2011 Toyota Highlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability
229 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Toyota Highlander, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 36/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Visibility & wipers leads the reports, typically around 50,050 miles.
Below average
Where 2011 sits among all Highlander years
What owners report
“Driver side sun visor no longer stays up and blocks the drivers vision while driving. This seems to be a on going problem with toyota sun visors.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Highlander
“When turning or over bumps the steering column makes clunking noise. Has become louder with time”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Highlander
“While driving, interior lights turn on and door chime warning on dash sounds. All doors are properly closed”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Highlander
“Issue with the glass door back (hatch) does not close or open properly. I did make sure the door are closed before starting the vehicle and once vehicle is in motion the glass door (hatch) opens and i had to stop the vehicle and close it, which is veery inconvenience and safety issue.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Highlander
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 178 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 55,302 miles. Half of those reports fall between 26,000 and 87,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact…
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4,…
Fix: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected…
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ…
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still…
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and…
Fix: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2011 Toyota Highlander reliable?
The 2011 Toyota Highlander drew 229 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 36/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2011 Toyota Highlander problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Toyota Highlander are visibility & wipers (35 complaints), steering (34), and electrical (28).
At what mileage do 2011 Toyota Highlander problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Toyota Highlander problems around 55,302 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 26,000 and 87,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Toyota Highlander have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Toyota Highlander. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.