Toyota Highlander years to avoid— and the best years
8 Highlander model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
Every Highlander model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 #1 | B | 10 | 2 · 0.2/yr | 116 · 12/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2017 #2 | B | 9 | 3 · 0.3/yr | 270 · 30/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2019 #3 | B | 7 | 3 · 0.4/yr | 492 · 70/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2018 #4 | C | 8 | 4 · 0.5/yr | 271 · 34/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2020 #5 | C | 6 | 5 · 0.8/yr | 326 · 54/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2021 #6 | C | 5 | 5 · 1/yr | 537 · 107/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2022 #7 | C | 4 | 6 · 1.5/yr | 265 · 66/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2023 #8 | D | 3 | 9 · 3/yr | 191 · 64/yr | ★★★★★ |
The Highlander years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2023 Toyota Highlander
The 2023 Highlander: 9 recalls in 3 years on the road (3 a year) — steering ×2, tires ×2, seats; 191 owner complaints to NHTSA, 64 a year (most often body and structure (35) and engine (28)); owners reported 12 crashes, 12 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2022 Toyota Highlander
The 2022 Highlander: 6 recalls in 4 years on the road (1.5 a year) — tires ×2, seats, structure; 265 owner complaints to NHTSA, 66 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (54) and body and structure (46)); owners reported 17 crashes, 1 fire, 13 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22005 (became recall 22V063000, electrical system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
The Highlander years the record favours
first 2 of 82016 Toyota Highlander
The 2016 Highlander: 2 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.2 a year) — service brakes, equipment; 116 owner complaints to NHTSA, 12 a year (most often brake (22) and electrical (14)); owners reported 14 crashes, 1 fire, 11 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22005 (became recall 22V063000, electrical system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2017 Toyota Highlander
The 2017 Highlander: 3 recalls in 9 years on the road (0.3 a year) — fuel/propulsion system, equipment, tires; 270 owner complaints to NHTSA, 30 a year (most often transmission and drivetrain (73) and engine (51)); owners reported 18 crashes, 2 fires, 26 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22005 (became recall 22V063000, electrical system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about Highlander years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat Toyota Highlander years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2022, 2023 rank lowest of the 8 Highlander model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2023 — 9 recalls in 3 years (3 a year), 191 complaints (64 a year); the 2022 — 6 recalls in 4 years (1.5 a year), 265 complaints (66 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best Toyota Highlander year to buy used?
The 2016 Toyota Highlander has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal B, 0.2 recalls a year on the road and 12 complaints a year. The 2016 Highlander: 2 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.2 a year) — service brakes, equipment; 116 owner complaints to NHTSA, 12 a year (most often brake (22) and electrical (14)); owners reported 14 crashes, 1 fire, 11 injured; NHTSA investigation DP22005 (became recall 22V063000, electrical system); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2023 Toyota Highlander reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2023 Highlander: 9 recalls in 3 years on the road (3 a year) — steering ×2, tires ×2, seats; 191 owner complaints to NHTSA, 64 a year (most often body and structure (35) and engine (28)); owners reported 12 crashes, 12 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the Toyota Highlander have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 37 recall campaigns against the Toyota Highlander, and owners filed 2,468 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2026) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.