Home · 2016 Toyota Highlander · Complaints
These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.
4 of 109 complaints match · Body & structure · clear filters
The driver side rear passenger door can not be opened,either by remote or manually. This poses a threat to the safety of passengers in the rear seat area in the event of a crash. First responders would need to take other measures to tend to any injured passengers.
NHTSA ODI 11610623
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND SUNROOF EXPLODED. SOUNDED LIKE A GUN SHOT.
NHTSA ODI 11493625
I LOADED A KAYAK THAT IS ABOUT 13' LONG AND WEIGHS 60 LBS. ONTO MY TOYOTA FACTORY CROSSBARS. WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WE HEARD CRACKING AND POPPING NOISES. THINKING IT WAS THE STRAPS IN THE WIND, I PULLED OVER ONLY TO FIND THE STRAPS SECURE. WE WERE ON A TRIP AND KEPT GOING. AFTER HEARING THE NOISE ON AND OFF WE GOT TO OUR DESTINATION AND FOUND A WARPED ROOF AND DENTS IN THE ROOF. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A ROOF OF A VEHICLE. I WOULD EXPECT THE CROSS BARS TO FAIL BEFORE THAT WOULD HAPPEN. AFTER A FEW ATTEMPTS, TOYOTA FINALLY HAD AN AREA REP. LOOK AT IT. THEY OFFERED TO HAVE PAINLESS DENT REMOVAL OR $1,000 OFF OF ANOTHER TOYOTA. I DIDN'T WANT EITHER OPTION. THE PDR WOULD HAVE DONE NOTHING AND THE DAMAGE WOULD COME RIGHT BACK. THEY WERE NOT BELIEVING ME THAT CARRYING A LOAD ON THE CROSSBARS DID THAT. WELL, I SWEPT IT UNDER THE RUG FOR A FEW MONTHS AND THIS FALL I HAD TO CARRY A 2X10 BOARDS ON TOP AND AGAIN, WITH FREEWAY SPEEDS DID IT AGAIN. NOW AT CHRISTMAS TIME, WE CUT A TREE DOWN AND LOADED IT ON TOP AND AGAIN, MORE NOISES AND NOW THERE IS MORE DAMAGE THAN THE FIRST PICTURES I TOOK THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AND THE CREASES AND DENTS ARE DEEPER. SOMETHING IS STRUCTURALLY NOT RIGHT WITH MY 16' TOYOTA HIGHLANDER AND TOYOTA WILL DO NOTHING TO HELP. I'M OUT OF OPTIONS AND I HOPE SOMEONE AT NHTSA CAN HELP! I HAVE A $40K SUV THAT I CONSIDER A LEMON. (SEE ATTACHED FOR MORE INFORMATION AND MY ATTEMPTS TO ASK TOYOTA FOR HELP) THANKS! [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).'*JB
NHTSA ODI 11055626
I WAS IN A PARKING LOT TRYING TO PARK MY CAR I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BREAK TO STOP THE CAR AND PUT INTO REVERSE AND THE CAR ACCELERATED INSTEAD OF STOPPING. THE HARDER I PUSHED THE BREAKS THE FASTER IT ACCELERATED AND HIT THE CAR PARKED IN FRONT OF ME.
NHTSA ODI 11003560
Working with the data? Download all 109 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 7, 2026