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2025 Toyota Highlander

Hybrid Gas Midsize / large SUV

2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

Specs & fuel economy Recalls Complaints Crash ratings

Safety Signal

81 / 100

BSafety Signal · 81 / 100

3Recalls · NHTSA campaigns

9Complaints · owner reports

5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall

35 mpgFuel economy · best combined

The 2025 Toyota Highlander is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize or large SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Highlander Hybrid AWD, is EPA-rated at 35 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 9 complaints, most often about forward collision avoidance. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Highlander Hybrid AWD	Hybrid	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl + 259V Li-Ion	35	35	35	$1,800
Highlander Hybrid AWD LTD/PLAT	Hybrid	AWD	2.5L 4-cyl + 259V Li-Ion	35	34	35	$1,800
Highlander	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl turbo	22	29	25	$2,500
Highlander	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl turbo	21	28	24	$2,600
Highlander AWD	Gas	AWD	2.4L 4-cyl turbo	21	28	24	$2,600

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

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Recalls (3)

Seat Belts

high

39 vehiclesHybrid only

Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The third row center seat belt roof anchor may have been installed at an incorrect angle, preventing the seat belt from properly restraining the occupant.

Risk: A seat belt that does not properly restrain an occupant increases the risk of injury during a crash.

Fix: Dealers will reinstall the seat belt anchor with a new bolt, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 25TA16.

NHTSA campaign 25V872000 · reported Dec 17, 2025 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Back Over Prevention

minor

1,024,407 vehiclesHybrid only

Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error may cause the rearview camera to freeze or display a blank screen when the vehicle is in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."

Risk: A rearview camera that fails to display an image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Dealers will update the parking assist software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB13 and 25LB06. Subaru's number for this recall is WRE25.

NHTSA campaign 25V744000 · reported Oct 30, 2025 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Electrical System

high

591,377 vehicles

Problem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Toyota Venza, 2023-2025 RAV4 Prime, RAV4, Highlander, GR Corolla, Crown, 2024-2025 Lexus TX, LS, Toyota Tacoma, Grand Highlander, and 2025 Lexus RX, Toyota Crown Signia, Camry, RAV 4 Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), and 4 Runner vehicles. Due to an error in the instrument panel software at vehicle startup, the instrument panel may fail to display vehicle speed, brake system, and tire pressure warning lights.

Risk: An instrument panel display that does not show critical information can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Fix: Dealers will update the instrument panel software over-the-air (OTA) for non-PHEV vehicles, free of charge. For PHEV vehicles, dealers will inspect the instrument panel assembly, and either replace it, or update the software, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed December 5, 2025. Additional letters will be sent, anticipated in May 2026. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Toyota's customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 25TB08 and 25TA08. Lexus' numb

NHTSA campaign 25V595000 · reported Sep 11, 2025 · Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Owner complaints

9 complaints filed

2 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 1 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2025: 3 · 2026: 6

Most-cited components

Forward Collision Avoidance — 3
Unknown Or Other — 2
Vehicle Speed Control — 2
Seat Belts — 1
Service Brakes — 1

“I was backing up the vechial accelerated the steering wheel was turning rapid & a grinding noise causing me too hit another vechial about a month before my husband was driving & the vechial accelerated going toward also we had had some issues with back camera not doing a warning signal with a object behind vechial when…”Jul 31, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

“[XXX] was turning left onto [XXX] from [XXX]. Two lanes turn left. She was in the inside lane. The traffic light was red, and when it turned green, she started to turn. Partway through the turn, the steering became unresponsive. She couldn't get it to turn left, and she could not complete the turn, and crashed into the…”Jul 16, 2026 · Steering · NHTSA owner report

“The contact owns a 2025 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while she and her husband were driving at 60 MPH, she heard a loud explosion noise from above her head and felt air whipping on top of her head. The contact stated that the sunroof exploded; however, the sunroof shield prevented the glass from entering …”Jun 3, 2026 · Visibility · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%
SUV FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	17%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Highlander model years

2026 Highlander

0 recalls · 2 complaints

2024 Highlander

7 recalls · 42 complaints

2023 Highlander

9 recalls · 186 complaints

2022 Highlander

6 recalls · 244 complaints

2021 Highlander

5 recalls · 520 complaints

2020 Highlander

5 recalls · 320 complaints

2019 Highlander

3 recalls · 483 complaints

2018 Highlander

4 recalls · 269 complaints

2017 Highlander

3 recalls · 267 complaints

2016 Highlander

2 recalls · 115 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 48981, 48979, 48912, 48913, 48940). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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