UsedScore

2016 Toyota Highlander: Solid

Owners filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Highlander in its first five years on the road, about 44 for every 100,000 sold: 0.6× the rate of a typical Highlander year. That's close to a typical year.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is the brakes (28% of complaints, median 30,000 miles).

Complaint index
0.6×
per vehicle sold, vs. a typical Highlander year
Rank
2nd of 14
1st = fewest complaints
Complaints
80
first five years; 44 per 100,000 sold
Recalls
2
campaigns
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. Brakes28% · 22 complaints · median 30,000 miles
  2. Air bags9% · 7 complaints · median 10,000 miles
  3. Speed control6% · 5 complaints
  4. Electrical11% · 9 complaints · median 25,000 miles
  5. Body and structure4% · 3 complaints
  6. Fuel and propulsion6% · 5 complaints
  7. Lights8% · 6 complaints
  8. Engine5% · 4 complaints
  9. Visibility8% · 6 complaints · median 17,000 miles
  10. Wheels and tires6% · 5 complaints · median 27,000 miles

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

Air bags

Owners describe air bags that did not deploy in various crashes, including rollovers and rear-end collisions, sometimes resulting in head injuries. Several also mention brake problems preceding the accidents that dealers were unable to diagnose.

Warning signs:
Several owners report brake issues before crashes, including brakes not engaging or slowing the vehicle despite pressing the pedal.
What shops did:
Some owners report dealers could not diagnose or find a problem with the brakes despite multiple inspections.
Mileage:
most between 5,000 and 20,000 miles, among 5 complaints that give it

“Not one of the airbags deployed in this accident. The officer at the scene was shocked.”

Brakes

Owners describe brakes that feel weak, vibrate, or occasionally fail to stop the car, sometimes leading to collisions, along with recurring rotor and warning-light issues. Dealers frequently resurfaced rotors or found no fault, leaving some owners with the same complaint returning over time.

Warning signs:
Owners report vibration or shuddering when braking, a soft or spongy pedal, warning lights for ABS, VSC, brake and AWD systems, and grinding or metal-on-metal noise.
What shops did:
Dealers often resurfaced or replaced rotors and pads, sometimes repeatedly, but many owners say the underlying problem returned or could not be diagnosed or duplicated.
Mileage:
most between 20,000 and 50,000 miles, among 21 complaints that give it

“Started complaining about brakes at 10,000 miles. The dealer turned rear rotors at 28,000 and installed new pads. Now at 37,000, the front rotors are warped also.”

“The "check AWD system," "ABS," "brake" and "stability control" warning lights light up. When warning lights are on, only the front wheels will drive and stability control is inactive.”

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

Recalls (2)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 16V775000October 20167,056 vehicles

    Electrical system: wiring · Service brakes, hydraulic: fluid

    Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Highlander vehicles manufactured May 26, 2016, to September 16, 2016. The brake fluid level sensor may not be connected to the wire harness, preventing the sensor from detecting the brake fluid level. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

    Risk: If the brake fluid level is low and is not detected, the braking performance may be decreased, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 16V420000June 20164,253 vehicles

    Equipment: other: labels

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."

    Risk: An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Fix: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge.

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 284 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2016 Highlander. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • 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 ?
  • 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 ?
  • T-SB-0094-21 Rev · November 2022TSB: Some 2005 ?
  • TSB004522Rev1 · June 2022TSB: Some 2016 ?
  • T-SB-0045-22 · April 2022Some 2016 ?

All 2016 Highlander bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2016 Toyota Highlander reliable?
Owners filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Toyota Highlander in its first five years on the road, about 44 for every 100,000 sold: 0.6× 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 2016 Highlander problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve the brakes (28%), the air bags (9%) and speed control (6%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2016 Toyota Highlander been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 Toyota Highlander, the most recent in October 2016 (electrical system). 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 2016 Toyota Highlander on NHTSA.gov · How we rate