Toyota Highlander 2020–2025
4th generation (XU70)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,575 complaints, 184 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 39% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 5 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 39% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 2 complaints (1.1%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 950
- 25%
- 4,800
- Median
- 19,500
- 75%
- 55,000
- 90%
- 85,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–20,000 | 92 | 50.0% |
| 20,000–40,000 | 27 | 14.7% |
| 40,000–60,000 | 29 | 15.8% |
| 60,000–80,000 | 16 | 8.7% |
| 80,000–100,000 | 7 | 3.8% |
| 100,000–120,000 | 3 | 1.6% |
| 120,000–140,000 | 5 | 2.7% |
| 140,000–160,000 | 3 | 1.6% |
| 200,000+ | 2 | 1.1% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,575 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020–2025 Toyota Highlander, and 184 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
39% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 5 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the transmission and driveline (24.6% of complaints, typically around 71,000 miles), body structure (10.2% of complaints, typically around 30,000 miles), the airbag system (6.9% of complaints, typically around 50,000 miles).
14 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Transmission and driveline71,000median 71,116 miles, middle half 59,000 to 100,000
- Body structure30,000median 30,000 miles, middle half 9,000 to 50,000
- Airbag system50,000median 50,500 miles, middle half 31,000 to 67,000
- Engine6,000median 6,000 miles, middle half 2,000 to 46,000
- Fuel and propulsion system1,500median 1,475 miles, middle half 600 to 5,000
- Electrical system18,000median 17,781 miles, middle half 5,000 to 57,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and driveline | 387 | 24.6% | 71,000 | 59,000–100,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 185 | 11.7% | — | — |
| Body structure | 160 | 10.2% | 30,000 | 9,000–50,000 |
| Brakes | 160 | 10.2% | — | — |
| Airbag system | 108 | 6.9% | 50,000 | 31,000–67,000 |
| Engine | 101 | 6.4% | 6,000 | 2,000–46,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 78 | 5.0% | 1,500 | 600–5,000 |
| Electrical system | 77 | 4.9% | 18,000 | 5,000–57,000 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 51 | 3.2% | — | — |
| Throttle and speed control | 38 | 2.4% | — | — |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 19,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 24.6% of complaints (387 reports, 28 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 71,116 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 59,000 and 100,100 miles.
Body structure accounts for 10.2% of complaints (160 reports, 35 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 30,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,206 and 50,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 6.9% of complaints (108 reports, 10 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 50,500 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 31,000 and 67,080 miles.
The engine accounts for 6.4% of complaints (101 reports, 12 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 6,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 2,000 and 45,600 miles.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 5.0% of complaints (78 reports, 18 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 1,475 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 600 and 5,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 4.9% of complaints (77 reports, 15 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 17,781 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 4,800 and 57,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2021 model year drew the most — 612 complaints — while 2024 drew the fewest at 54. The median year sits at 303.
That makes 2021 an outlier: roughly 2.0 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 14 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around the airbag system (3), equipment (2), the tyres (2). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 1,575 complaints filed against this generation, 114 reported a crash; 7 reported a fire; 107 reported an injury; 3 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 7.2% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 39% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the transmission and driveline and body structure are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Body structure in particular shows a median failure mileage of 30,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Fuel System 2020–2021
Denso low-pressure fuel pump recall extends into the early years of this generation.
Engine 2023–2025
The 2023 switch from the long-serving 2GR-FKS V6 to the T24A-FTS turbo four is a major mid-generation powertrain change; the turbo four has no established long-term failure record yet and should be tracked separately from the V6 years on the page.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 363 | 74 |
| 2021 | 612 | 48 |
| 2022 | 303 | 32 |
| 2023 | 230 | 24 |
| 2024 | 54 | 4 |
| 2025 | 13 | 2 |
Recalls (14)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 25V872000 | 2026-01-20 | Seat Belts:rear/Other:anchorage |
| 25V744000 | 2025-12-05 | Back Over Prevention:display Function |
| 25V595000 | 2025-12-05 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel |
| 25V040000 | 2025-03-17 | Air Bags:frontal:driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette |
| 23V865000 | 2024-10-31 | Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification |
| 24V548000 | 2024-09-16 | Equipment:other:labels |
| 24V452000 | 2024-08-16 | Tires |
| 24V419000 | 2024-08-08 | Tires |
| 23V720000 | 2024-04-22 | Structure:body:bumpers |
| 23V480000 | 2023-09-08 | Air Bags:frontal:driver Clockspring/Spiral Cassette |
| 22V310000 | 2022-06-30 | Equipment:other:labels |
| 20V633000 | 2020-12-11 | Seats |
| 20V162000 | 2020-05-15 | Engine |
| 26V128000 | — | Seats:mid/Rear Assembly:recliner |
What owners reported
Suspension is very loud and tight, the cabin noise is very noisy it can hit 95 decibels on sound pressure level meter. The noise is so bad that i do not want to drive the vehicles any more unless i turn the radio volume up and i can not hear emergency vehicles.The service people said that is normal.The vehicle noise…
2020 · 89 miles · Suspension
After leaving a shopping center on february 29 2020, we pulled out onto a road to head towards home. We were driving about 45 miles per hour in traffic and received a notification on the screen that said the engine was off, put car in park. There was also a warning light that came on for the electronic steering…
2020 · 300 miles · Engine
I purchased a 2020 Toyota Highlander hybrid AWD in may 2020. In june 2020, i noticed a discrepancy between the gas gauge ABS the distance to empty indicator. The gas gauge said there was 3/4 of a tank left but the dte said i had only 43 miles. I went to the gas station today (october 2020) to fill up my vehicle and…
2020 · 473 miles · Fuel and propulsion system
Tl* the contact owns a 2020 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off and in the park position in order for their mother to unload the trunk, the vehicle suddenly rolled away in reverse. The vehicle rolled over their mother. Once the incline of the street was more of a plato the…
2020 · 500 miles · Transmission and driveline
Built from 184 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page