2017 Toyota HIGHLANDER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
264 owner complaints analyzed
3 distinct recall campaigns
20,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2017 model year. Data snapshot: . 123 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 70 of 264 complaints (26.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 59 | 22.3% |
| Braking behavior | 47 | 17.8% |
| Engine operation | 31 | 11.7% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 31 | 11.7% |
| Steering behavior | 16 | 6.1% |
| Fuel system concerns | 16 | 6.1% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 70 |
| Unknown Or Other | 52 |
| Electrical System | 46 |
| Engine | 46 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 28 |
| Service Brakes | 28 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 12 |
Power Train: 70; Unknown Or Other: 52; Electrical System: 46; Engine: 46; Fuel/Propulsion System: 28; Service Brakes: 28; Vehicle Speed Control: 13; Visibility/Wiper: 12
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 69 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 34 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 12 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 3 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 69; 25,000 to 49,999: 34; 50,000 to 74,999: 12; 75,000 to 99,999: 3; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (69). 141 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 28 |
| 2018 | 28 |
| 2019 | 27 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 39 |
| 2022 | 15 |
| 2023 | 29 |
| 2024 | 22 |
| 2025 | 29 |
| 2026 | 27 |
2017: 28; 2018: 28; 2019: 27; 2020: 20; 2021: 39; 2022: 15; 2023: 29; 2024: 22; 2025: 29; 2026: 27
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 59 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 47 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 31 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10949488 · 2017-02-03 (February 3, 2017)
2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER SE AWD ("VEHICLE"). ON JANUARY 26, 2017 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:15 P.M., PACIFIC TIME, I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE 10 FREEWAY NEAR THE LA BREA AVENUE EXIT. IT WAS DARK BUT CLEAR WITH LIGHT TO MEDIUM TRAFFIC. WHILE I WAS DRIVING AROUND 80 MPH AND MERGING TOWARD AN INNER LANE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY - ON ITS OWN - SLOWED TO AROUND 30 OR 40 MPH. CONCOMITANTLY, THE VEHICLE'S MESSAGING SYSTEM (BETWEEN THE TACHOMETER AND SPEEDOMETER) BEGAN BLINKING AND ALERTING ME THAT THE ALL WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM WAS EXPERIENCI…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10949488 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11054422 · 2017-12-13 (December 13, 2017)
DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 72 MPH WHEN VEHICLE DIED CAUSING A POTENTIALLY VERY HAZARDOUS SITUATION - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, MASTER WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, SEE DEALER FOR REPAIR MESSAGE DISPLAYED. WAS ABLE TO LIMP TO SIDE OF ROAD AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. AFTER 2 DAYS OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTING THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY (LESS THAN 12,000 MILES ON VEHICLE). THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING, HOWEVER, NOW NOTICE A DECREASE IN GAS MILEAGE AND DIFFERENCE IN TRANSMISSION SHIFTING SINCE REPLACEMENT.
Owner-reported narrative. 11,980 miles reported. Look up ODI 11054422 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10992791 · 2017-06-02 (June 2, 2017)
THE DYNAMIC RADAR CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY AND CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. WHEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH THE FEATURE ON AND A VEHICLE IN FRONT OF YOU EXITS TO THE RIGHT, THE HIGHLANDER WILL SLOW AND BRAKE AGGRESSIVELY AS IF IT'S STILL FOLLOWING THE SLOWING EXITING VEHICLE THAT IS NOW IN ANOTHER LANE AND LEAVING THE HIGHWAY. THE SETTING OF THE VEHICLE TO VEHICLE DISTANCE AND PRE-COLLISION SETTING HAVE LITTLE AFFECT ON THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM CAN EASILY BE DUPLICATED EVERY TIME. THE DEALER SAYS IT'S NORMAL OPERATION. I WAS NEAR…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10992791 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11048751 · 2017-11-27 (November 27, 2017)
WE WERE IN A THANKSGIVING DAY RELATED TOUCH N GO TRAFFIC ON A NORMAL STREET, WHICH ENTERS INTO A MALL. ALL OF US ARE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, CAR AHEAD OF US JUST STARTED MOVING AND WE FOLLOWED AFTER ALLOWING A SAFE DISTANCE, THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR AHEAD OF US STOPPED, SO I TRIED STOPPING QUICKLY, BUT THE CAR'S AUTOMATIC COLLISION AVOIDANCE KICKED IN AND TOOK CONTROL OF MY BRAKES, BUT IT STILL DIDNT STOP, I WAS TRYING TO STOP, BUT THE BRAKES WERE NOT WORKING. ENDED UP REAR-ENDING CAR INFRONT OF ME. THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS SAFETY FEATURE WAS TO PR…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 11048751 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10990492 · 2017-05-18 (May 18, 2017)
MANY ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, FUSES REPEATEDLY BLOWING OUT, POWER LIFT GATE NOT CLOSING, MANY DIFFERENT ERROR MESSAGE APPEARING ON THE SCREEN FOR NO REASON, VEHICLE WENT INTO ACCESSORY MODE WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 3,150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10990492 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11123855 · 2018-08-31 (August 31, 2018)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 14,640 miles reported. Look up ODI 11123855 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11063286 · 2018-01-17 (January 17, 2018)
AS I WAS TURNING LEFT AT A GREEN ARROW ACROSS A DIVIDED HIGHWAY, THE CAR STOPPED MOVING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ALARMS IN ADVANCE OF THE STOP, NOR WERE THERE ANY CRUNCHING OR GRINDING SOUNDS AT THE TIME THE CAR STOPPED. I COULD TELL WHEN I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR AT THE TIME THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN THAT SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED, I TRIED TO RE-START 2X IN THE INTERSECTION, THEN PUSHED THE CAR OUT OF THE INTERSECTION. THE LIGHTS AND ELECTRICAL CAME ON, BUT WHEN I PUT IT IN GEAR…
Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11063286 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11022544 · 2017-09-10 (September 10, 2017)
ACCELERATE SPEED OVER 80MPG CAR JUST SHUTSDOWN THOUGH STEERING STILL MANAGEABLE OR WORKING GAS PEDAL DONT WORK NO MORE HAVE TO CRUISE THE CAR FROM 1 LANE ALL THE WAY TO THE VERY RIGHT LANE LUCKILY EXIT RAMP JUST THERE AND HAVE TO EXIT. TURN OFF CAR THEM RESTARTT CAR WORKS AGAIN NORMAL. SENT TO DEALER KEYES TOYOTA VAN NUYS NOW WILL BE 3 WEEKS STILL NO NEWS AS THE GUY STOPS CALLING US GIVE ME UPDATE AFTER 1ST WEEK. TRIED TO CALL FRIDAY OF 2ND WEEK BUT WAS PUT ON HOLD FOREVER.
Owner-reported narrative. 8,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11022544 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11149666 · 2018-11-06 (November 6, 2018)
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. THE DRIVER TRIED TO PRESS ON THE BRAKE BUT IT WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. THE CAR THEN GRAZED AN HIGHWAY GUARDRAIL AND IT PARTIALLY RIPPED OFF THE REAR LEFT SIDE AND REAR BUMPER. THE DRIVER KEPT PRESSING THE BRAKE WITHOUT EFFECT WHILE SWERVING ACROSS TH…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11149666 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11021428 · 2017-09-05 (September 5, 2017)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS ALSO AN ABNORMAL FUEL ODOR EMITTING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK UNDER THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FORT'S TOYOTA OF PEKIN LOCATED AT: 120 RADIO CITY DR, PEKIN, IL 61554, TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT RODENTS HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE FUEL LINE. THE CONTACT…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11021428 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11309568 · 2020-02-16 (February 16, 2020)
ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY OUR HIGHLANDER HAS TOTALLY LOST ENGINE POWER; PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR WOULD CAUSE THE ENGINE TO COUGH AN SPUTTER; AND WE HAD TO GET OFF OF THE ROAD AND KILL THE ENGINE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES THE ENGINE WOULD RESTART. ONLY ONCE WAS THE DEALER ABLE TO PICK-UP ANY CODE OR REASON AND IT WAS NOTED TO HAVE BEEN AN ENGINE MISS, AND THE TECHNICIAN SAID IT MAY HAVE BEEN A BAD FUEL ISSUE. I AM SEEING RECALLS FOR 2018 & 2019 TOYOTA AND LEXUS VEHICLES DUE TO A FUEL PUMP ISSUE AND I AM WRITING BEC…
Owner-reported narrative. 35,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11309568 at NHTSA ↗