What are the most common 2011 Highlander problems?

Owners' complaints most often involve visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (32%), the brakes (10%) and speed control (10%). A complaint can name more than one area.

Has the 2011 Toyota Highlander been recalled?

Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2011 Toyota Highlander, the most recent in June 2016 (seats). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

2011 Toyota Highlander: Solid

Owners filed 90 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Highlander in its first five years on the road, about 91 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Highlander year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (32% of complaints, median 46,000 miles).

Complaint index: 1.0×; per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Highlander year
Rank: 9th of 14; 1st = fewest complaints
Complaints: 90; first five years; 91 per 100,000 sold
Recalls: 5; campaigns

2nd generation, 2008–2013 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate

Photo: 2011–2013 Toyota Highlander · MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles

Visibility32% · 29 complaints · median 46,000 miles
Brakes10% · 9 complaints · median 17,000 miles
Speed control10% · 9 complaints · median 9,000 miles
Body and structure17% · 15 complaints · median 41,000 miles
Electrical13% · 12 complaints · median 22,000 miles
Powertrain9% · 8 complaints · median 7,000 miles
Steering7% · 6 complaints · median 14,000 miles
Engine6% · 5 complaints · median 9,000 miles
Air bags1% · 1 complaints
Lights3% · 3 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Brakes

Owners describe brakes that suddenly stop working normally, sometimes with warning lights and pedal sinking to the floor, occasionally leading to crashes or near misses. Dealers have replaced parts like discs and actuators, but some owners say the issue returned or couldn't be found.

Warning signs:: Many report dash warnings for brake or ABS malfunction, loss of power steering, pedal vibration, or a whining noise before brakes failed to respond normally.
What shops did:: Some owners had dealers replace brake discs, actuators, or pumps, while others say the dealer could not find or duplicate the problem.
Mileage:: most between 15,000 and 100,000 miles, among 17 complaints that give it

“The brake pedal depressed entirely to the floor, and the brakes did not engage”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 10726236 · View complaints on NHTSA

“Brakes went out while in motion on a city street. Had to shove break pedal down with both feet to the floor”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 11098122 · View complaints on NHTSA

Speed control

Several owners describe their Highlander suddenly accelerating on its own, sometimes leading to a crash into a wall, vehicle, or other object. A few also mention brief stalling or hesitation before speeding up, and dealers were not always able to find or fix the cause.

Warning signs:: Some report a brief stall, hesitation, or delay when accelerating from a stop or low speed before the vehicle suddenly surges forward.
What shops did:: Some had the vehicle towed to a dealer for inspection, but owners report it often wasn't diagnosed, repaired, or explained, with one told the issue could not be corrected.
Mileage:: most between 10,000 and 65,000 miles, among 14 complaints that give it

“It suddenly accelerated, almost at full throttle... I had to slam on the brake as hard as I could react, missing a crash by only a few inches”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 10457221 · View complaints on NHTSA

“The engine appears to stall for 3 or 4 seconds, then resumes normal acceleration”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, No. 10448438 · View complaints on NHTSA

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (5)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›

NHTSA 16V396000June 20167,749 vehicles
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory.
NHTSA 15V689000October 20151,814,284 vehicles
Visibility: power window devices and controls
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Risk: If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found.
NHTSA 14V743000November 20143,233 vehicles
Seats: front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.
NHTSA 13V123000April 20137,525 vehicles
Equipment: other: labels
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Risk: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation.
NHTSA 13V014000January 20133,235 vehicles
Seats · Air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Toyota sent NHTSA 335 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2011 Highlander. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

TSB003220 · August 2023TSB: Replacement certification labels (the vinyl label installed on the driver door or door post) and VIN plates (the metal plate riveted to dashboard) (see Figure 1) for most 1979 ?
TTT063620 · March 2022TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions
T-SB-0014-22 · March 2022TSB: This Service Bulletin includes procedures to replace damaged or loose front carpet floor retainer(s) without replacing the carpet assembly.
T-TT-0636-20 Rev · March 2021TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
T-TT-0636-20 · December 2020TT: Some Toyota vehicles installed with Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) brake pads may exhibit a groan or squeak noise in various driving conditions.
T-TT-0246-13 Rev · July 2014Tech Tip: Tips for writing a DPR (Dealer Product Report) on manufacturing issues for windows and windshields.
T-SB-0185-13 · December 2013The following procedures are recommended during routine maintenance or in the event of a customer concern for wiper performance.
TS-BO030-01 Obso · December 2013This bulletin is now obsolete.

All 2011 Highlander bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2011 Toyota Highlander reliable?: Owners filed 90 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Toyota Highlander in its first five years on the road, about 91 for every 100,000 sold: 1.0× the rate of a typical Highlander year. That's close to a typical year. Ratings compare Highlander years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2011 Highlander problems?: Owners' complaints most often involve visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors) (32%), the brakes (10%) and speed control (10%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2011 Toyota Highlander been recalled?: Yes. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2011 Toyota Highlander, the most recent in June 2016 (seats). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Toyota. The 2011 Toyota Highlander on NHTSA.gov · How we rate