NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 196 owner complaints for the 2015 Toyota Highlander (including the hybrid).
Recalled components: steering. Most-described problems: infotainment or touchscreen failures and door lock or latch problems (15 complaints, 8% each). Most-reported area: electrical system (54 complaints, 28%; median mileage when it happened: 39,100).
Fewer complaints than a typical Highlander year
The 2015 drew 75 owner complaints in its first three years, against 114 for a typical Highlander year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
No Highlander year stands out enough to avoid; best years: 2016 and 2017. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the serial number of the EPS ECU or steering column assembly. If the number is within the affected range, the EPS ECU will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on May 7, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331.
NHTSA listing: HIGHLANDER.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA also lists 1 equipment recall for parts sold for this vehicle, not the vehicle itself: Electrical system (Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry C, 18E-107).
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2015 Toyota Highlander.
What owners report
Owners have filed 196 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Highlander. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 39,100 miles at failure, from 38 reports with mileage
Body structure32 · 16%
Most named: body (25); body, hatchback/liftgate (3) · Median 17,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Steering25 · 13%
Median 35,000 miles at failure, from 17 reports with mileage
Brakes15 · 8%
Visibility/wiper12 · 6%
Engine11 · 6%
Speed control11 · 6%
Unknown or other44 · 22%
Median 20,100 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Toyota Highlander recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2015 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2019 Highlander drew the most (152) and the 2015 drew 75.
Owner complaints
2015: 196 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Toyota Highlander
Model year
Complaints
2010
238
2011
186
2012
191
2013
212
2014
138
2015
196
2016
116
2017
270
2018
271
2019
492
2020
326
2021
537
2022
265
2023
191
2024
42
2025
10
2026
2
Safety recalls
2015: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Toyota Highlander
Model year
Recalls
2010
11
2011
5
2012
2
2013
3
2014
4
2015
1
2016
2
2017
3
2018
4
2019
3
2020
5
2021
5
2022
6
2023
9
2024
7
2025
4
2026
0
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
What are the most common 2015 Highlander problems?
In the 196 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Toyota Highlander, the problems described most are infotainment or touchscreen failures (15), door lock or latch problems (15), and a shattered sunroof (11). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2015 Toyota Highlander safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2015 Toyota Highlander earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2015 Toyota Highlander?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2015 Toyota Highlander.
How do I check if my Highlander has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Toyota dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.