Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the sun visors on the driver's and passenger's sides were hanging down and would not stay in the upright position. The contact stated that the sun visors obstructed her vision while driving at various speeds. The contact called the dealer and was informed that there was a recall on the vehicle for the sun visors; however, the recall had expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.
I noticed in November 2016 that the paint on my 2011 Toyota roof was peeling off. I took it to a trusted body shop and the owner advised my to take it to the dealership as it appeared to be a manufacturer defect. I did as he suggested and I was subjected to months of unresponsive behavior before I was finally told my car was beyond the 3year warranty therefore not their problem in October of 2017. Since this time, the paint failure has progressed to include nearly every panel on my vehicle. I have also learned that Toyota is recalling blizzard pearl vehicles due to this exact problem but my VIN in not included. I feel this needs to be remedied immediately as this manufacturer defect greatly impacts the value of my investment. **I am unable to attach more than one picture to my complaint. …
Power liftgate motor arm detached from the upper portion of the rear door. Upon repeated use and tightening it becomes stripped. Forums reports this is common for several model years - no recall. Hole to screw becomes stripped over time. No access to the back end to apply nut. Dealer recommends taking it to a body shop for door replacement at $3200 - $3900 dollars. Extremely bad design flaw. If liftgate seems weak in opening nand closing, this could be part of the problem. Showed weakness for weeks until I heard the pop and realized the power rod came out. When I went to screw it back in - it's stripped. Out of warranty period. No solution found other than replacing the rear liftgate.
Rear lift gate stopped opening and closing with button on dash. Hydraulic arm popped off. Was able to reattach, but Toyota dealer said it would keep happening because the hinges of the door were separating from the door and to get that repaired I would need to send it to the body shop. The arm has since snapped in half and the door can only be opened/closed manually, but Toyota warned me that the hinges will continue to bend. I am fearful as I have two small children and do not trust the door to be safe. Toyota dealer will not repair at their expense even though there have been lawsuits and are so many documented cases.
I have a 2011 Toyota Highlander. The drivers side sun visor has broken from its internal guide on the visor, making it unsafely and uncontrollably flip & flop around. I have been trying to get a replacement, but the dealer told me there are more than 200 on backorder, and it could take one or more months to get a replacement. Further research shows previous recalls on Toyota sun visors. So, with more than 200 already needing replacements on what should be a strong part, it suggests a larger problem worthy of your attention and a possible recall. Thanks.
The glass on the driver side window is off the rails and would come off the window at an angle when its being raised. Currently we cannot roll the window glass up and down. Similar symptons are being seen on the passenger side window now . I have owned cars in the past and this is the first time I am seeing this kind of an issue and Toyota refuses to consider this as a quality issue. When I go online, I have seen multiple users having similar issue with Toyota Highlander and it surprises me that a company like Toyota wont do anything to help the customer.
I pressed the rear hatch button to close it from driver's seat, hatch arm broke and spewed plastic and metal parts while parked, onto mall parking lot. Toyota states "rod has fallen off of motor connect...t-sb-0038-15 power back door does not close properly...big gap on driver side hinge for back hatch."Toyota sold me $2299 service contract w/portfolio elite protection plan which says will not cover it. Diagnosis from Toyota in uploaded file.
The power lift-gate door does not open or close properly, broke about 50000 miles after the 36 months or 36,000 miles. The car was Toyota certified. I feel this should be handled as a recall instead of TSB because it was a designed issues reason Toyota upgraded with better designed hinges. Also, it will be nice if Toyota informed us about the TSB by writing so owner can double check.
The power function lift arm broke off from where it connects into the rea door on my 2011 Highlander. Toyota didn't mentioned about the door hinges related issues and I had to pay for the repair/replacement of the hinges. This, of course didn't prevented nor resolved the issue with the power function lift arm that now is beyond repair; the bolt and screw hole are now stripped.
When trying to open the rear hatch from the inside, the beeping sound would not turn office and when I went to investigate what was wrong with the hatch the hydraulic arm had broken and the molding popped off preventing it from working. I took it into Toyota dealership and they replaced the whole motor/arm on the hatch. This was covered through my warranty.
Body complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2011 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 27 complaints about the body & structure of the 2011 Toyota Highlander, 15% of the model year's 181 complaints. The component named most often is body (15 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Toyota Highlander body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2011 Toyota Highlander, though it has 5 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Toyota Highlander body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 46,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.