2018 Toyota Highlander: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
266 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2018 to 2020 Highlander, which score 46, 40 and 37 on 261, 472 and 306 complaints, and treat the 2017 at 57 as a car that needs its drivetrain history documented. Buy a 2011 to 2016, where every year scores between 78 and 86 and none has more than 210 complaints. Read the full note on the model page. 2018 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 266 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Highlander: the years to avoid and the years to buy, including 2018 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 266 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 33.25
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
whining sound in the transmission, including high-pitched whining, erratic shifting, clunks, hesitation, and premature failure. These vehicles are equipped with the UA80F (AWD) and UA80E (FWD) 8-speed automatic transmissions.
Transmission failure happened suddenly. I pulled out of a car wash and car would not accelerate. I was in heavy traffic and car wouldn’t move.
The position of the screen monitor for the backup camera is hard to see when the sun creates a glare on the front windshield.
Recalls: 5 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 18V211000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist:Vacuum | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota Camry and Highlander vehicles, 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles and 2017 Lexus RX350 vehicles. During the manufacturing process, the oil galley in the rotor for the brake booster vacuum pump assembly may have been improperly machined possibly resulting in a sudden loss… |
| 20V682000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018-2019 4Runner, 2019-2020 Avalon, 2019 Corolla Hatchback, 2017-2019 Highlander, 2018-2020 Camry, 2020 Corolla, 2018-2019 Land Cruiser, 2017-2020 Tacoma, 2019-2020 RAV4, 2019-2020 Sequoia, 2017-2020 Sienna, 2019-2020 Tundra, 2018-2020 Lexus ES350, 2017 Lexus GS200t, 2017-2019 Lexus… |
| 20V012000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) recalled certain 2018-2019 4Runner, Highlander, Camry, Land Cruiser, Sequoia, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, and Lexus RC 300, RC 350, GS 350, GX 460, IS 300, LC 500, LS 500, LX 570, RX 350L, and 2019 Toyota Avalon and Corolla, and certain Lexus NX 300, and ES 350 vehicles on January 13, 2020. On March 4, 2020,… |
| 17V831000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Toyota 4Runner and Tundra, 2018 Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Lexus GX460 and 2017 Toyota Sienna and Tacoma vehicles. These vehicles may have incorrect load carrying capacity modification labels. |
| 18E107000 | Electrical System | Fujian Wanda Automobile Glass Industry (Wanda) is recalling certain aftermarket Replacement Windshields sold for use in 2014-2018 Toyota Highlander vehicles. The windshields have an attached wire harness that water may leak into, possibly causing damage to the vehicle's Engine Control Module (ECM). |
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 22 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,050
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.
- Power Train66 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Service Brakes58 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other43 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine33 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System24 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel/Propulsion System22 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
Other Toyota Highlander years
Toyota Highlander years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Toyota Highlander?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (66 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2018 Toyota Highlander a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 45/100, computed from 266 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2018 Toyota Highlander's most common problem?
66 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2018 Toyota Highlander sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is transmission service or clutch-pack repair: about 7.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,290–$4,040 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 2018 Toyota Highlander cost to run per year?
About $5,471 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $27,358 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 2018 Toyota Highlander have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Toyota Highlander, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 03/04/2018. 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 2018 Toyota Highlander 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 — 266 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 266 NHTSA complaints on record (33.2/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (16.2/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems