Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Toyota Highlander problems

Owners filed 406 complaints about the 2008 Toyota Highlander with NHTSA between Nov 2007 and Nov 2026. The most-cited component is service brakes (67).

Complaints
406
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
44
Reported by owners
Fires
14
Reported by owners
Injuries
42
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Service brakes67
  2. Air bags58
  3. Engine58
  4. Vehicle speed control45
  5. Electrical system44
  6. Steering40
  7. Tires25
  8. Power train18
  9. Engine and engine cooling18
  10. Electronic stability control (esc)15
  11. Service brakes, hydraulic13
  12. Structure11
  13. Visibility10
  14. Seat belts9

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 9, 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
20071
20087
200917
201072
201119
201217
201339
201443
201532
201615
201716
201817
201926
202026
202114
202216
20238
202412
20255
20264

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

67 reports3 crashes
“Subject: Sudden Unintended Braking and Loss of Vehicle Control – 2008 Toyota Highlander V6 AWD I am reporting a serious and potentially life-threatening incident involving my 2008 Toyota Highlander V6 AWD. Shortly before this incident, I had all four tires replaced at Les Schwab. While driving approximately at highway speeds, with my foot on the accelerator and absolutely no pressure on the brake pedal, I suddenly heard a knocking sound and felt the vehicle jerking violently. It felt similar to ABS activation, although I do not know what system was responsible. I stopped and inspected everything finding nothing wrong so proceeded to drive the car back home. The vehicle then suddenly and forcefully applied the brakes without any input from me. The rear wheels appeared to lock, causing the tires to skid. The back end of the vehicle fishtailed and began attempting to spin around. I struggled to maintain control. There were three children riding in the vehicle with me. All four occupants were placed in immediate danger. After stopping, I shifted into Park and then back into Drive. The brakes released, and the vehicle began moving normally again. However, I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 5, 2026Unknown or other, Service brakesODI 11776097

Air bags

58 reports13 crashes2 related recalls
“We own a 2008 Toyota Highlander. The SRS airbag warning light on the dash is lit. It is a sensor issue that has been fixed once. It is a safety issue because, as I understand it, the airbags will not deploy when this warning light is on. I would like to know if this is an issue with other 2008 Highlanders. This has happened twice since we have owned the vehicle. The dealership fixed the issue the first time but has no record of the repair. This time the repair could be over $1000.00 for me to drive a safe vehicle. I believe this should be looked into to see if it is an issue with other 2008 Toyota Highlanders.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2026Air bagsODI 11772534

Engine

58 reports1 crash6 fires
“The contact owned a 2008 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, an abnormal, booming sound was emitted from the vehicle as heavy, black smoke entered her vehicle. Due to the smoke, the contact's vision became obstructed, and the contact immediately shifted into park and jumped out of her vehicle for safety. It was unknown if there were any warning lights. As a result, the contact injured her right hip and strained her vocal cords. The vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames as authorities were called to the scene. The fire department extinguished the flames as both a fire and a police report were filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was deemed a total loss. There was no property damage. The origin of the fire was unknown, and an investigation was opened by the insurance company. The contact sought medical attention the next day and was treated for the strain on her right hip. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was given a case number. The contact was also informed that she would receive a response from them within 45 days. The vehicle was destroyed. The failure…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2026EngineFire reportedODI 11722415

Vehicle speed control

45 reports22 crashes2 fires1 related recall
“My 2008 toyota highlander gas pedal must be lose.because I barley push the gas and it takes on fast.i was driving home on the highway and the truck just died .the battery dies I couldn't turn my wheel I could not press the break”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 31, 2023Steering, Electrical system, Vehicle speed controlODI 11514719

Electrical system

44 reports2 crashes5 fires
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Toyota Highlander. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. The contact stated that at the time of purchase the mileage was 106,000. After obtaining a Carfax report, the contact became aware that the mileage listed was 264,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2026Electrical systemODI 11765753

Steering

40 reports3 crashes
“STEERING WENT OUT ALL OF ASUDDEN WITHOUT NOTICE,ALMOST CAUSING ME TO CRASH,,MY SPEED WAS LEGAL SPEED IN TEXAS 80MPH,,,ALSO A THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND FELT LIKE BRAKES WERE GOING TO BE APPLIED,,TURNED ENGINE OFF, RESTARTED CAR AND ABS BRAKE LIGHT WENT OFF”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 9, 2020Steering, Service brakesODI 11382796
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

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