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 2015 Toyota Highlander owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the power liftgate consistently failed halfway through while opening and closing the liftgate. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact became aware of information online about Technical Service Bulletin: SB0023/16, NHTSA ID Number: 10134306 (Structure, Electrical System); and associated the failure with the TSB. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty, TSB, or a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.
The rear tail gate seal for lamps on both the left and right side have failed and the lamp assemblies condense and fill with water. I have read other reports on your website of the same problem with the highlander. In your other reports the a person was told Toyota will not warranty the lamps because of moisture in them because it is not a safety issue. While it is because the moisture blocks the light for the vehicle behind to see and thus rear end. I live in Massachusetts and there is a yearly vehicle inspection and when I went to get it done I was told it would not pass safety inspection with moisture in the lamp so I had to get the left hand one replaced to pass. Now 6 months later my righthand tailgate lamp is full of moisture and will not pass my upcoming Massachusetts safety inspection. The cost was $205.44 now another of the same. …
We have a 2019 Toyota Highlander. VIN: [redacted] . There are two issues with this vehicle... 1) Our bumper fell down after an uneventful car wash. We didn't hit anything. Reported it to the car wash place (Ollie's Car Wash in Walker, LA) after we noticed it fell. We had to tie-strap it back up because the clips no longer worked right. This happened August 12, 2023. We have pictures of the damage. 2) A second issue is totally separate from the first. This one has to do with the back lifting door. It often gets stuck to where we have to manually force it closed. We have to reset the button often. Sometimes it gets stuck open and sometimes it won't open at all.
Blizzard pearl paint is peeling off the roof leading to rust and damaged structural integrity. Toyota has a recall for all blizzard pearl paint vehicles EXCEPT the highlander. They inspected it and said its wasn't in the recall even though the paint has a known problem and they would not fix the problem as it would be a legal admission of guilt that the recall is incomplete.
Paint is peeling off my car, This is confirmed by Toyota it was covered by the Consumer Support program which expired in July however the paint did not start peeling off until last week.Toyota said that there wasn't anything they could do. this is clearly a manufacture defect and should be repair by Toyota at no charge to me.
Water leak at sun roof caused by rubber seal failure in sun roof frame due to faulty material and or installation. Water damage to side air bag so tat it does not deploy properly & is a safety hazard. Mold carpet which is a health hazard & impedes drivers ability to drive.
The paint is severely peeling on the outside. This can likely flake off and damages other vehicles, property, and roadway infrastructure. This is the factory coat of paint. Color is Toyota Blizzard Pearl (070)
The paint is severely peeling on the outside. This can likely flake off and damages other vehicles, property, and roadway infrastructure. This is the factory coat of paint. Color is Toyota Blizzard Pearl (070)
The door locks have stopped working one by one. First I noticed the driver door not unlocking or locking with the key fob, with the touch system on the door handle, or with the button on the inside panel. Then I noticed my back door on the driver side not locking or unlocking with the key fob OR with the button on the inside panel. Both of these locks are now manual only. And the front passenger door lock only works sometimes, so I imagine it will stop working altogether soon as well. This puts the safety of my belongings, myself, and my children at risk. I don't know how long this had been happening before I noticed it, so I very easily could have been unknowingly leaving my car unlocked all over town. …
The factory paint on my 2015 Toyota Highlander, Blizzard Pearl (Toyota code 070), is delaminating from the primer. The base coat lifts and peels in sheets, starting on the roof, fender, and pillars - the panels with the greatest UV exposure. There has been no collision, repaint, or chemical damage; this is spontaneous adhesion loss between the factory base coat and primer. First noticed 5/5/2026 at ~137,193 miles, it has spread across the roof and pillars, with the largest piece so far (~4"x2") flying off the vehicle. Delamination lines radiating under the paint indicate more will detach, and the defect affects all painted surfaces. On 7/20/2026, while driving at highway speed, a large paint chip detached from the passenger-side A-pillar and flew off, directly witnessed by my passenger. …
Body complaints in other Highlander years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2015 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the body & structure of the 2015 Toyota Highlander, 17% of the model year's 192 complaints. The component named most often is body (25 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2015 Toyota Highlander body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2015 Toyota Highlander, though it has 1 recall 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 2015 Toyota Highlander body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 17,000 miles, and 59% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.