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2011 Toyota Highlander: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2011 Toyota Highlander, most recently filed June 2016. Owners have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the steering. In NHTSA crash tests it earned 4 stars overall.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Recalls 5campaigns 2 seat · 1 visibility · 1 equipment Source: NHTSA Complaints 181filed Owner reports, 2007–2016 shown Source: NHTSA ODI Crash tests 4★overall ★★★★☆ Frontal 4★ · Side 5★ · Rollover 4★ Source: NHTSA NCAP Fuel economy 22mpg combined $2,969/yr at this week's prices Source: EPA · EIA Specs 2.7 L 4-cyl· 6-speed automatic 3 engine and transmission configurations Source: NHTSA vPIC
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Recalls (5)

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2011 Toyota Highlander. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2011 Toyota Highlander. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 16V396000 Filed Jun 2, 2016

Seat Heater Electrical Wiring

Seats · front assembly · seat heater/cooler
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.
Consequence
If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.
23.6% repairedof 7,749 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 16V396000
Listed for 2011 Toyota Highlander. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 15V689000 Filed Oct 22, 2015

Power Window Master Switch may Melt

Visibility · power window devices and controls
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Toyota Motor Company (Toyota) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Tundra, Sequoia, Corolla, Corolla Matrix and Scion xB, 2008-2011 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2007 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2009 Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2006-2011 RAV4, 2006-2010 Yaris, and 2009-2010 Scion xD and Pontiac Vibe vehicles. During the manufacturing of the Power Window Master Switch (PWMS), grease lubricant may have been inconsistently applied to the sliding electrical contacts.
Consequence
If the sliding electrical contacts are not protected by lubricant, debris and moisture that get into the switch may cause a short circuit and the switch assembly may overheat and melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the switch, applying a lubricant if no abnormality is found. If abnormality is found, the PWMS circuit board will be replaced, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 20, 2015. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is C0M.
45.7% repairedof 1,814,284 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 15V689000
Listed for 2011 Toyota Highlander. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 14V743000 Filed Nov 19, 2014

Seat Heater Electrical Wiring

Seats · front assembly · seat heater/cooler
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.
Consequence
Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.
Remedy
SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.
26.9% repairedof 3,233 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 14V743000
Listed for 2011 Toyota Highlander. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 13V123000 Filed Apr 9, 2013

Inaccurate Load Carrying Capacity Labels

Equipment · other · labels
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence
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.
Remedy
Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Repair progress not yet reported7,525 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 13V123000
Listed for 2011 Toyota Highlander. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 13V014000 Filed Jan 16, 2013

Occupant Sensing System Calibration

Air bags · frontal · sensor/control module-inactive
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Consequence
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.
Remedy
Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Repair progress not yet reported3,235 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 13V014000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Which Highlander years had the most recalls?Best & worst years →Every recall for the Toyota HighlanderAll model years →Where is the VIN on my car?VIN location guide →

Owner complaints (181)

181 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The steering is mentioned most often.

14involved a crash
0involved a fire
8injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Toyota Highlander, by component (top 10). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 181.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2011 compares with other Highlander years

Best and worst Highlander years →
123 404 134 216 181 182 207 136 192 111
2007200820092010201120122013201420152016
This year (2011)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Crash tests: 4 stars overall

Overall★★★★☆
Frontal crashDriver 4★ · Passenger 4★★★★★☆
Side crashDriver 5★ · Passenger 5★★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
RolloverRollover risk 19.8%★★★★☆
Front seat of a modern car with the seat belt buckled across the passenger seat
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2011 Toyota Highlander suv fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 22 mpg combined

22
mpg combined
20
city
25
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$3,050
CO₂ tailpipe
404 g/mi
EPA class
Sport Utility Vehicle -

What it costs you to run

$2,969per year
$247per month
682gallons a year

Miles ÷ 22 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2011 Toyota Highlander configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
2.7 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive20 / 25 / 22$3,050404
3.5 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive18 / 24 / 20$3,350444
3.5 L 6-cyl · 5-speed automaticAll-Wheel Drive17 / 22 / 19$3,550468

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2011 Highlander for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Highlander years

Where to next

Which Highlander years drew the fewest complaints?Best & worst years →2012 Toyota Highlander report182 complaints · 2 campaigns →2010 Toyota Highlander report216 complaints · 10 campaigns →Have a VIN? Decode itVIN decoder →

2011 Toyota Highlander FAQ

How many recalls does the 2011 Toyota Highlander have?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns: 16V396000 (seat), 15V689000 (visibility), 14V743000 (seat), 13V123000 (equipment), 13V014000 (air bag). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2011 Toyota Highlander problems?

Owners filed 181 complaints with NHTSA. Steering (34), Structure (27), Visibility/wiper (25) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2011 Toyota Highlander get?

EPA rates the 2.7 L 4-cyl · 6-speed automatic version at 20 city, 25 highway and 22 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

What safety rating did the 2011 Toyota Highlander get?

NHTSA rated the 2011 Toyota Highlander suv fwd 4 stars overall, with 4 stars frontal, 5 stars side and 4 stars rollover (19.8% rollover risk).

How does the 2011 Highlander compare with other years?

Among the 2007–2016 Toyota Highlander model years at least five years old, the 2016 drew the fewest complaints (111) and the 2008 the most (404). The 2011 drew 181. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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