YearToAvoid

2007 Toyota Highlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

5/100

#20 most-complained of 21 Highlander years

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

The 2007 Toyota Highlander has 123 owner complaints and 4 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 5 out of 100 — #20 highest of 21 Highlander model years (verdict: Best). The most reported problem area is brakes (39 complaints, 32% of the total). Complaints report 11 crashes, 1 fire, and 7 injuries.

Complaints
123
Recalls
4
Crashes / fires
11 / 1
Injuries / deaths
7 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19.5
17.5 city / 23 hwy

Top 2007 Toyota Highlander problems

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

  1. Brakes39 (32%)
  2. Engine24 (20%)
  3. Electrical System23 (19%)
  4. Visibility & Wipers15 (12%)
  5. Suspension, Wheels & Tires13 (11%)
  6. Other10 (8%)
  7. Transmission & Powertrain8 (7%)
  8. Fuel System6 (5%)
  9. Steering6 (5%)
  10. Structure & Body6 (5%)
2007 Toyota Highlander complaints: complaints filed per quarter182006 Q42008 Q42010 Q32012 Q32014 Q42018 Q12020 Q32022 Q4
154 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2006 Q4 to 2025 Q3; peak 2010 Q1 (18).

2007 Toyota Highlander recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 16V396000Jun 2, 2016Structure & Body7,749 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain 2005-2011 4Runner, Highlander, Sequoia, and Sienna, 2005-2010 Avalon and Tundra, 2006-2008 Camry Solara, 2006-2010 Highlander hybrid, 2006-2011 Rav4 and Tacoma, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2007-2011 Camry hybrid, 2009-2010 Venza, 2010-2012 Prius, 1988-1990 and 2005-2010 Camry, and 1989 and 2009-2010 Corolla vehicles equipped with aftermarket accessory seat heaters with a copper strand heating element. The electrical wiring in the seat heaters may be damaged when the seat cushion is compressed.

    Risk: If damaged, the copper strand heating element may short circuit, increasing the risk of a fire.

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the seat heaters, free of charge, and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory. The recall began on July 14, 2016. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226. SET number for this recall is SET16B.

  2. NHTSA 14V743000Nov 19, 2014Structure & Body3,233 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:seat heater/cooler

    Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

    Risk: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

    Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

  3. NHTSA 10V035000Feb 3, 2010Other271,417 vehicles

    Equipment:other:labels

    Gulf states toyota is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 vehicles for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 110, "tire selection and rims." these vehicles were sold between september 1, 2005 and june 2, 2008 without the requisite load carrying capacity modification labels.

    Risk: This does not meet the standard requirements.

    Remedy: Dealers will mail to consumers the corrected label or the customer will have the option for dealers to install the label free of charge. Dealers will also correct the owner's manual. The safety recall began on may 27, 2010. Owners may contact gulf states toyota at 713-580-3300.

See all 4 recalls for the 2007 Toyota Highlander →

2007 Toyota Highlander fuel economy and fuel cost

City
17.5 MPG
Highway
23 MPG
Combined
19.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,325
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.

2007 compared with other Highlander 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
2005Good30224620
2006Caution55277719.5
2007Best5123419.5
2008Avoid804041119.5
2009Good35134920

All Toyota Highlander years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Toyota Highlander a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 Toyota Highlander ranks #20 of 21 among Highlander model years (Complaint Index 5/100, verdict: Best). It has 123 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 2007 Toyota Highlander?
The most reported problem areas are brakes (39 complaints), engine (24 complaints), and electrical system (23 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 60,500 miles.
Does the 2007 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2007 Toyota Highlander, most recently reported 2016, covering structure & body and other.
What is the fuel economy of the 2007 Toyota Highlander?
EPA rates the 2007 Toyota Highlander at 19.5 MPG combined (17.5 city / 23 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,325. 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.