Reliable Auto DB

2013 Toyota Highlander reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 212 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Highlander over 14 years — 27 per year. The other Highlander years sit at about the same rate: their median is 26 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Seats, Labels, and Inactive sensor control module.

2012 Toyota Highlander
Photo by IFCAR, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

212

Per year

27

Recalls

3

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (46 of 212), then Engine (32) and Speed control (31). Those filings include 26 that report a crash and 12 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Highlander has 191 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2014 has 135 complaints, 13 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2013 Toyota Highlander. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall Seats 2014-03-27 · NHTSA campaign 14V148000
Summary Toyota is recalling certain model year 2013 Highlander vehicles manufactured March 13, 2013, through August 6, 2013. In the affected vehicles, the second row left hand seat may not lock in place when positioned in the forward front or second adjusting position. As such, the vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Remedy Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will modify the second row left hand seat so that it will lock into the seat track, free of charge. The recall began on May 21, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Recall Labels 2013-04-09 · NHTSA campaign 13V123000
Summary Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Remedy Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.
Recall air bags, frontal, inactive sensor control module 2013-01-16 · NHTSA campaign 13V014000
Summary 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.
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.

Complaints by component (212 total)

Steering
46
Engine
32
Speed control
31
Electrical system
26
Structure
19
Air bags
18
Service brakes
17
Fuel and propulsion system
12
Powertrain
12
Seats
10
Exterior lighting
5
Seat belts
5
Visibility and wipers
5
Fuel system, gasoline
4
Tires
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Engine and engine cooling
3
Visibility
3
Wheels
3
Equipment
2
Suspension
2
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Hydraulic brakes
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

26

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

12

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

162013362014292015152016142017282018302019132020920216202222023420246202542026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I purchased a 2013 Toyota Highlander in 2018 or.2019 with 64,000 miles. I was told to go 5000 miles before changes. My oil was gone many times when I did this. I reported this to Toyota dealership.I eventually stopped…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-18
  • "The factory Blizzard Pearl paint on this vehicle is experiencing severe chemical delamination down to the bare primer and sheet metal on multiple body panels. This structural failure aligns exactly with Toyota Customer…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-09-03
  • "This is related to the Faulty Spiral Cable Assembly (HORN) that on line evidence suggests should have been a Toyota Recall item for this year and model. In 2014, Toyota issued a recall for 97,000 Hylanders for this very…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-02
  • "After a hard braking session because of a car that pulled quickly in front of me the ABS light and check engine light came on with a code of C1391 - Abnormal leak in Accumulator. A warning message came on the info…"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-05-04
  • "2013 Toyota Highlander Limited sunroof drains continue to back up and dump water into the front and rear cabin, causing electrical issues and mold if not addressed immediately. Also the factory-installed roof rack…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2025-09-24

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Toyota Highlander HV SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 Toyota Highlander SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 Toyota Highlander SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Highlander two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (5-speed) Front-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $3250
Highlander two-wheel drive 2.7L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 25 22 MPG $2950
Highlander four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (5-speed) All-wheel drive 17 22 19 MPG $3400
Highlander hybrid four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) All-wheel drive 28 28 28 MPG $2300

Specs and fitment

3rd generation, 2012–2013
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (SAE 5W-20 may be used; 0W-20 preferred) , 6.4 qt capacity
Tire size P245/65R17, P245/55R19
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Recall 14V-148 covers certain model year 2013 Highlander vehicles in which the second-row left-hand seat may not lock into the inboard seat track in the forward first or second adjusting position, so the seat could move and increase injury risk in a crash; dealers modify the seat so it locks into the track, free of charge.

Compare

Previous year 2012 Toyota Highlander Next year 2014 Toyota Highlander See every Toyota Highlander model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Toyota Highlander reliable?

Owners have filed 212 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Highlander over 14 years — 27 per year. The other Highlander years sit at about the same rate: their median is 26 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Seats, Labels, and Inactive sensor control module.

What are common problems with a 2013 Toyota Highlander?

The complaints owners file most often name Steering (46 of 212), then Engine (32) and Speed control (31). Those filings include 26 that report a crash and 12 that report an injury.

Is the 2013 Toyota Highlander more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Highlander has 191 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2014 has 135 complaints, 13 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Toyota Highlander been recalled?

The 2013 Toyota Highlander has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2013 Toyota Highlander?

Owners have filed 212 complaints about the 2013 Toyota Highlander with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Toyota Highlander get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 Toyota Highlander is 22.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Toyota Highlander take?

US gasoline Highlanders in these generations prefer 0W-20 (5W-20 may be used temporarily). Approx. capacities with filter: ~6.4 qt (2012-2013 3.5L), ~5.8 qt (2014+ 3.5L V6).

Does recall 20V-162 cover the Toyota Highlander?

It covers certain 2020 Highlander vehicles with the 3.5L V6: an ECU programming error may fail to supply fuel correctly during stop-and-restart; dealers update the ECU software.

What generation is the 2020 Toyota Highlander?

5th generation (2020 onward). 2014-2019 are 4th generation; 2012-2013 are late 3rd generation in this catalog.