2016 Toyota Highlander

Steering column can become worn prematurely causing loose steering and possibly loose control

NHTSA ID

11719673

Incident

Jun 3, 2025

I was on Hwy 27 headed south bound at Bellecita Rd in Davenpoerrt, Fl. This is a busy four way intersection. I moved into the left hand turn lane. When the left turn green light came on I began my U-Turn to head north bound. The steering wheel would not respond to my input and the vehicle kept going straight into oncoming traffic. It took a great deal of bodily force to get the vehicle to respond. When it did respond there was loud popping noise. I had noticed in the past, that when Iwas turning or changing lanes on the hwy, the steering had a small glitch before it centered. I thought this was strange but figured this was normal for this vehicle. This incident left me badly shaken. I thought for the grace of God that I was not involved in a serious , possibly deadly accident. I've lost my confidence in the vehicle and the brand. I will be taking it to a Toyota dealer to get it diagnosed the first chance I get.

NHTSA ID

11715980

Incident

Feb 5, 2026

I was driving on a 2-lane road early in the morning with light snowfall. There was about 1" of snow on the road, with the roads not yet plowed or treated as it was the beginning of the snowfall. About 15 minutes into my trip, I was on a relatively flat and straight stretch of the road and let up on the gas paddle to avoid going too fast -- was probably traveling ~35 mph. Although the road was straight and flat at that point, my car suddenly started fishtailing, slowly turned 180 degrees and sliding to the other side of the road, ending up on the opposite edge of the road. When it hit the edge of the road, it tipped over on its right side, as apparently the dirt at the edge of the road was not as slippery as the road, and the SUV having a high center of gravity. Since my car was an AWD hybrid vehicle, I believe that the triggering event was the vehicle shutting down the gas engine and switching to EV mode when I started coasting (that usually happens when I'm driving <40 mph and the vehicle is sufficiently warm). But I did not look at the dashboard to see if the EV mode switched on at that point. In addition, while I did not sense any skidding prior to this event, it's possible that there may have been a slick spot right at that point in the road. But it seemed to me that when the power to the front wheels was reduced from the gas engine shutting down (as I believe was the case), the transition to electric motors taking over the front drive created some perceived traction issues which triggered the electric motors in the back to try to compensate for the perceived traction issues in the front. But the rear drive ended up creating a significant differential where the right rear wheel was driving much harder than the left rear wheel, creating the car spin and slide, which the traction control did not correct. I did not apply the brakes nor gas once the car started skidding. The car was 10 years old and was a total loss as a result of tipping on its side.

NHTSA ID

11712269

Incident

Jan 17, 2026

**Nature of Safety Defect Within 13,000 miles of normal mixed highway and light off-road use on a Toyota Highland, one tire developed a sidewall bubble and all four tires exhibited extreme and uneven tread wear—far below the advertised 50,000-mile treadwear warranty. The remaining tread depth on all four tires is already under 2/32" in multiple locations, with severe cupping and feathering that makes the vehicle vibrate violently above 50 mph and causes unpredictable handling, especially in wet & snowconditions. These conditions render the tires objectively dangerous and unfit for continued highway or street use. Manufacturer Response Pirelli warranty claim #2194927 was summarily denied as “impact damage” with no physical inspection. Pirelli has refused any prorated adjustment, replacement, or refund, and has kept possession of the failed tire. On November 17, 2025, Pirelli Consumer Affairs closed the case stating: “Pirelli considers this claim to be closed and will not take any further action regarding the claim or the subject tires.” Request to NHTSA I am asking the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open a formal defect investigation into the Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus line for: Premature and excessive tread wear (tires effectively worn out in under 13,000 miles vs. 50,000-mile rating) Widespread reports of sidewall bubbles and sudden structural failures Potential violation of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards relating to tire strength, endurance, and treadwear labeling (49 CFR Part 571.139 and Part 575) These tires present a clear safety hazard—severe uneven wear and structural defects can lead to loss of vehicle control, hydroplaning, or catastrophic blowouts. Hundreds of owners have posted identical failures online in the past 18–24 months. Please investigate this tire model for possible safety recall or enforcement action. I am happy to provide the tires, in

NHTSA ID

11700493

Incident

Sep 18, 2025

I was traveling on an interstate going home from work. My speed was approximately 65mph. I noticed traffic slowing up ahead. I began to drop my speed (cost down), as I was approaching the traffic the car in front of me was applying their brakes; I had already began to apply mine. I was applying more pressure to my brakes to slow down more as the person in front of me began to slow more quickly. The person in front of me then had to slam their brakes on and I was not able to stop in time to avoid collision with the car in front of me. That driver did not come in contact with any other vehicle. The impact was at approximately 50mph. I was then very quickly hit from behind by the car behind me. The vehicle behind me hit of center and more on the right back corner of my car. My vehicle sustained significant front-end damage; the hood was folded, the grill was gone, the radiator was pushed back. As I looked up after the impact and saw my hood folded I then noticed that my air bag had not gone off. How could the air bag have not gone off in an impact such as that. My safety was compromised by the possibility of hitting the steering wheel or worse such as impacting the windshield if the crash had been worse. I do not remember if my vehicle had side curtain air bags as well. NO air bags deployed. Law enforcement was called by the driver of the car I rear ended as we agreed that she would. The driver of the vehicle that hit me I believe also called 911. Highway Patrol responded along with state incident response vehicles to protect the scene. I have filed a claim with my insurance, and the vehicle was looked at and deemed a total loss. It is not available for inspection and was taken to a salvage yard per the insurance company. I did not notice any lights on on the dash after. I also did not encounter any issues before this. I had the vehicle just over a year.

NHTSA ID

11695898

Incident

Oct 21, 2025

P245/55R19 103T Nitto Crosstek2 BW. Vehicle pulls to different directions when the tires are cross swapped. I have taken the vehicle to 4 to 5 wheel alignments within 3 months and 3 different shops after the purchase of the tire. Recently I took the vehicle Big O Tires and they _verified the tires have "Radial Pull" / Tire Conicity due to Manufacturing Defect of the a belt separation within the tire's structure. _The shop also verified that the alignment is performed correctly. I believe those tire are unsafe and they could fail suddenly causing crash.

NHTSA ID

11681012

Incident

Aug 15, 2025

On multiple (3-5), but not all, occasions at the same location my pre collision warning and automatic breaking appear to have been triggered as I approached an expansion plate at the edge of a bridge. The pre collision warning sounded, then the brakes were automatically applied. After a few seconds the braking stopped and my car proceeded normally. If a car had been following closely I may have been struck in the rear.

NHTSA ID

11660748

Incident

May 9, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Toyota Highlander equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: Evolution H/T, Tire Size: 245/55/R19, DOT Number: UPPIILE. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 55-65 MPH, the rear driver's side tire unexpectedly had a blowout. The contact's wife pulled over to the side of the road. The contact arrived on the scene and replaced the rear driver's side tire with the spare tire. The vehicle was taken to a tire retailer, where it was determined that the tire blowout was caused by a road hazard. The tire was not replaced. The tire manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The tire failure mileage was 30,000. The vehicle failure mileage was 61,000. The VIN was unavailable.

NHTSA ID

11635719

Incident

Jan 5, 2025

Mileage

61,000 mi

Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interior of the vehicle for odor remediation. Refer to the applicable model and model year Repair Manual and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) website for the most up-to-date safety and precautionary guidelines.

Some customers may experience echoing on the line calling the vehicle when using Bluetooth Hands Free. This is caused by the phone Hands Free volume being too low.

The air conditioning dye injection tool kit has been developed to aid in identifying the location of air conditioning refrigerant leaks. The procedures outlined in this Service Bulletin aid in locating, inspecting, and repairing refrigerant leaks.

Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on the paint surface that resemble hard water spots. Unlike water spots however, acid rain damage cannot be removed by regular washing procedures. Also, because acid rain can etch and soften the paint, normal buffing or polishing repair procedures should not be attempted. This can cause further damage and result in visible depressions in the paint surface. The following are the three major categories of acid rain damage: •Minor damage: requires only buffing to repair. •Moderate damage: usually requires neutralizing, color sanding, and buffing. •Severe damage: extending beyond 1/2 mil of clearcoat on a pearl, metallic, or solid color, requires neutralization, sanding, and repainting. In cases where acid rain damage is minor, neutralization and buffing with a liquid-type paint finessing product may provide an adequate repair. Only specially formulated products outlined in this bulletin should be used for that purpose. Unfortunately, other than minor damage, there is no simple method of determining the actual extent (depth) of acid penetration other than color sanding a representative affected area until there is no visible etching or depressions, followed by measuring the amount of paint removed with either a magnetic or digital-type film thickness gauge. The procedures in this bulletin are intended for use by qualified body/paint technicians and should not be attempted by inexperienced personnel. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. Perform frequent vehicle washing, as often as daily, during high heat and humidity periods to minimize the potential for paint damage due to acid rain exposure. This is especially important in geographical areas known for high frequency and concentration of acid rain and industrial fallout.

To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Consequently, the film should remain on the wheel for as long as possible.

The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage can occur. This damage is the result of actual etching of the paint and appears as pitting or water spots. As acid rain droplets on the vehicle surface evaporate, the concentration strength of the acid increases, causing deeper and more rapid damage. This evaporation and corrosive action also occur more rapidly on dark colored cars as direct sun heat increases. It is the dealer’s responsibility to protect and maintain the quality of the vehicle’s paint finish after receipt at the dealership prior to the first sale. In areas known for high frequency and/or concentration of acid rain, frequent vehicle washing during high heat or humidity periods will minimize the potential for paint damage caused by acid rain. It is further recommended that either reverse osmosis or deionized water be used to prevent water spotting.