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2011 Toyota Highlander HybridProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 5 owner complaints about the 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, most often about the vehicle speed control. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 15V-689 the manufacturer reports only 46% of affected cars repaired.

2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid
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CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 46%Owner complaints50 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage66kVehicle speed control, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through March 18, 2019. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has problems

5 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Vehicle speed control20
Engine10
Service brakes10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

46%repaired · 2017 Q1

Visibility: power window devices and controls

Recall 15V-689 · Oct 22, 2015 · 1,814,284 vehicles · 828,698 repaired

Risk. If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Toyota.

Best & worst years

2011 vs. every other Highlander Hybrid year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Highlander Hybrid median. How we score

'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
3 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2011 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Pedestrian alert soundsDP22005 · closed Aug 7, 2023
    Led to recall 22V-063
  2. Steering Column SeparationEA18006 · closed Apr 2, 2024
    No recall
  3. Upper Steering Column SeparationPE18005 · closed Nov 20, 2018
    No recall
In owners' words

What Highlander Hybrid owners report

Recent vehicle speed control complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
Complaint 11176284 · Feb 11, 2019 · 60,000 miles
MY HIGHLANDER HYBRID: PUSHED START BUTTON, AND BEHAVED NORMALLY. UPON BEING PLACED IN GEAR, THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AS IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR. ONLY HEAVY BRAKE PRESSURE PREVENTED A SERIOUSLY DANGEROUSNESS CONDITION OF FULL ACCELERATION IN A SMALL PARKING LOT. WHEN…
Complaint 10586382 · May 3, 2014 · 72,000 miles

Own a 2011 Highlander Hybrid?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.