repaired · 2017 Q4
Front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Risk. If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
2010 Toyota HighlanderProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 216 owner complaints about the 2010 Toyota Highlander, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 10 safety recalls, and for recall 16V-396 the manufacturer reports only 24% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 28, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2010 Toyota Highlander has problems
216 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
53Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
31Visibility/wiper
25Service brakes4 crash/fire/injury
22Vehicle speed control6 crash/fire/injury
21Steering1 crash/fire/injury
14Air bags
14Structure
12Engine
12Visibility
5217 other systems5 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 53 | 3 |
| Visibility/wiper | 31 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 25 | 4 |
| Vehicle speed control | 22 | 6 |
| Steering | 21 | 1 |
| Air bags | 14 | 8 |
| Structure | 14 | 3 |
| Engine | 12 | 2 |
| Visibility | 12 | 0 |
| 17 other systems | 52 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
10 recalls
2010 Toyota Highlander 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.
repaired · 2017 Q1
Visibility: power window devices and controls
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…
repaired · 2016 Q2
Front assembly: seat heater/cooler
Risk. Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
repaired · 2016 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. If the FFC is damaged, connectivity to the driver's air bag module could be lost and the air bag deactivated.
Show 6 more recalls
no report yet
Other: labels
Risk. An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires.
no report yet
Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk. If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for…
no report yet
Other: labels
Risk. A DRIVER MAY OVERLOAD A VEHICLE WHICH MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
no report yet
no report yet
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
Risk. A STUCK OPEN ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY RESULT IN VERY HIGH VEHICLE SPEEDS AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO STOP THE VEHICLE, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH, SERIOUS INJURY OR…
no report yet
Vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
Risk. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MAY BECOME HARD TO DEPRESS, SLOW TO RETURN TO IDLE, OR, IN THE WORST CASE, MECHANICALLY STUCK IN A PARTIALLY DEPRESSED POSITION,…
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.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
64kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 43 electrical system complaints. 81% were reported before 100,000 miles.
7under 30k miles35under 100k miles8100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2010 vs. every other Highlander 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 median. How we score
'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2010 Toyota Highlander safety ratings
2010 Toyota Highlander 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 4 stars (17.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2010 Toyota Highlander, and the recalls they led to.
- Steering Column SeparationNo recall
- Upper Steering Column SeparationNo recall
In owners' words
What Highlander owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
When applying the brake slowly all of a sudden the car went full acceleration and crashed 500ft away at high speed. The car is crashed but available for inspection for a short period of time until the insurance company takes full posession. There are not open recalls. The only lights on the dash…
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that the gear shifter had been stuck on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the fuses were replaced on several occasions; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was…
The contact owns a 2010 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and started to drift to the right side of the road. The brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle was able to come to a complete stop. The contact mentioned she waited for AAA…
Own a 2010 Highlander?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.