2019 Toyota Highlander: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
482 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 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. 2019 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 482 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Toyota Highlander: the years to avoid and the years to buy, including 2019 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 482 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 68.86
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
When I accelerate my car makes a whining noise. I had the transmission flushed and it did not help. My Toyota dealership said to drive it until it gets worse.
About 2 months ago we noticed that the driver side seat has a rubture on the right side of the seat and the metal plate has a sharp side which is cutting the cloth of the seat plus the seat has begin to be to saggy and loose
My 2019 Highlander was driving totally normal, when all of a sudden the transmission started slipping and then would no longer accelerate. I was on a windy back road in Alaska with no service, so after letting it sit for a bit I tried to drive it again. It then drove maybe 1/2 more miles before slipping completely and no longer accelerating. No check engine lights came up. I got it towed to my house where a mechanic …
Recalls: 3 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 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,… |
| 19V244000 | Equipment:Other:Labels | Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. |
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 $2,950
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 Train195 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System86 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Unknown Or Other79 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine69 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System56 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Fuel System21 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 2019 Toyota Highlander?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Power Train (195 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Toyota Highlander a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 40/100, computed from 482 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Toyota Highlander's most common problem?
195 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 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 2019 Toyota Highlander cost to run per year?
About $5,908 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,540 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 2019 Toyota Highlander have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Toyota Highlander, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/11/2020. 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 2019 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 — 482 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 482 NHTSA complaints on record (68.9/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (16.2/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems