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Home›Toyota›Toyota Highlander› electrical problems
Owner complaints · Electrical System · every model year

Toyota Highlander electrical problems, 2016–2026

228 of the 2,522 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Toyota Highlander 2016–2026 name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). The loudest years: 2019 (56), 2017 (47), 2021 (28). Filed under the same heading across these years: 10 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall campaign, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

228 complaints, 11 model years 9% of everything filed about the Highlander typically at 25k miles

Toyota Highlander electrical problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model yearComplaints naming the electrical systemShare of the year’sTypically atOn file under the heading
20260———the year →
20250——16 TSBs · 1 recallthe year →
2024614%—59 TSBs · 1 recallthe year →
2023137%—97 TSBs · 1 recallthe year →
2022228%—102 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
2021285%—102 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
2020186%—96 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
2019 in depth5611%6k49 TSBs · 1 investigationthe record →
2018249%—63 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
20174717%36k81 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
20161412%—100 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the electrical system. Nothing here is a rate.

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When the electrical complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database
228complaints name the electrical system, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2016: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2018: 3 · 2019: 16 · 2020: 22 · 2021: 30 · 2022: 21 · 2023: 25 · 2024: 27 · 2025: 39 · 2026: 40

25kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 68 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the electrical problem between 8,000 and 48,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

The voice guidance system was inoperative. I bought it as a pre-certified 2019 Highlander from a Toyota dealer with 16k miles. At the time it was working the stopped working. After 3wks I found out that I have to push the start button 2x with the engine off to get it to work.
Electrical System at 16,638 miles Sep 24, 2020 NHTSA owner report
The computer/radio automatically shuts itself off and then reboots. It has done this too many times to count. It does this randomly and unexpectedly. It becomes dangerous because I live in a state where I AM not allowed to hold a phone while driving, so when I don't have wireless phone capability it is very disruptive.
Electrical System at 2,500 miles Sep 22, 2020 NHTSA owner report
Five different times failure to start the engine and battery appears drained with approx. 30k miles. Each time the vehicle was stationary and either in my garage or parked.
Electrical System at 35,000 miles Apr 25, 2021 NHTSA owner report
On 3/8/21 I was driving my 2017 Toyota highland approx. 13 miles away from my home. I began to smell smoke as I was driving and through further investigation I found the smoke to be coming from the charging port at the bottom of the middle arm rest. There is a functional cap on this port to keep debris from falling into it.
Electrical System Mar 10, 2021 NHTSA owner report
The back hatch of the car has issues closing regularly. Nearly half of the time you push the button to shut the back hatch when it is open it will not close and has to be shut manually. Typically, it shuts an inch or two and then beeps at you and when you push the button again nothing happens but beeping.
Electrical System Jul 1, 2026 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the electrical system, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaign filed under this heading, any model year

NHTSA investigation

10 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year

The 8 newest are listed; each model year’s page lists every one filed on that year. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Other systems with a record on the Toyota Highlander

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Toyota Highlander problems by year →

From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which Toyota Highlander years have the most electrical complaints?

2019, 56; 2017, 47; 2021, 28. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2017 (17%).

Is there a recall for the electrical system on the Toyota Highlander?

Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading across these model years: 25V595000 (2025). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do electrical problems show up on the Toyota Highlander?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 25,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 8,000 and 48,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?

Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.