repaired · 2022 Q4
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
2018 Toyota HighlanderProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 276 owner complaints about the 2018 Toyota Highlander, most often about the power train. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-012 the manufacturer reports only 84% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2018 Toyota Highlander has problems
276 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
75Power train
53Service brakes9 crash/fire/injury
36Engine
24Electrical system
22Fuel/propulsion system1 crash/fire/injury
19Air bags
14Fuel system, gasoline
12Structure
10Steering
5815 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 75 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 53 | 9 |
| Engine | 36 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 24 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 22 | 1 |
| Air bags | 19 | 15 |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 14 | 0 |
| Structure | 12 | 4 |
| Steering | 10 | 0 |
| 15 other systems | 58 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
4 recalls
2018 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 · 2022 Q1
Delivery: fuel pump
Risk. If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2019 Q3
Power assist: vacuum
Risk. A sudden loss of braking assist can increase the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2019 Q2
Other: labels
Risk. An incorrect load information label can result in the operator overloading the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
Power train
12 owners mentioned a cost$8,750median
Middle half: $8,000 – $9,638
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
2018 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
2018 Toyota Highlander safety ratings
2018 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (18.5% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard
- Lane departure warning: Standard
In owners' words
What Highlander owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
My vehicle began making a faint whine noise at around 80k miles. The vehicle is now at around 112,000 miles and the whine is louder. On cold morning the vehicle is sluggish in lower gears when accelerating. After extensive research I've found that the associated whine is related to the Toyota UA80…
The transmission started whining over the summer and has been gradually getting worse. I took it in and was told it needed a new transmission. The vehicle just has 72,000 miles on it and the whine started around 67,000 miles. From my research, this appears to be a known issue with Toyota. If the…
My 2018 Toyota Highlander AWD (75,000 miles) was diagnosed with internal transmission failure on its UA80F 8-speed automatic transmission. The diagnosis confirmed fluid shear and internal metal wear requiring a $9,000+ replacement. The UA80 series is subject to Toyota TSB T-SB-0160-18 and Customer…
Own a 2018 Highlander?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.