I am now a first-time Toyota owner. I’ve owned all the Big Three, a couple Hyundai’s, an AMC and a Honda, plus my family has owned VW’s, an MB and even a SAAB. Toyota, for being such a popular brand, surprisingly has never entered my personal orbit until now. The occasion is the purchase of a 2016 Highlander to be our new Wife’s Car/Family Hauler.
This has had me thinking about whether the popular notion that Toyota’s are more reliable and durable is still true.
Our primary reasons for choosing the Highlander were:
1. My wife likes it
2. It is short enough to fit in our fairly limited garage space (many three row CUVs/minivans won’t or would be extremely tight)
I can’t say the reputation of the Toyota brand was a major motivation, but it did make me more comfortable with buying a make that I am unfamiliar with.
Welcome Highlander, Bye Bye Santa Fe
The Highlander replaces a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe that we bought new (that’s the larger three row one). That one was a base model, which came well-equipped with things like leather-wrapped wheel, bluetooth and heated front seats, but was still relatively basic. My wife has been wanting to upgrade to something with more features like a sunroof, leather seats, second row buckets, power liftgate, etc, so we decided to get a late model used vehicle that was better equipped. The Hyundai had been totally satisfactory as far as reliability, so my boring yet practical suggestion was to get another Santa Fe with more options. However, my wife as the primary user wanted something different and wasn’t swayed by my boring advise. We settled on a Highlander XLE, the middle trim in their lineup.
We purchased the car from Echo Park, which is a used car super center kind of like CarMax or AutoNation, i.e. the Costco of used cars. Like the others, they have no-haggle pricing. Their price was right in the middle of Blue Book value for the model, options and 35,000 miles, but it did come with brand new tires and they offered me more than I expected for a trade-in on the Santa Fe. So I am now the proud owner of a Toyota, hopefully for quite a while!
6 years old, just about ready to drive it!
The car is nice. It’s quiet, rides smoothly and the seats are comfortable. There is not the least thing sporty in its nature, unless you count the bucket seats (front and rear!), which are universal these days and therefore not sporty at all. The power is decent from its 270 h.p. 3.5L naturally aspirated V6, but the gearing and tuning in the transmission clearly favor leisurely and efficient driving over aggressive acceleration. Likewise, the steering is soft and nonadjustable, while the handling does not encourage rally course fantasies. All of that is fine for the type of use this car will be getting.
What I really like about it is that when I drive it, I feel practically invisible due to the extreme ubiquity of this model. In the suburbs where I live, pretty much anywhere cars gather you will see at least one Highlander. That combined with the white color, and I’m sure nobody has ever given it a second look. I also like that it doesn’t have the, uhm…polarizing front end styling that many other recent Toyota models suffer from.
Though the car is generally smooth, there is a bit of unexpected engine vibration at highway speeds. Shifting the car into and out of gear creates a small amount of shudder, especially when the engine is cold. When lifting off the brake quickly, the pedal makes a little rattle noise. These are actually quite mild though notable because they were not present in the Hyundai or even my 96 Buick. The local Toyota dealer service department assures me these are all normal for the car. I even checked the brake pedal on a new Highlander and it did the same thing. I am going on the theory that these are rough edges common to the Highlander and perhaps other Toyota’s.
Matters of refinement aside, the question at hand is about reliability and durability. The Highlander is assembled in the U.S. and doesn’t share anything mechanically with the 80’s and 90’s models that Toyota built their dominance on. Toyota builds so many vehicles, especially the top-selling ones like Highlander, can their old magic still make it into every car? Unlike me, many of you have a lot of experience with Toyota’s. So, what do you say? Do modern, high-volume Toyota models like the Highlander live up to the reputation that Toyota has had for decades of being unfailingly reliable?
We’ve owned a 2016 just like yours since new, it’s been just over four years now and has around 57,000 miles on it.
Zero mechanical issues whatsoever. Early on the driver’s seat had a small issue with the lumbar support where something internally seemed twisted and made a “pop” when the lumbar was extended all the way. The dealer fixed it, apparently it’s a known issue. And the parking brake rubber cover will not stay on the metal pedal. So now that part runs “superleggera” style.
One nice feature on the driver’s seat that is appreciated by drivers of different sizes and you may not be aware of is the extendable thigh support, there is a button at the leading edge of the seat side that “rolls” the front of the cushion further forward (or back for smaller people). It solves the problem of too little support in many Asian vehicles for me.
We were just discussing last night if we should replace it and decided to keep it for another year at least. There just wasn’t anything obvious that would be a significantly better vehicle in all respects and be worth the expenditure. Note that we don’t seem to have any of the issues you noted on yours though. Our brakes warped at around 36,000 miles but after the dealer resurfaced them it hasn’t recurred. I replaced the front pads myself at about 50k miles, rears will probably be due in the spring. Cheap and easy factory parts to source and replace.
Good luck with yours, as you can tell, we are quite satisfied with ours.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-2016-toyota-highlander-xle-awd/
Wow, there’s some high praise. Jim is going to keep it longer than expected. 🙂
You know it must be good.
I know, I’ve even changed the wipers and the battery 😀. Oh yeah, the battery seemed a little weak at cranking right around Thanksgiving so I replaced it…
When you reach a certain age….
I was not aware of that seat adjustment, I’ll have to look for it. Is yours an XLE or Limited? Maybe it’s a Limited thing.
No it’s on the XLE as mine is. I can see the button on your pic with your kid in the seat. It’s the one closest to the front edge.
It’s a beautiful car and I hope you enjoy it! I drove my 2016 COAL Lexus ES350 to 80,000 miles. It was built in Kentucky, maybe the same plant? Since you asked:
I had two power door lock acutators fail (which means you could not lock or unlock the door, whatever you were trying to do. I had to crawl in from the backseat one time when neither front door would unlock).
I had to take it in three times for turn signals not working, of all things. They would rapidly blink. Dealer replaced the bulbs a couple of times, and the third time it returned, they replaced a couple of sockets for the bulbs.
The multimedia system/screen “froze” about once a month the whole time I had it. When it did this, it would not respond to any controls on the dash or steering wheel. You could not control volume, station, or even just turn it off. Dealer always said “all updates installed already” and “cannot duplicate”.
So I was left underwhelmed by the Toyota reputation for reliability.
Highlander is actually built in Princeton, Indiana. I think you got stuck with the exception as regards the Lexus reliability!
Do Lexus models have a manual key lock on the driver side? The Highlander has pushbutton start, so no “keys”, but it does have a real key hidden in the fob so you can open the driver door at least. In the event of a dead fob, I’m not sure how that would work with starting the car. Is there a back up system for that?
There is a manual key lock on the driver door. But it would not turn with the “blade” key from the remote, due to the seized lock actuator.
I think if the remote battery dies, most cars will start if you hold the remote against the underside of the steering column. I seem to recall reading that for the Lexus and the Sububan as well.
Most cars with push button start do have a back up system with an old school transponder in the fob along with the electronics. Not sure about Toyota though that would be a serious oversight to not do that. On my Lincoln you remove the cup holder liner and there is a recess the size and shape of the fob. Place the fob in there and the car can ping it and read it. On our C-Max there is a divot in the steering column cover where you hold it while you push the button.
They also have a key in the fob but the key slot is hidden on many. Sometimes it is a cover you release with said key, Other times it is revealed when you pull the door handle out, so you hold the door handle in the open position with one hand and operate the key with the other. Then release the handle and give it another pull to open.
Yep. If for some reason the key fob won’t activate the push button starter from a distance on my wife’s Lexus ES350, you can touch the button with the fob and it will start. There is also a key tucked in the fob that will let you open the door from the outside.
Also, maybe you could do another write up about the Echo Park experience in a little more detail? Curious to know more about it. My sister in law was shopping for newish used cars lately and liked it. She said it was best described as CarMax crossed with Starbucks. I think she wound up with a C-Class from CarMax, primarily because the Echo Park selection was a little newer/nicer/more expensive than what she was in the market for.
Yeah, that’d be good. We have friends that just got their second car from EchoPark and I looked there as well when searching in the spring. From what I saw it was better than CarMax as far as quality goes in general (less higher mile cars), and the pricing seemed decent for around here. I’d consider them again, zero hassle and/or pressure when browsing and the friends’ cars are performing well (A Volvo and a VW)
I’ve had a run of Siennas – one from each generation – and noticed an odd trend. The interiors got cheaper-feeling through each successive model, but the overall reliability improved. None of them were bad, certainly, but the earlier editions had problems with the sliding doors and some squeaks and rattles. The last one, a 2012, had a quite decontented feel inside but absolutely nothing went wrong in reliability terms, and after 160,000+ miles there wasn’t a rattle to be heard. So from my experience, I’d say that Toyota’s reputation is still well-deserved.
I’d take that trade off!
I am considering a used RAV4 and the de-contenting you noticed seems to be a trend with many models of Toyota. Apparently, Toyota doesn’t up the spec on any model until EVERYONE else does first, then they will produce a new model that puts them at the head of a class for a year or two.
Since my opinion is that the more loaded a vehicle is the more likely it is to have something fail…I usually buy the lower or middle trim.
BTW, my brother is a dyed in the wool Chevy guy, but after looking at Toyotas he and his girlfriend got a new Highlander or 4Runner. (I saw it last year but didn’t really look at it long enough to remember which model. And yes, her’s is white.)
I think calling one entire brand “reliable” and another “unreliable” must be taken with a grain of salt. Of course, some have better reputations for reliability and indeed generally are, whereas others historically are known to commonly have a lot more issues.
I also feel that as the amount of in-car technology and electronics have skyrocketed in the past decade, historic brand reputations for reliability have become less important, as many cars whether it be a Honda versus a BMW versus a Land Rover can have similar problems related to glitchy electronics.
As for your original QOTD, the last Toyota we owned was my mom’s purchased-new 2004 Toyota Highlander which became mine from 2010-2012. I’d still call it fairly reliable, but we certainly had a lot of minor issues with it from the start. We had a lot of issues with the JBL sound system early on which resulted in about 5 or 6 trips back to the dealer, in the process all the speakers, radio head, and rear amplifiers were replaced. After a couple years the lights for the PRNDL on the gear shift went out and we were never able to get them back replacing fuses. 2 window regulators failed as did the moonroof, and at about 6 years of age it did develop a small oil leak which one Toyota dealer wanted over $3,000 to fix. Another dealer said it was minor enough to probably let it go for a few more years, which we did.
Nothing totally major, but when you compare it to the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 which my mom still owns and has more miles on it than the Highlander did at 6 years, she has (knock on wood) had zero issues with it. Oil changes, tires, brakes… that’s it. And I think most would agree that Toyota historically has had a higher reputation for reliability than Mercedes-Benz… at least in the U.S.
Good points! The complexity of modern cars makes these questions more complicated. I would not expect a MB to be more trouble free than a Toyota based on stereotypes!
Yours looks like the one in our garage. My wife likes this style and size of car; her 2019 Highlander followed a ’14 Explorer, a ’10 Venza and an ’06 RAV4.
So far the car has no mechanical issues but my wife is somewhat disconcerted by all the new technology. She absolutely does not like the start/stop feature that comes into play at intersections. She also dislikes the radar cruise control hesitation. She does like the lane warning and of course back up camera. She was concerned about lane guidance/correction but now likes that too.
I’ve only driven the car a couple of times on the highway and I too enjoyed the seat extender that Jim mentioned.
The car now has about 4,500 miles. It was manufactured in Indiana. It was bought in Wyoming and has taken trips to Montana and Arizona.
Finally, it is easier to load and fit my bicycle in the back of the Highlander than the operation in the former Explorer. The Highlander seems smaller in all outside dimensions but larger and more useful in all interior aspects.
We just got a 2019 XLE and it is going to take some time to familiarize ourselves with all of the technological aspects. I’m a minimalist by nature so it can be overwhelming. In case both of you were unaware, the start/stop can be disabled by pressing the button to the left of steering wheel–it has an “A” with an arrow circling it.
Personally the only Toyotas I would consider are the Hybrid versions, it is what Toyota does best. At least this is old enough that it looks normal.
We had a 2007 Highlander that was mostly trouble free for ten years/75k miles. The only issue was a piece of vinyl on the drivers seat (just above the seat controls) developed a split and was replaced under warranty. We sold the Highlander to our son and daughter-in-law when we bought a new 2017 Lexus RX. The RX has been trouble free and our other vehicle, a 2001 ES300 (also purchased new), has only needed replacement of a brake light bulb and an 02 sensor in almost 19 years and 131k miles. People say these are boring vehicles, but I’ve owned cars with “personality” and I’ll take boring.
That comment about the brake noise and transmission shuddering is spot on with my wife’s RAV4 as well. It’s stone cold reliable, but I’ve never met a car that was less willing to dance. I’m not sure if the front tires can be made to spin.
Also it moves in Park more than any other vehicle I’ve ever seen. It feels like it rolls four or five inches fore to aft. Every time I push too hard loading things into the hatch, the car bounces and pushes back, leaving me wondering if I’m about to go full Yelchin (RIP).
FWIW, the latest Consumer Reports survey has Toyota the third-most reliable car brand, with Lexus at #1. In between is Mazda.
Most alarming result in recent CR surveys is Honda’s badly slipping reliability. Acura is now third to last, one notch above Alfa Romeo.
I’m shocked about Acura’s free fall. Were there specific areas of concern or just the usual high tech mentions?
I’ve been tracking the Honda/Acura reliability trend, because apparently I have no life, and it seems much more than the usual tech annoyances. LED light failures, major body water leaks, sliding door issues, push button starting failures, auto stop issues, ZF 9HP issues, entire vehicle electrical failures at random, massive A/C issues, engine mounts, the 1.5t oil dilution issues… I don’t think I’d consider a Honda made after about 2014 as a reliable buy long-term.
Ive never owned a new Toyota but with the older models Ive had reliability was good not great, Every single one of them has required repairs to keep them going and driveable, not maintenance actual fault repairs,
Toyota in Japan build the most reliable cars, and they put Lexus badges on them.
In my experience, the Georgetown plant rivals or eclipses the Japanese production in reliability, and I’m talking very long term (10-25 years, 200k+ miles). There’s still something special about a J-VIN Toyota, and especially the rare Kanto Auto Works assembly sticker under the hood.
We had a similar discussion last year when we bought a new minivan — ultimately our choice boiled down to the Toyota Sienna or Kia Sedona.
The Sienna was considerably more expensive for a similar product, and our question was whether the reputation of the Toyota brand justified the extra expense. Ultimately, we decided the Kia offered similar quality, so it made sense to save a few thousand dollars and buy the Sedona.
One of the Sienna’s demerits was the transmission. When we test-drove a 2018 Sienna, the transmission shifted roughly; my wife and I both commented on it. Once home, I did some research and found that the transmission had been problematic since it was introduced, and Toyota seemed reluctant to admit there was a problem. They offered a software adjustment via a TSB rather than a recall, and it seems the software adjustment didn’t completely resolve the problem. So with that, Toyota got two demerits in my book — first for introducing a problematic transmission, and then for halfheartedly admitting there was a problem.
I still view Toyota as having very reliable cars, but perhaps not leading the pack as they had in the past. I certainly wouldn’t rule out a Toyota, but for us it didn’t seem to justify extra expenditure over the competition.
Hope you enjoy the Highlander! I know several people who have them (doesn’t everyone know someone who owns a Highlander?) and they’re all enthusiastic about it. Plus, yours passes the critical Wife Test, so other thing like reliability rankings take a back seat to that one.
Thanks! Yes, keeping the wife happy is most critical!
“The race does not always go to the swift, or the fight to the strong, nor the reliability award to Toyota, but that’s the way to bet.”
Quite seriously, Toyota started to drift away from the things that made them great about a decade ago, and had to step back. They had started chasing sales volume and thus cutting material costs so as to lower prices. Supposedly, they’ve returned to their quality focus…
Yeah – I’ve noticed a bit of decontenting in Toyotas in recent years – my 2009 Camry’s interior looks kinda cheapy compared with earlier generations (the pinnacle was the XV10, 2002-2006 model years), but it’s still solid reliable in regular use.
Just had the head gasket replaced on my ’06 Matrix. One of the door handles just broke, but thankfully, it’s a cheap part.
This is my first foreign car. And it’s a car. Things break, especially when you hit 120k. What I have been pleased with is the parts cost, especially when compared to the Sable I just dumped.
As I mentioned in a recent COAL series, we’ve owned Toyotas since 1981 – almost 40 years later and there is still one in the driveway – a 2007 Previa/Estima Van. Our experience with reliability/dependability has certainly been one of the reasons we’ve been loyal to the brand.
We’ve owned 10 total – a mix of sedans and vans – all bought used. Some had fairly high mileage – none of them had any mechanical issues. One of the Crowns, which was then 12 years old, had its sound system go out. In talking to other owners of used Toyotas, if any problems do occur, it will likely be with the radio/sound system – at very high age/mileage.
Our Estima has rhe same 2GR-series V6 as your Highlander – great engine; smooth and powerful. Jim.
We drove a 2009 Highlander for some 8 years, trading it in on a new RAV4 in September, 2017. Our Highlander was the base model (4 cylinder/FWD), with the six speed automatic it certainly was not a hot rod but I never felt that it was underpowered. When accelerating onto a highway it seemed to me that the transmission did an excellent job of allowing the engine to spin up to the torque peak and then shift to the next gear. In our 8+ years of ownership the only non-usage part that failed was the radio/CD changer, which was replaced under warranty. We did buy a new battery for the Highlander and purchased a new set of tires but otherwise all we did was put in gas and drive.
The RAV4 we have now is the sixth Toyota we have owned in the past 25 years, some purchased new and some purchased used. None of them (even a Celica and a Solara) were especially exciting to drive but all of them were reliable and required little maintenance other than changing the oil and replacing the tires/battery when necessary. Over the years I have noticed that Toyota has decontented their models, our 1993 Camry had noticeably better materials than our 2005 did. As far as I can tell none of this has had any effect on how the cars drive or their longevity. Are Toyotas perfect, of course not; would I buy another one, probably.
We’ve had two ‘93 Toyota’s, a ‘97, an ‘08 and now a 2016. Collectively they’ve been more reliable than any other brand we’ve owned, though I guess the only other multi-car brand we’ve had is VW.
Of the two older ones, the Corolla needed a water pump under warranty, and other than tires, a bulb or two and one set of front pads, that was it in 90K miles. The Land Cruiser had an O2 sensor recall, and needed a few sets of brake pads, a front axle oil seal, and a radiator in 140K miles. I also replaced the brake master cylinder, as I was having trouble bleeding the brakes, but I’m not sure it was needed. The ‘97 T100 I bought used with 170K miles and sold it at 190K, after replacing a few wear-out items but it was already 17 years old when I bought it.
Our (and now our son’s) ‘08 Prius has over 150K miles with no repairs except the water pump, and everything works fine. Upholstery is a bit worn but no tears or holes, or broken trim. My 2016 Tacoma has 68K miles with no issues except a crank position sensor recall, and a trip meter failure and a SW update, both done under warranty. Mine is fully loaded and I worry about infotainment and other electronics, but so far so good. The 4wd gadgets, with terrain modes, crawl/hill control, and rear locker all work fine🤞So I’d say Toyota’s reputation is well earned.
I feel strongly that Toyota brings its A game with SUVs and CUVs. This is apparent with your fine article. I would consider a RAV4 or a Highlander next time it’s time to buy, however the cost is somewhat of a challenge. So I would go used, say a former lease model, a year old let’s say. I believe that would not diminish the reliability of one of either of these.
A neighbour just bought a Highlander for his wife, they also considered the RAV but opted for the Highlander as it provided more horsies for get up and go.
My current preference would be a Toyota over a Honda or a Kia. Thanks for this writeup.
Besides Gen 1, I think this generation is one of the best styled Highlanders. Wouldn’t mind landing a Limited Hybrid one of these days….
We have a 2015 RAV4 Limited that we have owned for 3 1/2 years. It has just clocked 50k miles. Zero problems and is possibly the best and most useful vehicle we have ever owned in 40 years or so of vehicle ownership. I have no plans on replacing it any time soon.
As a side note it can be hard to find in a parking lot… 🙂
I have a 2010 Venza, 3.5L V6, AWD, tow package, sunroof, back-up cam, heated seats. I bought it after it was returned on a lease at 4 years / 40K miles. Now at 5 years and 54K additional miles. I’ve changed the battery (the dashboard was occasionally going haywire which tipped me off that was time), tires, brakes (around 85K original), wipers (back, then later front), routine maintenance (it will pester you when it’s time to change the oil), and some recommended maintenance at the Toyota dealership which I don’t recall ever amounted to major dollars. I can put a lot of stuff in there, and it can pull a trailer without breaking a sweat here in the SE US. It is very stable on the road, and I can be at 90 mph without realizing it. It gives me everything I need from a car, with the exception of it being exciting to drive. It isn’t, but it is clean, smooth and efficient. I wish it had a slightly tighter turn radius, and it is slightly wider than any of my previous cars. It ALWAYS starts on the first (only) push of the start button. Only other issue that I’m used to now is when the 6-speed transmission is cold, it is really slow to shift gears, and occasionally if I’m not like accelerating that quickly it will shift and hesitate before deciding on a gear. Not exactly a TorqueFlyte in mom’s ’65 Dodge.
I spent about 8 months looking for a Venza with all the options I felt necessary (tow package, V6, AWD–I want to be able to tow a 5×8′ trailer). The dealership had it certified, there wasn’t anything to haggle, and my wife signed off on me buying a car for me. I paid it off in 3.5 years.
The one annoyance that I have are the key fobs. The range comes and goes unpredictably (and rarely more than 5 ft away) and doesn’t always lock unless I mash on the fob buttons multiple times. I’ve changed the batteries in each and it hasn’t fully alleviated the problem, but I’ve never had to leave it unlocked nor has it ever locked me out (that’s what the fob key inside is for). In case of a dead fob in a Toyota Venza, I put the fob itself up over the push start button (the light goes green) and I can start it then. When I had to start doing this, I just looked up battery change on YouTube, took the old battery to an Ace Hardware nearby, and it worked a bit better for a short while. Given the grand scheme, I’m fine.
My dad had a 1975 Hi-Lux which was a great little truck which he got used (around 1980) and later gave away to a friend of his who was down on his luck after about 10 years of ownership and (knowing dad) not stellar maintenance. But it never broke down. I had a 1982 Toyota SR-5 longbed which had a sticking thermostat problem that persisted despite changing it about 4 times in 14 years of ownership–most of the time in the snow-bound salt-ridden states. That was a problem only seen on long highway trips, never in town. It only had a starter go bad after 11 years of ownership and when I gave it away in 1998, it was mostly worn out and rusting away (except for that indestructible R-20 motor).
Toyota seems to be doing just fine in reliability and durability. It’s styling and excitement factor needs help still, but if is needing something for Point A to Point B, you can do worse but not a lot better than a Toyota. I figure I’ll hang onto this one for about 5 years and then see what’s on the market for electric/hybrid types as I’ll be nearing retirement. No qualms about getting another Toyota.
Maybe it isn’t the range on the fobs. Take them apart and clean the contacts with some rubbing alcohol and a q-tip. Maybe the buttons aren’t making contact.
My father’s third car was a Toyota Cressida, which eventually became my first, and after 14 years it certainly felt more solid than the Daewoo Cielo he replaced it with! Generally, the people I know with Toyotas don’t really have any major issues with them until the years begin to take their toll.
We own a 2001 Highlander bought new in October of that year. It now has a little over 234k miles, same drivetrain (3.0 V6), uses no oil and has only required maintenance per Mfr recommendations, one brake job and is on its 4th set of tires… beige leather interior looks near new and still runs like a top. It has been a great car for us… now used for runs to Costco, Home Depot and errands around town.
We have a ’15 Highlander that we traded our ’12 Buick Enclave in on. The Buick was a CPO from the local Buick dealership and was a low mileage, one owner car that was supposed to last us a long time. It was loaded and beautiful, but it spent more time in their service department than it did in my driveway. Long story short, I grew sick and tired of taking that lemon in every other week for its multitude of major and minor issues, especially as the warranty was about to expire.
Enter the Highlander. I bought it because of Toyota’s legendary reputation for reliability. The Toyota is nowhere near as plush and luxurious as that Buick, but its not had a single issue in its 2.5 years in our possession. It drives great, is comfortable, and everything works 100% all of the time. At 71k miles, I don’t believe it’s even broken in yet.
Toyota simply makes the best appliances, and like a good set of kitchen knives, they will last forever if you take care of them.