Your vehicle report
2016 Toyota Highlander
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 111
- Received Dec 2015 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Glass shatters or cracks without impact13 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Tires blow out or tread separates8 complaints · 7.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes5 complaints · 4.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V775000Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Highlander vehicles manufactured May 26, 2016, to September 16, 2016. The brake fluid level sensor may not be connected to the wire harness, preventing the sensor from detecting the brake fluid level. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Recall #16V420000Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 14 crashes, 1 fire, 11 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 12 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 15 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2020 | 11 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 10 |
| 2023 | 6 |
| 2024 | 5 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 5 |
| Total | 111 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 13 | 12% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 8 | 7.2% | 28.8× | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 4.5% | – | |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 5 | 4.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Infotainment screen ghost-touches and changes on its own | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Parking brake fails to hold or release | 3 | 2.7% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 2.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V775000October 24, 20167,056 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring; service brakes, hydraulic: fluid
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Highlander vehicles manufactured May 26, 2016, to September 16, 2016. The brake fluid level sensor may not be connected to the wire harness, preventing the sensor from detecting the brake fluid level. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
If the brake fluid level is low and is not detected, the braking performance may be decreased, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this G03.
NHTSA recall #16V420000June 9, 20164,253 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2016 Toyota Highlander.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN