YearToAvoid

2010 Toyota Highlander Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

47/100

#9 most-complained of 16 Highlander years

The 2010 Toyota Highlander has 214 NHTSA complaints, 10 recalls, and a Complaint Index of 47, ranking 9th worst out of 16 model years, so it's rated "Good" relative to other Highlander years.

Complaints
214
Recalls
10
Crashes / fires
18 / 2
Injuries / deaths
14 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
20
18 city / 24 hwy

Top 2010 Toyota Highlander problems

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

  1. Electrical System59 (28%)
  2. Visibility & Wipers40 (19%)
  3. Engine36 (17%)
  4. Brakes35 (16%)
  5. Steering21 (10%)
  6. Other19 (9%)
  7. Structure & Body16 (7%)
  8. Airbags14 (7%)
  9. Suspension, Wheels & Tires8 (4%)
  10. Transmission & Powertrain6 (3%)

What owners report

  • Airbags failed to deploy in some side-impact and rear-end crashes despite noticeable vehicle damage.
  • Owners describe brakes not responding at low speeds under 15 mph, leading to collisions with the vehicle ahead.
  • Some drivers report the vehicle suddenly accelerating on its own when the accelerator was touched, even at low speed.
  • A brake-pedal electric sensor was found to need replacement after a hard-braking incident where the vehicle failed to stop in time.
  • One owner reported the engine caught fire while driving, resulting in the vehicle being a total loss.
  • Drivers report hard braking failing to stop the vehicle in time on straight, level roads at moderate speed.
2010 Toyota Highlander complaints: complaints filed per quarter192010 Q12012 Q12014 Q12016 Q12018 Q12020 Q22022 Q42025 Q2
261 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2026 Q2; peak 2010 Q1 (19).

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)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Good472141020
2011Best20181520
2012Good33182220

All Toyota Highlander years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Toyota Highlander reliable?
NHTSA data gives the 2010 Highlander a Complaint Index of 47 and a "Good" verdict, ranking it 9th worst among the 16 Highlander model years covered.
What are the most common problems with the 2010 Toyota Highlander?
Electrical System complaints lead with 59 reports (28% share), followed by Visibility & Wipers (40 complaints, 19%), Engine (36 complaints, 17%), and Brakes (35 complaints, 16%).
Does the 2010 Toyota Highlander have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 10 recalls 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 model years?
With a Complaint Index of 47, the 2010 Highlander ranks better than years like 2019 (93), 2021 (100), 2022 (87), and 2023 (80), but worse than 2011 (20) and 2014 (7), both rated "Best."
What is the typical mileage when problems occur on the 2010 Highlander?
NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage at failure of 54,000 miles across all reported issues on the 2010 Highlander.

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.