2018 Toyota HIGHLANDER

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2018 Toyota HIGHLANDER has 340 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 4.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is brakes problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: i was recently in a vehicle accident in my 2018 toyota highlander with the pre-collision system. the pre-collision system was working well through out our trip but unfortunately did not work when it was most needed. we were involved in a pile up on interstate i-5 going at least 45mph and noticed tha.

33 crash reports 32 injuries

340

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

4.3x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

BRAKES

58 complaints

17%

• I WAS RECENTLY IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN MY 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM. THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM WAS WORKING WELL THROUGH OUT OUR TRIP BUT UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT WORK WHEN IT WAS MOST NEEDED. WE WERE INVOLVED IN A PILE UP ON INTERSTATE I-5 GOING AT LEAST 45MPH AND NOTICED THA
• RECENTLY INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHEN GOING IN REVERSE. THE SRS ALARM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE REVERSE BRAKING SYSTEM DID NOT INDICATED THAT I WAS CLOSE TO THE OBJECT.
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V211000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. P

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 9 crashes

“I WAS RECENTLY IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN MY 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM. THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM WAS WORKING WELL THROUGH OUT OUR TRIP BUT UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT WORK WHEN IT WAS MOST NEEDED. WE WERE INVOLVED IN A PILE UP ON INTERSTATE I-5 GOING AT LEAST 45MPH AND NOTICED THA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

58 complaints

17%

• WHEN HIT BREAKS HARD... I HEAR A BANG/NOISE FROM REAR OF MY HIGHLANGER. ( DEALERSHIP ADMIT THIS IS ABNORMAL SOUND BUT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT). TRANSMISSION SHIFT ROUGHLY, NOT SMOOTH SHIFTING. IF CAR IS IN DRIVE AND IM HOLDING BREAKS CAR REAR STARTS MAKING BANGING NOISE N START SHAKING. SO F
• APON ACCESLARATION , CAR HESITATE FOR A FEW SECOND, RPM GOES TO 5000 UNTIL VEHICLE SLOWLY START TO MOVE. FEELS LIKEW THER IS NO PROPER SYNCH BETWEEN ENGING AND TRANSMISSION. DANGEROUS WHEN PASSING OR AVOIDING A VEHICLE AHEAD OF YOU. THE SAME ISSUE WHILE USING THE CRUSE CONTROL, IT JUMPS FROM A FEW
• STEERING WHEEL LEATHER IS PEELING AND CAUSING ISSUES WITH GRIP. HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD AND FEEL VERY UNSAFE DRIVING OUR HIGHLANDER WITH 20K ON IT THAT TOYOTA CLAIMS IS COSMETIC ISSUE. TRANSMISSION SHUDDERS VERY BADLY GOING UP HILLS AND ALMOST STALLS OUT.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“WHEN HIT BREAKS HARD... I HEAR A BANG/NOISE FROM REAR OF MY HIGHLANGER. ( DEALERSHIP ADMIT THIS IS ABNORMAL SOUND BUT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT). TRANSMISSION SHIFT ROUGHLY, NOT SMOOTH SHIFTING. IF CAR IS IN DRIVE AND IM HOLDING BREAKS CAR REAR STARTS MAKING BANGING NOISE N START SHAKING. SO F”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

40 complaints

12%

• I WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 78 BY STONE MOUNTAIN AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR BEHIND ME SIGNALED TO ME TO STOP. HE SAID SOMETHING FLEW OFF MY CAR AND HIT HIS WINDSHIELD. I COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE SUNROOF AND DISCOVERED THAT IT HAD SHATTERED. THIS
• PCS (PRE COLLISION SYSTEM) AND PEDESTRIAN DETECTION SYSTEM DO NOT FUNCTION AS ADVERTISED BY THE MANUFACTURE AND ASSURED BY THE DEALER. THERE IS NO INDICATION OR ANY EVIDENCE THAT SUCH A SYSTEM EXISTS IN THE CAR. THEREFORE, IT GIVES YOU A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.
• TOOK MY 2018 HIGHLANDER TO HAVE THE 5000 MILE SERVICE DONE. UPON ENTERING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT I SPOKE WITH ONE OF THE CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS. I TOLD HIM MY VEHICLES IS PULLING TO THE LEFT. THEY THEN DID A ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ROTATION. AFTER LEAVING MIKE WOOD TOYOTA OF UNIONTOWN I NOTICED THAT MY VE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 4 crashes

“I WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 78 BY STONE MOUNTAIN AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR BEHIND ME SIGNALED TO ME TO STOP. HE SAID SOMETHING FLEW OFF MY CAR AND HIT HIS WINDSHIELD. I COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE SUNROOF AND DISCOVERED THAT IT HAD SHATTERED. THIS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

35 complaints

10%

• WHEN FILLING THE VEHICLE WITH GAS, AFTER THE GAS PUMP SHUTS OFF, GAS COMES SURGING BACK OUT OFF THE FILLER NECK WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SPLASH ON WHOMEVER IS FILLING THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS AT MULTIPLE GAS STATIONS AND DIFFERENT PUMPS WITH DIFFERENT FLOW RATES. EACH TIME, THE HANDLE IS EITHER BEING H
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V012000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TI
• PHONE SYSTEM CUTS OUT AND DOESN'T DOWNLOAD CONTACTS. BEING TOLD TOYOTA IS DOING UPDATE. THIS HAS BEEN TOLD TO ME 6-8 TIMES. I CONTINUALLY TAKE THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS NEVER CONTACTED ABOUT A FUEL PUMP RECALL THAT CAN CAUSE A CRASH. I FOUND THE RECALL MYSELF. TO THIS DATE I HAVE NOT RECEIVED

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“WHEN FILLING THE VEHICLE WITH GAS, AFTER THE GAS PUMP SHUTS OFF, GAS COMES SURGING BACK OUT OFF THE FILLER NECK WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SPLASH ON WHOMEVER IS FILLING THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS AT MULTIPLE GAS STATIONS AND DIFFERENT PUMPS WITH DIFFERENT FLOW RATES. EACH TIME, THE HANDLE IS EITHER BEING H”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

31 complaints

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF BOWIE (16700 GOVERNOR BRIDGE RD, BOWIE, MD 20716) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE GASKET WAS NOT SEALED CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WA
• AFTER VEHICLE HAS WARMED UP ENGINE RPM SPEED DROPS TO NEAR 500 WHEN BRAKE ENGAGED AT STOP LIGHTS AND VEHICLE IDLES ROUGH AND ATTEMPTS TO STALL. SHIFTING TO NEUTRAL BRINGS RPM SPEED BACK UP AND IDLES SMOOTH AGAIN. PROBLEM OCCURS DAILY OVER LAST TWO MONTHS. VEHICLE IS NEAR NEW, 1750 MILES. AUTO STOP S
• SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP (07/27/2018, THIS VEHICLE HAS THE VERY PUNGENT ODOR OF ANTIFREEZE COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, DRIVER SIDE.AFTER THE ENGINE REACHES NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. THERE ARE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF COOLANT LEAKING, EITHER ON THE PAVEMENT OR INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMEN

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TOYOTA OF BOWIE (16700 GOVERNOR BRIDGE RD, BOWIE, MD 20716) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE GASKET WAS NOT SEALED CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 340 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
BRAKES: I WAS RECENTLY IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN MY 2018 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER WITH THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM. THE PRE-COLLISION SYSTEM WAS WORKING WELL THROUGH OUT OUR TRIP BUT UNFORTUNATELY DID NOT WORK WHEN IT WAS MOST NEEDED. WE WERE INVOLVED IN A PILE UP ON INTERSTATE I-5 GOING AT LEAST 45MPH AND NOTICED THA
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: WHEN HIT BREAKS HARD... I HEAR A BANG/NOISE FROM REAR OF MY HIGHLANGER. ( DEALERSHIP ADMIT THIS IS ABNORMAL SOUND BUT THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT). TRANSMISSION SHIFT ROUGHLY, NOT SMOOTH SHIFTING. IF CAR IS IN DRIVE AND IM HOLDING BREAKS CAR REAR STARTS MAKING BANGING NOISE N START SHAKING. SO F
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: I WAS TRAVELING ON HIGHWAY 78 BY STONE MOUNTAIN AND HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR BEHIND ME SIGNALED TO ME TO STOP. HE SAID SOMETHING FLEW OFF MY CAR AND HIT HIS WINDSHIELD. I COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I DECIDED TO LOOK AT THE SUNROOF AND DISCOVERED THAT IT HAD SHATTERED. THIS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: WHEN FILLING THE VEHICLE WITH GAS, AFTER THE GAS PUMP SHUTS OFF, GAS COMES SURGING BACK OUT OFF THE FILLER NECK WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO SPLASH ON WHOMEVER IS FILLING THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS AT MULTIPLE GAS STATIONS AND DIFFERENT PUMPS WITH DIFFERENT FLOW RATES. EACH TIME, THE HANDLE IS EITHER BEING H
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)