2018 Toyota Highlander problems and complaints
Owners have filed 275 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Highlander. The most-reported areas: Power Train (74), Service Brakes (58), Unknown Or Other (46).
Key takeaways
- 275 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 | 74 | 27% |
| Service Brakes | 58 | 21% |
| Unknown Or Other | 46 | 17% |
| Engine | 36 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 24 | 9% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 22 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 19 | 7% |
| Fuel System | 14 | 5% |
| Gasoline | 14 | 5% |
| Structure | 12 | 4% |
| Steering | 10 | 4% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 9 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Parts for the 2018 Toyota Highlander
GarageDex's verified specs for this car. Each Buy button searches Amazon for that exact part.
- Battery
- Engine oil
- Oil filter
- Engine air filter
- Cabin air filter
- Wiper blades
- Headlight bulb
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| 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 2026-11-03
The transmission started whining over the summer and has been gradually getting worse. I took it in and was told it needed a new transmission. The vehicle just has 72,000 miles on it and the whine started around 67,000 miles. From my research, this appears to be a known issue with Toyota. If the transmission goes out w...
Power Train - filed 2026-10-30
My 2018 Toyota Highlander AWD (75,000 miles) was diagnosed with internal transmission failure on its UA80F 8-speed automatic transmission. The diagnosis confirmed fluid shear and internal metal wear requiring a $9,000+ replacement. The UA80 series is subject to Toyota TSB T-SB-0160-18 and Customer Support Program ZJC f...
Power Train - filed 2026-10-28
UA80 transmission which has known issues failed. Dealer reports that while the transmission has exact symptoms of other UA80 transmission that are covered under recall, our serial number is not covered. Quoted $12454 to replace transmission that has known failure issues
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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.