2018 Toyota Highlander: recalls and problems
5 recalls and 271 owner complaints on file with NHTSA. The most-reported problem area is power train.
Most common problems
What owners report
I would like to report a transmission problem with my 2018 toyota highlander xle which i purchased in xxx with 108,000 miles. since about mid-xxx it has been making a noticeable whine under acceleration in the speed range of about 35-50 mph. i had the noise diagnosed on xxx at the toyota of [xxx] dealership; they confirmed it and said it cannot be fixed except to replace the entire transmission at a cost of $9900 (es
whining sound in the transmission, including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. these vehicles are equipped with the ua80f (awd) and ua80e (fwd) 8-speed automatic transmissions.
Transmission failure happened suddenly. i pulled out of a car wash and car would not accelerate. i was in heavy traffic and car wouldn’t move.
The position of the screen monitor for the backup camera is hard to see when the sun creates a glare on the front windshield.
Crash-test ratings
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD | ||||
| 2018 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD |
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and NCAP APIs, covering HIGHLANDER, HIGHLANDER HYBRID. Last refreshed 2026-09-29.