UsedScore

2015 Toyota Highlander: Solid

Owners filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota Highlander in its first five years on the road, about 77 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 the electrical system (23% of complaints, median 32,000 miles).

Complaint index
1.0×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Highlander year
Rank
8th of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
120
first five years; 77 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
1
campaign
3rd generation, 2014–2019 · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2014–2016 Toyota Highlander LE AWD (U.S.-spec)

Photo: 2014–2016 Toyota Highlander LE AWD (U.S.-spec) · Ethan Llamas, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Electrical23% · 28 complaints · median 32,000 miles
  2. Steering15% · 18 complaints · median 24,000 miles
  3. Brakes10% · 12 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  4. Air bags3% · 3 complaints
  5. Speed control7% · 8 complaints · median 7,000 miles
  6. Body and structure13% · 16 complaints · median 15,000 miles
  7. Engine5% · 6 complaints · median 19,000 miles
  8. Visibility8% · 9 complaints · median 23,000 miles
  9. Lights4% · 5 complaints
  10. Seats and belts3% · 4 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 of this Highlander describe brakes that feel soft, noisy, or unresponsive, sometimes leading to collisions, along with warped rotors and dashboard warnings about the brake and accelerator being pressed at once. Many say dealers struggled to find or fix the cause, leaving the issue unresolved.

Warning signs:
Owners report popping or clunking noises when braking, soft or shaking brake pedals, warning messages about brake and accelerator being pressed together, and warped or blued rotors.
What shops did:
Dealers sometimes replaced rotors, pads, struts, or batteries, but several owners say technicians could not duplicate or diagnose the problem and no lasting repair was made.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 45,000 miles, among 14 complaints that give it

“Popping sound coming from right front side when breaking to a stop at all speeds”

“The service rep told me she noticed that the rotors were "blue" and she noted that they should be changed”

Electrical

Owners of the 2015 Highlander commonly report electrical glitches like infotainment systems freezing, door locks and liftgates failing intermittently, and occasional stalling or steering stiffness tied to warning lights. A few describe burning smells or fires near the dashboard or heated seats, with dealers sometimes unable to replicate or fully fix the problems.

Warning signs:
Owners describe warning lights (check engine, check AWD, power steering), steering becoming stiff or momentarily unresponsive, burning smells, buzzing noises, and screens freezing before failures occurred.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the issues; some replaced door lock actuators, batteries, or infotainment units, though problems sometimes recurred; a few repairs were denied as out of warranty.
Mileage:
most between 20,000 and 75,000 miles, among 38 complaints that give it

“Door lock actuator has been replaced 3 times within 12 months on the vehicle, twice on the same door.”

Steering

Owners describe the power steering suddenly becoming stiff or seizing, often along with a warning light or dashboard glitch, sometimes leading to loss of control. Many mention a related recall, but report long delays getting parts or being told their vehicle wasn't included despite similar symptoms.

Warning signs:
Many report the EPS or steering warning light illuminating, dashboard or infotainment screens going blank/rebooting, or the steering feeling stiff before it seized.
What shops did:
Some dealers replaced the steering computer or ECU under a recall, though many owners describe long waits for backordered parts, and others report dealers could not find fault codes or replicate the problem.
Mileage:
most between 10,000 and 65,000 miles, among 17 complaints that give it

“The steering became extremely difficult as if power steering shut down”

“The steering wheel seized without warning”

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

Recalls (1)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 15V144000March 2015110,085 vehicles

    Steering: electric power assist system

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2015 Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, and Highlander Hybrid, and 2014-2015 Rav4 vehicles. A component of the electric power steering (EPS) electronic control unit (ECU) may have been damaged during the manufacturing process. Over time, this damage may result in failure of the electric power steering system.

    Risk: An unexpected loss of power steering increases the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly.

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 2015 Highlander. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • T-SB-0058-23 Rev1 · June 2025The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks.
  • 24TE01 · November 2024This Customer Support Program provides coverage as it applies to Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies on Certain 2014-2016 Model Year Highlander HV and certain 2017 Model Year Prius V…
  • 24LE01 · February 2024DP: Although the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies are covered by Toyota?s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the…
  • 24LE01a · February 2024RL: Toyota has received reports regarding the Brake Booster and Brake Booster Pump Assemblies on certain 2014-2016 model year Highlander HV vehicles and certain 2015-2017 Prius C vehicles.
  • TSB000924 · February 2024TSB: Some 2014 ?
  • T-SB-0057-18 · May 2023TSB: The Immobilizer and Smart Key Reset is a feature that allows the registration of new keys when all master keys are lost.
  • T-SB-0119-15 Rev · May 2022TSB: This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge on Ni-MH high voltage (HV) batteries.
  • 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

All 2015 Highlander bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2015 Toyota Highlander reliable?
Owners filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Toyota Highlander in its first five years on the road, about 77 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 2015 Highlander problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the electrical system (23%), the steering (15%) and the brakes (10%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2015 Toyota Highlander been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2015 Toyota Highlander, the most recent in March 2015 (steering). 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 2015 Toyota Highlander on NHTSA.gov · How we rate