2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
224 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 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. 2017 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 224 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Highlander: the years to avoid and the years to buy, including 2017 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 224 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 24.89
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
After getting gas, the vehicle will not start. It will crank and crank but not turn over, like it is starving for gas. Then after 10-15 minutes it will start barely and to keep it running I have to floor the accelerator. Any other time it starts just fine. There are also no codes causing a check engine light.
I have had this car seat for 1 year and 10 months and I just found out that the headrest foam piece is split in half (06/26/2025). It has been handled with extreme care and I got it in September of 2023. It has stayed in my specific car and the only reason I found the problem was because I was cleaning them off. It is the third Chicco car seat to have found the foam headrest either broken in half or completely separa…
I have had this car seat for 1 year and 3 days and I just found out that the headrest foam piece came off the plastic base frame(06/26/2025). It has been handled with extreme care and I got it in June 2024. It has stayed in my car and the only reason I found the problem was because I was cleaning them off. It is the third Chicco car seat to have found the foam headrest either broken in half or completely separate fro…
Recalls: 2 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V295000 | Tires:Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire | Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (Gulf States) is recalling certain 2017 4Runner , 86, Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla iM, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius C, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Sienna and Yaris vehicles. |
| 17V520000 | Equipment | Gulf States Toyota, Inc. (GST) is recalling certain 2017 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid vehicles equipped with accessory roof rail cross bars. |
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.
- Unknown Or Other46 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System45 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train45 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine42 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes29 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Fuel/Propulsion System26 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
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 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (46 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 47/100, computed from 224 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid's most common problem?
46 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 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 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid cost to run per year?
About $4,602 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,012 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.
Does the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/05/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2017 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.
Strong evidence — 224 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 224 NHTSA complaints on record (24.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (1.5/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems