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2016 Toyota Highlander

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2016 Toyota Highlander do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 186.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

71 reports with mileage · 39 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Service Brakes. Review the 19 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

14 crash reports1 fire reports7 injury reports

Fuel System, Gasoline complaints

1 reports
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Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2017
EngineFuel System, GasolineVehicle Speed Control

OCCASIONALLY, AT A STOP SIGN/INTERSECTION OR ENTERING A HIGHWAY IF I HAVE COME TO A FULL STOP BEFORE PROCEEDING THE CAR WILL STALL. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. MY WIFE AND I HAVE FOUND OURSELVES IN THIS PREDICAMENT SEVERAL TIMES NOW AND IT IS ONLY GETTING WORSE. THIS SCENARIO IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR SEVERA…

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OCCASIONALLY, AT A STOP SIGN/INTERSECTION OR ENTERING A HIGHWAY IF I HAVE COME TO A FULL STOP BEFORE PROCEEDING THE CAR WILL STALL. I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. MY WIFE AND I HAVE FOUND OURSELVES IN THIS PREDICAMENT SEVERAL TIMES NOW AND IT IS ONLY GETTING WORSE. THIS SCENARIO IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR SEVERAL REASONS, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS THAT MY FAMILY HAS BEEN INSIDE THE CAR WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED. WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL SCARES NOW, BECAUSE THE CAR STALLED ON US AS WE WERE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE DEALER ABOUT THIS OVER THE PHONE AND BOTH TIMES THAT THE CAR HAS BEEN SERVICED. AFTER THEY TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BEHAVIOR DUE TO A DELAY BETWEEN THE COMPUTER AND THE ACCELERATOR THROTTLE. ADDITIONALLY, I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT TOYOTA IS AWARE OF THIS, BUT HAS NOT ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM. THIS IS EXTREMELY UPSETTING BECAUSE MY FAMILY IS NOW AT RISK DUE TO A COMPUTER MALFUNCTION. I URGE THE NHTSA TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE BASED ON INTERNET SEARCHES ARE DEALING WITH THIS SAME ISSUE. I OWN A 2005 HIGHLANDER WITH 105000 MILES AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED. YOU WOULD THINK THAT A 2016 MODEL WITH ALL OF ITS SAFETY FEATURES AND ENHANCEMENTS WOULD BE A PLEASANT DRIVING EXPERIENCE? BUT, NOW THAT I OWNED THE CAR FOR ALMOST 8 MONTHS I AM SECOND GUESSING MYSELF WHETHER THIS WAS THE RIGHT PURCHASE. ONCE, AGAIN I URGE THE NHTSA TO LOOK INTO THIS AND TO ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE THAT IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE, PLEASE SPEAK UP SO THAT BOTH TOYOTA AND THE NHTSA ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10949035

Official recalls

2

16V775000 · Electrical System:wiring; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:fluid

Oct 24, 2016

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."

Consequence & remedy

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

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this G03.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:wiring

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."

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

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this G03.

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."

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

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this G03.

16V420000 · Equipment:other:labels

Jun 9, 2016

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."

Consequence & remedy

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

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.