This Service Bulletin provides updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for some 2008 – 2025 model year Toyota vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2017 Toyota Highlander engine problems
moderate Owners of the 2017 Toyota Highlander have filed 22 NHTSA complaints about the engine, typically surfacing around 17,100 miles at roughly $3,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See engine across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
22
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
| Model year | engine complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 Highlander | 16 |
| 2015 Highlander | 3 |
| 2016 Highlander | 6 |
| 2017 Highlander (this page) | 22 |
| 2018 Highlander | 16 |
| 2019 Highlander | 26 |
| 2020 Highlander | 3 |
| 2021 Highlander | 15 |
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 22 engine complaints filed for the 2017 Toyota Highlander, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering engine on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This Service Bulletin provides updated non-electric water pump leak inspection and diagnostic tips for some 2008 – 2025 model year Toyota vehicles.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This is to advise of various price adjustments that will affect Toyota Genuine Motor Oil and Long Life Coolant, effective March 1, 2024. These products are ordered through the Toyota Complete Maintenance Care (TCMC) website.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TSB: Some 2019 ? 2022 model year Avalon, 2018 ? 2023 model year Camry, 2017 ? 2022 model year Highlander, 2017 ? 2020 model year Sienna, and 2016 ? 2023 model year Tacoma vehicles equipped with a 2GR-FKS engine may exhibit a knocking noise from the vacuum pump at idle. Follow the Repair Procedure in this bulletin to address this condition
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TT: Some 17-22MY Highlander and 17-20MY Sienna vehicles may experience a MIL ON condition with DTC(s) P042000, and/or P043000. This issue could involve deteriorated catalyst material from the bank 1 or bank 2 catalytic converter.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners describe a pattern of critical failures on the 2017 Highlander, starting with the UA80 8-speed transmission. Multiple complaints detail complete transmission breakdown within the first 50k–66k miles: loss of acceleration, jerking, whining, and difficulty shifting. Toyota issued Customer Support Bulletin POL 19-04 in April 2019 acknowledging "faulty assembly" on certain 2017–2018 units and offering coverage for 10 years from first use. However, Toyota refuses coverage on many owner VINs without explaining how VIN exclusions were determined—repair costs range $6,000 to $11,000+.
Stalling is the second major issue. Multiple owners report the vehicle stalling unexpectedly at various speeds, including during turns and acceleration. This mirrors characteristics of a documented Toyota fuel pump recall affecting 3.34 million U.S. vehicles, yet many owner VINs were excluded despite matching the model year.
Additional engine problems include sudden loss of power during highway driving (check engine and AWD failure warnings illuminate, then clear after restart), premature water pump failure by 50k miles with complete coolant loss, timing chain cover leaks requiring major disassembly, rod bearing failure, excessive oil consumption (1/8 inch per week), and overheating. Dealerships frequently cannot diagnose faults, cannot capture error codes, or deny warranty coverage. Owners report frustration that Toyota has not issued recalls despite multiple documented defects.
Same Toyota Highlander engine reports on nearby years: 2018 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
UA80 transmission failure
Internal transmission failure with loss of acceleration, jerking, and slipping. Owners report multiple instances of complete transmission breakdown requiring replacement. Toyota issued Customer Support Bulletin POL 19-04 acknowledging faulty assembly on certain 2017-2018 model units, but coverage is inconsistently applied based on undisclosed VIN criteria.
When: Early ownership (complaints within first 2 years); failures reported between 50k–66k miles
Symptoms owners cite: High-pitched whining from transmission; Difficulty shifting; Lurching forward when engaging gear; Complete loss of acceleration; Transmission slipping
Repairs/costs cited: $6,000–$11,000+ transmission replacement; dealerships unable to perform repairs on some units
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Customer Support Bulletin POL 19-04 (issued 4/18/19) for 2017–2018 Highlander and Sienna transmission failure; secondary coverage for 10 years from first use regardless of mileage. Toyota refuses coverage on many VINs despite bulletin listing affected models; reasons for VIN exclusions not explained to owners.
Fuel pump failure / stalling
Vehicle stalls unexpectedly while driving at various speeds, including during acceleration and turns. Owners note this mirrors characteristics of documented Toyota fuel pump recalls affecting 3.34 million U.S. vehicles. Diagnostic testing by dealerships fails to identify the cause; owners report their VINs were excluded from recalls despite matching vehicle year and generation.
When: After 60,000+ miles; three instances reported over 60k mile service life
Symptoms owners cite: Unexplained vehicle stalling at various speeds; Stalling during acceleration and turning; No warning lights preceding stall; Vehicle restarts after stall
Repairs/costs cited: Diagnostic testing by dealerships unable to reproduce or identify fault; vehicle deemed unrepairable without captured error codes
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner's VIN not included in fuel pump recalls despite matching 2017–2020 Highlander generation affected by documented Toyota fuel pump low-pressure problems.
Sudden loss of power / acceleration failure
Engine loses all power without warning during highway driving or routine operation. Check engine lights and warning messages (AWD system failure) illuminate but clear after restart. Occurs multiple times under identical conditions (hard acceleration / passing). Dealerships unable to capture error codes and deny the issue despite multiple occurrences.
When: Early ownership at 4,000 and 17,000 miles; recurrence during passing maneuvers
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of engine power during acceleration; All warning lights and bells sound simultaneously; Check engine light illuminates; AWD system failure warning displayed; Vehicle becomes uncontrollable mid-highway; Power restored after restart
Codes mentioned: Error codes not captured by dealership systems
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership advised owner to avoid restart next time and have vehicle towed to capture codes; no repair attempted
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Toyota claims insufficient error codes recorded; states they do not investigate unless numerous complaints exist. Owner filed corporate claim but received no assistance.
Water pump failure
Water pump gasket fails prematurely, resulting in complete coolant loss from both reservoir and radiator. No warning lights or indicators precede failure. Owner discovered fault only upon hearing abnormal knocking and manual inspection. At 50,100 miles, vehicle is out of warranty despite water pumps normally rated for 100,000+ miles.
When: 50,100 miles; November 2022 (5+ years of ownership)
Symptoms owners cite: Abnormal knocking noise from engine; Complete coolant loss (both reservoir and radiator empty); No warning lights illuminated; No dashboard indicators of failure
Repairs/costs cited: Water pump replacement required; out of warranty at 50,100 miles
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealership denied warranty coverage; informed owner vehicle is out of warranty and repair is owner responsibility.
Timing chain cover leak
Oil leak originating from timing chain cover gasket. Occurs early in ownership and requires major engine disassembly to repair. Owners with 2GR V6 engines report this as a known recurring issue among 2017 Highlander owners.
When: Early ownership; reported at 46,600 miles on used purchase and 60,000 miles on original owner vehicle
Symptoms owners cite: Oil leak under engine; Leak traced to timing chain cover
Repairs/costs cited: Timing chain cover gasket failure requiring engine disassembly; major job
Rear main seal leak
Rear main seal develops leak detected during routine maintenance inspection. Noted as a separate fluid loss issue on the engine.
When: 95,402 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Rear main seal leaking
Repairs/costs cited: Rear main seal resealing required; vehicle not repaired
Excessive oil consumption
Engine burns oil at abnormally high rate (1/8 inch per week per owner report). If not checked regularly, oil level drops dangerously low, risking engine seizure while driving.
When: Unknown mileage; ongoing chronic condition
Symptoms owners cite: Oil level drops 1/8 inch per week; Excessive oil consumption
Engine rod bearing failure
Cylinder 6 rod bearing fails prematurely, producing loud knocking noise during startup and acceleration. Dealer repaired faulty bearing but unable to certify remaining bearings are not defective.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Loud abnormal noise from engine during startup and acceleration; Noise in cylinder 6 area
Repairs/costs cited: Cylinder 6 rod bearing replacement by dealer
Overheating
Engine temperature warning illuminates while driving at moderate speed. Owner had been driving through mountains prior to failure.
When: Unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Overheating warning bell and dash indicator; Occurs at moderate highway speed
Check engine light with fuel odor and fuel leak
Check engine warning light illuminates intermittently; abnormal fuel odor emanates from vehicle; physical evidence of fuel leak under rear of vehicle. Dealership attributed to rodent damage and denied warranty coverage.
When: 2,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine warning light illuminates intermittently; Abnormal fuel odor; Visible fuel leak under rear of vehicle
Repairs/costs cited: Fuel line chewed through by rodents per dealer; not repaired (denied as not covered under warranty)
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer contacted but no action taken; warranty denial.
Stalling with electrical fault and metal debris
Vehicle stalls at various speeds; coffee cup icon (low oil pressure warning) displays on instrument panel. Dealership discovered metal fragment in motor area but was unable to remove it. Dealership concluded electrical failure but could not specify component.
When: 15,966 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle stalls while driving at various speeds; Coffee cup warning icon displays; Multiple stall events; Metal fragment found in motor
Repairs/costs cited: Oil and filters replaced; tire rotation performed; metal fragment not removed; vehicle not repaired
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer contacted; no repair or assistance provided.
Uncontrolled engine revving
Engine revs uncontrollably while brake pedal is depressed; all warning indicator lights illuminate simultaneously. Dealership unable to replicate failure during inspection.
When: 17,100 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revs unexpectedly while brake applied; All warning lights illuminate
Repairs/costs cited: Not repaired; failure could not be replicated at dealership
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer made aware of failure; no action taken.
Synthesized from 22 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
I drive a 2017 Toyota Highlander and am having issues with the transmission. The issues and poor craftsmanship on the UA80 8-speed transmissions. Toyota offered Technical Service Bulletins T-SB-0160-18, T-SB-0008-21, and a limited Customer Support Program (CSP ZJC). But very few VINs were included and there are tons of Highlander owners with this transmission facing $10,000+ repair bills for what…
Tl* the contact owns a 2017 Toyota highlander. While the brake pedal was depressed, the engine revved and all the warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to island toyoya (1591 hylan blvd, staten island, ny), but the failure could not be replicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,100.
The contact owns a 2017 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. As a result of the failure, the contact was unable to maneuver or control the vehicle before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the roadway. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The…
Had engine trouble with your 2017 Toyota Highlander?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2017 Toyota Highlander?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 22 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $3,100 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Across the 13 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most engine failures cluster between 14,640 and 66,000 miles, with the median around 17,100. A quarter of owners report trouble before 14,640; a quarter make it past 66,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2017/Toyota/Highlander.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.