Selling a broken Toyota Highlander

Before deciding, check open recalls and two Toyota transmission programs for some 2017-2018 and 2021 models. Either can make a repair free.

Four generations of Highlander

Toyota showed the Highlander at the New York auto show in April 2000 and began US sales in January 2001, as one of the first mid-size SUVs built on a car platform. Every count here is our own tally of NHTSA's bulk complaint and recall files (October 10, 2026), Highlander Hybrid included.

The campaign column adds up to more than 54 because a few recalls reach across a generation change. The fifth generation, shown in February 2026, is battery-electric only and is to be built in Georgetown, Kentucky.

What goes wrong, generation by generation

2001-2007: visors, head bolts and hesitation

On the 2002, visibility tops the list for an ordinary reason: 139 of 301 complaints mention the sun visor, nearly all of them one that drops or won't stay up. The 2003 is more serious. Of its 258 complaints, 51 mention the head bolts or bolt threads stripped out of the block. Across 2002-2004 there are 75 of these, and 57 of them also mention coolant loss or overheating. When the owner names the engine, it is the 2.4-liter four in 26 of them and the V6 in one.

For 2004 the V6 got a five-speed automatic. That year 49 of 286 complaints describe hesitation, and on the 2005 it is 26 of 225.

Recalls on these years cover a crankshaft pulley that can throw the power steering belt on certain 3.3-liter V6s (11V539), a floor carpet cover that can lean on the accelerator (06V253, then 11V112), and a brake master cylinder seal that can leak if replacement fluid lacks the right polymers (10V499).

2006-2010 Hybrid: the inverter and the brake actuator

The Hybrid's first year explains the 2006 peak: 370 of that year's 648 complaints were filed under the Highlander Hybrid name, and 93 of those mention the inverter. Recall 11V342 replaced inverter modules with poorly soldered transistors on early 2006-2007 Hybrids. Recall 13V396 then reached Hybrids built through July 29, 2010; its 133,081 vehicles include the Lexus RX 400h. In NHTSA's words, the SUV "may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode", and the hybrid system can shut off while moving. Dealers replace the module free.

Complaints naming the brake actuator peak on the 2008, at 90 of 601. Toyota's program ZG1 extended actuator coverage on certain 2006-2007 Hybrids to 10 years from first use or 150,000 miles. That window has now closed on all of them.

2008-2013: oil lines, air bags and steering clunks

On the 2008, 35 complaints describe a leaking or burst oil cooler line or hose, and 27 mention the air bag spiral cable. That cable is recall 14V168: it can break and disable the driver's air bag, and the campaign's 1,486,413 vehicles run from the 2008-2010 Highlander and RAV4 to the Pontiac Vibe. The 2008 also has a curtain air bag sensor recall (11V245), and 2008-2010 models joined the floor mat recall in January 2010 (10V023).

Steering leads the complaints on the 2011, 2012 and 2013. On the 2012 and 2013 together, 64 of 403 complaints describe a clunk, pop, click or knock from the steering, and 32 name the intermediate shaft. No recall on those years covers it.

2014-2019: the eight-speed and the fuel pump

The 2017 brought the eight-speed UA80 automatic, and power train has been the top complaint area every year from 2017 through 2022. Two Toyota documents apply:

• Program ZJC covers the UA80 in about 66,500 Highlanders from the 2017-2018 model years, built from early November 2016 to late December 2017. A washer tab inside may not have been bent far enough, so a nut can loosen. Toyota lists whine, harsh shifting, reduced power and a warning light. A confirmed case gets a new transmission, and coverage runs 10 years from first use with no mileage limit, so many of these SUVs are still inside it.
• Bulletin T-SB-0122-20 clears a check-engine light with codes P07407E or P27567F on 2017-2018 eight-speed models by updating the engine computer.

Fuel pump recall 20V682 covers 2017-2019 Highlanders, and the earlier 20V012 covers the 2018-2019. An impeller in the low-pressure pump can deform and stall the engine at higher speeds, and dealers install an improved pump free. On the 2019, 39 complaints name the fuel pump and 63 describe stalling.

2020-2025: whine, bumper covers and seat backs

Whine complaints peak across the generation change: 120 of 497 on the 2019, 80 of 328 on the 2020 and 166 of 544 on the 2021 describe a whine or grind. None of the 2021 ones are filed under the Hybrid. Bulletin T-SB-0008-21 traces the noise on some 2021s to pinion shafts in the transmission's front carrier. The fix is a new transaxle under the powertrain warranty, 60 months or 60,000 miles from the in-service date, so a 2021 first put on the road after mid-October 2021 can still qualify.

Stop-start on 2020 V6 models could cut fuel and stall the engine (20V162, 38,810 SUVs). A small knock can loosen the lower front bumper cover on 2020-2023 models (23V720, 750,795 SUVs). Second-row seat backs on 2021-2025 models may not lock after adjustment (26V128, 686,588 SUVs), and owner letters only went out September 9, 2026, so many are likely still unrepaired.

Complaints and recalls by model year

Both badges, Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, are combined in each row. "Top area" is the component named most, leaving out NHTSA's "unknown or other". A recall is counted in every model year it lists.

Fix it or sell it?

Set the repair quote beside what the Highlander would sell for once it runs right. Before you decide:

1. Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall search. An open inverter recall on a Hybrid, or the new seat-back recall on a 2021-2025, is free work at any Toyota dealer.
2. 2017-2018 with a whining or harsh eight-speed? Ask whether the VIN falls under program ZJC before you pay for a transmission.
3. 2021 with a whine? Ask about T-SB-0008-21 while the 60,000-mile powertrain coverage lasts.
4. Early four-cylinder losing coolant? Have the head bolts and block threads checked, then read the blown engine guide. For a failed gearbox, see bad transmission.

Selling the Highlander whole

1. Have the VIN and mileage handy, and know what's failing and whether the Highlander rolls and steers.
2. Ask for an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Say where it's parked: a driveway, the street, a garage or a shop lot. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave the hybrid battery, converter and wheels in place. A part that's gone lowers the offer, so list it.
5. Pickup needs three things from you: the Highlander's title, a photo ID and its keys if they turned up. Whether plates stay on depends on your state; after you sell lists the rules.

No title? Begin with the no-title guide.