2005 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 219 complaints · 6 recalls
Most-reported system: POWER TRAIN (43 complaints · 19.6%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 35
  • Fires 4
  • Injuries 20
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2004 →
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 43 of 219 owner complaints (19.6%) in this vehicle snapshot. POWER TRAIN: 43 complaints, 19.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 43 · 19.6% · 2 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 31 complaints, 14.2% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 31 · 14.2% · 14 crash reports VISIBILITY: 25 complaints, 11.4% of reports VISIBILITY 25 · 11.4% STEERING: 23 complaints, 10.5% of reports STEERING 23 · 10.5% · 1 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 16 complaints, 7.3% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 16 · 7.3% · 3 crash reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 15 complaints, 6.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15 · 6.8% · 1 crash reports ENGINE: 11 complaints, 5.0% of reports ENGINE 11 · 5.0% · 1 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 7 complaints, 3.2% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 · 3.2% · 1 fire reports AIR BAGS: 6 complaints, 2.7% of reports AIR BAGS 6 · 2.7% · 6 crash reports 1 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 93 complaints, 42.5% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 93 · 42.5% · 10 crash reports 1 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 43 19.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 31 14.2% 14 crashes · 0 fires
VISIBILITY 25 11.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 23 10.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 16 7.3% 3 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15 6.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 11 5.0% 0 crashes · 1 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 7 3.2% 0 crashes · 1 fires
AIR BAGS 6 2.7% 6 crashes · 1 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 93 42.5% 10 crashes · 1 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 Oct 2004; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2006. 2004-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2005-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2005-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2005-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2006-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2009-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2009-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2010-Q1: 32 owner reports 32 2010-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2010-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2011-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2011-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Oct 2004 Jan 2026 Recall campaign 06V253000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V253000 Recall campaign 10V035000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V035000 Recall campaign 10V499000 ◆ Recall campaign 10V499000 Recall campaign 11V112000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V112000 Recall campaign 11V539000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V539000 Recall campaign 16V396000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V396000 Investigation RQ10003 ● Investigation RQ10003 Investigation RQ10003 ● Investigation RQ10003
  • Campaign 06V253000 was reported 484 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V035000 was reported 1,926 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 10V499000 was reported 1,974 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 11V112000 was reported 2,171 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 16V396000 was reported 4,237 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2004-Q4 Owner reports 1
2005-Q1 Owner reports 4
2005-Q2 Owner reports 4
2005-Q3 Owner reports 8
2005-Q4 Owner reports 5
2006-Q1 Owner reports 6
2006-Q2 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 5
2006-Q4 Owner reports 2
2007-Q1 Owner reports 5
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 5
2007-Q4 Owner reports 2
2008-Q1 Owner reports 3
2008-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 3
2009-Q1 Owner reports 4
2009-Q2 Owner reports 3
2009-Q4 Owner reports 6
2010-Q1 Owner reports 32
2010-Q2 Owner reports 3
2010-Q3 Owner reports 6
2010-Q4 Owner reports 11
2011-Q1 Owner reports 11
2011-Q2 Owner reports 6
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2011-Q4 Owner reports 4
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 2
2013-Q3 Owner reports 4
2013-Q4 Owner reports 4
2014-Q1 Owner reports 3
2014-Q2 Owner reports 4
2014-Q3 Owner reports 3
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 4
2015-Q2 Owner reports 4
2015-Q3 Owner reports 2
2015-Q4 Owner reports 4
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 3
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 06V253000
Recall campaign 1 10V035000
Recall campaign 1 10V499000
Recall campaign 1 11V112000
Recall campaign 1 11V539000
Recall campaign 1 16V396000
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 (6)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. 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 →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 10V035000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    THIS DOES NOT MEET THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL MAIL TO CONSUMERS THE CORRECTED LABEL OR THE CUSTOMER WILL HAVE THE OPTION FOR DEALERS TO INSTALL THE LABEL FREE OF CHARGE. DEALERS WILL ALSO CORRECT THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 27, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GULF STATES TOYOTA AT 713-580-3300.
    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 →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V396000

    Report date
    Component:
    SEATS
    Consequence:
    If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
    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 219 complaints · page 1 of 9

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