2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
108 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2017 Highlander Hybrid, which scores 47 on 224 complaints, and treat the 2015 and 2016 as CAUTION years at 50 and 51 on 182 and 108. Buy a 2018 to 2020, which score 94, 93 and 83 on 5, 6 and 9 complaints, or a 2022 at 87, all with low evidence. Read the full note on the model page. 2016 specifically: 108 complaints on record, score 51/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Highlander: the years to avoid and the years to buy, including 2016 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 108 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 10.8
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: Evolution H/T, Tire Size: 245/55/R19, DOT Number: UPPIILE. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 55-65 MPH, the rear driver's side tire unexpectedly had a blowout. The contact's wife pulled over to the side of the road. The contact arrived on the scene and replaced the rear driver's side tire with the spare tir…
The water pump on my 2016 Toyota Highlander XLE disintegrated while I was driving in heavy traffic. The pulley came loose from the water pump shaft. I have the water pump. Our safety was at risk because this happen in heavy traffic and it could have effected my control of the vehicle if it had came off completely. The pulley was wedge between the wheel well and fame. I sent a claim to Toyota and it was rejected due …
The contact owned a 2016 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed low speeds on a decline, the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard. As a result, the vehicle rolled downhill into a busy intersection and was struck by another vehicle on the passenger side door. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deeme…
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 28 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,200
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Service Brakes22 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other21 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System14 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine9 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Air Bags9 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Exterior Lighting8 complaints · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$1,380
Other Toyota Highlander Hybrid years
Toyota Highlander Hybrid years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (22 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 51/100, computed from 108 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid's most common problem?
22 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid cost to run per year?
About $4,474 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,372 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Toyota Highlander Hybrid really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 108 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 108 NHTSA complaints on record (10.8/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (1.5/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems