2018 Toyota Highlander problems and complaints
Owners have filed 265 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Highlander. The most-reported areas: Power Train (65), Service Brakes (58), Unknown Or Other (43).
Key takeaways
- 265 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 23 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 25 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 65 | 25% |
| Service Brakes | 58 | 22% |
| Unknown Or Other | 43 | 16% |
| Engine | 33 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 24 | 9% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 22 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 19 | 7% |
| Fuel System | 14 | 5% |
| Gasoline | 14 | 5% |
| Structure | 12 | 5% |
| Steering | 10 | 4% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 9 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train - filed 2026-09-14
Whining noise in the transmission
Power Train - filed 2026-08-31
whining sound in the transmission, including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions.
Power Train - filed 2026-08-27
Transmission failure happened suddenly. I pulled out of a car wash and car would not accelerate. I was in heavy traffic and car wouldn’t move.
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More for the 2018 Toyota Highlander
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.