2016 Toyota Highlander Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed low speeds on a decline, the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard. As a result, the vehicle rolled downhill into a busy intersection and was struck by another vehicle on the passenger side door. The air bags did not deploy.…Owner complaint, filed 2024

2 years ago I pulled my car, that was backed into the driveway out to turn it around to face in to the garage. As I pulled forward going very slowly I pressed on the brakes and the rubber pad on the pedal came off and caused my foot to come off of the pedal. I hit my wife's car and caused some slight damage to my car and to hers. I…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 20,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the rear taillight covers cracked due to the high outdoor temperatures, and there was condensation inside the taillight housing. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that the rear taillight covers needed to be replaced.…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 70,200 miles

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the front right passenger's side view mirror suddenly fractured. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 64,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 25,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

Description of Problem (electrical issue affecting multiple systems): Engine shuts off while driving. All instrument/electronic displays shut off or flicker while driving. Steering wheel locks and vibrates. Liftgate does not open. Vehicle cannot be unlocked with fob. Vehicle does not start. May start after several attempts. Safety: My…Owner complaint, filed 2023

I had bought my vehicle 5 months ago in an authorized Toyota dealer, on Easter Day we got on the vehicle drove 15 minutes from home to the park, parked my vehicle, turn it off and went to the park are next to where my vehicle was parked, from where i was sitting i was able to see my vehicle and we wasn't that far, not even 5 minutes…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 51,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The water pump on my 2016 Toyota Highlander XLE disintegrated while I was driving in heavy traffic. The pulley came loose from the water pump shaft. I have the water pump. Our safety was at risk because this happen in heavy traffic and it could have effected my control of the vehicle if it had came off completely. The pulley was wedge…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH on the highway, the contact pulled over and heard water dripping. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence and then to the dealer where it was diagnosed as the water pump needed to be replaced. The…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 90,723 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 10,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

I had an accident on my car going 50 to 60 MPH I the road curved and I did not I went into the top of the ditch hit front end and went airborn 30 to 50 feet in the air over the persons drivway. I landed on my back bumper which then propelled me back into the air and I flipped end over end landed on my tires. Not one of the airbags…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 18,000 miles

I own a 2016 highlander limited platinum and after a major accident I have a serious concern about the safety claims. Yesterday my wife was in a rollover (2 full rotations) accident in her 2016 highlander platinum. Car was destroyed, her head hit both the steering wheel and the b-pillar, both have airbags. Not a single airbag was…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 10,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 27,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

**Nature of Safety Defect Within 13,000 miles of normal mixed highway and light off-road use on a Toyota Highland, one tire developed a sidewall bubble and all four tires exhibited extreme and uneven tread wear, far below the advertised 50,000-mile treadwear warranty. The remaining tread depth on all four tires is already under 2/32" in…Owner complaint, filed 2025

P245/55R19 103T Nitto Crosstek2 BW. Vehicle pulls to different directions when the tires are cross swapped. I have taken the vehicle to 4 to 5 wheel alignments within 3 months and 3 different shops after the purchase of the tire. Recently I took the vehicle Big O Tires and they _verified the tires have "Radial Pull" / Tire Conicity due…Owner complaint, filed 2025

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was on Hwy 27 headed south bound at Bellecita Rd in Davenpoerrt, Fl. This is a busy four way intersection. I moved into the left hand turn lane. When the left turn green light came on I began my U-Turn to head north bound. The steering wheel would not respond to my input and the vehicle kept going straight into oncoming traffic. It…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Monday 2, 2020 and on the friday before and 2 other times ,the steering wheel icon would show on dash. And on at least twice while driveing steering would lock up so bad ,it required your whole body weight to turn a small amount . Thought I was going to be killed! Pulled over and shut off engine and restarted engine and that puts seering…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 56,125 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The component involved was the vehicle's seat belt/restraint system. While my daughter was wearing the seat belt, it became stuck around her waist/abdomen and became extremely tight. The belt continued to tighten and would not loosen or release normally. The seat belt had to be cut in an emergency to free my daughter. My daughter was…Owner complaint, filed 2026

2nd row passenger seat, 60 portion squeak on bumpy roads, issue coming from folding cables mechanism, dealership can't replace the seat due to high cost and also can't figure out a solution to the issue, very annoying noise for an expensive car model xleOwner complaint, filed 2019, at 20,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The driver side rear passenger door can not be opened,either by remote or manually. This poses a threat to the safety of passengers in the rear seat area in the event of a crash. First responders would need to take other measures to tend to any injured passengers.Owner complaint, filed 2024

I loaded a kayak that is about 13' long and weighs 60 lbs. Onto my toyota factory crossbars. When driving on the freeway we heard cracking and popping noises. Thinking it was the straps in the wind, I pulled over only to find the straps secure. We were on a trip and kept going. After hearing the noise on and off we got to our destination…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 16,500 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Noted fuel economy continues to drop and nowhere near advertised mileage. Last trip in vehicle noted 20 mpg on advertised 27mpg. Around town mileage dropping below 19 mpg.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 51,000 miles

July 3, 2016: we bought the car. July 23 5pm I filled up with gas at the chevron. Drove to west la for 15 miles on the 10 fwy with my family in the car, no problem to visit my mom. 8:30pm we left her house to go home. We drove on the street for two minutes and we came to a stop light I braked to a complete stop, and the car died. The…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 834 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was in a parking lot trying to park my car I put my foot on the break to stop the car and put into reverse and the car [VIN] instead of stopping. The harder I pushed the breaks the faster it [VIN] and hit the car parked in front of me.Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 15,000 miles

When the cruise control is engaged and the vehicle is on a decline the cruise control does not maintain the set speed. I noticed this several times while on the interstate traveling between 65-75 MPH. Each time there was a car ahead of me and I narrowly avoided what could have been tragic accidents. The first time it happened I thought…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 205 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

On multiple (3-5), but not all, occasions at the same location my pre collision warning and automatic breaking appear to have been triggered as I approached an expansion plate at the edge of a bridge. The pre collision warning sounded, then the brakes were automatically applied. After a few seconds the braking stopped and my car…Owner complaint, filed 2025

I have had problems with the brakes since I bought the vehicle new in 2016. I have the brakes checked every year and when I had problems but they never found the problem why the brakes do not work. The worse accident was on November 19, 2022 when my wife was using the car. She was in the car alone. She went to brake and the brakes did…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Had cv boot and control arm work at 30k miles caught it in time in 2021 and dealer fixed it. 2 years later same issue if i had bot taken it to dealer and just did oil changes myself cv boot and control arm would break during operation. Seems like they have serious issues with cv boots and control arms at low miles. I only have 50k miles…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Towing capabilities are not congruent with the specification per manual... Rear suspension is very weak and cannot handle the weight of the cabin cargo and the weight of trailing up to 5,000 lbs safely... Multiple pictures (1 attached) taken but did not drive on the road for safety reasons for it passengersOwner complaint, filed 2016, at 2,500 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving on a 2-lane road early in the morning with light snowfall. There was about 1" of snow on the road, with the roads not yet plowed or treated as it was the beginning of the snowfall. About 15 minutes into my trip, I was on a relatively flat and straight stretch of the road and let up on the gas paddle to avoid going too fast…Owner complaint, filed 2026