repaired · 2016 Q1
Seats
Risk. If the seat does not lock into the seat track, there may be an increased risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
2013 Toyota HighlanderProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 207 owner complaints about the 2013 Toyota Highlander, most often about the steering. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-148 the manufacturer reports only 87% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 18, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Guyon from Richmond, VA, United States of America, CC BY 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2013 Toyota Highlander has problems
207 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
46Steering3 crash/fire/injury
32Engine2 crash/fire/injury
31Vehicle speed control8 crash/fire/injury
26Electrical system
18Structure6 crash/fire/injury
17Air bags10 crash/fire/injury
16Service brakes8 crash/fire/injury
12Fuel/propulsion system
11Power train
5014 other systems9 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 46 | 3 |
| Engine | 32 | 2 |
| Vehicle speed control | 31 | 8 |
| Electrical system | 26 | 0 |
| Structure | 18 | 6 |
| Air bags | 17 | 10 |
| Service brakes | 16 | 8 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 0 |
| Power train | 11 | 1 |
| 14 other systems | 50 | 9 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2013 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.
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…
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 steering problems start?
54kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 40 steering complaints. 100% were reported before 100,000 miles.
4under 30k miles40under 100k miles0100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Steering
8 owners mentioned a cost$546median
Middle half: $491 – $941
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2013 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
2013 Toyota Highlander safety ratings
2013 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★Overall rating
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- 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 2013 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 steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Steering column cracks, no help from Dealer. Many complaints on internet. Remedy requires expensive new steering column. Defective spindle type bearing defective. The noise is ongoing. It feels like its going to break. Very scary...ongoing doesn't stop. Dealer says wont break just replace if you…
When I turn the steering faster than a certain speed, it will lock up for a moment, either turning right or left. Sometimes a light indicating a steering fault lights up on the dash cluster, sometimes not. When the turning of the wheel stops and locks up I cannot turn any more in that direction. I…
- The car was purchased in 2015 used and the steering wheel has made a clunking sound when turning a hard sharp left or right since the day of purchase -While on a road trip of approximately 3,000 miles round trip in June 2021 the steering wheel was adjusted to accommodate my husband's height. It…
Own a 2013 Highlander?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.