Showing the 2016 Highlander G Grade. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
20–28 mpgcombined; city 18–28, highway 24–28; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$11,600–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $10,370–$14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2016 Highlander. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 117 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Highlander. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Service brakes
22
7
0
5
Unknown or other
22
1
0
1
Electrical system
14
1
1
1
Air bags
10
6
0
6
Engine
9
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
9
0
0
0
Steering
7
0
0
0
Tires
7
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
7
1
0
0
Structure
5
1
0
1
Vehicle speed control
5
2
0
3
Wheels
5
1
0
0
11 more parts
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
4
0
0
0
Seats
4
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
3
1
0
1
Seat belts
2
0
0
1
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Visibility
2
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Power train
1
1
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2016 Highlander over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Electrical system: wiring; Service brakes, hydraulic: fluid
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 284 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2016 Highlander, the latest on Feb 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (132), electrical system (74), structure (57), engine (12), service brakes (12).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22005 Pedestrian alert sounds · covers 43 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2016 Highlander.
See used 2016 Toyota Highlanders for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–7 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Highlander Front-Wheel Drive
2.7 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 25 / 22
Highlander Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 25 / 21
Highlander All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Highlander Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
27 / 28 / 28
Highlander Hybrid LE Plus All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
28 / 28 / 28
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data