2016 Toyota Highlander: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 109 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 3 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
109
Complaints
3
Recalls
14
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
10
Injuries
130.3
Severity index
Severity index 130.3 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Toyota Highlander ranks 14 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 90% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 21 | 19.3% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 19 | 17.4% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 14 | 12.8% |
| AIR BAGS | 10 | 9.2% |
| ENGINE | 9 | 8.3% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 8 | 7.3% |
| TIRES | 7 | 6.4% |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 7 | 6.4% |
The single most-reported system is UNKNOWN OR OTHER, cited in 21 of 109 complaints (19.3%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 3 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18E107000 | 27/11/2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to the vehicle's Engine C |
| 16V775000 | 24/10/2016 | 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 flui |
| 16V420000 | 09/06/2016 | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.