2017 Toyota Highlander engine problems
51 of the 270 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2017 Toyota Highlander name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 60 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database3 of the 51 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2017: 6 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2020: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2026: 5
Half of the 26 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 15,000 and 60,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
270 complaints in all about the 2017 Toyota Highlander, 5 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Toyota Highlander engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving various speeds. The coffee cup icon displayed on the instrument panel during the failure. The failure was experienced numerous times. The dealer inspected the vehicle, replaced the engine oil, replaced the filters, and rotated the tires.
On sunday oct 21 2018, the driver had just left the olin rest area in north carolina, heading northbound on rt 77. After driving for a little bit the car suddenly acceleration unintentionally by itself. And the car started to zig zag across the highway lanes without the driver turning the steering wheel.
On august 10th 2018, I was driving my 2017 Highlander with 17,000 miles on a major highway in california when I accelerated hard to pass other vehicles. Suddenly the Highlander lost all power with all the bells and whistles sounding.
City street, two while turning from a stop and two from a stationary stop. Loss of power. Pressing on accelerator had no affect but approximately 5-10 seconds regained movement and continued on. Unsure/unknown of the safety cause. Scaring especially turning left with oncoming traffic coming at you
Hello, there. I want to share my experience about Highlander problem. My wife and me went to mystic,ct from my home for pleasure august 8. I used cruise control with 65 MPH on highway. After I finished traveling there, I tried to use the same cruise control on the way home.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications60 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- T-SB-0009-26 Service bulletinFeb 13, 2026
- This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries. This bulletin should be used in conjunction with the applicable model and model year Repair Manual while performing a rescue charge. The GRX-5100 should be used wherever the Repair Manual references the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) charger.
- T-SB-0119-15 Rev2 Service bulletinFeb 13, 2026
- OBSOLETE NOTICE February 13, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0009-26.
The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P0300 P0302 P0A80 P0A7F P0301 P0303 P0305 P11F0
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2017 Toyota Highlander names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2017 Toyota Highlander
Source: the same files- transmission and drivetrain problems 73 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2017 Toyota Highlander?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 51 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (19% of everything owners filed about it), and 60 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2017 Toyota Highlander?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 3 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2017 Toyota Highlander?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 20,800 miles; half of them between 15,000 and 60,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.