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The 2013 Toyota Highlander has 210 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2013 Toyota Highlander has 210 NHTSA owner complaints and 3 recalls on file (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). The most-reported system is steering at 46 complaints, typically surfacing around 53,598 miles (~$700 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 Highlander | 238 | 10 |
| 2011 Highlander | 186 | 5 |
| 2012 Highlander | 190 | 2 |
| 2013 Highlander (this page) | 210 | 3 |
| 2014 Highlander | 134 | 5 |
| 2015 Highlander | 188 | 2 |
| 2016 Highlander | 109 | 3 |
Average for the segment. Some recurring trouble spots worth knowing about.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: No · Lane departure warning: No
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2013 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: steering is flagged severe on this model , showing up around 53,598 mi. Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 3 active recalls on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 6.8/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
When owners report each system failing, in actual miles — so you can see what's likely behind you, what's due around now, and what to budget for next. Enter your mileage to mark where you are.
"Typical" = median owner-reported failure mileage from the NHTSA complaint record for this exact year and model. Not a maintenance schedule — a heads-up on where this model's failures cluster.
My 2013 Toyota highlander was purchased used in 2015 with about 40,000 miles on it. In 2016 the car started to make a "thumping" noise when I make a left turn over a bump but it didn't happen often and I thought it was related to my garage entry of a 1.5" bump in the pavement.…
The door open alert and alert beeping came on as well as all of the interior lighting as I was driving. It shows glass door on the display. I checked all doors and none of the doors are open. It was very distracting and dangerous to be driving at night on the highway with…
As I begin driving and come to stop it tends to rev up and then drops back to normal. It feels like vehicle revs up a little while you are trying to stop it by pressing the brake pedal.it feels like vehicle does not want to stop and you have the feelings to press the brake even…
Periodically hesitates when accelerating - doesn't move, doesn't accelerate - nothing - almost like car not running. Does it from stopped position or while moving. Happened twice yesterday, after being stopped at red light and when turning across lane of traffic (city street).…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If the seat does not lock into the seat track, there may be an increased risk of injury to an occupant in the event of a crash.
An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.
If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
It's got known weak points. With a reliability score of 6.8 out of 10 based on 210 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Toyota Highlander has a higher-than-average rate of reported issues. The areas to watch are listed above. Whether it's worth owning depends on price, condition, and how much repair exposure you can absorb.
The 2013 Toyota Highlander is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Steering: 46 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 43,000–63,000 mi; Reliability score 6.8/10 — around the segment average; 3 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the steering first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 46 owner complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 53,598 miles. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 6.8 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 210 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is steering. Typical failure occurs around 53,598 miles. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is steering, with 46 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 53,598 miles. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop.
The steering is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $700 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 53,598 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 210 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $700, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.