2018 Toyota Highlander Problems & Complaints

Most common 2018 Toyota Highlander problems

• Transmission & drivetrain~98,000 miles
  6926%
• Brakes~17,000 miles
  5822%
• Other / not specified~12,000 miles
  4416%
• Fuel & propulsion system~27,000 miles
  3613%
• Engine & cooling~15,000 miles
  3413%
• Electrical system~15,000 miles
  249%
• Air bags~21,000 miles
  197%
• Body & structure~23,000 miles
  124%
• Driver assistance~76,000 miles
  124%
• Steering~16,000 miles
  104%
• Speed control & acceleration~15,000 miles
  93%
• Suspension~25,000 miles
  62%
• Windows, wipers & sunroof~38,000 miles
  62%
• Wheels & tires~5,000 miles
  52%
• Lights~12,000 miles
  52%
• Stability & traction control~25,000 miles
  31%
• Seat belts~5,000 miles
  31%
• Seats
  21%
• Locks & latches
  10%

Share of the 269 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Toyota Highlander complaints by model year

Best Highlander years: 2025, 2016, 2014. Years to avoid: 2021, 2019, 2023, 2022, 2020. Compare all years →

2018 Toyota Highlander recalls (4)

What 2018 Toyota Highlander owners say

Transmission & drivetrain all 69 →

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, there was an audible chime followed by the message "Transmission Overheating". The vehicle started jerking and hesitating while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact pulled off the highway and allowed the transmission to cool down. The vehicle was restarted, and the message disappeared; however, the vehicle continued to hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact continued driving 70 MPH, and the transmission message displayed again. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, and the failure was associated with Customer Support Program: ZJC. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the program. …

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of the roadway. The contact stated that the RPM continued to increase rapidly, but the vehicle failed to respond. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the washer tab, designed to prevent the loosening of the nut inside the transmission, resulting in damage to the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the Customer Support Program: ZJC. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 104,000.

Brakes all 58 →

About6 months ago I started getting the messege "Breaking power low" when i try to start my vehicle. So I took it to Star Toyota Service paid $175 to diagnose the problem. The found DTC 1241 and told me to change the qhole skid control unit. Eventhough on the paper it said skid control ecu battery. So I took it to another dealer named Penn Toyota and they found the same code but they said the voltage is coming low because I may leave my ignition on before I start my vehicle. That sounds funny because I do not do this and on top if i do this my battery would be dead. As of right now I spoke with toyota and since my extended warrenty has finished so they offered my 25% coupon if i fixe the problem. Now I do not know what is the problem and which dealer to trust. …

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and she experienced a spongy brake pedal. The brake warning light was illuminated and the Power Failure to Brake System message was displayed. Additionally, the vehicle made an abnormal sound while the brake pedal was depressed. The brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately which nearly caused a collision. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V211000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.

Fuel & propulsion system all 36 →

The contact owned a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated the recall repair for NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V012000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) had been completed on the vehicle. The contact stated while her husband was driving 55-65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently stalled. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that her husband veered to the side of the road. The contact's husband was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact's husband that they could not determine the cause of the failure; however, the computer onboard was reset. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The contact's husband was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts however, the failure recurred several times while the contact's husband was taking the vehicle to the nearest dealer. …

First symptom I noticed was the car smell while it was running. I used a device to see what codes of any would pop up on a scan. It came up with codes tying into the fuel system. I then went to go fill up on gas couple days later and when going to start it back up it wouldn't start. When it did start it would say engine losing power or steering losing power and then just shut off. I then looked up what that usually means and it made me look towards the alternator. I was told by a mechanic an easy way to see if your alternator was good was to start car and while running disconnect the negative on battery and if it stays running the alternator was still good. So I did that and it stayed running. I then looked up recalls for my vehicle and seen everything it was describing for the fuel system seemed to be happening. I am now filling this form out to get my vehicle looked at and fixed. …

2018 Toyota Highlander engines & fuel economy

EPA ratings. Class: SUV.