2017 Toyota Highlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability
366 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2017 Toyota Highlander, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 64/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 20,400 miles.
Below average
Where 2017 sits among all Highlander years
What owners report
“29k on the car and fourth time at the dealership for transmission problems, this time they replaced the transmission.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Highlander
“My husband and I were driving down the highway when the front part of our sun roof shattered.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Highlander
“I was driving home and a warning brake light came on which said breaking power low stop in a safe place, BSM not available. Car won’t start again, ABS light, traction control light, all wheel drive system, engine brake light, antilock brake system. All of these alerts are on the dashboard.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Highlander
“While driving vehicle lost power to appx 5mph and check engine, check all wheel drive system, visit dealer, lights appeared on dash, vehicle was on highway driving at appx 50mph at time of incident , dealer reprogammed ecm, and returned car to owner and next day while driving incident happened again”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Highlander
“Intermitten fuel pump problem, check engine light appears suv stalls and will not start”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Highlander
“While pressing on brake and pushing power button to turn on vehicle, a clicking noise sounded as if the battery was malfunctioned. When looking at the screen, it alerted low braking power. Unable to turn on vehicle because of this. The vehicle was stationary when this occurred.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2017 Highlander
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 168 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 20,800 miles. Half of those reports fall between 9,800 and 41,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020…
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly with an improved one, free of charge. Owners of specific models were notified that remedy parts were available starting…
Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to…
Fix: Wanda will notify owners, and service centers will replace the windshields, and inspect the ECM for damage, having it replaced, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 29, 2019.…
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2017 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles equipped with accessory roof rail cross bars. The fasteners for the roof rails may not be torqued properly.
Fix: GST will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and properly torque the fasteners, free of charge. The recall began September 29, 2017. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074.…
Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. The spare tire air pressure was not…
Fix: Gulf States will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the spare tires, adjusting their pressure as necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 15, 2017. Owners may contact Gulf States…
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 2017 Toyota Highlander reliable?
The 2017 Toyota Highlander drew 366 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 64/100, scored against the model's worst year (2008).
What are the most common 2017 Toyota Highlander problems?
The top reported problems for the 2017 Toyota Highlander are transmission & drivetrain (70 complaints), other (59), and electrical (50).
At what mileage do 2017 Toyota Highlander problems show up?
Owners most often report 2017 Toyota Highlander problems around 20,800 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 9,800 and 41,000 miles.
Does the 2017 Toyota Highlander have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2017 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.