YearToAvoid

2010 Toyota Highlander Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Caution The 2010 Toyota Highlander has a complaint index of 60, ranking 9th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict. Owners most often reported Electrical System issues (27% of complaints), followed by Visibility & Wipers (19%) and Engine (17%), with 10 recall campaigns on file.

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

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
60/100
#9 of 21 Highlander years
Verdict
Caution
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
216
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
10
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
18
reported in complaints
Fires
2
Injuries
14
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2014
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
20
18 city / 24 hwy
Injuries / deaths
14 / 0

Top 2010 Toyota Highlander problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System59 (27%)
  2. Visibility & Wipers42 (19%)
  3. Engine36 (17%)
  4. Brakes35 (16%)
  5. Steering21 (10%)
  6. Other19 (9%)
  7. Structure & Body16 (7%)
  8. Airbags14 (6%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (4%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain6 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration while shifting out of park or reverse, sometimes leading to a collision.
  • Some drivers report the engine catching fire and burning the vehicle to a total loss.
  • Brakes reportedly failed to stop the vehicle in time during hard braking at moderate speeds, resulting in rear-end crashes.
  • Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in frontal and side-impact crashes, including collisions with trees and other vehicles.
  • A brake pedal sensor was identified as feeding incorrect signals to the braking computer after a crash-related repair.
2010 Toyota Highlander complaints: complaints filed per quarter132009 Q42011 Q42013 Q42015 Q42017 Q42020 Q12022 Q22024 Q4
216 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2009 Q4 to 2026 Q2; peak 2010 Q1 (13).

2010 Toyota Highlander recalls

10 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 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.

  3. 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.

See all 10 recalls for the 2010 Toyota Highlander →

2010 Toyota Highlander fuel economy and fuel cost

City
18 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
20 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,250
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 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
2008Avoid804041119.5
2009Caution35134920
2010Caution602161020
2011Good25181520
2012Good40182220

All Toyota Highlander years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Toyota Highlander reliable?
NHTSA data shows a complaint index of 60 for the 2010 model, giving it a Caution verdict relative to other Highlander years. It ranks 9th worst out of 21 years tracked.
What problems does the 2010 Toyota Highlander have?
The top reported problem area is the Electrical System, making up 27% of complaints, followed by Visibility & Wipers at 19% and Engine issues at 17%. NHTSA also lists 10 recall campaigns for this model year.
Does the 2010 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?
Yes, NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2010 Highlander, covering areas including Structure & Body, Visibility & Wipers, and Airbags. None of these are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2010 Highlander compare to other years?
Its complaint index of 60 is worse than years like 2007 (index 5) and 2014 (index 10), but better than 2008 (index 80) and 2021 (index 100), which carry Avoid verdicts.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Toyota Highlander?
EPA rates the 2010 Highlander at 20 mpg combined (18 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,250.

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.