2018 Toyota Highlander problems and complaints
Owners have filed 268 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota Highlander. The most-reported areas: Power Train (68), Service Brakes (58), Unknown Or Other (43).
Key takeaways
- 268 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 23 involve a crash, 1 a fire, 25 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 68 | 25% |
| Service Brakes | 58 | 22% |
| Unknown Or Other | 43 | 16% |
| Engine | 33 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 24 | 9% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 22 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 19 | 7% |
| Fuel System | 14 | 5% |
| Gasoline | 14 | 5% |
| Structure | 12 | 4% |
| Steering | 10 | 4% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 9 | 3% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train - filed 2026-10-04
I took my car in to the dealer for a noticable hum sound that was staying to occur. UA80 transmission model has been determined to be failing by the dealership that I took it to. They determined there's metal flakes showing in the fluid.
Power Train - filed 2026-09-30
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, there was an audible chime followed by the message "Transmission Overheating". The vehicle started jerking and hesitating while depressing the accelerator pedal. Additionally, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. Due t...
Power Train - filed 2026-09-27
I would like to report a transmission problem with my 2018 Toyota Highlander XLE which I purchased in XXX with 108,000 miles. Since about mid-XXX it has been making a noticeable whine under acceleration in the speed range of about 35-50 mph. I had the noise diagnosed on XXX at the Toyota of [XXX] dealership; they confi...
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More for the 2018 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.