2026 Toyota Highlander
Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
- Fuel economy
- 24–35 mpgcombined; city 21–35, highway 28–35; every version of this model year
- Five years of fuel
- $9,280–$13,530U.S. average; Ohio $8,290–$12,090 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 overall safety rating
- Not ratedNHTSA has no overall rating for this year
- Recall campaigns
- 0none on file
- Owner complaints
- 4filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales
Trims
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 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.
Problems owners report
Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 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.
| Part | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back over prevention | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power train | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0 | 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.
Every Highlander year side by side
Recalls
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2026 Highlander. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.
Service bulletins and investigations
Carmakers sent NHTSA 24 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2026 Highlander, the latest on Jun 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: unknown or other (22), structure (1), wheels (1).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
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 2026 Highlander.
Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5
Used ones for sale
See used 2026 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: 5–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Fuel | City / hwy / comb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highlander All-Wheel Drive | 2.4 L, 4 cyl, turbo | Automatic (S8) | Regular Gasoline | 21 / 28 / 24 |
| Highlander Hybrid All-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl | Automatic (AV-S6) | Regular Gasoline | 35 / 35 / 35 |
| Highlander Hybrid LTD/PLAT All-Wheel Drive | 2.5 L, 4 cyl | Automatic (AV-S6) | Regular Gasoline | 35 / 34 / 35 |
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