2020 Ford Explorer vs 2020 Toyota Highlander

What NHTSA and EPA have on file for each. Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many of each were sold; newer years have had less time to collect them.

2020 Ford Explorer2020 Toyota Highlander
Owner complaints1,240329
Most named partsPower train (501), Unknown or other (208), Electrical system (187)Power train (126), Unknown or other (44), Service brakes (39)
Recall campaigns (over its history)35, 2 replaced5
Service bulletins402236
NHTSA overall rating5 stars5 stars
Combined fuel economy (every version)19–28 mpg23–36 mpg
Five years of fuel, U.S. average$11,600–$17,100$9,020–$14,120
Five years of fuel in Ohio, local prices$10,370–$15,280$8,060–$12,620
EPA classStandard Sport Utility VehicleSmall Sport Utility Vehicle

Fuel costs cover every version of each model year, the same versions as its mpg (electric ones apart): fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026. The same figures are on each model year's page. Recall campaigns are matched by model and year; check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open ones. About the data