During the dominance of ladder-frame SUVs, the car-based Toyota Highlander crossover came and conquered. The SUV was blessed with Toyota’s irrefutable reliability and set the standards high for its peers as well. Of late, the Highlander has been running into issues with its electrical systems, safety systems, and powertrain. However, the numbers of the reported issues are only a fraction of the total sales volume that this crossover clocks. The 2017 Highlander has also faced complaints regarding the powertrain, electrical system, and safety systems. Also, several complaints have been recorded regarding the sunroof exploding issue for which the brand has not issued any recalls yet. Challenging the Toyota Highlander in its class are the Ford Explorer, the Chevrolet Traverse, and the GMC Acadia.
Toyota Highlander user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Sudden loss of power: A lot of users complain that their 2017 Toyota Highlander lost power suddenly while driving. The issue occurred while driving at highway speeds or at slow speeds while parking. During the occurrences, all the warning lights on the instrument cluster come on for most of the owners, and even after restarting the vehicle fails to solve the issue. For a few customers, the vehicle failed to restart after the ignition was turned off after the occurrence. No exact cause was found by the dealerships despite plenty of complaints being posted on the unofficial forums as well.
- Engine stall: A handful of owners also complain about an engine stall issue. In a majority of the cases, the engine stall occurs while driving at slow speeds or while taking turns on the highways.
- Sudden acceleration: A few complaints regarding this issue are there against the 2017 Toyota Highlander. In all the scenarios, the engine of the affected vehicles accelerated suddenly while the brakes were depressed. As a result, the vehicles crashed causing damage to properties in some cases.
Safety problems
- Airbag failure: A few owners have faced issues with the airbags in their 2017 Highlander. All the complaints mention that after being involved in a crash, the airbags failed to deploy, injuring both the driver and the passenger.
Exterior problems
- Sunroof exploding: Exploding sunroof issue has troubled a considerable number of owners of the 2017 Toyota Highlander. The users filed reports saying that the sunroof of their vehicles shattered suddenly with a loud explosion-like sound and without any external impact.
2017 Toyota Highlander recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
May 2, 2017 |
17V295000 |
Spare Tire Air Pressure may be Incorrect |
A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 15, 2017. |
|
2 |
August 23, 2017 |
17V520000 |
Improperly Torqued Roof Rails Fastener |
The roof rails may loosen and possibly detach from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash. |
GST will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and properly torque the fasteners, free of charge. The recall began on September 29, 2017. |
|
3 |
November 27, 2018 |
18E107000 |
Water May Enter Windshield Wire Harness |
The ECM damage may result in the engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Wanda will notify owners, and service centers will replace the windshields, and inspect the ECM for damage, having it replaced, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 29, 2019. |
|
4 |
November 4, 2020 |
20V682000 |
Fuel Pump May Fail |
If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that repair parts were available starting January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as repair parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. |
Should you buy a used Toyota Highlander?
The Toyota Highlander still has adequate pros to give its peers a tough time but the recent issues have managed to put a slight dent in its reliability index. Despite the issues, the SUV has managed to clock impressive sales volume which would make going for a used example a tedious job. The reason is that you need to search extensively for a fault-free example of the Highlander. The GMC Acadia is a strong option with its lower number of complaints and a better reliability quotient.
