Showing the 2017 Highlander Limited Platinum. 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 18, 2026.
Fuel economy
22–29 mpgcombined; city 20–30, highway 24–28; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$11,200–$14,760U.S. average; Ohio $10,010–$13,190 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 2017 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 273 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 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
Power train
76
2
0
3
Unknown or other
53
7
1
0
Engine
49
3
0
2
Electrical system
47
1
1
2
Fuel/propulsion system
29
1
0
1
Service brakes
28
5
0
7
Vehicle speed control
13
4
0
2
Visibility/wiper
13
1
0
2
Air bags
9
6
0
13
Fuel system, gasoline
9
0
0
0
Structure
8
2
0
0
Wheels
6
0
0
0
14 more parts
Electronic stability control (ESC)
4
1
0
1
Exterior lighting
4
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
4
0
0
1
Seat belts
4
0
0
1
Steering
4
1
0
1
Suspension
4
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
3
0
0
0
Seats
3
1
0
2
Visibility
3
0
0
0
Carry handle, shell, base
2
0
0
0
Equipment
2
0
0
0
Lane departure
2
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
2
0
0
0
Tires
2
0
0
0
What the columns count
Complaints: complaints that name that part. One complaint can name several parts, so the rows overlap and don't add up to the total.
Crashes and Fires: complaints that report one. Two owners can file about the same event, and NHTSA doesn't link them, so these count reports, not events.
Injuries: the number of people the complaints say were injured.
None of these columns shows that a part caused a crash, fire or injury: they're what owners reported, unverified.
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 3 recall campaigns for the 2017 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.
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
NHTSA campaign 20V682000 · reported Nov 4, 2020 · 1,525,742 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
NHTSA campaign 17V520000 · reported Aug 23, 2017 · 1,121 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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.
Risk: The roof rails may loosen and possibly detach from the vehicle, becoming a road hazard and increasing the risk of a crash.
NHTSA campaign 17V295000 · reported May 2, 2017 · 409 vehicles potentially affected across the whole campaign
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.
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.
Risk: A spare tire that is not inflated to the proper value may not perform as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 282 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 Highlander, the latest on Feb 13, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (109), electrical system (66), structure (50), engine (28), engine and engine cooling (25).
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 2017 Highlander.
See used 2017 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: 5–7 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
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 27 / 23
Highlander Front-Wheel Drive
2.7 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 24 / 22
Highlander All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 26 / 22
Highlander Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
29 / 27 / 28
Highlander Hybrid LE Plus All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (AV-S6)
Regular Gasoline
30 / 28 / 29
Highlander LE All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
20 / 27 / 23
Highlander LE/XLE/SE/LTD Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 27 / 23
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