Toyota Highlander by Model Year: Problems, Recalls and MPG

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Toyota Highlander drew the most (152; most-reported area: powertrain) and the 2016 the fewest (49).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 36 mpg combined, arrived in 2020. Includes the Highlander Hybrid. Excludes the larger Grand Highlander.

Most and fewest complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and partial first years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2019 Highlander Most reported: powertrain	152	488	3
2023 Highlander Most reported: body structure	133	190	9
2021 Highlander Most reported: powertrain	126	532	5
2022 Highlander Most reported: powertrain	126	255	6
2018 Highlander Most reported: powertrain	102	270	4
2017 Highlander Most reported: powertrain	85	270	3
2020 Highlander Most reported: powertrain	68	324	5
2016 Highlander Most reported: brakes	49	116	2

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Hybrid	0	2
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	35 mpg Hybrid	4	10
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	36 mpg Hybrid	7	42
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	36 mpg Hybrid	9	190
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	36 mpg Hybrid	6	255
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	36 mpg Hybrid	5	532
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	36 mpg Hybrid	5	324
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Hybrid	3	488
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Hybrid	4	270
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	29 mpg Hybrid	3	270
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	28 mpg Hybrid	2	116

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2019: 488 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Toyota Highlander
Model year	Complaints
2016	116
2017	270
2018	270
2019	488
2020	324
2021	532
2022	255
2023	190
2024	42
2025	10
2026	2

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 22 to 25 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2023. Hybrid: 28 to 36 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2020.

Best gas version
Best hybrid version

2026: gas 24 mpg · hybrid 35 mpg

Show as a table

Toyota Highlander best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version	Best hybrid version
2016	22	28
2017	23	29
2018	23	29
2019	23	29
2020	24	36
2021	24	36
2022	24	36
2023	25	36
2024	25	36
2025	25	35
2026	24	35

Comparisons

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.