Problems · NHTSA complaints

2007 Toyota Highlander problems

Owners filed 124 complaints about the 2007 Toyota Highlander with NHTSA between Dec 2006 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is service brakes (29).

Complaints
124
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
11
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes29
  2. Electrical system23
  3. Vehicle speed control16
  4. Tires8
  5. Visibility8
  6. Power train8
  7. Engine7
  8. Visibility/wiper7
  9. Steering6
  10. Service brakes, hydraulic6
  11. Wheels5
  12. Structure5
  13. Electronic stability control (esc)4
  14. Fuel system, gasoline3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 7, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20062
20078
20087
20099
201018
20116
20128
201310
20145
20154
20169
20170
20183
20195
202012
20214
20226
20232
20241
20254
20261

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Service brakes

29 reports
“The brake actuator for the hybrid system has failed. My vehicle brake pedal is difficult do depress and unsafe to drive. This is a known issue with other Toyota hybrids that have been recalled but for some reason the highlander is not recalled even though it uses the same problem part as the recalled vehicles. The replacement part and repair is typically more than value of the car and it being a safety issue with brake system caused by a known faulty component Toyota should repair these.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 5, 2026Service brakesODI 11769016

Electrical system

23 reports1 crash1 fire
“Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2007 Toyota Highlander. The vehicle was purchased from a private seller on Facebook Marketplace on 9/3/2025. The mileage at the time of purchase was 129,950. The contact wanted a larger vehicle and called another dealer on Facebook Marketplace to trade the vehicle and was provided the most recent mileage recorded for the vehicle on November 17, 2021, at 262,597 miles. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was recorded to have over 150,000 miles over 4 years before the purchase. The contact reached out to the owner who sold the vehicle to the private seller who the contact purchased the vehicle from, and it was confirmed that on July 27, 2025, the vehicle was sold at 299,150 miles. The contact had not reported to any other agencies but had planned to.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2025Electrical systemODI 11688863

Vehicle speed control

16 reports8 crashes
“My vehicle about a year ago started to display the dash lights for the VSC, ABS, and Emergency Brake however there was no indication from the feel of the brakes as they were applied, or any indication that something was wrong with the vehicle. I had my brakes replaced on my rear tires, and for a time the lights went off. In April of 2025, the lights came back on however this time there was a distinct feeling that the brakes weren't working. I had the calipers, pads, rotors, and a tube replaced, however the lights are still on, and the vehicle now violently shakes after reaching speeds of 45 mph (mirroring the complaints from the following site: [XXX] ). Toyota has refused to acknowledge this and put consumers out thousands of dollars. This is clearly something toyota needs to honor.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 29, 2025Steering, Vehicle speed control, Service brakesODI 11663740

Tires

8 reports
“Only six months after installation as a set of 4 new tires at Sam's Club in May 2021, multiple cracks start to develop around the rims on both inside and outside of the tires. With time, the cracks grow in size. This happens on two tires, one is on the front passage side, and the other on the rear driver side.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 31, 2023Tires, WheelsODI 11514815

Visibility

8 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR WINDOW FAILED TO CLOSE OR OPEN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2014VisibilityODI 10637949

Power train

8 reports
“WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, LEFT REAR AXLE SNAPPED OFF AND FELL OFF VEHICLE. THE TRANSFER ASSEMBLY HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. THERE IS NO EXPLANATION AS TO HOW THIS HAPPENED AND IF THERE ARE OTHER DEFECTIVE PARTS IN THE DRIVE TRAIN.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 28, 2013Power train, Unknown or otherODI 10511115
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 7, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.