2011 Toyota Highlander Structure & Body Problems
NHTSA lists 27 Structure & Body complaints for the 2011 Toyota Highlander, 15% of its 181 total complaints, with a median failure mileage of 44,663. Most reports involve the power liftgate/hatch hinges and motor, and one injury has been reported; three related recalls exist for other components (seat heaters and occupant sensors), not the liftgate itself.
- Structure & Body complaints
- 27
- 15% of 181
- Crashes reported
- 0
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 1
- Median mileage
- 44,663 mi
- Related recalls
- 3
Typical body and structure symptoms owners report
- The power rear liftgate hinge bends or warps, causing the hatch to close unevenly or not close at all.
- The automatic liftgate motor and pivot arm detach or break, sometimes causing the hatch to slam shut without warning.
- The rear hatch door and window have opened unexpectedly while the vehicle was moving.
- The liftgate latch fails so the hatch no longer opens or closes automatically.
- Roof paint has peeled prematurely on some vehicles.
- Sun visors drop down and stay down, blocking the driver's view.
When 2011 Toyota Highlander body and structure complaints were filed
First complaint Feb 26, 2011, latest Sep 23, 2022.
Structure & Body recalls for the 2011 Toyota Highlander
- 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.
- 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.
- NHTSA 13V014000Jan 16, 2013Structure & Body3,235 vehicles
Seats
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.
Risk: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.
Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Structure & Body complaints by Highlander model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Structure & Body complaints does NHTSA have for the 2011 Toyota Highlander?
- NHTSA lists 27 Structure & Body complaints for the 2011 Highlander, which is 15% of its 181 total complaints for the year.
- Is there a recall for the 2011 Toyota Highlander's liftgate?
- The sample complaints describe liftgate hinge and motor failures, but the three listed recalls (16V396000, 14V743000, 13V014000) cover seat heaters and occupant detection sensors, not the liftgate hardware itself.
- At what mileage do these structure and body problems usually appear?
- NHTSA data shows a median mileage of 44,663 at failure for Structure & Body complaints on this model year.
- Were there any injuries linked to these body complaints?
- NHTSA records one injury among the 27 Structure & Body complaints for the 2011 Highlander, with no crashes or fires reported.
- How does the 2011 Highlander compare to other years for this problem area?
- The 2011 model's 15% share of complaints in this area is similar to 2012 (15%) and 2013 (14%), but lower than 2014's 27% and 2023's 28%.