Toyota Highlander: common faults & what to check

Which Toyota Highlander are you looking at?

6 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Petrol

5 variants documented

2001–2007XU202001–2007XU203.0 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues0 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2001–2007XU202001–2007XU203.3 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues0 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2007–2014XU402007–2014XU403.5 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues3 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2014–2021XU502014–2021XU503.5 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues1 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2021–nowXU702021–nowXU703.5 V6 petrolPetrolDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

Hybrid

1 variant documented

2021–nowXU702021–nowXU702.5 hybridHybridDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Toyota Highlander

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Toyota Highlander before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  With a torch, look near the oil filter for a short rubber hose joining two metal oil pipes — an all-metal line means the update was done.

  See why

  2GR-FE V6 rubber oil line rupture — can dump engine oil in seconds

  XU40 Highlanders/Klugers with the 3.5 V6 (particularly 2008-2011 with the towing package oil cooler) use an oil line with a rubber hose section between metal pipes near the oil filter, plus a rubber VVT-i oil supply hose; both degrade and can rupture, dumping oil rapidly and destroying the engine if driven on. Toyota ran warranty enhancement/limited service campaigns (e.g. for the VVT-i hose) replacing rubber with all-metal lines, but those programs have long expired and not every car was done. Any remaining original rubber line is a time bomb worth checking.

  What you would notice

  • Oil spots under the front of the car
  • Oil pressure warning light
  • Sudden loud tapping after oil loss
  • Oil misting on the front subframe near the filter

  Typically $400–$1,200 to put right.

• Serious issue

  Run the VIN through Toyota NZ/AU's recall checker (or ask a dealer) and confirm the fuel pump recall shows as completed.

  See why

  Denso low-pressure fuel pump recall — engine can stall without warning

  Highlanders/Klugers built roughly 2018-2020 were caught in the massive worldwide Denso fuel pump recall: the pump impeller can swell and seize, causing rough running or a sudden stall that will not restart. Toyota Australia and Toyota NZ replaced pumps free under recall. Most have been done by now, but unrepaired JDM or parallel imports can slip through — always verify by VIN.

  What you would notice

  • Rough running or hesitation, especially when hot
  • Check-engine light with fuel-pressure codes
  • Engine stall while driving, then no restart

  Typically $0–$1,400 to put right.

• Serious issue

  With ignition on, check the airbag/SRS warning light comes on then goes out (a light that stays on can indicate a spiral-cable fault).

  See why

  Recall: steering spiral-cable weld can disable the driver's airbag (23V480 / 23TA08)

  On certain 2023 Highlander (Kluger) and Highlander Hybrid, an electrical connection inside the steering-column spiral cable (clock spring) may be insufficiently welded and can separate, deactivating the driver's airbag and often the horn and steering-wheel controls. Toyota's recall 23V480 (Toyota 23TA08) inspects and replaces the spiral cable free. A dead airbag warning light is a serious red flag on these cars.

  What you would notice

  • Airbag / SRS warning light stays on
  • Horn or steering-wheel buttons intermittent or dead
  • SRS fault code stored
• Costly issue

  On the test drive, hold a steady light throttle at 50-70 km/h on a slight incline and feel for a fine rumble/shudder lasting a few seconds.

  See why

  8-speed automatic (UA80) torque converter shudder and harsh low-speed shifts

  Late XU50 Highlanders/Klugers with the Direct Shift 8AT are known for torque-converter lock-up shudder — a washboard-like vibration for several seconds at 40-80 km/h under light load — plus hunting and harsh low-speed shifts. The converter locks early and often to save fuel, cooking the fluid and hammering the lock-up clutch. A fluid service with updated fluid often cures early shudder; a worn converter is a serious bill.

  What you would notice

  • Washboard-like shudder/vibration at steady 40-80 km/h under light throttle
  • Hunting between gears on gentle hills
  • Harsh or delayed low-speed shifts
  • Darkened transmission fluid

  Typically $350–$5,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  With the engine cold, check the coolant reservoir level and look for pink dried coolant trails below the water pump area at the front of the engine.

  See why

  2GR-FE water pump leaks — often well before 150,000 km

  The 3.5 V6's water pump is a known weak point across XU40 and XU50 Highlanders/Klugers, commonly weeping or failing from as little as 80,000-130,000 km. It leaks coolant from the weep hole and can howl before it fails; a failed pump means overheating, and on this engine overheating risks head gaskets. It is a routine but not cheap repair given the pump's location.

  What you would notice

  • Pink coolant crust or drips low on the front of the engine
  • Coolant level dropping between checks
  • Whining/growling bearing noise rising with revs
  • Sweet coolant smell after a drive

  Typically $700–$1,400 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Check the 12V battery date and health, and ask how the car behaves after being parked several days.

  See why

  12V auxiliary battery goes flat from parasitic drain

  Owners of 2021-onward Highlander/Kluger repeatedly report the small 12V battery going flat, sometimes on near-new cars, leaving the vehicle unable to start or wake. The 12V system runs the electronics and control modules (and on the hybrid it also boots the whole car), so it is sensitive to parasitic draws from the always-on telematics/DCM 4G module and to short-trip or long-idle-parked usage patterns that never fully recharge it. Because it is a low-current standby drain rather than mechanical wear, it typically shows up early in life or after the car has sat, not at high kilometres. Dealers sometimes find no fault on inspection; a healthier battery, telematics setting change, or a maintenance charger is the usual remedy.

  What you would notice

  • Car won't start or won't power up after sitting
  • Dead battery within days of a full charge
  • Warning messages or accessories not working on wake
  • Needs a jump start or hybrid ready-mode won't engage

  Typically $250–$900 to put right.

Toyota Highlander service schedule

What falls due, and at what distance, for each generation of the Toyota Highlander. These are the model’s intervals — the car’s own service book is the only thing that can tell you what has actually been done to it.

Buying guides that cover the Toyota Highlander

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