2018 Toyota Highlander Problems

2018 Toyota Highlander problems owners report most

2018 Toyota Highlander problems are documented in public: owners have filed 278 complaints with NHTSA, the earliest in 2018 and the most recent in 2026. Sorting those by the component the filer named puts the powertrain clearly first, at 72 of the 278 complaints, about a quarter of everything filed.

A complaint is not a repair bill and not a defect finding. It is one owner telling the regulator something went wrong. What makes the count useful is the concentration: when one component takes 26 per cent of everything filed on a car, the pattern is doing more than chance.

Against the 2017 car, this model year has drawn 1 per cent more complaints (278 against 274). Both years are led by the powertrain, so this is a fault that carried over rather than one introduced with the 2018 car.

Of those complaints, 24 describe a crash and 2 describe a fire. Filers reported 25 injuries.

Recalls on the 2018 Toyota Highlander

A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator found a safety defect, and the repair is free at a franchised dealer however old the car is. There are 5 recalls on this model year. Your own car may be covered by some, all or none of them, so check the VIN rather than the model.

In owners own words

These are complaints filed about the powertrain, quoted as written. They are one persons account rather than a diagnosis, and they are here because a symptom described by a driver is easier to recognise than a component name.

The UA80 8-speed automatic transmission failed catastrophically without any prior warning symptoms while driving on the highway. During normal acceleration to pass another vehicle, the engine revved to 5,000 RPM as the transmission slipped, then dropped to 3,000 RPM coasting. After exiting the highway approximately one mile later and coming to a stop at a red light, the transmission would no longer engage in any forward gear. The engine revs freely when placed in drive and the accelerator is pressed. Reverse still functions. The vehicle had to be towed from the roadside. This created a serious

While driving my 2018 Toyota Highlander (UA80F transmission), I began noticing a faint high-pitched whining noise between 25–45 mph around 63,000 miles. Over time, it progressively worsened, eventually including intermittent jerking and hard low-speed shifts, particularly during acceleration or uphill climbs. In wet conditions, the drivetrain lurches slightly under throttle, increasing risk of loss of control. I had a transmission fluid drain and fill service performed by a Toyota dealership at ~58,000 miles, along with full 4WD maintenance (differentials and transfer case). Despite this, sym

SLOWLY (3-5MPH) MOVING TOWARD EXIT RAMP FROM HOSPITAL PARKING LOT. TRIED TO BRAKE BEFORE TURNING RIGHT ONTO RAMP, BUT SERVICE BRAKE DIDN'T RESPOND -- FELT LIKE I WAS JUST POUNDING THE FLOOR. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO COAST. I TURNED IT ONTO EXIT RAMP. DURING COAST DOWN RAMP THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY SHOWED "LOW BRAKE POWER" OR "BRAKE POWER LOW". VEHICLE SPEED REMAINED RELATIVELY CONSTANT. I SHIFTED INTO R (REVERSE), THINK THAT NO HARM WOULD COME TO TRANSMISSION AT THAT SPEED, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED; COAST REMAINED CONSTANT. LUCKILY NO VEHICLES WERE IN FRONT OF MINE AND NONE WERE COMING ON R

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 (estimate attached). I also called the national Toyota customer service center and was told there is no recall, customer support program, or warranty extension available for my vehicl

Every component, by complaint count

The full breakdown of what owners named when they filed. Components below the top ten are grouped out of this table.

How other model years compare

The same nameplate across the years we hold. Complaint counts fall naturally for newer cars because fewer of them have been on the road for long, so read the column as a rough signal rather than a ranking. In this set the 2021 Toyota Highlander has drawn the most complaints and the 2016 Toyota Highlander the fewest.

What to check on the transmission and driveline

Powertrain reports usually describe a shift that arrives late, lands hard, or hunts between gears, often worse when the car is cold or towing. Some describe a shudder at a steady cruise rather than a bang between gears.

Buying a used 2018 Highlander

Drive it from cold. A transmission fault that hides once warm is the most common thing a short test drive misses. Take it to highway speed, let it settle into top gear, then slow and accelerate again to make it downshift under load.

If you already own one

Get the fluid condition checked before anything else, and ask for the transmission control software level at the same time. Several of these complaints were answered by the manufacturer with a reflash rather than a rebuild, which costs a fraction as much.

• Test drive from cold, not after the seller has warmed it up.
• Ask whether a transmission software update exists for the VIN.
• Check the fluid condition and when it was last changed.
• Get any rebuild quote itemised into parts, fluid and labour.