2004 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 284 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: POWER TRAIN (56 complaints · 19.7%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 32
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 23
  • Deaths 47
Compare with 2003 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution POWER TRAIN appears in 56 of 284 owner complaints (19.7%) in this vehicle snapshot. POWER TRAIN: 56 complaints, 19.7% of reports POWER TRAIN 56 · 19.7% · 1 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 34 complaints, 12.0% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 34 · 12.0% · 16 crash reports ENGINE: 33 complaints, 11.6% of reports ENGINE 33 · 11.6% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports STEERING: 30 complaints, 10.6% of reports STEERING 30 · 10.6% · 1 crash reports VISIBILITY: 25 complaints, 8.8% of reports VISIBILITY 25 · 8.8% · 1 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 20 complaints, 7.0% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 20 · 7.0% · 3 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 13 complaints, 4.6% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 · 4.6% EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 12 complaints, 4.2% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 12 · 4.2% · 2 fire reports AIR BAGS: 7 complaints, 2.5% of reports AIR BAGS 7 · 2.5% · 4 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 151 complaints, 53.2% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 151 · 53.2% · 10 crash reports 2 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
POWER TRAIN 56 19.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 34 12.0% 16 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 33 11.6% 1 crashes · 1 fires
STEERING 30 10.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 25 8.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 20 7.0% 3 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 4.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 12 4.2% 0 crashes · 2 fires
AIR BAGS 7 2.5% 4 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 151 53.2% 10 crashes · 2 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2004; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2004. 2004-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2004-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 2004-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2005-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2005-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2005-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2006-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2007-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2008-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2009-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2009-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2010-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2010-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2011-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2011-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2004 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 04V181000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V181000 Recall campaign 06V253000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V253000 Recall campaign 10V499000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V499000 Recall campaign 11V112000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V112000 Recall campaign 11V539000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V539000 Investigation RQ10003 ● Investigation RQ10003 Investigation RQ10003 ● Investigation RQ10003
  • Campaign 04V181000 was reported 31 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 06V253000 was reported 821 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V499000 was reported 2,253 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 11V112000 was reported 2,508 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2004-Q1 Owner reports 2
2004-Q2 Owner reports 2
2004-Q3 Owner reports 17
2004-Q4 Owner reports 17
2005-Q1 Owner reports 12
2005-Q2 Owner reports 9
2005-Q3 Owner reports 4
2005-Q4 Owner reports 7
2006-Q1 Owner reports 5
2006-Q2 Owner reports 5
2006-Q3 Owner reports 8
2006-Q4 Owner reports 5
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 6
2007-Q3 Owner reports 5
2007-Q4 Owner reports 7
2008-Q1 Owner reports 8
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q4 Owner reports 8
2009-Q1 Owner reports 10
2009-Q2 Owner reports 3
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 4
2010-Q1 Owner reports 16
2010-Q2 Owner reports 12
2010-Q3 Owner reports 4
2010-Q4 Owner reports 9
2011-Q1 Owner reports 9
2011-Q2 Owner reports 7
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2011-Q4 Owner reports 2
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 3
2012-Q3 Owner reports 6
2012-Q4 Owner reports 6
2013-Q1 Owner reports 6
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 1
2014-Q2 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 4
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q2 Owner reports 3
2015-Q3 Owner reports 3
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q3 Owner reports 3
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 04V181000
Recall campaign 1 06V253000
Recall campaign 1 10V499000
Recall campaign 1 11V112000
Recall campaign 1 11V539000
Defect investigation 1 RQ10003
Defect investigation 1 RQ10003
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 04V181000

    Report date
    Component:
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW THE DOOR TO BE OPENED WITH THE INSIDE WHILE THE OPERATOR BELIEVES THAT THE CPL WAS ACTIVATED. IF THE DOOR WERE OPENED FROM THE INSIDE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, AN OCCUPANT COULD FALL OUT AND BE INJURED.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL SHORTEN THE CPL LEVER. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MAY 7, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 06V253000

    Report date
    Component:
    VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION MAY INTERFERE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TWO FLOOR CARPET COVER RETAINING CLIPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 24, 2006, AND SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY EARLY SEPTEMBER 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 OR LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 10V499000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    A LEAK OF BRAKE FLUID COULD LEAD TO A CHANGE IN BRAKE PEDAL FEEL AND OVERTIME A DEGRADATION IN BRAKING PERFORMANCE INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SEAL WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 15, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331 AND LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 11V112000

    Report date
    Component:
    VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
    Consequence:
    IF THIS OCCURS, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY TEMPORARILY BECOME STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION RATHER THAN RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION. A STUCK ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN UNINTENDED AND SUSTAINED VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FLOOR CARPET COVER WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED ONE FREE OR CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MARCH 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 11V539000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    IN SOME CASES, THE BELT FOR THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY BECOME DETACHED FROM THE PULLEY WHICH COULD RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND A SUDDEN INCREASE IN STEERING EFFORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL CHECK THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY TO IDENTIFY WHETHER IT WAS PRODUCED BY THE U.S. SUPPLIER. IF SO, THE DEALER WILL REPLACE THE PULLEY WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING EARLY JANUARY 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 284 complaints · page 1 of 12

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources