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The 2017 Toyota Highlander is a standard sport utility vehicle 4wd vehicle covered by 8 EPA fuel-economy configurations. In NHTSA's records it has accumulated 271 owner complaints and 4 recall campaign(s). Of those complaints, 18 report a crash and 2 report a fire; 15 complaints report injuries totalling 26 injured people, and 0 deaths are recorded across all complaints for this model-year. The single most-reported component is Power Train, named in 77 complaints (28.4% of the total). The sections below reproduce the underlying records in full: crash-test ratings, every recall campaign with its NHTSA campaign number, complaint counts by component, and EPA fuel-economy figures for each configuration.
NHTSA Safety Ratings
NHTSA tested the 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD under its 5-Star Safety Ratings program. Ratings run from 1 to 5 stars; "Not rated" means NHTSA did not publish a score for that test for this variant.
| Test | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall rating | ★★★★★ |
| Frontal crash — overall | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — driver | ★★★★☆ |
| Frontal crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — overall | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — driver | ★★★★★ |
| Side crash — passenger | ★★★★★ |
| Side pole crash | ★★★★★ |
| Rollover resistance | ★★★★☆ |
NHTSA also rated other 2017 Toyota Highlander variants: 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD — 5★ overall. The table above shows the most completely rated variant.
Electronic stability control was fitted as standard equipment on the tested variant, and NHTSA records no safety recall investigation rating adjustments for it.
Recall Campaigns (4)
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) that include the 2017 Toyota Highlander. Each campaign below shows the official NHTSA campaign number, the affected component, and the manufacturer's own summary, consequence and remedy statements as published by NHTSA. To check whether a specific vehicle is covered, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
Campaign 18E107000 — Electrical System 27/11/2018
Summary: 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 the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM).
Consequence: The ECM damage may result in the engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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. Owners may contact Wanda customer service at 1-864-281-2760.
Campaign 17V520000 — Equipment 23/08/2017
Summary: 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.
Consequence: The roof rails may loosen and possibly detach from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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. GST's number for this recall is 17R3.
Campaign 17V295000 — Tires:temporary/emergency Spare Tire 02/05/2017
Summary: 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 adjusted to the proper pressure as stated on the Tire Pressure Label.
Consequence: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 customer service at 1-800-444-1074. Toyota's number for this recall is 17R2.
Campaign 20V682000 — Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 04/11/2020
Summary: 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 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus GS350, 2019 Lexus GS300, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500h, 2019-2020 Lexus LS500, 2018-2019 Lexus GX460, 2017 Lexus IS200t, 2019 Lexus IS300, 2019 Lexus IS350, 2018-2020 Lexus LC500, 2018 Lexus LS500, 2019 Lexus LS500h, 2018-2019 Lexus LX570, 2017 Lexus RC200t, 2019 Lexus RC300, RC350, 2017 and 2019-2020 Lexus RX350, 2018-2020 RX350L, 2019 Lexus UX200, 2018-2019 Lexus NX300 vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence: If the fuel pump fails, the engine can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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 January 21, 2021. Owners of other models will be notified as remedy parts become available. Remedy parts should be available for all affected vehicles by late March 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-012. Toyota's number for this recall is 20TA02. Lexus' number for this recall is 20LA01.
Owner Complaints (271)
Owners have filed 271 complaints about the 2017 Toyota Highlander with NHTSA. Complaint counts are not sales-adjusted — higher-selling vehicles naturally attract more complaints — but the breakdown by component shows where owners report problems most often.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 77 | 28.4% |
| Unknown Or Other | 53 | 19.6% |
| Engine | 47 | 17.3% |
| Electrical System | 46 | 17.0% |
| Service Brakes | 29 | 10.7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 28 | 10.3% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 4.8% |
| Visibility/wiper | 12 | 4.4% |
| Air Bags | 9 | 3.3% |
| Fuel System | 9 | 3.3% |
| Gasoline | 9 | 3.3% |
| Structure | 8 | 3.0% |
Complaints by Component — Visual
Bar length is proportional to the most-reported component for this model-year (Power Train, 77 complaints).
By filing year, complaints peaked in 2021 with 39 filings. Owners filed 271 complaints in total across 10 calendar years in the database extract. Complaints involving a crash number 18 and those involving a fire number 2; 15 complaints report at least one injury.
EPA Fuel Economy
The EPA classifies the 2017 Toyota Highlander as a standard sport utility vehicle 4wd vehicle and published ratings for 8 configurations (engine, transmission, drive and fuel combinations). Combined fuel economy spans 22–29 MPG; the median configuration returns 20 city / 27 highway / 23 combined MPG. Fuel types covered: Regular Gasoline.
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | Fuel | Combined MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S8) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 22 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (S8) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 23 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | Automatic (AV-S6) | All-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 28.5 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | Automatic (S6) | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular Gasoline | 22 |
Showing the 4 most common configuration groups of 8 EPA configurations.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and safety ratings databases and EPA FuelEconomy.gov dataset, accessed October 2026. See our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2017 Toyota Highlander have?
NHTSA's complaints database held 271 complaints for the 2017 Toyota Highlander when accessed in October 2026. The most-reported component was Power Train with 77 complaints.
How many recalls affect the 2017 Toyota Highlander?
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) covering the 2017 Toyota Highlander in the data accessed in October 2026, including campaign 18E107000 for Electrical System.
What is the 2017 Toyota Highlander's safety rating?
NHTSA gave the tested 2017 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with 4 stars for frontal crash, 5 for side crash and 4 for rollover resistance.
What MPG does the 2017 Toyota Highlander get?
The EPA rated 8 configurations of the 2017 Toyota Highlander. Combined fuel economy ranges from 22 to 29 MPG, with a median of 23 MPG (median city 20, median highway 27).