2017 Toyota Highlander problems and complaints
Owners have filed 270 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Toyota Highlander. The most-reported areas: Power Train (76), Unknown Or Other (53), Engine (47).
Key takeaways
- 270 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 18 involve a crash, 2 a fire, 26 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 76 | 28% |
| Unknown Or Other | 53 | 20% |
| Engine | 47 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 46 | 17% |
| Service Brakes | 29 | 11% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 28 | 10% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 5% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 12 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 3% |
| Fuel System | 9 | 3% |
| Gasoline | 9 | 3% |
| Structure | 8 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train,engine - filed 2026-10-08
Transmission failure after whining noise, taken to Toyota multiple times with no diagnosis. Today was informed the transmission is failing by another mechanic. 193,000 miles.
Power Train - filed 2026-10-05
2017 UA80F AWD Toyota Highlander Transmission Failure at 145,000 miles with regular maintenance. Starts off delayed shifting and jerking when accelerating, accompanied with faint whistle/whirring sound from under the dash. with Transmission falls under the Toyota Customer Support Program ZJC TSB 016018. my VIN did not...
Power Train - filed 2026-10-03
Our Toyota Highlander XLE which has 137000 miles on it has the very well documented "whine" issue with the UA80 transmission. This "whine" issue/failure has resulted in at least two TSB's to be generated by Toyota and is considered the beginning stages of a total transmission failure. It impacts 2017 through at least 2...
Diagnose it yourself
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
More for the 2017 Toyota Highlander
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.