2016 Toyota Highlander
Hybrid Gas Midsize / large SUV
The 2016 Toyota Highlander is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas midsize or large SUV with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Highlander Hybrid AWD, is EPA-rated at 28 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 115 complaints, most often about unknown or other. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlander Hybrid AWD | Hybrid | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl + 288V Ni-MH | 27 | 28 | 28 | $2,250 |
| Highlander Hybrid AWD LE Plus | Hybrid | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl + 288V Ni-MH | 28 | 28 | 28 | $2,250 |
| Highlander 2WD | Gas | FWD | 2.7L 4-cyl | 20 | 25 | 22 | $2,850 |
| Highlander 2WD | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 25 | 21 | $2,950 |
| Highlander AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 18 | 24 | 20 | $3,100 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2016 Toyota Highlander is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (2)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
highProblem: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2016 Highlander vehicles manufactured May 26, 2016, to September 16, 2016. The brake fluid level sensor may not be connected to the wire harness, preventing the sensor from detecting the brake fluid level. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: If the brake fluid level is low and is not detected, the braking performance may be decreased, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, connect the wire harness to the sensor, free of charge. The recall began November 14, 2016. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this G03.
Equipment
minorProblem: Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2016 Toyota Camry and Highlander, 2015-2016 Toyota Tundra, Scion FR-S, and tC vehicles. The Load Carrying Capacity Modification Label may not reflect the correct added weight of the installed accessories. As a result, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk: An incorrect label may lead an owner to overload the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: SET will notify owners, and provide a corrected label for placement over the inaccurate label, free of charge. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
NHTSA investigations
Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds (closed)
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matt
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005
Owner complaints
115 complaints filed
14 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 11 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2015: 1 · 2016: 11 · 2017: 18 · 2018: 19 · 2019: 22 · 2020: 12 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 10 · 2023: 6 · 2024: 5 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 3
Most-cited components
- Unknown Or Other — 22
- Service Brakes — 22
- Electrical System — 14
- Air Bags — 10
- Engine — 9
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 17% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 18% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.
Other Highlander model years
2026 Highlander
0 recalls · 2 complaints
B2025 Highlander
3 recalls · 9 complaints
F2024 Highlander
7 recalls · 42 complaints
F2023 Highlander
9 recalls · 186 complaints
D2022 Highlander
6 recalls · 244 complaints
D2021 Highlander
5 recalls · 520 complaints
D2020 Highlander
5 recalls · 320 complaints
B2019 Highlander
3 recalls · 483 complaints
C2018 Highlander
4 recalls · 269 complaints
C2017 Highlander
3 recalls · 267 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 37127, 37128, 37123, 37124, 37126). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.