Short answer
Among Toyota Highlander model years through 2024, 2015 has the fewest NHTSA recall campaigns on record (1) and 2008 has the most (11). Recall counts are not a reliability score; they show how often a safety defect had to be corrected.
Quick read
Toyota Highlander: Key Facts
- Model years with data
- 26 (2001–2026)
- Distinct recall campaigns
- 51
- Fewest recalls
- 2015 (1)
- Most recalls
- 2008 (11)
- Most recalled system
- Seats (26)
- 5-star overall rating
- 2014, 2015, 2016 and 10 more years
Toyota Highlander Recalls and Ratings by Model Year
| Model year | Recall campaigns | Overall crash rating | Most recalled systems |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Recent: still collecting recalls | 0 | 5 stars | None on record |
| 2025 Recent: still collecting recalls | 4 | 5 stars | Back over prevention, Electrical system, Seat belts |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 stars | Tires, Back over prevention, Electrical system |
| 2023 | 9 | 5 stars | Air bags, Tires, Back over prevention |
| 2022 | 5 | 5 stars | Tires, Equipment, Seats |
| 2021 | 4 | 5 stars | Air bags, Seats, Structure |
| 2020 | 4 | 5 stars | Air bags, Engine, Seats |
| 2019 | 3 | 5 stars | Fuel system, gasoline, Equipment |
| 2018 | 4 | 5 stars | Fuel system, gasoline, Equipment, Service brakes, hydraulic |
| 2017 | 3 | 5 stars | Equipment, Fuel system, gasoline, Tires |
| 2016 | 2 | 5 stars | Electrical system, Equipment |
| 2015 | 1 | 5 stars | Steering |
| 2014 | 4 | 5 stars | Electrical system, Fuel system, gasoline, Seat belts |
| 2013 | 3 | 4 stars | Seats, Equipment |
| 2012 | 2 | 4 stars | Equipment, Seats |
| 2011 | 5 | 4 stars | Seats, Equipment, Visibility |
| 2010 | 10 | Not rated | Equipment, Seats, Vehicle speed control |
| 2009 | 9 | Not rated | Equipment, Seats, Air bags |
| 2008 | 11 | Not rated | Equipment, Air bags, Seats |
| 2007 | 4 | Not rated | Equipment, Seats |
| 2006 | 7 | Not rated | Equipment, Seats, Service brakes, hydraulic |
| 2005 | 6 | Not rated | Vehicle speed control, Engine and engine cooling, Equipment |
| 2004 | 5 | Not rated | Vehicle speed control, Engine and engine cooling, Latches/locks/linkages |
| 2003 | 2 | Not rated | Latches/locks/linkages, Wheels |
| 2002 | 2 | Not rated | Fuel system, gasoline, Latches/locks/linkages |
| 2001 | 3 | Not rated | Fuel system, gasoline, Latches/locks/linkages, Service brakes, hydraulic |
No model years match your search.
The scale of the difference
Recall Campaigns by Model Year
Distinct NHTSA recall campaigns per model year. Years after 2024 are recent and still collecting recalls.
- 20260 recalls
- 20254 recalls
- 20247 recalls
- 20239 recalls
- 20225 recalls
- 20214 recalls
- 20204 recalls
- 20193 recalls
- 20184 recalls
- 20173 recalls
- 20162 recalls
- 20151 recall
- 20144 recalls
- 20133 recalls
- 20122 recalls
- 20115 recalls
- 201010 recalls
- 20099 recalls
- 200811 recalls
- 20074 recalls
- 20067 recalls
- 20056 recalls
- 20045 recalls
- 20032 recalls
- 20022 recalls
- 20013 recalls
Toyota Highlander: Analysis
How to read recall counts
A recall campaign is a safety defect that the manufacturer or NHTSA required to be fixed. Counts depend on how long a model year has been on the road, so recent years look better than they will in time; this page therefore ranks only model years through 2024. A high count can also mean a manufacturer reacts quickly to small defects, so it says little about breakdowns or running costs.
What the recalls were about
Across all model years, the systems named most often in Toyota Highlander recalls are seats (26), equipment (25), vehicle speed control (9), air bags (8) and fuel system, gasoline (8). The number in brackets counts model-year entries, so one campaign that covers several years is counted in each.
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA has an overall star rating for 16 of these 26 model years, and 2014, 2015, 2016 and 10 more years earned 5 stars. Ratings before 2011 come from an earlier version of the program and are not directly comparable with later years. A range such as 4–5 means versions of the same model year were rated differently.
FAQ: Toyota Highlander Best and Worst Years
What are the best years for the Toyota Highlander?
By NHTSA recall campaigns, 2015 are the cleanest model years through 2024, with 1 each.
Which Toyota Highlander model years have the most recalls?
2008 has the most, with 11 recall campaigns each.
Does a recall mean the car is unreliable?
No. A recall is a safety correction filed with NHTSA, usually repaired free of charge. It does not measure breakdowns or running costs, so use these counts together with a vehicle history report and an inspection.
Sources & methodology
Recalls and crash ratings come from the NHTSA datasets and APIs, retrieved on 2026-10-03. A record counts for this model when its make matches and its model name starts with the same words as "Highlander", so variants such as body styles are included. Only model years from 2000 are used, and each recall campaign is counted once per model year. The data does not say whether an individual car was repaired, so check a specific car by VIN.
NHTSA, US Department of Transportation; this page is not endorsed by NHTSA. Maintained by Artsiom Dusau. Editorial policy