2012 Toyota Highlander engine problems
Owners reported engine problems in 19 complaints for the 2012 Toyota Highlander, 8% of the complaints on file.
At a glance
- Complaints
- 19 8% of this year's complaints
- Typical mileage
- 32,000 miles 14 complaints with mileage
- Crashes and fires
- 0 and 2
- Injuries and deaths
- 0 and 0
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
When engine problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 7 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 0 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 1 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 0 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 1 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 2 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 1 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 0 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 1 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 0 |
| 200k+ miles | 1 |
What the data shows
Of the 14 engine complaints that report mileage, the median is about 32,000 miles, and 57% were reported before 60,000 miles.
These complaints mention 2 fires.
What owners wrote
Vehicle got stuck in shallow wet sand, within less than a couple mins of attempts to move forward and backward by spinning wheels , the car started smoking and became fully engulfed in flames. It was a total loss. The issue is the little that it took to start a fire like this - perhaps some component needs to have safety feature added or stern warning communicated and posted in the car of this danger. We learned that lesson the very hard way.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 toyota highlander. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and steering to the right, the engine suddenly emitted an abnormal noise. The contact also stated that the headlights would not shut off intermittently when powering off the vehicle. In addition, the defroster for the rear window would not function properly, causing the windows to remain foggy for a long period of time.
Other problems reported for the 2012 Toyota Highlander
- Steering 46 complaints
- Electrical system 29 complaints
- Body & structure 20 complaints
- Wipers, windshield & visibility 19 complaints