 mi
Drivetrain making a growling/grinding noise. Noise confirmed by dealer. Source not found. Crankcase oil changed. No sign of wear or grinding. Unknown if other components inspected. Holding open ticket. 
Nov 2012

5800 mi
Growling noise was still present when the car was due for its 5000 mile maintenance. Brought it to a different dealer who found the left rear wheel bearing had failed internally. Replaced bearing. Problem gone. 
Toyota Highlander in Washington, United States
Jul 2012 - Mar 2013
Oct 2012

3000 mi
high pitched engine whine at varied speeds. 
Mar 2013 high pitch engine whine that the dealer said was normal 
Toyota Highlander in Wisconsin, United States
Mar 2012 - Jun 2018
Dec 2016

73000 mi

US $750
Driver door handle broke off 
Oct 2017

95000 mi

US $300
Outrageous issue: The positive terminal for the battery is Not a replaceable item, but costs $2,700 in parts plus 5-6 hours of labor: the full electrical engine harness must be replaced. Who made this incredibly stupid decision? When I told the dealer that I would never buy a Toyota again, they decided to make a repair of their own, where they sawed through the harness and made it possible to replace the terminal only. 
Toyota Highlander in New York, United States
Apr 2012 - Sep 2014
Jun 2013

10000 mi
Replace of dead battery 
Toyota Highlander in Delaware, United States
Oct 2012 - Dec 2015
Nov 2014

48600 mi
Heavy corrosion 
Toyota Highlander in Massachusetts, United States
Apr 2014 - Dec 2016
Oct 2016

111700 mi

US $420
Brought it in to have the tires rotated and a brake component got bent and they needed to replace the brakes for the noise to go away. 
Toyota Highlander in Missouri, United States
Jan 2015 - Jul 2020
May 2016

69000 mi

US $100
R/H rear wheel bearing failed. Replaced by dealer under extended warranty 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
May 2014 - Jun 2017
Mar 2017

81840 mi

C $150
Replaced rear brakes 
Toyota Highlander in Massachusetts, United States
Aug 2015 - Oct 2018
Aug 2015

58000 mi
Rear end locked up/Froze on highway. Toyota certified when purchased and maintenance at same dealership. Total replacement covered under warranty. 
Apr 2017

75000 mi
Complete right side of Audio system failed, replaced amplifier. Amplifier did not fix problem, had to replace entire radio/GPS system 
Toyota Highlander in Massachusetts, United States
Nov 2014 - Feb 2020
Oct 2015

54700 mi

US $1000
Doors not locking with fob or door buttons. Replaced body ECU 
Aug 2016

68000 mi

US $100
Replaced original battery due to leaking 
Apr 2018

88000 mi

US $30
Replaced brake light switch due to codes and ABS warning light 

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2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

245-horsepower 3.5L V6 Hybrid CVT AWD

Toyota Highlander in Quebec, Canada
Oct 2014 - Jun 2022
Apr 2017

69440 mi

C $950
Front drum has been replace after only 35000 KM! 
May 2019

105400 mi

C $2100
Had to replace complete caliber and disk on 4 wheel rust on back door near Need to replace the cable that allow to unlock the hood 
May 2022

129580 mi

C $700
Change break disk on allnwhell 
Toyota Highlander in New Brunswick, Canada
Nov 2011 - Dec 2016
Apr 2012

4220 mi
faulty speaker. replaced under warranty 
Toyota Highlander in Ontario, Canada
Feb 2016 - Jun 2018
May 2018

68820 mi

C $2253
The oil pump control circuit of the hybrid system malfunctioned. 

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2012 Toyota Highlander 4dr SUV

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

Toyota Highlander in South Carolina, United States
Dec 2011 - Apr 2017
Jul 2014

33700 mi
Door alarm for key in ignition was not functioning due to electrical ground issue. 
Toyota Highlander in California, United States
Oct 2016 - Jun 2018
Jan 2018

66000 mi

US $350
All 4 brake pads 

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2011.5 Toyota Highlander

Engine not specified

Toyota in New Zealand
Jul 2012 - Oct 2012
Aug 2012

12900 mi
a bump or knocking in the steering when turning left, toyota replaced steering intermediate shaft as per the 2008 T-SB-0296-08, but problem remains the same, I guess this is a new problem that Toyota has not come across before 
Oct 2012

15500 mi
foot brake was going to the floor replacing foot brake parts 

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2012 Toyota Highlander Repair Histories

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 2012 Toyota Highlander problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.