YearToAvoid

2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

80/100

#5 most-complained of 21 Highlander Hybrid years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid has 22 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 80 out of 100 — #5 highest of 21 Highlander Hybrid model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is brakes (7 complaints, 32% of the total). Complaints report 1 crash and 1 injury.

Complaints
22
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
1 / 0
Injuries / deaths
1 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
26
27 city / 25 hwy

Top 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Brakes7 (32%)
  2. Engine5 (23%)
  3. Other4 (18%)
  4. Fuel System3 (14%)
  5. Electrical System2 (9%)
  6. Steering2 (9%)
  7. Structure & Body1 (5%)
2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid complaints: complaints filed per month2May 2010Jun 2012Jan 2014Jun 2014Jan 2016Apr 2018Nov 2018
24 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2010 to Jul 2019; peak May 2010 (2).

2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V689000Oct 22, 2015Visibility & Wipers1,814,284 vehicles

    Visibility:power window devices and controls

    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.

    Risk: 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.

  2. NHTSA 13V396000Sep 4, 2013Fuel System133,081 vehicles

    Hybrid propulsion system: inverter

    Toyota is recalling certain model year 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid vehicles manufactured February 16, 2005, through July 29, 2010; and model year 2006-2008 Lexus RX400h vehicles manufactured February 23, 2005, through December 2, 2008. The Intelligent Power Module (IPM) inside the inverter module may contain transistors that have higher operating temperatures than the solder can support and the transistors may be heat damaged by the solder. If this occurs, various warning lamps, including the malfunction indicator lamp, slip indicator light, brake system warning light, and master warning light, will be illuminated on the instrument panel.

    Risk: The vehicle may enter a fail-safe/limp-home mode that limits the drivability of the vehicle. It is possible that the hybrid system will shut down while the vehicle is being driven, causing the vehicle to stall unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the IPM free of charge. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Vehicles that had their IPM replaced under recall 11V-342 are not affected by this campaign.

  3. NHTSA 13V123000Apr 9, 2013Other7,525 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    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."

    Risk: 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.

See all 4 recalls for the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid →

2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid fuel economy and fuel cost

City
27 MPG
Highway
25 MPG
Combined
26 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,500
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other Highlander Hybrid years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2008Avoid95197626
2009Avoid8540426
2010Avoid8022426
2011Good355128
2012Good459028

All Toyota Highlander Hybrid years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid ranks #5 of 21 among Highlander Hybrid model years (Complaint Index 80/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 22 complaints and 4 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
The most reported problem areas are brakes (7 complaints), engine (5 complaints), and fuel system (3 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 43,500 miles.
Does the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, most recently reported 2015, covering visibility & wipers, fuel system, other, and structure & body.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
EPA rates the 2010 Toyota Highlander Hybrid at 26 MPG combined (27 city / 25 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,500. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.